The Beehive / Hornet’s Nest – 40mm 10x .22LR Adapter

This aptly named adapter known as the “beehive” or “hornet’s nest” allows you to load up to 10 .22LR cartridges, and (inserting one large pistol primer) fire them all through the little rifled steel barrels with one pull of the trigger on your 40mm grenade launcher.  40mm grenade launchers are considered destructive devices, and require a $200 tax stamp.

40mm chalk rounds and smoke rounds are readily available, but it’s the destructive ammo for them is hard to find, and VERY expensive.  AutoWeapons.com is selling M576 40mm buckshot rounds for $125 each and on top of that each destructive round also requires a paid tax stamp.  This beehive / hornet’s nest contraption seems like it would be great for practice, not to mention cheaper to run considering a box of 500 .22LR is around $20.

The major downside is that the adapter is $595 ( HERE on AutoWeapons.com ) but if your a 40mm fan, what you spend on this adapter you’ll make up for in ammo savings in a very short time.

I’d like to see one of these made for 37mm launchers, because they are not considered destructive devices!

beehive

beehive-2

beehive-3

M4 with M203 ( 40mm grenade launcher ):
M4andM203

82 COMMENTS

JUMP DOWN ↓ TO ADD ANOTHER

Steve October 14, 2009 at 08:56 am

Very cool :) That must be a real blast to shoot (no pun intended).

Reply

GROG April 18, 2010 at 09:45 pm

“I’d like to see one of these made for 37mm launchers, because they are not considered destructive devices!”

If you had one, with an unregistered 37mm launcher, you would be committing a Federal Felony.

Any 37mm possessed with any anti-personnel round (which a 37mm version of this would be) makes your launcher a weapon capable of offensive or defensive combat. (A destructive device.)

GROG

Reply

Admin (Mike) April 19, 2010 at 03:57 pm

hmmmmm good point Grog!

Reply

Kevin March 12, 2019 at 04:15 pm

Hi Grog, I was reading posts and got seem to be the guy in the know, how can I learn about federal tax stamps for certain weapons like this 40mm beehive attachment and what actually needs a stamp, i’s there a tell all book or website? I hope you don’t mind helping me and I really appreciate your time either way, thank you

Reply

Adolph shitler November 10, 2019 at 12:27 pm

Free men dont ask for permission. Fuck your stamp

Reply

bret February 3, 2023 at 04:11 pm

yes when the bore and projectile is over 50 cal! volly guns under 1/2”are not DDs and the atf sent out letters that allow 22, 38, 45colt ,410 adapters make flare guns title 1 firearms!

Reply

GROG November 22, 2010 at 10:53 am

“…each destructive round also requires a paid tax stamp.”
To correct another mistake, no, each round does not require an individual tax stamp. The rounds for the 40mm grenade launcher do not require a tax stamp unless they contain more than .25oz of explosive material in the round itself, including any lift charge. This would only include HE, and HEDP type rounds, and not HE practice like the M407. The M407 actually contains two RDX pellets, and are completely legal to own, without any stamp or regulation.
GROG

Reply

Screwtape November 25, 2019 at 01:49 pm

The beehive does indeed require a tax stamp and it’s own legal paperwork as it’s and NFA item.
Falls under the machine gun regs.A device or firearm that fires more than one bullet per trigger pull is a machine gun whether the bullets fire consecutively or all at once

Reply

Mac May 15, 2020 at 10:20 pm

Multiple barrels is “volley fire” and does NOT constitute a machine gun. Another modern example is the double-barrel Arsenal 1911 that fires 2 bullets with each trigger press.

Reply

Gene December 18, 2010 at 11:44 am

I seen in shotgun newa a 37mm adapter for a single .22lr round. It staes it comes with an ATF letter. If it was a single or 10 round conversion wouldnt it fall under the same letter???

Reply

Gene December 18, 2010 at 11:46 am

I seen in shotgun newa a 37mm adapter for a single .22lr round. It staes it comes with an ATF letter. If it was a single or 10 round conversion wouldnt it fall under the same letter???
Its hard to stay inside the law on some of these items as the BATF doesnt know and make it up as they go along it seems??

