Maul Shotgun

MAUL is a lightweight, modular, 12 gauge, 5 shot, and semi automatic shotgun for both military and law enforcement users. It has been designed to deliver shotgun capabilities for non-lethal and lethal munitions. All this capability weighs in at only 1.8 lb making it one of the lightest semi-automatics, 12 gauge weapons ever developed for its purpose. MAUL can fire 5 rounds as fast as the user can pull the trigger, and can be rapidly reloaded in one smooth movement by inserting another 5 round munitions tube into the receiver.

In the military, shotguns have been used in secure quarter fighting and in jungle warfare for over a century. The predicament has been that the shotgun has added an extra weapon and weight to the squad and so they have not been used widely by militaries other than in Special Force operations. As a 1.8lb module, MAUL can change all that. It can be mounted as a module on a combat rifle or used on its own stand alone stock.

MAUL will be offered with a range of less lethal munitions such as blunt impact, electro-muscular incapacitation, frangible nose chemical and marker munitions, together with lethal munitions including buckshot. When mounted to an assault rifle, MAUL provides a real force multiplier. The combined weapon offers the warfighter a choice of 5.56mm and 12 gauge lethal munitions, straight away available in a single lightweight weapon system. In addition to bigger firepower, MAUL can be instantly re-loaded with door-breaching or less lethal munitions by swapping the munition tube. Significantly, if one barrel has a stoppage, the warfighter has another barrel he can rely on to defend him and pursue the mission in an otherwise vulnerable situation.

Law enforcement agencies include police forces, homeland defense agencies, customs agencies and other government approved security forces. The significance of MAUL to these agencies includes:

• MAUL can be used either as a standalone weapon or as a module on a combat rifle
• It allows a less lethal response as the first option to a threatening situation
• It allows a scaled response to any situation. In other words a police officer can move to a lethal option where less lethal is no longer suitable
• It allows the law enforcement user to resolve an incident by having the choice to select the appropriate munition for the situation.

For the military, MAUL offers the following advantages:
• It mounts on most military combat rifles
• MAUL provides the traditional less lethal shotgun capabilities for less lethal and door breaching requirements
• MAUL offers a range of less lethal munitions including blunt impact, door breaching, non lethal frangible munitions
• Lethal munitions being offered include buckshot and lethal slug.
• MAUL has been designed as a modular weapon to provide shotgun capabilities in urban warfare and close quarter environments. The delivery of this semi automatic capability from a modular weapon goes a long way to overcoming the need to have a separate shotgun in a squad.
• MAUL provides for a second lethal barrel for a soldier to use when mounted as a module on a combat rifle. This capability allows a soldier to remain active and lethal in a firefight when he has a stoppage in his kinetic barrel. It’s simply a matter of instantly switching to MAUL™ and continuing on in the firefight.

As of 3 August 2010, Metal Storm have signed a contract with Papua New Guinea’s Correctional Services Minister Tony Aimo to supply 500 stand alone MAULs and 50,000 rounds of less lethal ammunition for use by correctional services officers. As of January 2011, this contract was awaiting ratification from the PNG government.

Specifications

Variants: module of rifle and standalone
Weight: 0.8 kilograms (1.8 lb)
Cartridge: 5 round stacked projectile munition tube
Caliber: 12 gauge
Action: semi automatic
Feed system: stacked projectile