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?

Here at Task & Purpose, we have a deep, abiding appreciation for all manners of firearms-related ingenuity, whether it’s the 19th century-inspired MA Loader or the double-barreled pistol designed to resemble your average smartphone. But when it comes to combining gunsmithing with the logic of everyday carry, the LifeCard from North Carolina’s Trailblazer Firearms may take the cake.

Touted as “the last gun you’ll leave behind,” the LifeCard is a single-shot, single-action .22 designed to resemble an innocuous credit card. Fashioned from lightweight anodized aluminum with a steel trigger and tilt-up barrel, 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.

With ammo storage for four rounds, Trailblazer hopes that the LifeCard — which, incapable of firing when folded, is in compliance with the National Firearms Act, according to Guns.com — will pack a punch as a last-ditch firearm in sticky situations, a modern, more civilized update to, say, the garter gun of the Wild West or the turn-of-the-century Chicago palm pistol.

“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 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 haven’t hit the Internet yet. But as of this writing, not every gun enthusiast is convinced. Myself, I’m waiting till it comes in bone, with Cillian Braille lettering.

This article by Jared Keller originally appeared at Task & Purpose. Follow Task & Purpose on Twitter. This article first appeared in 2017.

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