Reply

jack sparrow August 24, 2011 at 07:46 pm

fuck the atf they give weapons to mexico

Reply

jack sparrow August 24, 2011 at 07:47 pm

trying to subvert the 2nd amendment obviously. approving of the atf is approving of treason

Reply

Ryan@fuller February 12, 2013 at 08:30 am

suck my dick jack sparrow, the mexicans are a well bred people!!

Reply

PayForYourOffspring February 16, 2013 at 01:28 pm

Oh they certainly are well bred – pretty good at it too.
Now if they would only care for their young instead of expecting handouts o stealing from others…

Reply

Beanerstakeover August 18, 2015 at 10:31 pm

Yes, not only do they breed well, they are also going to take over pretty soon, with the way they’re fxxking their way
up to the top of the polictical voting system while white people are sucking their thumbs.

Reply

john September 9, 2016 at 05:34 pm

When you feel froggy, Leap.

Reply

Injunjoe December 2, 2016 at 10:55 am

Just because Whitey can’t fuck anymore, except other men or just jack off like girly men like jacko sparrow there with a sparrow sized penis there couldn’t find it.

Reply

Al November 9, 2019 at 02:19 pm

Seems like Injunjoe seems to know quite a lot about Whitey… more than any man should know about another man. Hmmm…

Reply

Jose November 11, 2019 at 08:54 am

Its not the mexicans you need to worry about taking over.. its the middle eastern muslims. They are growing and reproducing exponentially and infiltrating our governments.

Reply

Tyrone November 12, 2019 at 10:43 pm

He wasn’t badmouthing Mexicans. He was speaking of “operation fast and furious,” which is interesting to look up. ATF arrainged for thousands of American guns to be allowed to go to Mexico, to the cartels. Many people died by those guns. Nothing derogatory towards Mexicans.

Reply

Bubba November 14, 2019 at 03:04 pm

You are spot on my friend

Reply

Baconknightt September 9, 2016 at 06:55 am

Well bred people? They are dumb, uncultured, lacking in hygiene, lacking community pride, lacking even the basic understanding of civil decency. Any neighborhood they take over, turns into a gang infested ghetto. Any job they do they do like garbage.
Well bred? I laugh at that assertion

Reply

Jim jones February 10, 2017 at 09:42 pm

baconKnight , stop suckling ducks long enough to read a book and you might learn something

Reply

kookookal September 4, 2020 at 07:25 pm

Hit the nail on the head! But you forgot 1 major issue with them, they are sick perverts! They stare up and down little girls cause they are fuukn sick savages…

Reply

Tyrone November 12, 2019 at 10:41 pm

He wasn’t badmouthing Mexicans. He was speaking of “operation fast and furious,” which is interesting to look up. ATF arrainged for thousands of American guns to be allowed to go to Mexico, to the cartels. Many people died by those guns. Nothing derogatory towards Mexicans.

Reply

Pepper November 10, 2019 at 02:36 am

Hell yea fuuukkk fta ..the do give guns to mexico

Reply

Jim-jimminy-jim-jim-jim September 9, 2016 at 09:28 pm

Well this got heated

Reply

GROG May 5, 2011 at 09:13 am

Hey Gene, yes, they do come up with some confusing things out of the puzzle palace sometimes… As far as a “Beehive” which I assume you are talking about, I have not seen a letter from ATF authorizing the single shot 22 conversion adapter at this time. I will check on it. The “Beehive” is a round of ammunition, and as such, would fall under the perview of ammunition for a DD or possibly AOW. Having a 12ga adapter in a 37mm, the launcher needs to be registered as either an AOW or a DD. I would assume this would be the case with the 22cal beehive also.
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/guides/identification-of-nfa-firearms.html
http://www.atf.gov/press/releases/2006/05/050406-openletter-nfa-flare-inserts.html
As you can see from reading the above sites, ATF seems to contridict themselves if there is a letter allowing a single 22 adapter. If you have a copy, please drop me a line at the e-mail grog@frontiernet.net. Thanks Gene, GROG

Reply

Greenmachine January 22, 2019 at 08:58 am

While a 1 shot .22 adapter may be ok, a 12 ga would create a short barrel shotgun, and firing 10+ .22lr’s would make it a de-facto machine gun because you are firing more than one round of ammunition with a single operation of the trigger. A single .22 may create a short barreled rifle as well, depending on the configuration, aka, having a stock or fore-grip. IMO, a single .22 would have to be sold as a pistol and configured as such to be “legal” as a very odd .22 pistol. Sling it under an AR and now you have a .22 SBR attached to your rifle… IF they wanted to give you a hard time, which they often do.

