Guns AA12 Sledgehammer Shotgun Available for Civilian Sale Steven Kuo August 8, 2018 29 Comments, Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More As far as drool-worthy unobtainium goes, the mythical full-auto AA12 “Sledgehammer” shotgun ranks up there amongst the best of them. We played with an AA12 at TriggrCon 2018. Initially developed in the early 70s by Max Atchisson, the AA12 was designed as a full-auto-only open bolt 12-gauge shotgun. Background of the AA-12 Shotgun Continually tweaked for decades and pushed mostly in vain to military and law enforcement markets, the AA-12 was much more successful in scoring appearances in movies, TV shows, and video games. With its stainless steel construction, gas-operated action, hefty recoil spring arrangement, and slow, roughly 360-rpm cyclic rate, the AA-12 was notable for minimal felt recoil and controllability in full-auto. Atchisson sold the design in 1987 to Military Police Systems, which was responsible for all the subsequent product development. However, MPS saw limited commercial success and never fielded a semi-auto civilian variant of the AA12. Fast forward to the present day, and Tactical Superiority and its new venture, Sol Invictus Arms, worked out a deal to finally make the AA12 available commercially. Working closely with one of MPS's principals, they created a semi-automatic version, further refined the design, and set up modern production processes. AA-12 Features The civilian version sports a longer, NFA-friendly 18.5-inch barrel and fires from a closed bolt. The overall length is 38 inches and total weight is 10.5 pounds. You can choose from versions with the iconic, original A-frame iron sights or the Picatinny rail on a riser that replaced them. 20-round drum and 8-round box magazines will be available. Sol Invictus Arms plans for these guns to be limited editions of only 1,000 and is taking pre-orders on Armslist at $3,250. AA12 Specs Cartridge: 12 Gauge 2.75” Action: Closed Bolt Semi-Auto Barrel Length: 18.25” OAL: 38” Weight: 10.5lbs Receiver: Stainless Steel Magazine: 20 Round Drum or 8RD Box Mag Here's a video from Larry Vickers demonstrating the full-auto AA12: For more info on the AA12 click here. Corey Graff contributed to this article. Explore RECOILweb:Small American Business: CNS EngravingSecondary Weapon Sights and Lights in a NVG WorldNew Firearms ProductsGhost Recon Alpha - The Movie NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.
