Magazine Extension Types

Franchi SPAS-12 Shotgun

Magazine Extension Types

The magazine tubes for the three guns of this family are quite different.

First off, the SAS12 tube is much longer than the LAW12 or SPAS12 magazine. No, the SAS12 doesn't hold more rounds -- it's just without all the gas-operation junk, the length of the tube built into the receiver is shorter on the SAS12. So it needs a longer external magazine tube.

The ends are different.

The SAS12 has a detent that sticks out into the tube end, and the tube end has notches cut into its face for it. It only has one knurled band.
The LAW12 has no sort of detent to hold it, and has two bands of knurling.
The SPAS12 has notches for a detent along the edge of the lip, which is bowl-shaped. The detent notches click past a wire sticking out of the SPAS12. It really is rather worthless as a detent -- only thing real here is the SAS12.

They kind of interchange -- but, for example, the SAS12 onto the SPAS12 requires a spacer. The SAS12 is too long for other guns.

Plastic?

As best I can deduce, towards the end Franchi started shipping SPAS12's with a plastic version of the magazine extension. This was an exact copy -- note the flatter end of the SPAS12 extension.

Then E-GunParts started selling an extension claimed to fit the SPAS12. It was from another Franchi gun all together. It was the length of the shorter SPAS12 and LAW12 extensions, but had a SAS12-style end on it. It can be used on the SPAS and LAW, but only with a spacer. They no longer sell it.