MONTICELLO, Minn. - A Minnesota company is making national headlines for a gun that's not even on the market yet.
The start-up Monticello company, called Ideal Conceal, is getting a lot of attention for its double-barrel .380-caliber handgun. The reason why? The gun is designed to look just like a cell phone.
CEO Kirk Kjellberg said he got the idea for the gun at a restaurant, after getting his permit to carry -- and quickly realizing he'd like to be more concealed.
"I walked towards the restroom and a little child, a boy about 7, saw me and said, 'Mommy, mommy, that guy's gotta gun,'" he said. "The whole restaurant of course turns and stares at you and I thought, 'There's just gotta be something better to do than this.'"
The gun, as advertised on his website, is designed to look just like a smartphone -- "so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment."
Kjellberg said the prototype will be done in June and will likely be manufactured in October. So far, he said he's had plenty of interest -- more than 4,000 requests, he claims, including from law enforcement.
The gun will be sold for $395.
Since marketing for the gun began, Kjellberg admits he's seen a range of feedback, including concerns raised about those who might be carrying a weapon indistinguishable from a cell phone.
He said his product is for those who want to carry a gun, when they need to "and not have to engage other people about why they're carrying that gun."
He said the fact that there are several ways in which those with permits to carry are currently able to conceal their weapons, makes his product no more of a safety concern than other guns.
"We don't want anything sinister to go on with it either," he said, "it's just made for mainstream America, not criminal enterprise."
