Have a friend that wants to sell me his Franchi's SPAS 12.

Have a friend that wants to sell me his Franchi's SPAS 12. Has the nice front fight, very little wear, if any on the area where the pump grip slides, comes with 2 mag extensions, the hook stock and a fixed stock.

Over all this is in very good condition and cant seem to find a value for it. He is asking 1,500.00 for it and that just seems a way to high to me.

Any help appreciated.

I realize that $1500 is a lot of money, but for a decent condition SPAS with accessories, it's still a good value.

You must remember that the SPAS is a rare weapon. It's been many, many years since they've been imported, and production in Italy has completely ceased. It's more of an exotic collectible than anything else. Parts are extremely diificult to find and they're expensive as well. They are available though. It just takes some searching.

When looking at the gun, it's important to check a couple things. The first is the safety. If it has a large plastic lever on the right side of the receiver, it is the older-style. Franchi recalled these and eventually replaced them with a crossbolt version (a button). These older styles have been known to cause accidental discharges.

I wouldn't consider this a deal-breaker. It just means you need to use caution. The SPAS actually has two safeties, so I would just avoid using the lever altogher (it's overkill, and really isn't necessary). The second thing to check is the internals of the receiver. On the inside toward the rear (where the stock meets the receiver), a recoil buffer should be in place. It is a small piece of poly the prevents the bolt-carrier from slamming into the receiver when firing. It has the tendency to break apart and fall out.

If it is missing, it really isn't wise to fire the gun. The steel-on-steel impact can cause fractures and cracks in the receiver (which are very difficult to see). Eventually it can crack and you'll be stuck with a expensive pieve of metal. These buffers are available and relatively inexpensive.

So if the gun is in good condition, and the accessories are included, it's a decent deal. The replacement stock cost hundreds of dollars and are nearly impossible to find.

If you want a reliable, exotic, and powerful shotgun (and have the money), go for it. They're extremely fun to shoot, and are extremely devastating in a defensive role. Just make sure to take the time to learn the complicated controls. It's a military shotgun with unique features that take a little getting use to, but once you do they're very cool guns. It will only increase in value.

I hope that helped!