Reply

Gospace November 9, 2019 at 06:25 pm

Ummm, no. A machine gun is sequential rounds from one trigger pull. So, not a machine gun.

And a Gatling gun, with a rate of fire that can put most machine guns to shame, isn’t a machine gun…..

Reply

GROG May 5, 2011 at 09:17 am

Hey Gene, There are a couple of sites on this, for your review:
http://www.atf.gov/press/releases/2006/05/050406-openletter-nfa-flare-inserts.html
and
http://www.atf.gov/firearms/guides/identification-of-nfa-firearms.html
If the 37mm is possessed with a 12ga adapter, it needs to be either an AOW or DD registered (the launcher, not the adapter). As far as 22 goes, I have not seen that letter, so I am not aware of any ruling or determination of the legality of a single shot 22. The above sites would seem to say that it would not be a “go” to have such an adapter with an unregistered 37mm. If you come across this letter, please drop me a line at the site, or at grog@frontiernet.net. Thanks Gene, GROG

Reply

GROG May 5, 2011 at 09:18 am

Please erase the second one, I didn’t think it went through, thanks GROG

Reply

Alex November 8, 2012 at 06:19 pm

i was thinking it would be cool to shoot a belt of these out of a mk 19 but damn 600 a piece

Reply

Jack November 30, 2016 at 09:51 am

They will not link up…..

Reply

GROG November 8, 2012 at 07:30 pm

These would not function in a Mk-19. The Mk-19 is a high velocity 40mm, the Beehive is low velocity 40mm. Two different animals, and not interchangable. GROG

Reply

Ryan@fuller February 12, 2013 at 08:31 am

what are you a fag or something Grog?

Reply

Iman Azol January 12, 2014 at 12:25 am

“I know you are, but what am I?”

Go away, child.

Reply

Eugene Stoner May 8, 2014 at 06:09 am

I think he was making an Idiocracy reference. In that movie, anyone who appeared intelligent was called a “fag” and laughed at like it was a bad thing. I could be wrong and he could be a child though.

Reply

SomeNobody January 6, 2013 at 10:56 am

Depending on interpretation as to firing multiple rounds with a single trigger pull, a 37mm .22LR or whatnot beehive looks like it could easily be interpreted as NFA as a MG as well. Looks like suicide unless you’re doing it for personal amusement and have appropriate SOT status. I reckon 99 percent of BATFE and Judges would rule such an item a MG.

Reply

JAYBIRD March 23, 2013 at 12:02 am

Is a derringer a “MG”?

Reply

Cymond July 7, 2013 at 05:36 am

How many shots does a derringer fire when you pull the trigger?
Because the beehive fires all 10 shots at the same time.

My only guess is that it avoids MG classification because it uses a single primer to drive many firing pins to the rimfire rounds. Also, it’s incapable of firing without a 40mm launcher. I guess the gov’t sees the 40mm launcher as the firearm and the beehive as just a specialized form of ammunition.

Reply

MadMike November 14, 2019 at 02:53 pm

ELEMENTRY TO PRINT A M79, these days. surprised no-one has one on line yet. Ain’t like a real round with chamber pressure. Plastic should do, or hell, just a frame
to aim and a base to lock/hold the round in register, 3 or 5 piece telescoping “pseudo-barrel”.

Reply

milj33 February 1, 2014 at 04:54 pm

Exactly what I was thinking,
multiple shots, one trigger pull = mg per nfa law.

Reply

Mike November 10, 2019 at 08:47 am

If thats true what does it mean when you fire 00 buck out of a shotgun? Multi pellets/rounds all one trigger pull. Not a machine gun it’s a single shot.

