The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > The Hide > The Dave McCracken Memorial Shotgun Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old November 21, 2012, 11:47 AM   #1
Single Six
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2010
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,522
Wondering About The SPAS 12

I well recall the rather cool-looking SPAS 12. You know, the one that could function as either a pump or semi-automatic at the touch of a button. It's been in quite a few movies, most notably "The Terminator", in which Schwarzenegger wielded it one-handed [no hardship for him, obviously]. I've held one at a gun show before, but that's my only experience with one. I seem to recall them being banned from import eventually, but I also remember reading that their reliability did not match their looks at all. Does anyone here own one or otherwise have experience with one, and if so, what were your impressions?
__________________
Seen on a bumper sticker: "Exercise. Eat right. Take vitamins. Die anyway."
Single Six is offline  
Old November 21, 2012, 12:17 PM   #2
SHR970
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 24, 2011
Posts: 1,427
The ones I handled were unreliable.

Heavy, bulky, don't like them.
SHR970 is offline  
Old November 21, 2012, 04:21 PM   #3
Single Six
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2010
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,522
Sounds like your experience bears out what I heard.
__________________
Seen on a bumper sticker: "Exercise. Eat right. Take vitamins. Die anyway."
Single Six is offline  
Old November 21, 2012, 05:43 PM   #4
1 old 0311-1
Junior member
 
Join Date: November 5, 2012
Posts: 89
REAL expensive, REAL heavy, REAL cool, REAL unreliable. Pass
1 old 0311-1 is offline  
Old November 23, 2012, 08:07 PM   #5
Single Six
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 31, 2010
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,522
Judging by the scant number of responses, I guess not too many folks have had experience with the SPAS; and the few that have seem to be confirming the talk of unreliability I'd mentioned. Oh well..thanks for all replies.
__________________
Seen on a bumper sticker: "Exercise. Eat right. Take vitamins. Die anyway."
Single Six is offline  
Old August 30, 2014, 03:03 PM   #6
catacombshadows
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 31, 2013
Posts: 5
SPAS-12

Great and a reliable shotgun if maintained. I have 5 of them and collect and smith my own. 4 out of the 5 I purchased couldn't even cycle because they were missing the O-Rings or the two gas port holes were filled solid with carbon. from the previous owners who never cleaned them fully. I did a 100% tare down and rebuild on all of them and they all fully cycle and are flawless on the actions.

Watch out for hulls hanging up, the extractors and their springs were caked full of carbon from the former owners and it took a good hour to strip the bolts and clean out the fouling but as of today I haven't had a single malfunction in thousands of shells between all 5. So that's my advice, clean them right and they will treat you right.
catacombshadows is offline  
Old September 2, 2014, 12:06 PM   #7
Skarekrow88
Senior Member
 
Join Date: March 26, 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 332
Quote:
REAL expensive, REAL heavy, REAL cool, REAL unreliable. Pass
- True, they aren't cheap

- If you ask me its lighter/no heavier that any other "combat" shotgun I have handled due to its receiver being made out of aluminum which makes up for the added weight from the heat shield

- I agree, they are quite cool

- False, at least not if maintained properly. You might have handled one with clogged gas ports. Mine has been nothing but reliable regardless of what I feed it.
__________________
"A life fought for others is a life worth living"
Skarekrow88 is offline  
Old September 9, 2014, 04:40 PM   #8
hootey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 31, 2009
Location: Greater Northwest
Posts: 244
I had one for years and shot everything from birdshot to slugs through it. Never had a single malfunction, not one. It really liked the S & W sabot slugs Smith made back in the mid to late 80's. It was my Go-To shotgun any time I needed one. Great for "Bar-Raids", no one would move a muscle once they saw it. You had everyone's complete attention! Great shotguns!
hootey is offline  
Old September 9, 2014, 06:56 PM   #9
Mosin-Marauder
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 18, 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 2,320
Bar raids? I hope you're referring to open carry and not actually robbing the joint.
__________________
Proud owner of three (four-ish) pieces of history!
K-31, Mosin-Nagant M91/30, M24/47 Mauser, Norinco SKS.
"You might as well appeal against a thunderstorm..."
William Tecumseh Sherman
Mosin-Marauder is offline  
Old September 9, 2014, 07:17 PM   #10
skizzums
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 1, 2013
Location: Douglasville, Ga
Posts: 4,615
I assume he's talkinglaw enforcement, at least I hope
__________________
My head is bloody, but unbowed
skizzums is offline  
Old September 10, 2014, 09:28 AM   #11
hootey
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 31, 2009
Location: Greater Northwest
Posts: 244
"Bar-Raids" were shine and dope search warrant raids(amazing what you can find) Did not mention anything about robbing anything
hootey is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:23 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.04787 seconds with 8 queries