11 Facts About SPAS-12

Franchi SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun manufactured by Italian firearms company Franchi from 1979 to 2000.

The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, adjustable for semi-automatic or pump-action operation.

The SPAS-12 was sold to military and police users worldwide, as well as on the civilian market, and has been featured in many films, TV shows, and video games.

Appearance and intended purpose of the SPAS-12 initially led to its "military" designation as a combat shotgun.

The SPAS-12 was designed from the ground up as a rugged military shotgun, and it was named the Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun.

SPAS-12 was designed to function primarily in semi-automatic mode, with the pump-action mode used to reliably fire low-pressure ammunition such as tear gas rounds or less-lethal bean bags.

SPAS-12 has a magazine cut-off feature, which prevents the magazine from releasing a new round when the action is cycled.

Barrel of the SPAS-12 was externally threaded to accept a variety of attachments.

The first version of the SPAS-12 manufactured with the wooden detachable stock with the standard grip.

Franchi SPAS-12 came equipped with a non-adjustable circular aperture rear sight and a large, non-adjustable blade foresight integrated into the barrel.

SPAS-12 was tested by the US Coast Guard and showed promising results but again was not considered cost-effective for a contract over other available suppliers.