Reply

Ryan@fuller February 12, 2013 at 08:32 am

in famous wordds of my relatives……..

kiss my assssssssss

Reply

Iman Azol January 12, 2014 at 12:21 am

Grow up, pussy.

Reply

greg cueto February 14, 2013 at 08:11 pm

I would buy 2 in 37mm.

Reply

Jerry McMains February 16, 2013 at 10:23 am

Why all the hassle, 00 buckshot is cheaper, faster to reload, and does the same thing…?
I can buy 2, 12 gauge pump shotguns for 1 adapter.
108 .30 cal projectiles vs 20 .22 projectiles……
some people will buy anything.

Reply

Daryl February 15, 2020 at 04:06 pm

Now I just wanna mount a sawed off 12 gauge under barrel on my AR

Reply

Jace May 28, 2013 at 05:16 am

The M576 40mm buckshot round does not require a stamp tax be paid for each round. They are considered the same as any other shotgun round. HE requires a $200 tax be paid as it is an explosive grenade.

Reply

2boocoo4u July 20, 2013 at 11:18 pm

The beauty of this projectile compared to a 12 ga buckshot round is that the 22 is rifled and holds its energy 3x longer. So effective kill range goes from 100 yards to 300 yards + they would hold a tighter pattern. 22’s are one of the most accurate rounds in a rifle bc of low recoil and most importantly the fps . Bullets have the highest ballistic Co efficiency when descending from a transonic flight.
But is it worth the money??? Its just something to play with. I would never take it into battle.

Reply

Iman Azol January 12, 2014 at 12:24 am

I’m sure you’re impressing yourself with that crap. But it’s still crap. .22 from a 3″ barrel is not going to be accurate at 300 yards, nor powerful, and that assumes every bore is perfectly aligned, which they won’t be. Rounds aren’t accurate because of recoil or FPS, but because of consistent loading and ballistic coefficient, among other factors, then everything else is the barrel. Your statement on transsonic flight makes no sense.

Reply

Mr Saturday Night Special May 7, 2016 at 06:40 am

Length of a barrel has nothing to do with accuracy.
A barrel can be 1 inch or 10 feet long and still have the same accuracy. LENGTH only effects sight picture.
Barrel manufacturing do effect quality/accuracy.

Reply

StoneWolf February 13, 2017 at 10:32 pm

Wrong! Length of barrel VASTLY effects bullet velocity & accuracy. The longer the bullet is propelled down the barrel faster more spin it will have. With a one inch barrel, most of the propellant gas is burned off as a fireball after the bullet leaves. A longer barrel means more accuracy.

Reply

jay October 3, 2018 at 04:32 pm

i know people train in milatery as snipers, and most them have 20 inch barrel and never use a ar gun
or a sbr, after 100 yards wait of bullet to heavy not only that none are built to true milatery specks
or all be heavy barrle, they all told me that they would never use anything less 20 inch gun and nothing less then 50 cal for sniping
saying that would take a top train person to take a sbr and shot it with any range, there to many things can throw it off how the hamer hits the fireing pin
how the triger even works, how the recoil is, how fast can u recover and retraget the gun how good is the barrel the recoil sping every part play role
now i would give up all my ars for vipers i do it in heart beat and my ar, built with best parts best triggers, i have to leagle sbr i have nerver damage in my hands and its hard for me hold a riffle and hand gun anything above 9 mm its not possable but i can shoot a sbr, way wait is and recoil for me is perfick
now i do own some riffles one beleave or not, i have put a airsoft granade larcher on a ar15 i to have a device will fire a gulf ball bouth leagle
i am sorry for my spelling i have add, but i know guns, now i will admit i not a very good shotter, throw i can build guns in my sleep to me that is very simple
but most imported parts and small it is u going have probems, is barrel if u got one them fast fireing triggers they get red hot, now even milatery had extra uppers to replace to let there guns cool down, stanless some agure the best but only if heavy barral becuase of heat, stanless tends to bend when gets to hot
take for what worth but i talk people that live and killed in milatery they know what best are, we need lissen to them not what we think

Reply

me March 7, 2021 at 05:58 pm

Jay, you might not be from the USA, because your spelling of the language is so extremely terrible, that it is unreadable.

