I know what you’re thinking, and I agree: this thing is ridiculous. Some loadings of the 5.56 cartridge would probably have the tip of the bullet poking out in front of the muzzle. But at SHOT Show, I had the opportunity to pick it up and talk to the guys at Heizer who make the thing, and their reasoning behind the contraption actually made a lot of sense. In their opinion, this gun is perfect for one application and one application only . . .
Throwing massive fireballs into the sky.
Since all of the powder in the cartridge burns outside the barrel, there’s a massive watermelon sized fireball that accompanies each pull of the trigger. The bullet will never accelerate to anything even close to resembling an acceptable velocity — in fact, it might just land on the ground 10 feet away. But target shooting or home defense are not what the guys at Heizer had in mind when they designed it, they just wanted something that would be loud and pretty and make you smile. Which, after all, is why anyone buys a Mosin Nagant M44.
The pricing makes sense as well, if you don’t look at the whole package. As an add-on (the barrels are interchangeable between the 5.56 and .410 version), the barrel is only $130. Which is less than a Mosin Nagant, and the ammo is easier to get as well.
There’s a word for what this thing is: comedy option.