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A friend actually gave me this 1983 mfg. imported via F.I.E. Miami, FL, NIB Franchi SPAS (Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun) with folding stock and infamous "hook" arm brace (way ahead of it's time) 10-12 years ago. It's definitely a cult firearm piece, glorified by it's highlights in Arnold Schwarzenagger "Terminator" movie. It took 10 years and $2500 for me to acquire all the known available "accessories", the last of which was the 2-piece muzzle "diverter" for $1300 in 2021, from the SPAS12.com site originator nonetheless. Several years ago I balked @ $500 for the device, bad non-purchase. It's one heavy and clumsy gun to manipulate. Importantly there was a Safety Recall in 1991 regarding the original "lever" style safety lever that would, without warning, discharge the firearm while toggling the lever from ON-OFF / OFF-ON position; a good time to emphasize the primary safety on any firearm is muzzle direction. My Franchi SPAS 12 (Sporting Purpose Automatic Shotgun) has a 21.5" barrel, SPAS 12 external muzzle thread protector, folding stock, 8 round magazine = pre-ban SERIAL NO. AL XXXX DATE CODE “AL”=1983 Imported by F.I.E. , Miami FL - collector desirable. pump / semi-auto modes. The pump mode was for cycling low powered rubber tip riot cartridges. First year mfg 1979. (1994 assault weapons ban) Removable magazine restriction plug, FIE scope mount, Vario-Mix choke tubes (cylinder, modified, full choke), sling, "hook", muzzle “diverter” device paid $1300 in 2021 for this 2-piece accessory Trigger guard “lever” safety (Safety Recalled in 1991; factory replaced recalls with the cross-bolt trigger group. SAFETY MALFUNCTION DEMONSTRATED: https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0cdaa4_952e6a62edc84135a0113b9964845d33~mv2.gif I authored an Anatomy Series Manual on the differences between the Lever / Cross Bolt safety trigger groups available that also details how the safety malfunction occurs and the factory resolution using the same lever trigger groups! A bit of musing on the "muzzle device" and it's parallel development in the armed forces follows. A variety of shotgun muzzle devices have been tried over the years to enhance their effectiveness in a defensive role. One item that comes off often is "Duck Bill Spreaders" most seem to originate in the early 70's. Crane Lake is often cited as were their origin and cited has being used by the SEAL's in Vietnam and by the Air Force Security Forces. In each case they are cited as being regulated for use with #4 buck shot. Relative reference manuals from the early 70's reveals #4 buckshot was the preferred load for LE-military shotguns. Crane Lake is often cited as such prototype muzzle devices used by the SEAL's in Vietnam and the Air Force Security Forces. A&W muzzle in "The Police Shotgun Manual", by Roger H. Robinson, 1973. Mr. Robinson includes many high speed photos that were provided by A&W Engineering of shot loads coming out of the A&W duck-bill device; photos show the diverter to be very efficient at pattern modification. At 10 yards a 7 1/2" H x 29" W pattern with #4 At 30 yards a 25" H x 96" W pattern with #4. A claimed a 22% reduction in recoil an diminish the muzzle flash to that of a .38 special at night. A slug can be used as well, imparting two grooves on either side of the slug with a reduction in projectile yaw. According to Swearengen in _The World's Fighting Shotguns, the US Air Force Directorate of Security Police in the mid-1960s developed a requirement for a spreader choke that would produce a wide elliptical shot pattern. This horizontal pattern spread was supposed to increase the hit probability from a shotgun on a moving target. The Air Force request went to Frankford Arsenal for action, at the time Frankford was working on improvements to the military shotgun in general. Early experiments at producing a spreader choke were less than successful- the chokes split, patterned poorly and in various ways failed to produce te desired result. Ultimately Frankford ordnance engineer Charles A Greenwood developed the duckbill choke in answer to the Air Force requirement. It was subjected to a good deal of laboratory and field testing. The original duckbill choke was simply a sleeve with a long V-notch cut on either side, the apex of the V toward the rear. The top and bottom of the sleeve were compressed toward the centerline at the muzzle, constricting the emerging pattern of shot in the vertical plane and forcing it to spread horizontally. The sleeve was permanently brazed onto the barrel so that it would not be blown off or rotated by firing the gun. Early examples of duckbill- equipped shotguns were deployed to Vietnam in the hands of Marines and Navy SEALs. It was found that the open V- notches in the muzzle of the duckbill hung up badly on vegetation as the shotgunner tried to move through thick growth, so the duckbill was modified with a ring around its muzzle to exclude vines and branches. It was discovered that the spreader device worked as advertised, but in reality what was needed in a fighting shotgun was a way of producing dense, lethal patterns. Spreaders in field testing produced patterns five feet high and twelve feet wide at 30 meters with #4 buckshot loads. At 40 meters, patterns were six feet high and sixteen feet wide. At 40 meters an average sized man would only be hit by a couple of pellets. But with a standard cylinder bored barrel shooting approximately a four- foot circular pattern at 40 meters, some 60% of the shot would strike an average man- sized target. Still, the duckbill choke had its adherents, among SEALS especially. Development on the idea continued for several years. Clifford Ashbrook and Wilson Wing of Kexplore, Inc. in Houston, TX developed the A&W Diverter in the late 1960s using mathematical concepts, and received patent protection (# 3,492,750) in February 1970. The HK 512 gas operated 7+1 shotgun, it was manufactured by Franchi for HK under a contract to supply an elite force in Germany (GSG9), i.e. the "Anti-Terrorist Shotgun" . A production over run of 270 units which were imported into the US, employing a shot diverter that creates a rectangular spread .