Reply

Mike November 10, 2019 at 08:54 am

Not true ballistics are based on a 14 inch barrel length when test is conducted. You need a certain length to get the rifling to stabilize the round and reach high velocity.

Reply

Greg July 31, 2013 at 10:53 am

I wonder how this is legal. It seems when placed into a launcher and fired, the device would meet the NFA definition of a machine gun – More than one round fired with a single trigger pull.

Reply

Mac March 30, 2014 at 07:15 pm

It’s not a machinegun. It’s a volley gun. The operation of the action only occurs once per trigger pull. Number of barrels is irrelevant.

Reply

anonymous September 9, 2014 at 06:22 pm

Since the firearm that fires it is rated as restricted it already is a class 2 firearm. Its not a firearm by itself so it cannot be considered a machine gun.

Reply

jd May 8, 2014 at 03:45 pm

Well the 37 mm is considered a signaling by ATF.. But once you put any anti personnel cartridge or cartridges in it then it becomes a destructive device. Hence tax stamp will be needed. The 40 mm falls under this also..Tax stamp is needed..

Reply

anonymous September 9, 2014 at 06:24 pm

40mms on the other hand tend to be made in the first place as destructiveness devices and are serial numbered since their primary purpose was anti-personal rounds, while the 37mm by default is not a destructive device since it was made as a flare launcher.

Reply

anonymous March 20, 2015 at 05:46 am

All of you are knuckheads, every weapon out there has some type of something that makes you ask the question, “is it legal”. All states and laws of each are different. ATF has their own interpretation as well.You just need to pay attention, which most people don’t or just don’t care. If people want to spend their $$$ on what you may consider to be stupid, over the top, or another gun can already do that, then let them, what concern is it of yours. The biggest thing is that people are buying guns and ammo of some form and that is a good thing.

Reply

Gypsy Robison September 9, 2016 at 10:24 am

Agreed!! That’s the only thing that matters!

Reply

Anonymous October 8, 2015 at 10:01 pm

Does the adapter need the tax stamp or just the launcher itself?

Reply

MSGT J Reed November 21, 2015 at 10:06 am

I have had correspondence with Grog sense at least 1993 my agency MNCD often tapped his level of knowledge in these areas (Grog I went by lucky duck when I talked to you back then) If he is trusted by MNCD counter drug task force then calling him names and doubting his word is silly on your guys part. He has worked for decades put out books and done everything in his power to keep hobbyists out of handcuffs. Thank you Grog
MSGt J Reed (RET)
rbbtmedic@yhoo.com

Reply

Firsrtmate1060 February 15, 2020 at 06:57 pm

Finally, the truth comes out. Easy to spot a pro from a dickhead. Lotta Dickheads here.

Reply

gator November 27, 2015 at 04:50 am

im a machinist i just made a gun out of aluminum to house the shell and fire it. shot from the hip for home defense. showed my wife how to shoot it and its ready for our first intruder. she cant miss. lol

Reply

wolf February 27, 2016 at 08:14 am

To Ryan@Fuller

Grog is one of the most knowledgable and experienced 37/40mm guys in the business. Since you obviously dont know that, you should shut up and listen, you might just learn something.

Reply

talbot May 6, 2016 at 12:04 am

You are a bunch of homos.
Strap a mossburg with a clip mod as a sawed off under barrel mount in a sideways position if you want to know what real fun is ;) fuck a beehive. And if you want a beehive find a local cnc machinist to make one way cheaper. And to the comment of the belt fed idea… Yes that would be insane and I want one. I believe H&K makes one. Anyone who feels like government would get in your way needs a class 3 or needs to move to CA with the other queers and pussys.
Just saying

Reply

coinsmith June 29, 2016 at 09:26 pm

Oy!
All this talk of the device only capable of being used in a registered DD such as a M79 is beside the point. This subcaliber device will easily chamber and fire in the M8 Pyrotechnic launcher (WWII USAF) and the British No2 Mk1 (1 1/2 inch caliber) signalling pistol, and probably others.
So, whatcha gonna do?

