by David Crane
david@defensereview.com

DefenseReview has just received exclusive video footage (links below) of an MPS Auto Assault-12 Full-Auto Shotgun (a.k.a. MPS AA-12 Full-Auto Shotgun) successfully firing (and cycling) British FRAG-12 munition (12-gauge grenade) on full-auto at 300 rpm (rounds per minute). The test (AA-12) shotgun sucessfully fired (and cycled) a total of 60 fin-stabilised FRAG-12 grenades/munitions over the course of the full-auto test, with zero malfunctions. The test was conducted on June 07, 2006 at an Action Manufacturing Company (AMC) test facility in Atglen Chester County, PA.

The developer of the AA-12, Military Police Systems, Inc., a.k.a. MPS, Inc. (Phone: 423-534-2480), had to modify the AA-12 Machine Shotgun to fire and cycle 3-inch (3") shells (12 Ga.) so it would function reliably (i.e. fire and cycle reliably) with the FRAG-12 Grenade/Munition Family, which are in 3" format. The FRAG-12 12-gauge grenades/munitions were designed and developed by Experimental Cartridge Company Ltd. of England/Great Britain/United Kingdom (UK), and are currently being manufactured by Action Manufacturing Company (AMC), located in Philadelphia, PA. The FRAG-12 munition family includes High Explosive (HE), High Explosive Fragmenting Antipersonnel (HE-FA), and High Explosive Armor-Piercing (HE-AP) rounds.  The FRAG-12 grenade rounds/munitions utilize fin stabilization for accuracy on target. 

The original…

model AA12 Shotgun fires standard 2.75-inch shot shells. The new model AA-12 fires all 3-inch (3") 12-gauge shotgun shells, including FRAG-12 grenade rounds (12ga). An AA-12/FRAG-12 weapon system/combo will likely offer any infantry force utilizing it a capability that no military force currently enjoys: relatively compact, lightweight, controllable (due to its use of Constant Recoil and other recoil-attenuation/mitigation mechanisms), and accurate man-portable full-auto HE/AP (High-Explosive /Armor-Piercing, a.k.a. Armor-Penetrating) grenade firepower for individual infantry warfighters. According to Jerry Baber, President/CEO of MPS, Inc., "there’s nothing else like it." Total immediate firepower offered by the new 3"-version AA-12 will be 20-rounds (20-shot drum magazine), although an 8-round box mag will likely also be available for 3" ammo (unconfirmed/unverified). Rumor has it that a 30-42-shot drum mag (3") may also be developed for use on unmanned vehicle systems. Again, this (30-42-round capacity mag) is just a rumor, at this point. 

It should be noted that Defense Review prefers the shorter and lighter AA-12 CQB model, which sports a 13-inch (13") barrel and weighs approx. 10 lbs (OA weight, empty/dry). The AA12 CQB is the version we would choose as the base gun for an  AA-12/FRAG-12 system intended for mobile infantry applications, and we believe that this system, if it proves out (i.e. meets military specs and requirements for reliability, durability, accuracy etc. in adverse combat conditions), would make an exellent companion to the new Milkor USA M-32 Multiple shot Grenade Launcher (M-32 MGL) for U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) infantry warfighters or alternative/stand-alone weapon system for both USMC and U.S. Army warfighters, not to mention Special Operations personnel operating under USSOCOM (a.ka. SOCOM). The M-32 MGL, recently adopted and procured in respectible quantities by the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), is an updated/upgraded version of the Milkor USA MGL-140 six-shot wind-up revolver-type multiple grenade launcher and fires low-impulse/low-velocity lethal and less-lethal 40mm grenades/munitions of all types, including the hyper-lethal HELLHOUND and DRACO rounds, and non-lethal HUNTIR reconnaissance round, which are all manufactured and marketed by Martin Electronics, Inc (MEI).

By the way, Neural Robotics Inc. (NRI) is currently in the process of developing a larger-profile AutoCopter unmanned mini-helicopter with enhanced payload capacity.  So, imagine a a swarm of AutoCopter Gunships (weaponized AutoCopter unmanned mini-helicopters/unmanned combat armed rotorcraft), all outfitted with 2-4 AA-12/FRAG-12 weapons systems and 2-4 SPIKE fire-and-forget guided missiles, buzzing around the battlespace hunting for badguys/terrorists/insurgents during urban warfare operations.  Talk about force multiplication and enhanced lethality. 

The following is the Action Manufacturing Company press release on the AA-12/FRAG-12 test shoot that was released to DefenseReview:

"Frag-12 & AA12

Well guys here it is – on Wed June 07, 2006 Action Mfg. Company (Action), Military Police Systems (MPS), & The Special Cartridge Company (SCC), tested the Frag-12 HE High Explosive Shotgun Round with the AA12 fully automatic shotgun.

