Is the Franchi SPAS 12 still available?

[P99AS9]

Is the Franchi SPAS 12 still available? I've been looking everywhere and never found one for sale. On Franchi's website they don't show them when you click under "products". Do they still make them? Are they for LEO? Thanks.


http://www.tucsonguns.com/pics/spas12.gif

[PTK]

You can find them on Gunbroker, but they're not all that stupendous.

[Juhosaphat]

Besides looking pretty cool I always saw them as being a bit over priced.

[Icopy1]

To answer your question, the Spas in no longer imported into the US. You can find them used for $800 to $1500 depending on condition. But to be honest, they're not worth it. I had one a few years ago, and I am glad that I got rid of it. It was heavy and big. Sure, it looked cool. But there are so many better autos available now such as the Benelli M1S90 and M4, and the Mossberb 930 SPX.

[Strakele]

Like others have said you will occasionally see them on auction sites like gunbroker.

I assume you've seen this site: http://spas12.com/ Their classifieds are pretty dead though but it has some good info.

It may be expensive, heavy, and mostly impractical, but I don't care what anyone ever says, it's the coolest looking shotgun ever made.

[jaymce]

I just found one the other day. I think that they are out there if you keep your ears open.
I was showing my next door neighbor a forearm that I made for my Saiga 12 and he mentioned that he had a shot gun. He told me what it was and I said if he ever wanted to sell it let me know. A week later, sight unseen, it was mine for a fair price. He said he only sent around a box of shells throug it.

One sold last year at Amoskeag Auctions http://www.amoskeag-auction.com (in NH) for the paltry sum of 600$. Keep your eyes open and you will come across one.

I agree with the impractical aspect of the Spas. Other shotguns I own like the Saiga are much better and more practical. But the Spas, just look at the first post... If you like tactical firearms what is not to like.

Spas12 is not that active but new stuff does come up occasionally. Be paitent and do a lot of looking and be ready when it does come.

[FrankZappa]

I got to shoot one of these many years ago and I wasn't all that impressed with it. The reviews I've read also said that they weren't all that great. Too expensive, too heavy and didn't function in semi-auto mode unless you were using very stout loads. I remember one gun magazine writers comment about cycling the action in pump mode, "the forend design gives all the mechanical advantage of a disc brake".
Impractical? Probably, but it certainly does LOOK cool! After all, Arnold used one in "The Terminator" and it does have an awsome presence. But, lots of guns are impractical in daily use but look really cool. I myself have a Tommygun,(1927A1) I don't shoot it much, it's expensive, it's way heavy and not the most accurate rifle in my safe, but it definately has the "Way Cool" factor going for it.......... :D

[arizona98tj]

A buddy of mine has a SPAS12 and he brought it to the range this past week when we went shooting on Memorial Day.

Jacking a round using the "pump" mode took most everything I could muster. It was nothing like my old home defense 12 gauge. On the other hand, switching it to semi-auto was easy enough and it worked flawlessly through multiple boxes of slugs and buck shot. Folding the stock up and shooting from the hip worked well. No way i could hold it at one handed using the pistol grip! :D

It is heavy and I wouldn't want to use it in a 4 day defensive shotgun course without spending a few months at the gym prior to the course....however, the added weight did lighten up the kick from the slugs, no doubt about it.

It was fun, and it has a cool factor, yes it does.

My buddy's step son snapping off a string of buckshot.....

http://www.stu-offroad.com/temp/spas12.jpg