<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Gun Shop Debuts Credit-Card-Sized Shotgun
MINNEAPOLIS -- In a new twist on the idea of concealed weapons, a local gun maker and gun shop are debuting a new type of firearm: one that could almost fit in your wallet.
A new twist on the idea of concealable weapons, the credit card-sized shotgun, is shown at Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis.
It's a two-shot weapon made from a piece of metal the height and width of a standard credit card, and about a half-inch thick. Each barrel fires seven standard steel BBs. It will retail for $100.
"This I can see being the ultimate self-defense weapon," said Mark Koscielski, owner of Koscielski's Guns and Ammo, the only gun shop in Minneapolis.
Koscielski and Patrick Teel, who makes the guns in suburban Blaine at his company AFT Incorporated, gave The Associated Press a preview on Tuesday, a day before they planned to officially unveil the device.
They said the guns are meant to be used for close-range self-defense and wouldn't be effective as offensive weapons.
"They are very effective at five to 10 feet. They're absolutely useless at 20 feet," Teel said.
The credit card-sized shotgun is a muzzleloader, meaning it doesn't use shotgun shells. The user has to measure out some gunpowder, pour it in each barrel, drop seven BBs in each barrel, and tamp in a small wad of paper. A knob on one end serves as a safety, and two buttons set into a hole in the body are the electrical triggers. Each barrel fires with a loud pop.
Teel said the main value of the new gun is that it gives the owner a chance to get away from an attacker.
"This is no more deadly than a .22," Teel said. "But the difference is you have multiple wounds, which means you'll try to get away quicker, and it will cause more pain. ... There will be more blood, which the cops will be able to see."
The new guns don't count as firearms under federal regulations because they're muzzleloaders, Koscielski and Teel said. It's illegal to carry one without a permit for a concealed handgun, they said, and they both pledged not to sell them to anyone without valid identification and either a carry permit or a purchase permit.
Thirty-seven states have laws that require officials to issue concealed carry permits to qualified applicants and nine others have laws that give officials some discretion over whether someone gets a permit. Only Kansas, Illinois, Nebraska and Wisconsin lack a law allowing some form of concealed carrying of guns.
Koscielski was widely credited with coining the term "Murderapolis" when the city's homicide rate shot up in the 1990s. He's run unsuccessfully for mayor, fought zoning battles to stay in business and been investigated by federal agents.
Koscielski conceded that gun opponents are likely to criticize the new devices. But he said they're legal, will set off metal detectors and are readily identifiable.
"We all have a right to defend ourselves," he said.
At least one gun salesman was skeptical of the weapon's self-defense value. Mike O'Brien, a gun salesman at Joe's Sporting Goods in St. Paul, wasn't familiar with the new devices, but said muzzleloading is a "slow and tedious" process.
"Us guys here would consider something like that useless," said O'Brien. "A .177 caliber BB is ballistically a joke, OK? I'm sure it could cause injury and damage, but as a self-defense weapon, no. Not to anyone familiar with firearms."
Guns that small have been around in various styles for a long time, and some have become curiosities and collectors items, but have failed as weapons, said O'Brien.
"It might do damage to eyes, that sort of thing. But serious damage to a 200-pound drug-crazed evildoer, no -- it'd just make them mad," he said.
Now Now Gae, there are still 79 days until X-mas and you know the rule...
No serious X-Mas Talk until Thanksgiving (unless the holiday event happens or starts before then) [img]wink.gif[/img]
[img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
Just always been the rule Reason, Gotta get through Halloween first. Then as soon as we get around thanksgiving, it's ok to go X-Mas Crazy.
Just kinda let each holiday enjoy it's own moment.
Nothing scroogish about it!
I shall not deprive gae of her holiday glee! LOL!
[img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You stick to your own rules and don't ruin for the rest of us.Originally posted by cincygreg:
Just always been the rule Reason, Gotta get through Halloween first. Then as soon as we get around thanksgiving, it's ok to go X-Mas Crazy.
Just kinda let each holiday enjoy it's own moment.
Nothing scroogish about it!
I shall not deprive gae of her holiday glee! LOL!
[img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
Thanks for your support, Reason.
The offer to take you to Target World is still open. Our socialist neighbor asked me just yesterday if we'd take him. Imagine that. [img]wink.gif[/img]
Greg, Christmas stuff has been in the craft stores since July. You don't own the world, you know!! Some of us like to plan ahead. I've spent most of this week making organic Christmas decorations for Reason and his mastiffs.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Greg, shut up. gae has effectively spread Christmas Joy, and you insist on playing the role of Scrooge.Originally posted by cincygreg:
Now Now Gae, there are still 79 days until X-mas and you know the rule...
No serious X-Mas Talk until Thanksgiving (unless the holiday event happens or starts before then) [img]wink.gif[/img]
[img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
Who the hell do you think you are.
gae, put me on that Christmas list. There are some loiterers on Chase I need to gun down. Discreetly.
<font color="#000002" size="1">[ October 08, 2004 09:38 AM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>
You are correct gae, I dont own the world...
I JUST RULE IT.
Yeah I know the stuf comes, out earlier each year, but I still feel the x-mas who-ha should wait at least until halloween.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'll have you know I've already bought two Christmas gifts. One is a magazine renewal. I can't help it that This Old House hit me up in August. If I didn't act now I wouldn't get the special discount renewal rate.Originally posted by cincygreg:
Just always been the rule Reason, Gotta get through Halloween first. Then as soon as we get around thanksgiving, it's ok to go X-Mas Crazy.
Just kinda let each holiday enjoy it's own moment.
Nothing scroogish about it!
I shall not deprive gae of her holiday glee! LOL!
[img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img] [img]smile.gif[/img]
And thanks to gae, pretty much all my Christmas shopping needs are met.
<font color="#000002" size="1">[ October 08, 2004 07:35 AM: Message edited by: reason ]</font>
As for Christmas, I had a very interesting experience when I tried to quickly optimize my inventory for the needs of Christmas shopping. I did not succeed for a long time. I was even commissioned to develop software to solve this problem. And in the end, I found a great ready-made solution to this issue, namely this software Inventory management tool builder | UI Bakery , which helped to optimize my costs in the warehouse and I was able to completely forget about the problems of shortage and control over inventory.
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