The test took place at Action Mfg. Company’s 220 acre pyrotechnic & fuze loading facility, located at Atglen Chester County, PA. Present was Art Mattia – Sr. President of Action, Randy Aukamp- Plant Manager at Action, Jerry Barber- President of MPS, Michael Alculumbre -President of SCC & Fred Sharp –Senior designer at SCC.

Turns out Randy Aukamp, Michael Alculumbre & Jerry Baber had been in contact over the past year, with Randy Aukamp arranging the high level meeting which allowed the testing of the AA-12 & FRAG-12 as a combined weapon system.

How did the meeting go, great… and the test, sometimes things just come together like an engine and its transmission. Let’s just say the FRAG-12 ammunition & the AA-12 shotgun were made for each other.

I know you are wondering how we did it – well Jerry Baber modified the magazine and chamber on his AA12 automatic shotgun to accommodate 3 inch shotgun ammunition such as the Frag 12 HE round. That’s right Jerry Baber and MPS now have a 12 gauge fully automatic shotgun that will cycle and chamber 3 inch shotgun rounds. With the modifications made to the AA12 weapon no changes were required to be made to the Frag-12 ammunition. We simply used the standard 3-inch Frag 12 HE round.

Here for the first time is a fully automatic shotgun firing High Explosive Frag-12 Rounds deploying a 20-round capacity drum. Now that’s some fire power designed to enhance combat effectiveness in urban areas by stopping vehicles before the vehicle reaches a checkpoint, door breaching from a safe distance, remote detonation of potential bomb threats and remote detonation of unexploded ordnance.

There is no doubt that we have sparked a lot of interest within the US military. The US Marine Corps War Fighting Lab at Quantico, VA is due to place an order with Action Mfg.Company for approximately 200 of the Frag-12 HE rounds that will enable the USMC to complete their safety certification which will enable the Frag 12 HE round to be used in live theatre. If safety certification goes well then it looks like a big order for Frag 12 HE ammunition could be in the works. In addition a small quantity of the Frag 12 HE rounds are being evaluated by SOC R&D stationed at Fort Bragg.

It addition it now looks like the Marine Corps is willing to check out Jerry’s Baber new 3-inch AA-12 fully auto shotgun firing the Frag 12 HE. Just imagine a Marine armed with the AA-12 fully automatic shotgun itself loaded with Frag-12 HE ammo – now that’s a weapon system."

Right-Click on this link and then click on "Save Target As" (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As" (Mozilla Firefox) to download and read Action Manufacturing Company’s press release in Microsoft Word (MS Word) format.
Auto Assault-12 Machine Shotgun (AA12 Machine Shotgun)/FRAG-12 Munitions Test Shoot Video Clips:

Right-Click here and then click on "Save Target As" (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As" to download and view the first video clip of FRAG-12 12-gauge High-Explosive (HE) grenades/munitions impacting and penetrating a steel plate on full-auto at 300 RPM (Rounds-Per-Minute).

Right-Click here and then click on "Save Target As" (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As" (Mozilla Firefox) to download and view the second video clip that shows a full-auto string of FRAG-12 HE (High-Explosive) grenade rounds impacting and penetrating a steel plate in real time AND in slow motion.

Right-Click here and then click on "Save Target As" (Microsoft Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As" (Mozilla Firefox) to download and view the final video clip that also shows real-time and slow-motion footage of the FRAG-12 HE munitions impacting and penetrating a steel plate.


Company Contact Information:

If you’d like to get more information on the Auto Assault-12 Shotgun (a.k.a. AA-12 Shotgun, a.k.a. AA12 Shotgun) family, including the more compact AA-12 CQB (Close Quarters Battle) model with 13-inch (13") barrel, you can contact Military Police Systems (MPS, Inc.) by phone at 423-534-2480. Call for pricing, and ask for Jerry Baber. MPS, Inc. is located in Piney Flats, Tennessee.

If you’d like more information on the FRAG-12 Munitions/Grenade Family, you can contact Action Manufacturing Company (AMC) by phone at 215-739-6400, or by fax at 215-423-7749. Ask for Randy Aukamp.
Additional information on FRAG-12 Munition Family:

Click here to read the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) Fact Sheet on the FRAG-12 grenades, a.k.a. "British FRAG-12 munition".
Previous DefRev articles on AA12 Shotgun and FRAG-12 Munitions/Grenades (in order of most recent to least recent):
Auto Assault 12 (AA12) Combat Shotgun for Mil/LE Special Operations (Published on October 28, 2004. This blurb-type article was the first article DefenseReview ever published on the AA-12 Shotgun.)


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