Used by See Users Designed 1970s | Designer Luigi Franchi | |
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Manufacturer Heckler & KochFranchi S.p.A. | ||
The Heckler & Koch HK 512 is a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun, of Italian origin. It was developed and produced by Franchi at the request of Heckler & Koch, which took care of marketing and sales. The HK 512 was one of the first semi-automatic shotguns developed for law enforcement use.
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Design
The HK 512 is a semi-automatic shotgun that uses a H&K recoil system that is also found in the later Benelli Super 90 series. The stock and forearm are made of wood and the rest of the gun is made out of metal. The smoothbore barrel is fitted with a choke that acts as a shot diverter, making it more effective against human targets. The HK512 is designed for use by police and military forces; indeed, the use of standard sporting cartridges, shells with reduced charges, or plastic training rounds will cause the HK-512 to malfunction. The muzzle of the gun incorporates a device that causes the shot to spread in an almost rectangular pattern. Because of this shot device, the HK-512 also cannot fire tear gas or signal cartridges.
The HK 512 can fire 12 gauge 2.75-inch shotgun shells. The tubular magazine holds seven rounds. Only buckshot can be fired due to the muzzle device that shapes the shot horizontally in an oval pattern. The use of low powered rounds causes the HK 512 to malfunction.