page_title: Franchi SPAS-12
section_title: Design
hierarchical_section_title: Franchi SPAS-12 / Design
caption_attribution_description: English: Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun showing use of its stock-end hook to steady the aim when shooting with one hand because the other hand is otherwise engaged.
context_page_description: 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, and has been featured in many films, TV shows, and video games.
  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 had ended production of the SPAS-12 in 2000 to focus on the manufacturing of the SPAS-15 model.
context_section_description: The 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. The firing mode is switched by depressing the button under the fore-grip and also sliding the fore-grip forwards or backwards until it clicks into position allowing the rotating sleeve to open or close the two gas ports.
  The SPAS-12 has a magazine cut-off feature, which prevents loading a new round from the internal magazine when the gun is cycled. This lets the operator load a specialized round into the chamber without firing the whole magazine first. A unique feature of the SPAS-12 was the hook on folding-stock variants. This hook could be rotated in 90-degree increments, so it would fit under the user's forearm when the stock was extended. In theory, with the stock supported under the forearm, the gun can be fired with one hand; an example would be letting the user fire from a vehicle through the passenger-side window while driving.
  SPAS-12 models feature two safeties:  (i) a lever style or push button style safety, and (ii) a "quick employment safety". Lever safeties were recalled by Franchi and were replaced through the importer American Arms in the early 1990s. There are two types of push-button safeties. The earliest version would release the hammer on safe up to 1/4in. of travel when the trigger was depressed; this would cause a lockup of the action that would require the user to re-lock the bolt assembly to the rear to reset the hammer and then reload the chamber. The later version installed a detent and machined hole in the trigger group frame to prevent an action lock; the detent would prevent the hammer from engaging when the trigger was depressed and would prevent an action lock from occurring. The quick employment safety, which is on the left side of the trigger guard, disconnects the trigger when put into safe mode.  The quick employment safety can be disengaged with the trigger finger when ready to fire and is intended for competition or tactical use.  A third safety type, a pistol grip safety similar to the later-developed SPAS-15, is known to have been developed by Franchi for the SPAS-12, however the pistol grip safety was not offered for sale to the general public.
  A B-Square rail mount for optics was available for a short time in the 1990s as an aftermarket accessory.
  The barrel of the SPAS-12 was externally threaded to accept a variety of attachments. The barrel is cylinder bored and spreads a normal shot charge to about 900mm at 40 meters.
  There are four different Magazine Extension Tubes manufactured for the SPAS 12:
  The 5-shell was designed for the 18" barrel.
  The 6-shell was designed for restriction on the standard 21.5" Sporting Purpose model.
  The 7-shell was designed for the 19 7/8in. Barrel.
  The 8-shell was designed for the 21.5 Special purpose model.
  Many choke types original and aftermarket exist for the SPAS-12. A 44mm grenade launcher used by France was used for explosive grenades capable of a range of 150 meters. A factory shot diverter that spreads shot vertically or horizontally was originally included with earlier model SPAS-12's, There are many known reproduction diverters.
caption: Franchi SPAS-12 shotgun showing use of stock-end hook as support to help aiming when firing with one hand
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