The Fabarm SDASS Tactical is a shotgun designed for police and/or security uses and has some special features such as folding front sight, built-in

Picatinny rail The Picatinny rail ( or ), or Pic rail for short, also known as a MIL-STD-1913 rail, 1913 rail or STANAG 2324 rail (cancelled), is a military standard rail interface system that provides a mounting platform for firearm accessories. It was ...

s on the top of the receiver, lengthened forearm to provide better control over the gun. SDASS shotguns are manufactured in a variety of differing styles.

SDASS Tactical

This is the main production variant; the others stem off of this design with slight body differences. However the internal mechanisms are the same. SDASS stands for Special Defence And Security Shotgun and is aimed for security personnel. The receiver is manufactured from Ergal 55 alloy which makes for a lightweight shotgun at only 3 kg., light compared to many other tactical shotguns such as the

Franchi SPAS-12 The Franchi SPAS-12 is a combat shotgun manufactured by Italian firearms company Franchi from 1979 to 2000. The SPAS-12 is a dual-mode shotgun, adjustable for semi-automatic or pump-action operation. The SPAS-12 was sold to military and poli ...

which weighs close to 5 kg. The bolt is locked into place by a piece of aluminum which swings into place and engages a notch in the barrel extension to lock the

bolt The BOLT Browser was a web browser for mobile phones including feature phones and smartphones that can run Java ME applications. The BOLT Browser was offered free of charge to consumers and by license to mobile network operators and handset manuf ...

to the

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

. This prevents a misfire from dropping as it acts as a crude safety device. Misfires from dropping are common in shotguns such as double-barreled

shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- p ...

s. The SDASS has an under-barrel tubular magazine like many other semi-automatic shotguns and holds 7 cartridges plus 1 in the chamber giving a total capacity of 8. The stock is made from a composite

polymer A polymer (; Greek ''poly-'', "many" + '' -mer'', "part") is a substance or material consisting of very large molecules called macromolecules, composed of many repeating subunits. Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic and ...

which is the most changed structural feature among the different SDASS variants. Common changes to the stock include shortening, addition of a pistol grip and changing the material of the stock altogether like in the SDASS Trainer. A variety of sights can be placed on the

above the receiver such as

red dot sight A red dot sight is a common classification for a type of non- magnifying reflector (or reflex) sight for firearms, and other devices that require aiming, that gives the user a point of aim in the form of an illuminated red dot. A standard desi ...

s. As well as sights, tactical lights and laser pointers can also be placed on this rail. The standard Fabarm SDASS Tactical retails for $649 however its variants range in price from $600 all the way to $900.

Variants

SDASS Composite

This is the same layout as the SDASS Tactical except it doesn't have the

SDASS Heavy Combat

The Heavy Combat has a longer 61 cm barrel which is also much heavier. It also has a pistol grip like the

Benelli M3 The Benelli M3 is a dual-mode (hybrid pump-action and semi-automatic) shotgun designed and manufactured by Italian firearms manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA, and one of the "Benelli Super 90" series of semi-auto shotguns. The M3 holds a maximum of ...

instead of a built in grip like the

Mossberg 500 The Mossberg 500 (M500) is a series of pump action shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore ...

SDASS Trainer

The SDASS Trainer is the lightweight version of the SDASS Composite. It is the only variant to come in more than one finish and they are black, nickel and carbon. To make the gun lighter the barrel heat shield has holes drilled into it to reduce weight and the heavier alloys are replaced with lighter alloys.

SDASS Compact

The SDASS Compact as the name suggests is a compact shotgun for

close quarters combat Close-quarters combat (CQC) or close-quarters battle (CQB) is a tactical situation that involves a physical fight with firearms involved between multiple combatants at short range. It can occur between military units, police/corrections office ...

. It has a

pistol grip On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pi ...

and no rear stock. A folding stock however can be attached onto a clip at the rear of the gun. The rest of the external and internal mechanisms are the same as the Tactical model.

Users

* : Used by Portuguese Army (

Special Operations Troops Centre , image = CTOE unit crest.png , image_size = , caption = CTOE coat of arms , nickname = ''Rangers'' , motto = la, Que os muitos p ...

Polícia Aérea The ''Polícia Aérea'' ( Portuguese for "Air Police") or PA is the military police and ground combat force of the Portuguese Air Force. The Air Police has as its main symbol the Blue Beret with the Emblem of the Air Force. Missions The ''Políc ...

(NOTP), National Republican Guard,

Polícia de Segurança Pública The Polícia de Segurança Pública MHTE (PSP; ''Public Security Police'') is the national civil police force of Portugal. Part of the Portuguese security forces, the mission of the PSP is to defend Republican democracy, safeguarding internal se ...

and Foreigners and Borders Service.

Related weapons

Akdal MKA 1919 The Akdal MKA 1919 is a gas operated, semi-automatic shotgun that resembles the M16 rifle and mimics the layout and placement of some of the controls. It was created by Turkish company Akdal Arms. The MKA 1919 uses a conventional gas-operated ac ...

* Heckler & Koch FABARM FP6 * Safir T-14

References

{{reflist

External links

FABARM SDASS Tactical on manufacturer website

Shotguns of Italy Pump-action shotguns