Cell Phone Gun: Company Makes .380-Caliber Handgun That Looks Like A Smartphone


Carrying a gun in public – especially open carrying – can result in some awkward stares and weird situations; now one company has found a way to make your gun look like your cell phone. As U.S. News reports, Kirk Kjellberg, who created the company Ideal Conceal, was tortured by the idea that lawful gun owners were becoming side shows when they decided to open carry. Then he came up with the idea of creating a cell phone gun; a gun that folds up discretely to look just like a smartphone.

According to the cell phone gun’s inventor, his journey began when he was pointed out by an observant child at a restaurant.

“A boy spotted me in [a] restaurant and said loudly, ‘Mommy, Mommy, that guy’s got a gun!’ And then pretty much the whole restaurant stared at me.”

After many sleepless nights, he created and developed his Ideal Conceal concept to help other gun owners and himself deal with similarly “awkward situations.”

His end product? A.380 caliber pistol that, to the naked eye, could double as a cell phone. The gun, when transformed into its phone form, is roughly the size of a Samsung Galaxy S7 phone with its protective case intact.

Phone Gun
[Photo by Ideal Conceal/Twitter]
The new cell phone gun is not going to be available for purchase until later this year, but it is already garnering a significant amount of interest among gun-lovers. Over 4k interested people have expressed their desire to get their hands on one of the up-and-coming cell phone guns already, according to Kjellberg.

Despite the initial interest in the cell phone gun, though, many critics have expressed concern that the cell phone gun may pose a danger as it’s “disguised” or “concealed” to appear to be something other than a firearm.

According to the new cell phone gun’s creator, the responsibility for the safety of children and others is something that individual gun owners need to be shouldering.

“In America, we have lots of children in contact with pistols already. For me, it’s not the gun. It’s the people. So if you have a pistol and you have children anywhere near you, it’s your responsibility to lock that stuff up and keep it away from children.”

As The Firearm Blog reports, the initial release of the cell phone gun has largely been undertaken on Ideal Conceal’s social media platforms. The cell phone gun is reportedly a.380 caliber, double barrel, collapsible derringer handgun that is ultimately shaped like a popular smartphone when it’s folded up.

The Firearm Blog reports that the cell phone gun is similar in design to a “concealable, box-like machine gun” (an idea that never really got a lot of traction). The blog called the concept cell phone gun’s design “sort of neat,” because the grip conceals the trigger and trigger guard, completely blocking the access to the trigger when the cell phone gun is folded up and disguised as a smart phone. However, this design doesn’t mean that the final production product may not have a mechanical issue that could potentially (and disastrously) set off the rounds still in the chamber.

Cell Phone Gun Info
[Photo by @Eric_Kravcik/Twitter]
According to the blog, this cell phone gun is still in its “concept” phase. The company has yet to release photos or a working prototype, or at least it hasn’t appeared to do so. So far, it appears that all images of the cell phone gun have been created with a CAD program and used to promote their idea and website.

According to Ideal Conceal website, the cell phone gun has a variety of features that are touted for both their appearance and safety.

  • One-piece frame that is also lightweight
  • Easy to operate and simple design
  • Great accuracy, high velocity
  • Safety-engineered hammerless construction

According to the Ideal Conceal website, the cell phone gun is easy to disguise and “ingeniously disguised” to look like a smartphone, but becomes an operations gun with “one click of the safety.”

The design of the cell phone gun is being touted as “novel,” as well as being called “thinking of a better way for concealed carry.” Unfortunately, according to experts, it has “severe” limitations. The Firearm Blog reports that their experts don’t see the cell phone gun having a wide range of applications.

“However it has very severe limitations, and unlike a handgun, I can only feasibly see this being used in a very narrow range of circumstances. But, if those narrow circumstances require something like this, then the concept will have succeeded.”

The writers of the blog are quick to follow up their support of the cell phone gun with a blunt addendum. This gun is still in the concept stage, despite a high level of public interest. Its ultimate success depends on the concept being financially sustainable, as well as the results of initial testing and the success of production.

The Department of Homeland Security has already expressed some concern about the cell phone gun. According to reports, the department has contacted Kjellberg about his concept firearm. The creator of the cell phone gun says he plans to provide appropriate officials with X-rays of the weapon. This will allow airport screeners to easily tell the difference between a cell phone gun and an actual smartphone.

Anyone interested in purchasing their own cell phone gun will have to wait until October 2016, when sales are expected to begin.

What do you think? Is the cell phone gun a good idea for concealed carry, or does it open the door for serious issues in the future?

[Image Courtesy Of Joe Raedle /Getty Images]

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