For most civilians (and even plenty of folks in the military) the AA-12 automatic shotgun is perhaps best known as the weapon of choice for Adrien Brody’s character in the movie “Predators.” In the movie, Brody’s character “Royce” carries the AA-12 as his primary weapon as he and a band of “warriors” from various cultures attempt to survive being hunted by competing tribes of Predator aliens and crappy plot devices. Despite being an action movie belonging to one of the most popular action franchises in recent history, “Predators” ultimately offered movie fans little more than clichéd dialogue and, of course, some sexy shots of Brody’s automatic shotgun.

In fact, the AA-12 is probably the only thing many people remember about that movie at all.

The Atchisson Assault Shotgun actually dates all the way back to 1972, when it was developed by Maxwell Atchisson, but has since undergone continued development into the 2005 model that serves as the basis for other reduced recoil automatic combat shotguns like the USAS-12.

However, despite having some (admittedly troubled) history behind it and even some copycats, the AA-12 has never been available for civilian purchase, and as an automatic weapon, would still require a federal license and a boat load of cash to store in your home safe — that is, until now. A new semi-automatic variant of the AA-12 developed by designer Boje Cornils and Sol Invictus Arms is now on the market for anyone looking for the stopping power of a 12 gauge along with a 20-round drum — you know, in case you ever find yourself under attack from a whole bunch of bears.

According to the Sol Invcitus press release:

Not only will the production models include new and improved versions of the already known AA-12 in a full auto configuration for military and law enforcement, it will now include a never before seen, 100% legal semi-automatic version for the civilian market. The newly available AA-12 represents significant improvement over past production techniques, including improved design elements, and is now available at a significantly more consumer friendly price point.”

Even a brand new semi-automatic AA-12 is going to set you back a pretty penny, however. Pre-sales for a limited-edition version of the platform have already gone up on Armslist.com ranging from $3,000 to $3,250, and with only a thousand of these particular models produced, they’re likely to move quickly even at that price point. The production version is expected to go on sale on Gunbroker.com in October. Whether you order now or wait until then, deliveries aren’t expected to begin until December. Limited edition AA-12s, called the “Boje Signature” model, will have Boje Cornils’ signature engraved on the bolt. So far, there’s been no word about pricing on non-signature model AA-12s.

Those who pre-order will be entered into a drawing to receive one of the first ten AA-12s to be produced, complete with serial numbers 1 to 10. Each order will come with a 20-round drum (unlike the 32-round drum usually employed by fully automatic AA-12s), though people living in states with magazine restrictions will instead receive two 8-round stick magazines.

Feature image: Boje Signature AA-12 with 20-round drum | Sol Invictus Arms