If you’re already familiar with this new unit, skip this post and come back tomorrow. If you’re not, well . . .
Note the new poll. The “#1 Gun for TEOTWAWKI” poll has ended. The poll was scheduled to end at 5 a.m. this day, so as of this writing I’m unsure of which came out on top. Check the poll archives page for results.
Now, the Assault-12 . . . wow . . . Holy TEOTWAWKI, Batman. Never before has a shotgun been designed specifically for urban combat operations. Before you get too excited know that 1) you won’t be able to buy one, and 2) even if you could, they’re about $8,000 each. “$8,000 each!?” you say. Yes, but for a reason. They’re made of sick materials (aircraft grade stainless steel), never need cleaning, never need lubricating, and the recoil is virtually non-existent firing shells at the rate of 300 per minute . . . ooof. Pop a drum in the bottom of one of these things and . . . well . . .
But wait! There’s more! Experimental Cartridge Company, Ltd. and Action Manufacturing Inc. are designing a whole new line of shells for the 12 gauge; three to be exact, 1) the FRAG-12 High Explosive (HE), 2) FRAG-12 High Explosive Fragmenting Antipersonnel (HEFA), and 3) FRAG-12 High Explosive Armor-Piercing (HEAP). These mini-rpg’s have four fins that expand when the cartridge leaves the barrel that stabilize the round as it drives toward its target. You won’t be buying these things at your local Dick’s Sporting Goods store - they’re devastating! Read from this article:
The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) states that “the main reason for experimentation [with the FRAG-12 ammo family] is to examine these rounds as potential improvements to the combat-effectiveness of shotguns in urban areas [for urban warfare operations], using shotguns for stopping vehicles [vehicle interdiction] at roadblocks and checkpoints, barricade attack, and remote probing of potential Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).”
That article also includes statements that Ranger Man made in an earlier post on 5.56 ammunition. Read:
Rumor has it that these enemy fighters/combatants [Al Qaeda, etc.] have correspondingly little fear of the M16A4 and their 5.56×45mm cartridge, since the over-stabilized 62-grain 5.56mm rounds fired out of 1-in-7″ twist barrels are rumored to be zipping right through the skinny bad guys/insurgents (not dumping their energy inside the body) and thus failing to stop and drop the enemy quickly - unlike the excellent and reportedly terminally-effective Black Hills MK262 MOD 1 77-grainer.
But I digress . . . watch this 8 minute vid for the full story on the Atchisson Assault-12:
- Ranger Man
3 responses so far ↓
1 ryan // Dec 30, 2007 at 8:14 pm
I would not mind having a few of those double mounted atchisson auto 12’s to put on the final protective lines. The cool new rounds have alot more potential to change the way shotguns are used.
2 fallout11 // Dec 31, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Impressive claims, but largely unrealized. I’ve been around long enough to hear the same thing spouted over dozens of weapon systems in the last 40 years.
For example, “Aircraft grade stainless steel” is just common 304 SS. Yep, I’m in the aeronautics field.
Tight tolerance stainless on stainless contact produces massive galling and seizing. Wiki it.
“Never needs cleaning”….now where have I heard that before? Oh, right….the M16 (Vietnam)
The Atchisson has largely languished since the early 1970’s. Atchisson himself left the company in 1987. It took three decades of R&D to get this far, hence the outrageous per-item cost (attempting to recoup), and yet the final product is a repacked Daewoo USAS-12 (circa 1989).
3 some1 // May 20, 2008 at 11:33 am
to FALLOUT11, your mentioning alot of stuff about how it wont work BACK IN THE 70′S! among other years, were now 2008, guess what. what may have not worked a long time ago we probably have the technology now
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