Thoughts on SPAS-12

[Plisk]

Just curious what you guys know about the SPAS-12. Considering one eventually in the far future as a fun gun, but I don't know much about them. Most I know if that they are a semi-complicated pump/semi-auto shotgun that was banned from US import for lack of sporting purpose.

[Good_Knight]

I know that I really want one, and that it was one of the guns wielded by the terminator....and that they are banned by name/brand here in our lovely state of California.

[hellraiser]

...and that they are banned by name/brand here in our lovely state of California.

i didint know that... no wonder ive never seen one... not even at shows.

i thought they were just hard to come by. they do look cool and a ton of fun though!!!

[Lurch762]

Handled one back in the late '80's before they were banned. They look really cool but were complicated and very heavy, almost 10lbs.

[Plisk]

Under what list are they banned here?

[tgriffin]

Handled one at the big Reno show, wasn't really impressed. I like my m1s90 better.

[Lurch762]

Under what list are they banned here?

go here: http://www.calguns.net/caawid/sgflowchart.pdf

[Steyr_223]

A friend had one back in the day prior to the Roberti Roos ban..I should have bought it from him prior to the ban but I was broke at the time..

Pure evil!

[djleisure]

I owned one in Oregon in the early 90's and sold it because I needed some cash at the time (I bought it for $450 and sold it for $600!) Selling that shotgun is one of the only regrets I have in my entire life. It was such a fun gun to shoot - very reliable, very solid (and very heavy!) It has such a unique sound when it shoots, I'll never forget it - it sounds kinda like BOOM-CHA-CHANK! The "CHA-CHANK" is a kind of high-pitched metallic sound from the bolt cycling... can you tell I miss it?

Anyway, I have a Saiga-12 now and it's almost a good replacement, but I'll never forget the ol' SPAS-12...

Oh, and they can be found in other states for about $1000, just not here, as already mentioned it is a listed AW by name.

[jdberger]

They're fun to shoot but not so practical. You need hi-base loads to cycle the action in auto.

The gun has rifle sights and that encourages you to shoot slugs. The buttstock is stamped steel. That discourages you from shooting slugs...

[elSquid]

It's a very dramatic shotgun.

-- Michael

[Plisk]

So the Franchi is banned, is there any possibility for an Off-list SPAS?

[ke6guj]

I know that I really want one, and that it was one of the guns wielded by the terminator....and that they are banned by name/brand here in our lovely state of California.

this.

Under what list are they banned here?

Franchi SPAS 12 and LAW 12.
(2) Striker 12.
(3) The Streetsweeper type S/S Inc. SS/12.

go here: http://www.calguns.net/caawid/sgflowchart.pdf

yup, covered in my flowchart.

So the Franchi is banned, is there any possibility for an Off-list SPAS?

sure, they'd just have to want to rename it, and hope that it would be currently importable, but AFAIK, they were deemed non-importable in the 90's. I don't think a renamed version of it would be importable today.

And there is an off-list SPAS, the SPAS-15, basically the same as the -12, but with a detachable box-magazine. I wonder how hard it would be to come up with a mag lock for it, or to temporarily disable the semi-auto feature to make it comply with the AW regs.

[K5Cruiser]

SPAS-15 is your answer as ke6guj indicated. I believe there already is a mag lock available for it, I'll have to look again. The bigger problem is locating a SPAS-15 and a person willing to sell it. There were very few brought into the US, I've read something like 300, but I do not know if that information is accurate.

ON EDIT: I looked at where I thought I had seen a mag lock listed for it, but didn't find it. I'm sure someone would be able to configure one for it though.

[Jpach]

sure, they'd just have to want to rename it, and hope that it would be currently importable, but AFAIK, they were deemed non-importable in the 90's. I don't think a renamed version of it would be importable today.
And there is an off-list SPAS, the SPAS-15, basically the same as the -12, but with a detachable box-magazine. I wonder how hard it would be to come up with a mag lock for it, or to temporarily disable the semi-auto feature to make it comply with the AW regs.

Hmmm. Perhaps the manufacturer could slap a thumbhole stock or something like that on it and sell the top-folders separately? At least we would be getting the guns in the country. That would be pretty cool