SPAS-12

Description

The Italian SPAS-12 semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun was designed and produced by Franchi, who are a division of Italian arms giant Beretta.

It was designed as a combat weapon, hence the original SPAS designation (Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun), in 1990 the ‘Special’ was replaced with ‘Sporting’ to make it more appealing to the civilian market.

Although seen as a military style assault weapon, it was primarily adopted by Police Tactical/SWAT style units, from the United States to France.

The semi-automatic action made it the perfect weapon for gaining entry into fortified buildings, allowing for door hinges and locks to be removed at speed, maintaining the element of surprise. With the aid of its pump-action mode, low power shells, such as tear gas or non-lethal options such as bean bag rounds could also be utilized.

Franchi ceased production of the SPAS-12 in 2000, which was replaced by the SPAS-15. However it still remains in service with various police forces, including the Turkish and Brazilian. It also made numerous appearances in film, most notably in Terminator 1 & 2, The Hitcher and Jurassic Park.