Reply

HBM September 10, 2016 at 11:09 am

I have a Vietnam era M79 thumper will this bee hive work in it.’

Reply

Dude September 12, 2016 at 07:49 am

As long as the M79 barrel is 40mm this adapter will work.

Reply

HBM September 10, 2016 at 11:35 am

Grog do you know ware I could lay my hands on a AA12 Auto Shotgun
Thanks. I will go to your web site as soon as I can find it. I am at martinmannix@icloud.com. Thanks again

Reply

Chezie February 12, 2017 at 06:54 pm

Yeah, Grog knows his business on these launchers. I got his loading CD over a decade ago. If I remember correctly I traded him for an SM58 microphone. Calling him names is way uncool.

Reply

R October 20, 2017 at 08:16 am

Grog is Authority on DD items

Reply

Ryan April 15, 2018 at 10:45 pm

Somebody make a 3way 12g beehive or maybe a 20g if the 12g is too big to do 3

Reply

jay October 3, 2018 at 03:38 pm

how can any one get right information from atf, i had ask to talk to atf lawyer i ask tell me what law is for sbr word for word
that lawyer refused to do so, why atf trying to change law on sbr all togather, in fack in 4 cort cases they lost all 4
so what is prob sbr is any gun with a barrle less then 16 ins (STOP) (this is key word ) or a over all size of less then 26 inchs,
define word “OR” this is why atf refuse to even talk to me about it, in fack some day i going have push and test there law.
throw not done i going have make a gun 30 inchs then force them take me cort, then i file counter charge, for brakeing the laws
for breaking oath of office and treason. any time goverment uses the laws in wrong way and they swarn to proteck the laws not change them
this all falls under treason as define, atf gone as far to say no one has any right to own guns, as none of guns falls under 2ed admenet law none are milatery grade
but they are ones who are stoping us, for give my spelling have add but i do understand laws better then them and i not afade to force them to use them
just make a point, i wish to god more people would stand up to atf and say no more we will not comply we will not not to atf nor or goverment, we no threat to no one throw they ack as if we was qusition is why, one world order them of us who stand up to stop it, any one wounder what is under all fed buildings in each city
u should they stock pile more ammo guns tanks then any one ever would beleave, why, becuase one day they will take the old the disable and they will be killed in new world order and rest will be force work till u die, dose this at all sound like it in part allready happen, how did banks fall, the rich sold the stocks so cheap cause a run on stocks banks fell, same thing can be done to any sector of busness if we the people work as one, we could bring down the rich,
but we so contentent liveing this life of lies, whare truth has no value, truth and god is one, u cant have one with out the other, and no truth can be hidden for long god will never alow it to happen, look all the feama camps 30k and why why is fence fix to keep people in not out, when will people stop saying this is bull and do the resuch take time to look open your eyes or is to much to ask it is much easyer to put me down for spelling, my conditon was caulse by city water the same drinking water killed my dad, and epa know of this ? what is turth with out god, we taken god out schools for what, we say its ok to pray but to here god u crazzzy
what are we thinking, where the truth in our thinking or do we just make up as we go, atf must be stop , they no power to make laws or policys, they must be stop and only way they can be is people say no more to atf as one force , no more we shall not comply 2ed admenment is clear goverment has no rights to make laws on guns, none but we the people let them now time to stop it all, but u all wont none u got guts to go face to face back with only the truth, where god in a life that is base on lies where i ask where

Reply

JEFFREY WILKINS November 13, 2019 at 02:25 pm

REGISTER NOTHING… IT’S ABSOLUTELY NONE OF THEIR DAMN BUSINESS WHAT YOU OWN !

Reply

Firstmate1060 February 15, 2020 at 07:05 pm

Im a retired US Navy Gunners mate. I just re-posted to my Time line a Picture of what I believe to be a M79 with an anodized .22LR adapter that fires 18 at a Time. Check it out https://www.facebook.com/Firstmate1060

Reply

LEAVE A COMMENT:

Older post:

Newer post: