SPAS-12

The Franchi SPAS-12 (Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun 12) is a combat shotgun in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized. The SPAS-12 was designed as a dual-mode shotgun, incorporating both a gas-actuated system and a manual system. While it was not very popular due to its weight and complexity, it is highly recognizable as an aesthetic weapon. The SPAS-12 was banned from US importation in the early 1990s by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives) due to a "lack of sporting purpose", and soon ceased production in 2000 due to an overly complicated control setup. A pump-action only version was produced called the SAS-12. A newer version called the SPAS-15 was produced, functionally similar but incorporating a box magazine. However, it too ceased production in 2005.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
In multiplayer, it is the first shotgun available to the player. The SPAS-12 is one of three pump action shotguns in the game, the others being the W1200, which isn't available anywhere but the Museum, and the Masterkey Shotgun attachment, which is unlocked by 20 Grenade Launcher kills with a particular assault rifle.

In multiplayer this weapon is often overlooked because of its comparatively low rate of fire. The SPAS-12, however, can be extremely devastating when in the right hands as its range and accuracy is only matched by the Masterkey Shotgun and the slightly shorter range Model 1887. Comparing a single 1887 to a SPAS-12, the pump action of the SPAS-12 cycles much quicker than the lever action 1887, though the 1887s can be used Akimbo, effectively doubling their rate of fire. Additionally, if one uses the Extended Magazines attachment, the SPAS-12 will have a capacity of 16 shells, twice its usual capacity and greatly increasing the gun's overall combat effectiveness. The SPAS-12 is also the first shotgun available to the player (as mentioned before), opposed to the 1887 being the last.

The SPAS-12 is very common now because of its similar range to the Model 1887 and the sheer power of it. It is recommended to keep your distance to about 70 feet, as the SPAS has a much higher chance of non-mortal wounds at around that range, leaving a chance to shoot when the enemy has to pump, though this is not always an option.

Modern Warfare: Mobilized
The SPAS-12 appears in Modern Warfare: Mobilized as one of the two shotguns in game, the other being the AA-12. The SPAS-12 is only found in "Wrecking Crew", "Closing In", Oil Rig Confrontation", and "Last Chance", used only by the Insurgency. The SPAS-12 is the same in appearance, range, and damage as the SPAS-12 in Modern Warfare 2, but it fires in the semi-automatic mode as opposed to the pump-action mode.

In multiplayer the SPAS-12 is unlocked by default for the Insurgency faction. It is a decent shotgun to use, though it has a long reload time and a capacity of only 8 shells. Many would consider the NDS version of the SPAS-12 superior, having the second highest capacity of all semi-auto shotguns (the first being the Striker).

Trivia

 * When you fire the SPAS-12, the ejection port opens and closes as normal though no shell comes out; and then, when the player pumps it, the shell will come out, however the ejection port will not open.


 * The SPAS-12 was designed to function primarily in semi-automatic, with the pump-action mode used to reliably fire low-pressure ammunition such as tear gas rounds or non-lethal bean bags. Switching between firing modes is done by pressing a button under the pump, and sliding the pump slightly forwards or backwards until it clicks into position. The reason the semi-automatic feature was taken out is most likely for balancing purposes, as well as keeping a pump-action shotgun in the game since the W1200 was removed from multiplayer.


 * In The Gulag, the player can pick up a SPAS-12 with Arctic camo. Also, there is also a Woodland camo SPAS-12 in Loose Ends with Red Dot sight. However, in multiplayer, neither the SPAS-12 nor any other shotgun can have a camo applied to it.


 * Akin to the Model 1887, the SPAS-12 has a larger ammunition capacity in multiplayer than in single-player, which is rare.


 * The SPAS-12 is famous for its portrayal in countless Hollywood films, some examples being The Terminator (used by the character of the same name), and Jurassic Park (as the game warden's weapon of choice).


 * There is a fingerprint on the left hand side of the weapon, much like how the Mini-Uzi had one in Call of Duty 4. This is easiest to see when the weapon is on the floor after it has been dropped.


 * The SPAS-12 currently has the longest effective range of all the standalone shotguns, after the Model 1887's patch.

Video
thumb|350px|left|SPAS-12 gameplay