Correct me if I’m wrong but that is aluminum…

This is totally the fault of the buyer to fail to fully inspect the shotgun. After the forms are filled out and the transfer made - its yours, and if you failed to inspect it, then its on you for not exercising proper due diligence

Seller should’ve known. Go exchange it for another one or find a new LGS fast. That’s bad business

Really needed to check it before you bought it…That damage won’t been that hard to miss.And I doult you get very far thru Benelli…I don’t think they care anymore.Look thru threads and see how there customer service was with others .Maybe return to whoever you bought it from?

I picked this up a little while back and as bad as i hate too, Ive found something Ive been wanting a little more. Im the third owner and Ive not fired, taken apart, cleaned this shotgun at all. Previous owner said that he put around 50 rnds thru it over the years. The SPAS is a 1982 production, has original sling (which sells for $300+ if you ever see one) 8+1 capacity and is just a legend in the shotgun world. Last i heard there were around 1800 total in country. Its in great shape for bein 40 yrs old and exhibits the typical handling marks/wear, nothing major. $4000 firm as pictured. If you know, you know. These unicorns sell for $1k to $1500 more over on Gunjoker. I have lots of pics i can send potential buyer. I will accept USPS money orders, certified checks, but be aware, i wont ship on checks untill it clears my bank and my bank holds all checks over $1k for 5 business days. I can even do discrete PP F$F or you pay the fees. buyer pays actual shipping and INS if you want it. Will ONLY ship to FFL and please make sure they'll accept from a private seller with a copy of my drivers license. Any questions/more pics, shoot me a message and thanks. *** this is listed locally as well, so if you're interested, check with me ***

I found a NIB M4 early last year and sent it out to California for the Agency Arms build. Details Include: Agency Arms octagonal Extension Tube Kit (Increases TOTAL capacity to 7+1, 9 if ghostloading), Barrel Porting, Agency Arms Extended Carrier, Agency Arms Extended Bolt Release, Agency Arms Extended Charging Handle, Modified Bolt Carrier, Receiver Loading Port Machining, Agency Arms MLOK® handguard/rail, Gunsmith trigger job, texturing of the stock (on select models) and installation of an oversized dome safety. Extended Carrier and Bolt Carrier are polished and refinished in a PVD coating. I added the Scalarworks Sync with 6MOA RMR, a few RailScales, Agency RMR matching screws and thats a wrap. I ordered a tritium ghost ring and front post but will stick with the factory sights for now. It's really a different feeling gun now in a good way. I have a preban HK M1a and an M2 but the M4 is night and day to the other guns.

I'm gonna be in the minority here and say it doesn't look that bad. It's plastic not bluing so it's just cosmetic, rub a little shoe polish on it. It's gonna get dinged with use, honestly, you should have spotted it when you picked it up and Benelli has no way of knowing you didn't do it. "Those aren't scars, they're beauty marks", I'd just keep it.

I told the costumer service representative that I would be willing to ship them the damaged stock (since it slides right off) for a replacement but she wasn't sympathetic or understanding and once again implied it was my fault. She stated I would have to send them the entire gun and then they would decide if it was covered under warranty after the month long process. Their warranty states: "10-year Limited Warranty: Your new Benelli firearm is warranted for 10 years from date of purchase against any defect in materials or workmanship in the metal parts of your product." Sounds to me like this should be covered under warranty or am I wrong? I thought this would be an easy process but I'm pretty displeased with the customer service from Benelli so far. Are you guys aware of anyone from Benelli who can help me out? Appreciate it.

At 2k plus I'd be pissed and make them send you another .. F that!

I like what I see. JKenny latch has been ordered. I’ll let you know how long it takes to get here and my feedback once installed. Thanks SD

You may have not had it seated all the way for your first shot then. No spacers.

Pretty decent price compared to my local shops

Ammoseek is your friend - https://ammoseek.com/ammo/12-gauge?ss=00-Buck&sl=2 3%2F4

You can polish the leading face of the shell stop with a Dremel and a polishing wheel. You end up removing the phosphate finish off of the tip in short order. This smooths out the transition from the shell to the tube quite a bit. J Kenny also sells a two piece billet shell stop that makes loading the Benelli a dream to load. The resistance is minimal to press the shell past the shell stop. You don't need the full kit with the modified shell elevator if you're just looking for improved loading characteristics. They take forever to get since they ship from England and their customer service is rather poor. My testing has been promising for the kit, but I'm still hesitant to outright recommend it yet. I'm not a huge fan of the button pad design, it's similar to the TTI pad that sticks out too far away from the receiver. https://www.j-kenny.com/product/2-piece-shell-latch-benelli-m2-by-j-kenny-co/

My P2 and ADM Ti mount arrived today (together---nice!). Under white light or ambient, I am VERY pleased with the P2. Under NODS, it is underwhelming to say the least. On the dimmest setting, it is just about to bloom, and "smears" very easily. As you may know, under NODS it's very hard to keep a straight line between eye----NOD---Optic---Target. This is why parallax is such a huge deal in night vision compatible optics, as well. Anyway, the least bit of "off axis" you are, the Acro will "smear" out like an RDS with a person who has astigmatism. The T2 does this a small amount if you turn it up a bit bright for conditions and make the angle extreme, but the P2 is easily 2-3x as bad. It is not unusable, but after you use a T2, you won't be pleased. As far as light transmission, the T2 slightly edged out my P2 under NODS. Not worth really bragging on, just a minor footnote. Both are fully serviceable with a PVS14, except the P2 may annoy you with its lowest brightness setting being on the very upper limit of what you'd like for dark environs. For urban, I bet it does much better all around. That said, at night the buttons also take some getting used to finding, while the T2's dial is self explanatory to find and manipulate. If you throw gloves into the equation, and a hair big of stress, the P2 would become entirely unusable in varying lighting conditions. Overall, great pistol optic where the gun is held more on your centerline, but not my choice for a long gun.