WEAPONS WEDNESDAY: The USAS-12

Time for another installment of Weapons Wednesday when we examine the weaponry of the Stone Soldiers series...


I consider there to be two kinds of firearms in the world: those intended for killing people, and those not intended for killing people. The shotgun seems to fit nicely into both categories. With variable loads, the shotgun can be used for taking out human and animal targets, and, on occassion, vehicles. That makes the shotgun a likely choice for battling the inhuman enemies of the Stone Soldiers.

And King among shotguns is the Atchison AA-12. A stainless steel, plastic-enclosed, magazine-fed monster, the AA-12 can unleash a devastating amount of firepower in the form of .12 gauge rounds. It is fed by either removable magazines (8 round) or a drum (20 or 32 round). With a fire rate of 300 rounds per minute, the AA-12 is easily capable of felling human and inhuman alike- and it’s the longarm of choice of Adrien Brody’s character, Royce, in the 2010 movie Predators.

Not only can the weapon’s recoil-absorbing design allow it to be fired by even the most delicate of shooters, but its stainless steel construction means it will stay cleaner, longer, with no oil needed.

Alas, the U.S. military seems to have instead adopted a derivative of the AA-12 for use- the USAS-12. Produced by DaeWoo Precision Industries, the USAS-12 features a more familiar design, with an M-16-style grip and carry handle. It’s .25 kg heavier than he AA-12 (at 5.45 kg). But, it does pack a little more whallop though, with a 10-round magazine or a 20-round drum. However, the stats I’ve found list it as only firing 260 rounds a minute.

Why then did I choose the USAS 12 over the AA-12 for Colonel Kenslir? Well, I don’t believe the AA-12 made it into regular U.S. inventory. And a semi-auto only version of the USAS-12 is made in my home state of Indiana.

You can see the USAS-12 in a number of Stargate SG-1 episodes- particularly in the Replicator episodes where it rains pellets of destruction down on swarms of the little robots.