POTD: Better Than The SPAS-12 – The “New” SPAS-15!
Sam.S 08.21.23
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have the lesser-known SPAS-15. The SPAS-15 shotgun brought some serious dual-mode firepower as the successor to the SPAS-12. With the flip of a switch, you could toggle this bad boy between rapid-fire semi-auto blasting and smooth pump-action on the fly – a slick feature that gave it versatility for police and military operations. In semi-auto mode, gas cycled the action for quick follow-up shots – great for tactical situations. But pump action allowed reliable firing of less-lethal rounds that don’t have as much kick. Other enhancements like a chrome lined barrel taking screw-in chokes for spread control and detachable box mags for fast reloads made the SPAS-15 a real combat shotgun. It came with wood or folding metal stock options too. This was dubbed the “key of the commando” by Italian forces since it could blast open locked doors in a jiffy. Availability in the US civilian market was short-lived after a 1994 ban axed imports – but the SPAS-15 found its niche with Italian law enforcement.
“Only approximately 180 were imported from 1989-1994, featuring a dual-action mechanism that can be changed from pump action to semi-automatic. Blade front and notch rear sights, 2 3/4 inch chamber, cylinder choke, standard frame markings, ribbed forearm, pistol grip stock. Length of pull is 14 1/4 inches.”
Lot 776: Franchi SPAS-15 Slide Action-Semi-Automatic Shotgun – Scarce Franchi SPAS-15 Slide Action/Semi-Automatic Shotgun. (n.d.-a). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved August 21, 2023, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/77/776/franchi-spas15-slide-actionsemiautomatic-shotgun.
