Paolo spotted the FABARM Martial Ultra Short 14" SBS (short barreled shotgun) at the EXA 2011 gun expo in Italy. The pump-action shotgun fits five 3" 12 gauge rounds into its magazine that is just slightly shorter than the 14" barrel.
The heat shield is a nice touch.
[ Many thanks to Paolo for emailing me the photo. ]
My hands hurt just looking at it…
1 
0I’m willing to bet it’s actually 4+1 of 3″ shells.
Still, I don’t like P-grip shotguns unless they have a Pachmayr Vindicator or a Knoxx Breacher (like I installed on my Mossberg Tac Cruiser). Also, fitting one with a rail and a green laser negates ever having to raise it at eye level.
0 0It’s 5+1.
I know for sure because I’m the proud owner of one since 2008 (I’m in Spain, by the way). Actually, I have it registered in my hunting license (we have some stupid gun laws around here, yes).
The most difficult was getting a standard stock for it, since the pistol grip alone is not useful for all situations.
0 0Jose, I would be very interested to learn more about the gun laws in Spain. Any comments about how difficult it was to acquire; are short shotguns/rifles treated differently than others etc etc. Basically ANY info on the laws would be interesting.
0 0Basically, going to the gunstore, paying for it and the paperwork, and get it a couple days later at the same gunstore or your local Guardia Civil “Intervención de Armas” (they are the law enforcement agency in charge of firearm control, but not all towns have that office).
It took months longer to get the full stock from the dealer and the “nuts and bolts” to attach it from the importer.
The main problem is that many articles in our gun law are ambiguous enough so that you can get in trouble if someone wants to. Thats the problem of dragging until today articles from the 1888 law. And the prices, of course.
In general, shotguns are considered “less dangerous” than pistols. Almost anyone can get easily a hunting permit and, with it, a gun license for “shotguns and rifles with a calibre smaller than 5.6mm” (but in practice only .22LR is allowed), or “big bore rifle” (anything bigger than 5.6mm, but with additional restrictions).
But forget about a handgun license unless you are a banker or something like that. Even policemen and army NCOs have trouble getting this kind of permit.
As different governments along the years justify it “the risk to your life is not reason enough to get a gun license”.
But with a “sporting permit” is fairly easy (only requires paying the fees and waiting) to get a pistol. But never, ever, use it outside of an authorized gallery, dont transport it in company of ammo and/or magazine, and you need an special safe-box at home.
One recent self-defense case with a .22LR target pistol is still at trial (those last a lot too), and the guy already considered guilty by the media. It doesn’t mind to the media that the people that entered by force in his home, tied up this guy’s son to a chair and were torturing him with knives. Only that he used a pistol.
Right now, “short shotguns” are relatively easy to find and have no problem to buy. But folding stocks, altough not explicitly forbidden, are frowned upon. No problem with M4-style telescoping ones.
Anything that’s not it’s standard fixed stock is forbidden for rifles.
We have several forbidden calibres, and others forbidden only in semi-auto guns. So, no semis in .223, .308, 7’62×39, etc. We have to pay almost double the cost for re-chamberings in .222, .307, and many AKs have been sold with the mechanism deactivated, working only as hand worked repeaters.
Plus, no more than 2+1 capacity for rifles or shotguns in semiauto. Don’t get caught with a magazine with more rounds, or it will be worse than robbing a bank.
Bolt action rifles are fairly popular, with lever-actions in third place far after semis.
Pump-action shotguns are not that popular around here, at least not for hunting. They are limited to 4+1 for hunting at some places only.
In late years a lot of cheap Turkish and Chinese models are arriving, but I don’t know how well they sell now (a lot back when that self-defense case I mentioned before), and I don’t personally know anybody having bought one.
A good spanish on-line store to check for prices and available models is http://www.arminse.es/
And sorry for this long and boring post.
0 0Unless I’m mistaken, shotshell length refers the the shell before it is loaded & closed. The loaded rounds are shorter.
0 0Thank You, Jose.
0 0how can i get one in the USofA?
0 0gunnoob, it could not be imported due to ATF regulations.
0 0They fit 15 inches of shells into a 14 inch tube? I’d be more interested in that magazine tube than the gun.
0 0http://www.fabarm.com/en/products-martial-ultra-short.htm
The specs indicate that it’s total capacity is 6 shots
It’s also listed as a semi-auto…
LAW ENFORCEMENT – HOME DEFENCE
SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUNS 6 SHOTS – 12 GAUGE
MARTIAL ULTRA SHORT 14″
0 0Mechman: The nominal length of shotshells is based on the unfolded length of the hull. Depending on the crimp style used (rolled versus star crimp), the loaded length can vary dramaticly, but it is always less than the nominal length.
0 0I’m guessing it’s 4 + 1, otherwise that’s one of the most amazing shotgun designs I’ve ever seen… making a hyper-space worm hole equipped magazine that allows extra ammo to practically teleport from an ammo cache into the weapon is pretty sweet.
