The Ideal Conceal was a

pocket pistol In American English, a pocket pistol is any small, pocket-sized semi-automatic pistol (or less commonly referencing either derringers, or revolvers), and is suitable for concealed carry (USA), concealed carry in a pocket or a similar small space ...

with a folding pistol grip. When folded and unable to fire, the pistol mimics the appearance of a

smartphone A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allowing users to access a wide range of applications and services, such as web browsing, email, and social media, as well as multi ...

. It was made by Ideal Conceal Inc., of Monticello, MN. The Ideal Conceal drew attention and criticism because of concerns over the resemblance to a smart phone and possible legal and safety issues with law enforcement. Due primarily to

supply chain A supply chain is a complex logistics system that consists of facilities that convert raw materials into finished products and distribute them to end consumers or end customers, while supply chain management deals with the flow of goods in distri ...

strains and component issues, the company ceased production and shut down in 2022.

Description

The Ideal Conceal pistol consisted of a

derringer A derringer or deringer is a small handgun that is neither a revolver, semi-automatic pistol, nor machine pistol. It is not to be confused with mini-revolvers or pocket pistols, although some later derringers were manufactured with the pepp ...

-style handgun containing two barrels, chambered for either .380 ACP or

9mm This is a list of firearm cartridges that have bullets in the to caliber In guns, particularly firearms, but not #As a measurement of length, artillery, where a different definition may apply, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviate ...

. The primary color option available was black, with a plastic exterior and metal core. Ideal Conceal pistols were around the same size as a

Samsung Galaxy S7 The Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Galaxy S7 Active were Android (operating system), Android-based smartphones manufactured, released and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The S7 series served as the successor to the Samsun ...

and had a handle that collapsed to give it the appearance of a

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

when not in use. When folded, it locked so that it could not be fired. The pistol grip itself acted as a safety and was held in place with a detent. To ready the gun, the pistol grip must be manually swung open, at which point the firearm takes on the appearance of a conventional handgun, meeting the requirements of a pistol under the

National Firearms Act The National Firearms Act (NFA), 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, was enacted on June 26, 1934, and currently codified and amended as . The law is an Act of Congress in the United States that, in general, imposes an excise tax on the manufact ...

Reception

The

National Rifle Association of America The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...

described it on their website, saying, "The Cellphone Pistol offers a great option for self-defense along with max concealment" and "The shape will not print as a pistol, yet can be drawn and fired quickly." Gun control activist

Jaclyn Corin Jaclyn Corin (born October 27, 2000) is an American activist against gun violence and the current Executive Director of March for Our Lives as of March 2025. She survived the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. She is one of the co-fo ...

criticized the gun, saying that it will cause the police to target more people. There have also been concerns about children mistaking the Ideal Conceal for a real mobile phone. In 2016, Senator

Chuck Schumer Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...

called the gun a "...disaster waiting to happen." and said that it could be potentially illegal in the United States under the current gun laws, and would talk to the

Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

and the

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevention ...

(ATF). In 2017, the ATF classified the Ideal Conceal design as a regular pistol.

Gallery

File:Ideal Conceal, Inc. Monticello, MN – IC380 CAL. 380 ACP (open).jpg, IC380 Handgun/Pistol (open configuration) File:Ideal Conceal, Inc. Monticello, MN IC380 CAL. 380 ACP Handgun Pistol in closed configuration.jpg, IC380 Handgun/Pistol (closed configuration)

References

External links

"The Cell Phone Gun": Ideal Conceal .380 Derringer Pistol
via

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

* {{Multiple Barrel Firearms Derringers .380 ACP firearms 9mm Parabellum firearms Pistols of the United States Multiple-barrel firearms

Description

Reception

Gallery

See also

References

External links