Maxwell Atchisson developed the Atchisson Assault Shotgun (a.k.a., AA-12) in 1972. Despite the hype, including talk of mounting the AA-12 on a remote control helicopter for the military, the military and police-only full-auto AA-12 has failed to find significant sales outside Hollywood and video games, where it’s a firm favorite (seven movies and counting). FYI: In 2009, Military Police Systems Co. of Piney Flats, Tennessee picked up and modified the shotgun’s design to sell to the armed forces and LEOs. “We sold 100 guns in the last four years to Middle Eastern customers,” owner Jerry Baber told TTAG. “Jordan, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. But nothing last year.” MPS is still hoping the U.S. Armed Forces will make their day. Meanwhile, this.
The sales aren’t there for a reason.
Can you elaborate? While I love the idea of the weapon, I can think of a number of cons, and I’m interested in your own opinion on it.
It’s hard for law enforcement to justify buying something like that because it’s literally a weapon designed to turn people into meat. While LEO’s may have to take a life in the course of their job, the aa-12 is purely offensive in nature. Hard to justify for a force that’s supposed to protect and serve. It’s why you don’t see LEO’s with street sweepers.
You don’t see LEO’s with SW’s because they are a destructive device under the NFA. (ATF reclassified them because of their scarry name) They are also not that good of a gun. Just look up a video of one, it will make you laugh. LOL
Excessive, uncontrollable recoil too. Can you imagine ripping off five 12 gauge shells in one second? God forbid they be 3″ slugs.
@ Anonymoose
The AA12 has absurdly low recoil. Check out this FPSRussia clip at around 4:40. He lets off a drum one handed, with the gun completely unsupported. His wrist was crooked inward as well, which is possibly the weakest hold he could get on it. It barely budges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOoUVeyaY_8
Shame they didn’t do a USAS-12 instead.
It’s sad how heavily Euro chaps have to rely on airsoft to enjoy guns of any sort.
That was uncalled for. Civvies in the US can’t get their hands on a real AA-12 or USAS-12 without a Class 3 SOT.
Ran into one of these at a rental range in Utah. Bulky and clumsy and felt heavy.
Would a semi auto version be possible? It would be a mall ninja favorite, might as well try, unless it gets the DD ruling like the Street Sweeper.
I would think the Saiga 12 fulfills that role. I’m surprised they haven’t reclassified it as a DD yet….
If I’m correct the AA12 is an open bolt, so if they had any intention of releasing it to the public they would have to make a version that was closed bolt.
I mean sure, an AA12 is cool in theory, but semi auto defeats the purpose. It would probably be pretty heavy and equally expensive for something that doesn’t have an aftermarket support network like the saiga does.
The AA-12 is too much fun, according to the US Government.
It’s probably heavy, unwieldy, clumsy, and hard to control.
Uh….?
It’s a bb gun…….a toy bb gun.
Air soft bb gun……a look on my face with an eye brow raised?
Not a 12 ga at all, nothing for military or leo…..i think?
Airsoft????. I don’t get excited over airsoft stuff….
SLOW NEWS DAY…..
A good friend had an AA12 back in the day.
Went head to head with my Benelli. The Benelli was faster.
A real AA-12 would be killer in semi auto for open class 3 gun.
It’s predominately saiga’s, vepr’s, and mka 1919’s. Be nice to have an option that’s not from an armpit country.
Would it? 3-guns have Benellis and Mossbergs that would probably work better.
The standard tube fed semi auto shottys, in OPEN DIVISION, are modified to use either an Xrail or super long extension tube with speed loader chutes. The Euros have a few other oddities, that I’ve seen pictures of, but you don’t see them in the US.
Other than that it’s mag fed, Saiga, VEPR, MKA. A mag fed shotgun with as little recoil as the AA appears to have, would dominate, especially if the reliability was there..
The modern AA-12 is said to be reliable and exceptionally controllable in full-auto for a 12-gauge due to the recoil buffer system. It’s a strong, long spring that compresses a down into the stock but doesn’t bottom out. The principle is sound and a lot of modern guns increase controllability during fully automatic fire using similar spring systems to spread out the recoil into more of a “constant push” that is easier to control and keep on target than a sharp staccato recoil impulse. Reference Jim Sullivan’s firearms designs. I’d love to get my hands on an AA-12 someday. Maybe a rental range offer the public the opportunity to shoot one. I think the full-auto AA-12, 13″ barreled SBS version especially, would be a good shotgun choice for indoor defensive use (or offensive use, if that’s what you’ve got going on), legal issues aside. It can certainly put someone down quickly. There are a lot of videos on YouTube of the AA-12, including some by knowledgeable gun guys, if one is interested in seeing it on video.
Gold plate it add some voodoo skulls and it will sell………thousands.
You would think that small arms manufacturers would have learned their lesson by now. The biggest and best customer available is the US civilian market. If you are marketing to Mil/LEO only, you’d better have pure gold, or your sales will be pathetic.
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