0 0Well that is a very nice shotgun, however I have a couple questions. Doesn’t the pistol grip make it an AOW instead of a SBS? Also, how do you fit 5 3″ shells into a magazine shorter than the 14″ barrel?
0 0Pliskin, its not an American weapon, so ATF classifications don’t apply.
0 0
Thank You, Jose.
Basically, going to the gunstore, paying for it and the paperwork, and get it a couple days later at the same gunstore or your local Guardia Civil “Intervención de Armas” (they are the law enforcement agency in charge of firearm control, but not all towns have that office).
It took months longer to get the full stock from the dealer and the “nuts and bolts” to attach it from the importer.
The main problem is that many articles in our gun law are ambiguous enough so that you can get in trouble if someone wants to. Thats the problem of dragging until today articles from the 1888 law. And the prices, of course.
In general, shotguns are considered “less dangerous” than pistols. Almost anyone can get easily a hunting permit and, with it, a gun license for “shotguns and rifles with a calibre smaller than 5.6mm” (but in practice only .22LR is allowed), or “big bore rifle” (anything bigger than 5.6mm, but with additional restrictions).
But forget about a handgun license unless you are a banker or something like that. Even policemen and army NCOs have trouble getting this kind of permit.
As different governments along the years justify it “the risk to your life is not reason enough to get a gun license”.
But with a “sporting permit” is fairly easy (only requires paying the fees and waiting) to get a pistol. But never, ever, use it outside of an authorized gallery, dont transport it in company of ammo and/or magazine, and you need an special safe-box at home.
One recent self-defense case with a .22LR target pistol is still at trial (those last a lot too), and the guy already considered guilty by the media. It doesn’t mind to the media that the people that entered by force in his home, tied up this guy’s son to a chair and were torturing him with knives. Only that he used a pistol.
Right now, “short shotguns” are relatively easy to find and have no problem to buy. But folding stocks, altough not explicitly forbidden, are frowned upon. No problem with M4-style telescoping ones.
Anything that’s not it’s standard fixed stock is forbidden for rifles.
We have several forbidden calibres, and others forbidden only in semi-auto guns. So, no semis in .223, .308, 7’62×39, etc. We have to pay almost double the cost for re-chamberings in .222, .307, and many AKs have been sold with the mechanism deactivated, working only as hand worked repeaters.
Plus, no more than 2+1 capacity for rifles or shotguns in semiauto. Don’t get caught with a magazine with more rounds, or it will be worse than robbing a bank.
Bolt action rifles are fairly popular, with lever-actions in third place far after semis.
Pump-action shotguns are not that popular around here, at least not for hunting. They are limited to 4+1 for hunting at some places only.
In late years a lot of cheap Turkish and Chinese models are arriving, but I don’t know how well they sell now (a lot back when that self-defense case I mentioned before), and I don’t personally know anybody having bought one.
A good spanish on-line store to check for prices and available models is http://www.arminse.es/
And sorry for this long and boring post.
Jose, I would be very interested to learn more about the gun laws in Spain. Any comments about how difficult it was to acquire; are short shotguns/rifles treated differently than others etc etc. Basically ANY info on the laws would be interesting.
It’s 5+1.
I know for sure because I’m the proud owner of one since 2008 (I’m in Spain, by the way). Actually, I have it registered in my hunting license (we have some stupid gun laws around here, yes).
The most difficult was getting a standard stock for it, since the pistol grip alone is not useful for all situations.
I’m willing to bet it’s actually 4+1 of 3″ shells.
Still, I don’t like P-grip shotguns unless they have a Pachmayr Vindicator or a Knoxx Breacher (like I installed on my Mossberg Tac Cruiser). Also, fitting one with a rail and a green laser negates ever having to raise it at eye level.
Unless I’m mistaken, shotshell length refers the the shell before it is loaded & closed. The loaded rounds are shorter.
how can i get one in the USofA?
gunnoob, it could not be imported due to ATF regulations.
I’m guessing it’s 4 + 1, otherwise that’s one of the most amazing shotgun designs I’ve ever seen… making a hyper-space worm hole equipped magazine that allows extra ammo to practically teleport from an ammo cache into the weapon is pretty sweet.
Mechman: The nominal length of shotshells is based on the unfolded length of the hull. Depending on the crimp style used (rolled versus star crimp), the loaded length can vary dramaticly, but it is always less than the nominal length.
http://www.fabarm.com/en/products-martial-ultra-short.htm
The specs indicate that it’s total capacity is 6 shots
It’s also listed as a semi-auto…
LAW ENFORCEMENT – HOME DEFENCE
SEMI-AUTO SHOTGUNS 6 SHOTS – 12 GAUGE
MARTIAL ULTRA SHORT 14″
My hands hurt just looking at it…
They fit 15 inches of shells into a 14 inch tube? I’d be more interested in that magazine tube than the gun.
Well that is a very nice shotgun, however I have a couple questions. Doesn’t the pistol grip make it an AOW instead of a SBS? Also, how do you fit 5 3″ shells into a magazine shorter than the 14″ barrel?
Pliskin, its not an American weapon, so ATF classifications don’t apply.