| The SPAS-12 is a 12 gauge combat shotgun manufactured by the Italian company Franchi S.p.A. Designed during the 1970s as a military and law enforcement shotgun, the SPAS-12 can be used as a gas operated semi-automatic repeater or as a manually operated pump action. The rate of fire possible in semi-automatic mode is quite high, around 4 shots per second, and the pump action mode allows low velocity rounds like tear gas and beanbag rounds to be fired. Such low velocity ammunition would fail to cycle the gas operated mechanism, and this flexibility in operation makes the SPAS-12 ideal for military and law enforcement uses. Other military features include a folding metal stock, heavy heat shield in the handguard for sustained fire, and a device allowing specialised rounds to be loaded into the chamber without emptying the magazine first. All of these features make the SPAS-12 a versatile weapon, but also make it heavy, mechanically complex and expensive. Still, it remains a popular weapon with police and Special Forces. The SPAS-12 weighs 4.4kg, holds 8+1 2 ¾ inch shells in the internal tube magazine, and has an effective range of 40 metres. | 
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