New smartphone-shaped handgun is the ultimate 'concealed carry' weapon

A Minnesota startup is making headlines today for its novelsolution totheage-old problemof "children being frightenedby strangers with guns."

Behold, the double-barrel .380-calibre handgun by Ideal Conceal: a gun designed to look exactly like a smartphone, complete with fake camera lens and headphone jack.

"In today's day and age, carrying a concealed pistol has become a necessity," reads the company's website. "But what if you didn't have to conceal?"

"Smartphones are EVERYWHERE, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment," the site further explains. "From soccer moms to professionals of every type, this gun allows you the option of not being a victim."

As the above image illustrates, the gun only looks like a phone when it's not in use. Asmall handle pops out when the pistol's safety is opened, making itready to fire "withone click."

Technically, the gun is a foldingderringer a small, two-shot "pocket pistol" known for how easy it is to hide. While the folding aspect of the gunis relatively new, the derringer itselfdatesback to the late 19th century.

Ideal Conceal's pistol,which has the dimensions of aSamsungGalaxyS7, is currently priced at$395 US, but the companysays it won't be availablefor purchase until mid-2016.

Posts on its Facebook page alsoindicate that products shown are 3D prototype models, and that mass production of the guns will begin this summer. In January, the company said that it would be showing off these prototypes at an upcoming NRA showin Lousiville, Ky.

The demand forguns that looklikephones

The pistol's developer, Kirk Kjellberg, toldNBC-affiliate KARE11 this week that he's alreadyreceived about 4,000inquiriesfrom people looking to buy one of his guns.

He also told the news station about what inspired him to create Ideal Conceal's"defensive weapon."

Kjellberg, who holds aconcealed carry permit in the state of Minnesota, said that he was walking through a restaurant with hisregular,gun-shapedgun when a child became frightened.

"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 told KARE11. "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 practice of carrying a concealed weapon is generally prohibitedin Canada, unless authorized under the Firearms Act.

Americans, on the other hand, can legally carry concealed weapons in all 50 States though lawsregarding permits, licensing, registration and restrictions vary across the country.

In Minnesota, WhereKjellberg lives, it is legal to carry guns in restaurants. But carrying a gundisguised as something else? That part is making some people nervous.

"In general, the concept of any kind of weapon that's disguised, so that it's not apparent that it's a weapon, would be cause for concern," said Bill Johnson, executive director and general counsel for the National Association of Police Organizations, to CNNof Ideal Conceal's gun.

Critics on Facebook and Twitter are saying that the invention could pose security threats, oraccidentally harm kids whothink the gun is... well, not actually a gun.

"In America, we have lots of children in contact with pistols already," said Kjellbergin response to the criticism during an interview with NBC Newson Tuesday."There's been quite a few incidents long before my product came along.

"For me, it's not the gun. It's the people," he continued. "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."