Flerbarrel

Flerbarrel is a term used to describe a device or configuration that incorporates multiple barrels or channels to move, launch, or deliver a payload with greater throughput or versatility. The design generally aims to enable parallel or sequential operation of distinct barrels rather than a single, monolithic barrel.

The word appears to be a compound of "fler," meaning many in several Scandinavian languages, and "barrel." It is not a standard term in major reference works and is more commonly found in niche discussions, speculative fiction, or hobbyist forums.

Variants range from inline arrays of barrels to rotating or layered assemblies. In firearm concepts, flerbarrel systems may use independent firing actions or a shared mechanism that coordinates timing across barrels. In other domains, the idea can describe multi-channel conduits, such as fluid or gas lines, organized to deliver different streams.

Because flerbarrel is not widely adopted as a formal technical term, historical development is limited and evidence is scattered. When it appears, it is usually to illustrate high-rate or multi-payload concepts in fiction or theoretical design, rather than to denote a standard, fielded system. Real-world analogues include volley guns, Gatling-style rotary cannons, and multi-barrel shotguns, which share the principle of multiple firing paths.

Related concepts include volley guns, rotary cannons, multi-barrel shotguns, and other multi-barrel or multi-channel systems.