LEGO Sends Legal Complaint Over Real Pistol That Resembles Toy Gun
Image via Culper Precision
In an era where schools are targeted in mass shootings, one Glock pistol disguised as a child’s toy has left the public in distaste. Deceptively decked out in bricks, colors, and a logo reminiscent of the LEGO brand, the gun’s sale has been blocked following a legal notice by the Danish toymaker.
US customized gun maker Culper Precision advertised the toy-like firearms, named ‘Block19’, as “childhood dreams come to life.” The weapon retailed for between US$549 and US$765
In a now-deleted statement on its website, the firm said, “Guns are fun. Shooting is fun.”
“We superglued it all together, and surprisingly, it survived a little over 1,500 rounds in full auto at [Utah shooting event] Shootah this past weekend!” Culper Precision shared on Instagram.
Following media coverage, LEGO reportedly sent the company a cease and desist to stop manufacturing the weapon covering, a move confirmed by Culper Precision CEO Brandon Scott to the Washington Post. Half a century ago, the plastic toy giant found little danger in producing models of guns, but too many incidents of misuse have undoubtedly changed its mind.
Scott has agreed to discontinue the handguns, since fewer than 20 units have been sold. However, the company stresses that the compliance does not mean it agrees with LEGO.
“People have the right to customize their property to make it look like whatever they want,” Culper Precision responds in an online statement. “It is our business to assist firearms owners in making their guns better reflect them as a person and individual, our pieces speak to the owner of the gun as they have selected those options from a seemingly infinite range of possibilities.”
The company argues that the Block19 was meant to “highlight the pure enjoyment of the shooting sports” and “communicate that it is OK to own a gun and not wear tactical pants every day, and that owning and shooting firearms responsibly is a really enjoyable activity.”
[via Channel News Asia, images via Culper Precision]
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