TEXAS (WIVB) – Criticism over a custom-made handgun produced to look similar to Nintendo’s ‘Duck Hunt’ controller prompted a Texas-based firearm maker to issue a clarification.
Precision Syndicate first posted their custom creation on Instagram, on which they have 7,000 followers. Then to Facebook, where they have about 45,000 likes. The posts spread like wildfire, prompting harsh criticism.
The critics sent thousands of emails and messages, the veteran-owned company, said, branding the situation the “Nintendo Glock” drama.
“This is a one-off custom build for a friend of ours,” Precision Syndicate said on Facebook. “We feel that the media and our fans need to know that this firearm will not be mass produced, nor will it ever be.”
Staunch defenders also spoke up, claiming the gun doesn’t truthfully look identical to Nintendo’s zapper, also noting responsible gun owners may not encounter issues with the gun.
Still, the issue prompts questions over the message guns created in such a fashion present to children. Many officials in cities just like Buffalo hold toy gun buybacks to dissuade children from engaging in gun culture.
Critics point to dozens of close-calls across the country, including at a New Mexico Chili’s where police were called when a caller reported a person with a gun, which turned out to be a 7-year-old playing with a toy rifle.
Others simply cite the well-known fatal shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who died when police mistook the pellet gun in his hands for a real firearm. Cleveland police shot and killed the child within two seconds of seeing the weapon.