SPAS-12

The Franchi SPAS-12 (Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun 12) is an Italian 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, as well as a semi-automatic only variant called the LAW-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.

The SPAS-12 is a popular shotgun due to its high damage and range. Since the update which reduced the range of the Akimbo Model 1887, it has become one of the most ubiquitous shotguns in online multiplayer. The SPAS-12 is capable of killing enemies in a single shot at considerable range, and has a higher RPM than most players give it credit for.

Some players prefer to use Steady Aim with this weapon because at mid range more pellets will hit doing more damage. However, Steady Aim will actually make a poorly aimed shot more likely to miss as the pellets will cover less area. One possible compromise is to use Steady Aim and fire from the hip at mid range but fire by sighting in at short range, as ADS counterintuitively increases the spread of the shot, making it more likely to hit.

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 fired, the SPAS-12, the ejection port opens and closes as normal, however no shell is ejected; and then, when the player pumps it, the shell will eject but the port will not open.


 * The SPAS-12 makes a different noise in multiplayer than it does in single player or Special Ops.


 * 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 appearance 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.


 * FMJ does not add additional bullet penetration on the SPAS-12 nor does it add the "fireworks" animation when pellets hit a surface.


 * When using the SPAS-12, it is often best to use lateral movement when engaging enemies. Moving quickly from side to side or going prone can make it difficult for the enemy to hit, while giving the player an opportunity to pump the shotgun and quickly aim and fire again.
 * If you add the foregrip to the SPAS-12, it will increase the range in multiplayer.


 * The SPAS-12's spread is made more tight with the Holographic Sight when hip-firing. This can make it better for targeting enemies at further ranges, however will decrease the likelihood of hitting and killing multiple targets at close range.


 * While playing in third-person mode, you can't see yourself pumping the SPAS-12, even though you can hear the sound.


 * On the DS version, the SPAS-12's ejection port is on the wrong side.
 * Equipping a silencer to the SPAS-12 in multiplayer gives it the name "SPAS-12 Silencer", rather than "SPAS-12 Silenced".

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