[Photo Credit: Brandon Scott]
PROVO, Utah — A Provo company that customizes guns has pulled from its shelves one of their kits that made a gun look like it was covered in LEGOs. The company’s owner says their intent was to show the fun aspect of shooting.
Brandon Scott, owner of Culper Precision says the red, yellow, and blue block kit that encases a Glock-19, called the Block-19, was pulled after conversations with LEGO.
“They were very uncomfortable about this,” Scott told KSL Newsradio. “Because of our appreciation for LEGO and what they do we quit offering the Block-19 customization as a service.”A report from The Washington Post said the company sent a cease-and-desist letter. Scott wouldn’t comment to KSL Newsradio on their discussions.
Backlash over the gun kit was harsh online, many arguing that the product made lethal weapons look like a kid’s toy.
Even some gun owners took issue with the design. On a gun blog called TFB (The Firearm Blog), one user wrote, “Nothing says you are stupid than making your real gun look like a toy.”
Scott reported he understands the backlash but wanted a product that would start a conversation about the fun aspect of shooting.
“We wanted to kind of show like hey, listen, it’s not just a bunch of toxic alpha-males that are in this industry. There are real people that just want to enjoy this hobby,” he said.
As for the issue of the gun looking like a toy and the risk of children accidentally shooting themselves, Scott said gun owners should be locking up their guns.
“A child should not be able to access this firearm. It is a firearm, therefore it should be locked up and controlled.”
But he argues that this product was meant to start a conversation about the fun aspects of shooting, to market to those who are new to gun ownership, and to break down stereotypes of gun owners.
“A child accessing a firearm of any color is a massive tragedy but that’s not the focus of Block-19,” he said. “The focus of the Block-19 is a little more whimsical and fun.”
