Editing Franchi SPAS-12 (section)

{{Short description|Combat shotgun}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox weapon
| name               = Franchi SPAS-12
| image              = Franchi SPAS 12 Grip Safety.jpeg
| image_size         = 300px
| caption            = SPAS-12 with short barrel
| alt                = Refer to caption
| origin             = [[Italy]]
| type               = [[Combat shotgun]]
<!-- Type selection -->
| is_ranged          = Yes
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1979–present
| used_by            = See ''[[#Users|Users]]''
| wars               = {{ubl|[[The Troubles]]|[[Lebanese Civil War]]}}
<!-- Production history -->
| designer           = [[Franchi (firearms)|Franchi]]
| design_date        = 1979
| manufacturer       = [[Franchi (firearms)|Franchi]]
| unit_cost          = 
| production_date    = 1979–2000
| number             = 37,000
| variants           = *LAW-12
*SAS-12
*[[Franchi SPAS-15|SPAS-15]]
<!-- General specifications -->| spec_label         = 
| weight             = *4.4 kg (9.68 lb)
| length             = *1041 mm (41 in) stock extended
*820 mm (32.5 in) stock folded
| part_length        = *18",19-7/8",21-1/2",24"
| width              = 
| height             = 
| diameter           = 
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
| cartridge          = [[Gauge (bore diameter)|12 gauge]] 2{{fraction|3|4}} inch shells only
| cartridge_weight   = 
| caliber            = 
| barrels            = 
| action             = [[Pump-action]]/[[gas-operated]]
| rate               = Semi-automatic (200-350 rounds/min) or pump-action
| velocity           = 
| range              = Dependent on ammunition used
| max_range          = 
| feed               = Tube extension 5+1, 6+1, 7+1 and 8+1 rounds, internal tube [[Magazine (firearms)|magazine]]
| sights             = [[Iron sights]]
}}

The '''Franchi SPAS-12''' is a [[combat shotgun]] manufactured by Italian firearms company [[Franchi (firearms)|Franchi]] from 1979 to 2000. The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, adjustable for [[semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]] or [[pump-action]] operation. The SPAS-12 was sold to military and police users worldwide, as well as on the civilian market.

The appearance and intended purpose of the SPAS-12 initially led to its "military" designation as a combat shotgun. The SPAS-12 was designed from the ground up as a rugged military shotgun, and it was named the ''Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun''. In 1990, Franchi renamed the shotgun the ''Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun'', which allowed continued sales to the United States as a limited-magazine-capacity, fixed-stock model until 1994. Following the United States [[Federal Assault Weapons Ban]], imports of SPAS-12 shotguns to the United States were stopped. In September 2004 the ban expired, but Franchi ended production of the SPAS-12 in 2000 to focus on the manufacturing of the [[Franchi SPAS-15|SPAS-15]] model.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} The SPAS-12's factory retail price in its final year was {{US$}}1,500 averaged for its final sales outside the United States to non-restricted countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction |first=Chris |last=Cooney |url=http://spas12.com/spas12intro2.htm |date=June 2002 |website=Spas12.com |access-date=2010-05-10}}</ref>