INFO ONLY. NOT FOR SALE. P2-13
Overall Excellent condition. Folding stock, You can actually fire this one armed!.
Type Combat shotgun
Place of origin Italy
Service history
Used by Ireland, Taiwan
Production history
Manufacturer Franchi S.p.A.
Produced 1979-2000
Specifications
Weight 4.4 kg (9.7 lb)
Length 1041 mm (41 in) - stock extended
Barrel length 546 mm (22 in)
Cartridge 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch shells (NOT 3 inch)
Action pump-action / gas-actuated
Rate of fire 4 rounds/s (semi-auto)
Effective range 40 m
Feed system 8+1 rounds, internal tube magazine
The SPAS-12 was designed in the late 1970s by the Italian company Luigi Franchi Spa as a special purpose, military and police close combat weapon (actually, SPAS stands for Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun, or Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun, depending on the source). It featured a selective action for greater versatility, and can be used as a gas operated semi-automatic repeater or as a manually operated pump action repeater, depending on the mission and ammunition used. Since its introduction SPAS-12 became a very popular police and special forces weapon, being versatile, reliable and with good firepower. On the other hand, it is heavier than most other similar shotguns and quite complicated, which results in relatively high prices.
SPAS-12 utilizes somewhat traditional for shotguns gas system with annular gas piston locating around the underbarrel magazine tube. It operates the bolt with vertically tilting locking lug that engages the barrel extension to lock. SPAS-12 can be switched between gas operated self-loading mode and manually operated pump mode by pressing and holding a button at the bottom of the forearm and pulling the forearm slightly forward for AUTOMATIC mode or backward for PUMP (or MANUAL) mode. Earlier models of the SPAS-12 had the lever type safety at the front of the triggerguard, but due to some deficiencies this was latter replaced by the push-button (cross-bolt) safety at the same place.
SPAS-12 could be fitted with stamped metallic buttstock that folds to the top of the receiver when not in use, and with a pistol grip made of plastic. Alternatively, solid plastic buttstocks with pistol grips are available. Barrel has cylinder bore with screw-on muzzle devices (cokes of flash hiders). Sights usually are of rifle type, with post front and open notch rear sight.
The SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun manufactured by the Italian company Franchi S.p.A..
Overview
The SPAS-12 was designed during the 1970s as a semi-automatic military or law enforcement shotgun, and production began in October 1979. The SPAS-12 can function on two settings. The first is "automatic" (more accurately, self-loading semi-automatic) - the foregrip is locked forward and a gas system serves to load the next round without further effort from the operator. In automatic mode, the gun can expend around 4 rounds per second, one round per trigger pull. The second setting is pump-action - the foregrip must be manually pumped back and forth after every shot to eject the spent shell and load a new round from the internal magazine. This mode is required to reliably fire low-pressure ammunition such as tear gas rounds or less-lethal bean bags. Switching between firing modes is done by pressing a button under the foregrip, and sliding the foregrip slightly forwards or backwards until it clicks into position.
The SPAS-12 also has a magazine cut-off feature that, when activated, prevents the loading of a new round from the internal magazine when the slide is opened. This allows the operator to load a specialized round into the chamber without going through the entire magazine first. Early SPAS-12 models also featured a lever-type safety, but it tended to malfunction. This was later replaced by a push-button safety. This shotgun fires 2 3/4 inch shells, and was not made to fire 3 inch shells.
Variants
The SPAS-12 comes with an optional folding stock, which can carry a large hook at the end for use as a carrying handle or for bracing the weapon while firing with one hand. Full stocks are also available, as are pump-mounted tactical flashlights and laser sights. Some versions of the SPAS-12 come with a shorter 5-round magazine instead of the usual 8-round magazine.
US Legal Status
In 1983, the gun was introduced to the United States, where it was marketed as a sporting shotgun to help bypass laws that would normally label it as illegal for private ownership. As a result, the SPAS acronym officially stands for "Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun". However, military-oriented features like a heavy heat shield for sustained fire increase the weight of the weapon to the point where it can become unwieldy for hunting or competition shooting. For this reason, there exist popular reinterpretations of the acronym, such as "Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun" or "Special Purpose Assault Shotgun".
In recent years, US firearm laws have completely blocked the importation of the SPAS-12 shotgun (for private consumption), as the BATFE declared that it was "not suitable for sporting purposes". However, the SPAS-12 was not reclassified as a Title II firearm; therefore, re-sales and transfers within the country are relatively unobstructed by federal legislation. Additionally, in 2000 Franchi ceased production of the SPAS-12 altogether, and has since shifted its marketing focus towards the new SPAS-15. Together, these events have made the SPAS-12 a collector's item both in the United States and elsewhere.
