Could a gun firing over one million rounds per minute actually change modern warfare?

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Metal Storm promised a revolutionary leap in ballistics by stacking projectiles nose-to-tail in a single barrel. By using electronic ignition to fire these rounds sequentially, the technology achieved staggering rates of fire. Though the company eventually collapsed, its radical approach to weapon design remains a fascinating case study in engineering.

The core innovation of Metal Storm, invented by Mike O'Dwyer, was the superposed load. Unlike traditional firearms that cycle a single round, this system stacked multiple projectiles in one barrel with propellant charges between them. The challenge was preventing 'blow-by,' where hot gases from a fired round would accidentally ignite the charges of the remaining projectiles. O'Dwyer solved this by using the firing impulse to force the remaining shells against the barrel walls, creating a seal that contained the pressure until the next electronic ignition command.

This technology allowed for extreme performance. A 36-barrel prototype demonstrated a firing rate of over 1 million rounds per minute during a 0.18-second burst. In its maximum configuration, the system could theoretically fire 1.62 million rounds per minute, creating a dense wall of 24,000 projectiles. Beyond raw speed, the company developed the Multi-shot Accessory Under-barrel Launcher (MAUL), a 12-gauge shotgun capable of firing both lethal and non-lethal munitions, which saw interest from the US Navy and correctional services in Papua New Guinea.

Despite its technical promise, the company faced significant hurdles. While the Chinese government offered $100 million in 2000 to develop the technology, O'Dwyer declined. The firm struggled to find consistent commercial success, and by July 2012, it was placed into voluntary administration. Although DefendTex acquired the assets in 2015, the technology has yet to see widespread military adoption. The concept of superposed loads has a long history, dating back to Giambattista della Porta in 1558, but the expense and practical difficulties of such systems have historically kept them from replacing conventional weaponry.

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