# SPAS-12 ![[SPAS-12.svg]] >[!infobox] Franchi SPAS-12 > | | | |:------------------- | ------------------------:| | ***Type*** | Combat [[Firearm Types#Shotgun\|shotgun]] | | ***Origin*** | ![[ItalyFlag.svg\|inlL\|24]]  [[Italy]] | | ***Designed*** | 1979 | | ***Produced*** | 1979-2000 | | ***Mass*** | 4.37 kg | | ***Length*** | 787 mm, stock folded | | | 1041 mm, stock extended | | ***Barrel length*** | 546.1 mm | | ***Cartridge*** | 12 gauge in 2¾" shells | | ***Action*** | [[Action#Pump-action\|Pump-action]]/[[Action#Long-stroke piston\|Long-stroke gas operated]] | *SPAS-12* The **SPAS-12** is a combat shotgun designed for military use. Its initial name was "Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun" and was changed to "Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun" to allow for continued sales in the [[United States]] until the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban. It is *dual mode* but was designed primarily to operate in semi-automatic mode. The pump-action mode is intended for use with low-pressure ammunition with insufficient energy to cycle the action. The firing mode is selected by a button on the bottom of the foregrip. The SPAS-12 has a *magazine cut-off* control which prevents the magazine tube from releasing a new round, allowing for the manual insertion of a different type of round into the chamber. The folding stock folds on top of the gun and can be used with a butt hook which allows for single-handed firing. A fixed stock variant was released to comply with American federal regulations for sporting shotguns. The SPAS-12 features two safeties, a lever safety and a "quick employment" safety. The lever safety is located on the right side and would previously cause the gun to fire when switching off 'safe'. The "quick employment" safety on the left side is intended for sporting and tactical use and can be disengaged with the trigger finger. Older versions had a push button in place of the lever.