The acronym SPAS stands for Special Purpose Automatic Shotgun. It is a type of shotgun designed to be used in both semi-automatic and pumping modes. The SPAS-12 was initially designed as a military shotgun, and was later released to the civilian market. It has been featured in many movies, TV shows, and video games.
The SPAS-12 was designed with a removable wooden stock and standard handle. It also has a magazine cut-off function, which prevents the magazine from releasing a new cartridge when the action cycle is performed. Franchi also developed a pistol grip safety for the SPAS-12, but it was not put on sale to the general public. The LAW-12 models were more common in police sales as an alternative to the more expensive SPAS-12 for departments across the United States.
Following the federal ban on assault weapons by the United States, the import of SPAS-12 shotguns into the United States was stopped. After the United States imposed import restrictions on SPAS-12 in 1989, a version with synthetic hollow fixed material and a capacity of six bushings was released in 1990 to comply with federal regulations for sports purposes.
