History

The SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun that was manufactured by the Italian firearms company Franchi S.p.A. from 1979 to 2000. The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, meaning it can be used as a semi-automatic or pump-action firearm. The SPAS-12 has sold well to military and police groups around the world, but the appearance and intended purpose of the weapon eventually led to it being banned from import into the United States, due to a lack of "sporting purpose". Franchi had even named the gun the Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun, but to no avail.

The SPAS 12 was designed to function primarily as a semi-automatic firearm, with the pump-action mode used to reliably fire low-pressure ammunition such as tear gas rounds or less-lethal bean bags. Switching between firing modes is done by pressing a button under the foregrip, and sliding the foregrip slightly forwards or backwards until it clicks into position. Pump action mode was however rather slow and ungainly when compared to traditional pump action guns due to the complexity of the changeover mechanism and the friction of the fore-grip with the hand-guard.
 
The SPAS-12 has a magazine cut-off feature that can prevent the loading of a new round from the internal magazine when the gun is cycled. This allows the operator to load a specialized round into the chamber without going through the entire magazine first. Another unique feature of the SPAS-12 was the hook seen on folding stock variants. This hook could be rotated in 90 degree increments so that it would fit under the user's forearm when the stock was extended. With the stock supported under the forearm the gun could theoretically be fired with one hand, allowing the user to fire around cover or use their support hand for other tasks. In reality the sheer weight of the gun, which is substantially higher than a more traditional shotgun, made such usage unlikely if not impossible for the average user. In addition the difficulty in aiming and coping with the recoil of one handed use consign such usage more towards the realms of Hollywood fantasy than practical utility.
 
Early SPAS-12 models featured a lever-type safety, but over time it would begin discharging the firearm when switched on or off. This was eventually recalled by Franchi and replaced by a push-button crossbolt safety. Many guns remain with the lever-type safety so caution should be used.
 
The barrel of the SPAS 12 was externally threaded to accept a wide variety of attachments, from chokes to gas grenade launchers. One interesting and particularly rare attachment, called a "diverter", spread shot vertically or horizontally. All barrel attachments are considered rare, and demand premium pricing on the secondhand market.

Singleplayer/Spec-Ops

The SPAS-12 appears in almost every campaign level, where it can be found with or without a Holographic Sight.

Multiplayer

The SPAS-12 is the third shotgun unlocked, at level 8. Unlike the Modern Warfare 2 counterpart, the SPAS-12 in Modern Warfare 3 was weak at launch, requiring multiple shots to kill past close range. The November 12th updated patched the SPAS-12, which increased its power and range to a similar level of Modern Warfare 2's. Its range can be further increased with the Range Proficiency, and its ability to acquire one shot kills can be increased by the Damage Proficiency.

Attachments

Attachments	Challenges	Icon
Grip	Get 20 kills with a Grip attached to a Shotgun.
Silencer	Get 15 kills with a Silencer attached to a Shotgun.
Reflex Sight	Get 60 kills while looking through a Red Dot Sight attached to a Shotgun.
Holographic Sight	Get 40 kills while looking through a Holographic Sight attached to a Shotgun.
Extended Mags	Get 40 kills with Extended Mags attached to a Shotgun.

Proficiencies

Proficiency	Description	Icon
Kick	Kick Reduces recoil by 20%, allowing for steadier full-auto and faster recovery from shots.
Focus	Reduces visual recoil by 50% when you are hit. Focus is very effective for SMGs and Shotguns. It is also helpful for ARs, as it can keep your shots on target when you enter a heads-up one-on-one firefight.
Attachment	Allows the use of 2 Attachments. It is a solid all-around Proficiency, useful in many situations. This Proficiency is also notably useful for stealth builds, as it allows you to use a Silencer alongside any other Attachment. The Attachment Proficiency is also helpful if you are still getting comfortable with iron sights, as it allows you to take and optical Attachment and a second utility Attachment.
Melee	Grants 35% faster melee recovery. Melee can be useful if you are stalking targets with a stealth Shotgun build. With the Riot Shield, it allows you to take down targets much more quickly at close range.
Range	Offers a 25% boosted effective range. This is very useful on Shotguns, particularly the automatic variants. Some SMGs can benefit from this upgrade, as well, especially if you are intent on using medium-range optics.
Damage	Provides a significant 40% Damage boost. Damage is strong on the Shotguns that already have solid range, and very important for pump-action Shotguns that may not get a second shot.

Challenges