The Franchi SPAS 12 is a unique and deadly looking shotgun. It was designed to be a tactical military shotgun but tactical is not how I would describe it. Complicated and heavy would be the best two words to sum up this gun. The SPAS 12 has the ability to shoot in both semi-automatic and pump action mode. When the slide action is all the way forward it opens the gas port so it can cycle rounds automatically. The tricky part about this gun is that it has to be set perfectly in the right mode to actually shoot or open the action. There are two safeties, one a push pin safety the other a quick release trigger safety. Earlier models of the SPAS 12 had a lever safety which had a recall because it didn't actually work and the gun could fire when it was on. Another flaw of the gun is that is has a shock absorber inside the receiver that if not replaced could cause severe damage to the gun. Again early models of the shock absorber would degrade and break apart making them useless, you can get replacement shock absorbers online that are made of better plastics to last longer. It has a folding stock and also has a hook(not pictured) that was meant to allow the shooter to use the gun with one arm to shoot around corners and such. With the weight of the gun I wouldn't suggest trying to shoot it with one arm. Since the stock is all metal it isn't very forgiving when it comes to recoil so you will feel everything. If you can find a SPAS 12 in good condition with all the parts it would be a good investment gun since they are no longer made and have always been popular among collectors. As long as video games and movies continue to include this gun people will buy it just to have it.
