Think of a Gatling gun and you may think of your favorite first-person shooter, that scene from Terminator 2 where the T-800 messes up a whole fleet of squad cars, or the American Civil War, which point the way-brutal weapon was first used. Now you can add to that list of Gatling gun-related images in your brain something a bit more electric: A Gatling gun powered by a Tesla coil and ethanol vapor that fires 315 film canisters in rapid succession. What else are we going to do with film canisters in the digital age, right?

The “Film Canister Gatling Gun” comes via Sploid, and is the invention of science teacher and entertainer “Science Bob” Pflugfelder. (You should let that last name roll around in your mouth like a fine wine.) The gun works by using a Tesla coil, which produces high-frequency alternating currents to generate spark gaps, which in turn ignite pockets of ethanol vapor trapped within the individual film canisters. Slap those canisters onto a big rotating wheel, and voila, you have a marvelous demonstration of the destructive force of science. Destructive being a relative term…

And if you’re thrilled with one Film Canister Gatling Gun, but could really use two Film Canister Gatling Guns in your life right now, plus a little Jimmy Kimmel, you can check out Science Bob and Kimmel using a pair of the guns on each other in this clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live! (the scientific explanation behind the standoff starts around nine minutes in):

What do you think about this Film Canister Gatling Gun? Are you ready to not try this at home unless you’re a trained professional? Are you still wondering how Plugflflleegurderrrrr is pronounced? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: ScienceBob/YouTube

Why Batman’s grappling hook is actually a deadly weapon