USAS-12
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The USAS-12 is a combat shotgun made and developed in South Korea by Daewoo Precision Industries during the 1980s.
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[edit] Description
The USAS-12 is gas-operated, selective fire weapon which bears a certain resemblance with the M16 assault rifle and is designed to provide sustained firepower in close combat scenarios. It accepts detachable magazines of 10 (box) or 20 (drum) shells. Both types of magazines are made of polymer, and drum magazines have their rear side made from translucent polymer for quick sighting of number of shot shells left.
The latest version of the USAS-12 is capable of fully automatic fire.
[edit] History
The history of the USAS-12 shotgun dates from the 1980s vintage designs of Maxwell Atchisson. In about 1989, Gilbert Equipment Co. (USA) decided to bring up the selective fired weapon, broadly based on principles, employed in Atchisson shotguns. The design of the new weapon was produced by John Trevor Jr. Since Gilbert Equipment Co. had no manufacturing capabilities, it started to look for possible manufacturers. It turned out that the only maker that agreed to produce this weapon was the South Korean company Daewoo Precision Industries, a part of the high-tech Daewoo conglomerate. Daewoo engineers adopted the new weapon to their manufacturing techniques, and mass production commenced during early 1990s. This gun sold well to military and security forces of several (unspecified) countries in Asia, and more than 30,000 of USAS-12 shotguns were made by mid-1990s. During the same timeframe, Gilbert Equipment Co. tried to bring semi-automatic version of USAS-12 to the U.S. market, but the BATF promptly classified this weapon as "having no sporting purpose", so it became "Class III destructive device" under the U.S. National Firearms Act of 1934. This greatly restricted its civilian use. During the late 1990s, RAMO Defence Co. began to assemble USAS-12 shotguns from Korean and U.S.-made parts for sale on domestic market, but sales of this weapon were limited to government agencies only. Today, this gun is generally not available in the USA, but it is still being manufactured by Daewoo in Korea.
[edit] Facts & Specs
- Gauge: 12 x 70 mm (2.75in)
- Function: Gas operated (and manual pump action) semi-automatic and full auto shotgun
- Weight: 6.2 kg (with 10-round magazine)
- Length: 960 mm
- Barrel: 460 mm
- Magazine capacity: 10 rounds box or 20 rounds drum detachable magazines
- Muzzle velocity: 100 m/s (estimated)
- Sights: Iron sights
- Maximum effective range: 40 m
- Cyclic: 360 rpm
- Manufacturer: Daewoo Precision Industries, South Korea
[edit] Use in Fiction
- An upgraded USAS-12 modified to fire bullet-shaped slugs was used by the hunter Van Pelt in the film Jumanji. Upgrades included a scope, laser sight, and silencer, and the gun was purchased by trading his rifle and some very old coins at a local gun shop.
- A USAS-12 (with 10-shot box magazine) is used by Forrest Taft in the film On Deadly Ground.
- The USAS-12 shotgun is avaible in Playstation game Syphon Filter 2
- The USAS-12 is available in the PC games Rainbow Six Raven Shield, Global Operations, Soldier of Fortune 2, Brigade E5: New Jagged Union and the Half-Life modification The Specialists.
- The USAS-12 is available in the Xbox games Rainbow Six: 3 and Rainbow Six:3 Black Arrow.
- The USAS-12 also sees regular use in later seasons of Stargate SG-1 (put to use fighting the Replicators).
