Neal submachine gun

The Neal submachine gun is a .22 LR submachine gun designed in 1942. It was patented under USPTO number 2,436,175; the request was submitted in 1942, but the patent was granted only in 1948. The weapon is unusual as it has 5 rotating barrels. It is fed from a helical magazine inserted in the rear.

It never saw production.

Overview
The concept of this weapon is to overcome the deficiencies of the low power rimfire cartridge by rapidly delivering a large number of projectiles. The weapon therefore relies on the .22 LR's very low recoil and a high rate of fire of 3,000 RPM. It lacks a stock but instead has a rear grip on the left side and an arm rest to handle the recoil force when firing.

The Neal submachine gun is an unusual firearm, intended to reduce barrel erosion and overheating enabling long periods of sustained fire. Unlike a Gatling gun the Neal submachine gun was intended to be self-powered. Its operation has its roots in the similarly operated Webley Fosbery automatic revolver as the bolt recoils against grooves that rotates the barrel cluster.