The National Interest recently profiled the latest firearm which is pushing the limits in terms of size and technology — except this isn't a "big gun" — but quite the opposite. A North Carolina company has produced and is currently selling a single-shot "credit card gun" which fits into a wallet, and which can be neatly tucked away in a person's back pocket.
A military analyst writing for The National Interest describes the gun, called the "LifeCard," as "a single-shot, single-action .22 designed to resemble an innocuous credit card."
The credit-card sized pistol was "fashioned from lightweight anodized aluminum with a steel trigger and tilt-up barrel" which enables "the 7 oz. pistol folds up into a 3.375 inch by 2.215 inch card that, despite its half-inch thickness, can fit with relative ease inside your back pocket or average wallet."
It was developed by a North Carolina-based company Trailblazer Firearm, and has enough ammo storage for four rounds.
The company has billed it as a weapon of "last resort" in dangerous, unexpected situations, but it's also sure to draw controversy given the extreme ease of concealment and potential for passing through security screenings, similar to the controversy evoked by 3-D printed guns.
“Trailblazer Firearms fully intends to spearhead innovative new firearms products starting with the LifeCard, available later this month,” Trailblazer president Aaron Voight said in a statement. “New designs and true innovation have been the exception and our goal is to be the pioneer laying new trails for gun enthusiasts, designers, and manufacturers.”
But Jared Keller, writing for the military website Task & Purpose, poses the following question regarding the weapon's ultimate effectiveness in a life and death situation:
But how effective would this $400, uber-hyped firearm actually be in a situation that calls for a stealthily concealed weapon, or a quick draw? The product is so new that reports from the urban battlefield have barely been released.
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