Tipsheet

ICYMI: There’s A Concealed Carry Firearm That Looks Like A Smartphone

A Minnesota-based startup has developed a two-shot handgun that looks like a smartphone. It seems to be optimal for concealed carry holders, though given its innocuous look, it could be good for open carry holders, as it won’t lead to confrontations with the police. Yes, it’s legal to open carry without a permit in public in a majority of states, though people who can’t mind their own business, and overzealous anti-gunners, at times call the police on Americans exercising their Second Amendment rights, which occasionally leads to testy exchanges; you can view them on YouTube. For concealed carry holders, no longer is there a worry of accidental exposure (unlawful display) while in public since folks think you're just carrying your smartphone.

The palm-sized firearm is affordable, costing less than $400. For now, it fires a .380 caliber round, though Kirk Kjellberg, said he’s looking to developing a semiautomatic version and others that can chamber different calibers (via CNN):

Ideal Conceal, a Minnesota startup, is developing a two-shot pistol that folds into a palm-sized square. It can be slipped into a back pocket or displayed openly in a coffee shop with no one the wiser.

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The company said the gun will cost $395 when it becomes available mid-2016. Developer Kirk Kjellberg said he's already received 2,500 emails from people who want to buy one.

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Kjellberg has a concealed carry permit and said he got the idea when he was walking through a restaurant and a young boy saw his pistol.

"This little kid says, 'Mommy, Mommy, that man's got a gun,' so the whole restaurant looks at you like you're about to shoot the place up," he explained to CNNMoney.

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The Ideal Conceal is a .380-caliber derringer, with two bullets loaded into two barrels. The derringer's original, simple design dates all the way back to the 1850s, when it was developed by Philadelphia gunsmith Henry Deringer.

Kjellberg said the gun cannot be fired while in the closed position.