Franchi SPAS-12

Franchi SPAS-12
SPAS-12 with short barrel
Type	Combat shotgun
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1979–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	The Troubles Lebanese Civil War
Production history
Designer	Franchi
Designed	1979
Manufacturer	Franchi
Produced	1979–2000
No. built	37,000
Variants	LAW-12 SAS-12 SPAS-15
Specifications
Mass	4.4 kg (9.68 lb)
Length	1041 mm (41 in) stock extended 820 mm (32.5 in) stock folded
Barrel length	18",19-7/8",21-1/2",24"
Cartridge	12 gauge 23⁄4 inch shells only
Action	Pump-action/gas-operated
Rate of fire	Semi-automatic (200-350 rounds/min) or pump-action
Effective firing range	Dependent on ammunition used
Feed system	Tube extension 5+1, 6+1, 7+1 and 8+1 rounds, internal tube magazine
Sights	Iron sights

The 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.

The 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. In 1990, Franchi renamed the shotgun the Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun, which allowed continued sales to the United States as a limited-magazine-capacity, fixed-stock model until 1994. Following the United States Federal Assault Weapons Ban, imports of SPAS-12 shotguns to the United States were stopped. In September 2004 the ban expired, but Franchi ended production of the SPAS-12 in 2000 to focus on the manufacturing of the SPAS-15 model, which was based on the SPAS-12. ^{[citation needed]} The SPAS-12's factory retail price in its final year was US$1,500 averaged for its final sales outside the United States to non-restricted countries. ^[1]