The “World’s First” Hand Held Electric Gatling Gun in 5.56mm.
There is awesome, and then there is BAD ASS!! This mean little beast was developed by Empty Shell LLC and is still in prototype phase. However the implementation possibilities for the XM556 are endless.
Here is what Empty Shell says about the XM556:
The XM556 Microgun was designed and engineered around the 5.56mm NATO cartridge. This defensive suppression weapon is significantly smaller and lighter than it’s big brother the M134. It was meant to stand in place of anywhere high suppressive fire wanted without the weight or footprint of the larger M134 electrically driven Gatling gun system. The current XM556 Microgun is smaller and lighter than some current 5.56mm beltfed Squad Automatic Weapons currently on the market, with 4x’s the firepower.
The XM556 is a new platform system that was designed from scratch by the ground up. The parts are not just a smaller imitation of the larger M134, but were designed on its own. An absolutely all new style of bolt was conceived and designed to eliminate current known issues with the M134. The bolts combined with many other improvements have been made to not only extend the life of the gun but reduce wear and reduce or eliminate stoppages.
Check out these stats from Empty Shell Llc.
- Caliber: 5.56mm
- Barrel Length: 10″ or 16″
- Total Gun Weight: 16lbs
- Rate of Fire 2000/4000
- Total Length: Handheld 22″
- Total Height: 6″
- Total Width: 9″
- Feed System: M-27 Linked Ammunition Belt
- Fire Mode: Full Auto Only
- Power Requirement: 24 Volts DC
- Barrel Life: TBD
- System Life: TBD
- Status: Prototype / Still in Development