« | The Auto Assault-12 is a shotgun capable of a fully automatic firing mode at 300 rounds per minute, making it an incredibly deadly weapon system in close quarters environments. It can load a range of different cartridges, from pellets to slugs and even High Explosive fragmentation shells. ION Inc. security contractor Dixon coined the nickname "Matilda" for his favorite weapon. Armoury Description[1]
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The AA-12 is a 12G shotgun used exclusively by ION PMC contractors in ArmA 2. It was added with the release of the Private Military Company DLC.
Overview[]
The AA-12 is a blowback-operated, selective-fire combat shotgun that is chambered to fire 12 Gauge shotgun shells.
It is primarily designed to load 20-round pellet or slug shotshell drum magazines but can also feed from drums loaded with high-explosive (HE) shells.[CfgWp 9] It is able to attain a fire rate of up to 300 rounds per minute[CfgWp 10][Formula 1], and has a muzzle velocity of 396 m/s when it is loaded with pellet/slug shotshells[CfgMa 2][CfgMa 3] or 400 m/s when loaded with HE shells.[CfgMa 4] No variant of the AA-12 has optical sights or muzzle accessories attached.
With the deadly combination of being able to fire on full auto as well as being able to load explosive shells, the AA-12 is undisputedly one of the most powerful infantry weapons available in ArmA 2. Its destructive potential rivals that of the M32 grenade launcher and is effective against cars and lightly armoured vehicles such as the BRDM-2. Even helicopters can be damaged (or shot down entirely) should they fly too low and get within range of the AA-12's operator.
However, for all its prowess the AA-12 does have one major drawback: its awkward ironsights makes it difficult to aim at targets that are located at distances of 200 metres or greater. While this can be negated on lower difficulty settings where crosshairs are enabled on the user's Heads Up Display (HUD), it still makes aiming with the AA-12 difficult compared to the M1014 which has more ergonomic ghost ring sights.
Ironsights[]

The AA-12's ironsights are set to a fixed zeroing of 50 metres.[CfgWp 11][CfgWp 12] This setting cannot be manually adjusted.
Recoil curves[]
Standing
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trigger: 'axis',
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Charts/graphs are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
Prone
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smooth: true
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Charts/graphs are not available on mobile. Please switch to desktop mode in order to see them.
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Ammunition[]
Ammo parameter | 12 Gauge (Pellets) | 12 Gauge (Slugs) | 12 Gauge (HE) |
---|---|---|---|
Base damage value | 6[CfgAm 1] (Total: 54) [Formula 2][note 1] |
9[CfgAm 2] | 9[CfgAm 3] |
Splash damage value | 0[CfgAm 4] | 0[CfgAm 5] | 5[CfgAm 6] |
Aerodynamic friction | -0.005[CfgAm 7] | -0.005[CfgAm 8] | -0.0005[CfgAm 9] |
Muzzle velocity (m/s) | 396[CfgMa 2] | 396[CfgMa 3] | 400[CfgMa 4] |
Expected velocity (m/s) | 400 [CfgAm 10][note 2] |
400 [CfgAm 11][note 2] |
400 [CfgAm 12][note 2] |
Deflection angle (degrees) | 10°[CfgAm 13] | 10°[CfgAm 14] | 0°[CfgAm 15] |
The AA-12 is capable of loading up three types of drum magazines.[CfgWp 9] All three magazines only require one free inventory slot to carry:[CfgMa 5][CfgMa 6][CfgMa 7]
20Rnd. AA12 Pellets[]

20-round drum magazine loaded with pellet-based shotshells.[CfgMa 8]
A total of nine pellets will be scattered within a small arc upon firing (cone-shaped, half of spread angle in 0.784825 degrees).[CfgWp 13]
20Rnd. AA12 Slug[]

20-round drum magazine loaded with slug shells.[CfgMa 9]
These shotshells are single-target, high damage munitions with (albeit weak) armour-piercing properties against light armour.[CfgAm 16]
20Rnd. AA12 HE[]

Special 20-round drum magazine loaded exclusively with high-explosive (HE) shotshells.[CfgMa 10] These HE shotshells have a blast radius of 2 metres.[CfgAm 17]
It should be noted that shotshells fired from this magazine specifically have a higher muzzle velocity of 400 m/s.[CfgMa 4]
Magazine compatibility[]
Weapon name (Classname) |
20Rnd. AA12 Pellets![]() |
20Rnd. AA12 Slug![]() |
20Rnd. AA12 HE![]() |
---|---|---|---|
AA-12 (AA12_PMC) |
✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Trivia[]
- As mentioned in its Armoury Description, the AA-12 is the favoured weapon of ION contractor Patrick Dixon. He can be seen wielding it throughout the entirety of the PMC campaign, and will notably use it out of frustration in order to scare away the protesters in Vocation should the player take too long in dispersing the crowd.
- The information below details unused, pre-release or removed content.
- Some form of the AA-12 was presumably meant to have been featured in ArmA 3 as well. Remnants of the ArmA 3 AA-12, dubbed as the AA40 (String name: str_a3_cfgmagazines_20rnd_aa40_he1[2]), can still be found in the game files.
- A few leftover references to the AA40 include sound effects for firing[3][4][5], reloading[6][7] as well as config references for its recoil definitions.[8][9][10][11]
- However, because the model and its icon no longer exist, it is unclear as to what visual differences it would've had compared to the ArmA 2 AA-12.
Gallery[]
Config/script references[]
CfgAmmo
CfgMagazines
CfgWeapons
Formulae |
Notes[]
- ↑ ArmA 2's iteration of the shotSpread simulation type is hardcoded to automatically scatter nine pellets upon firing. This total damage value only applies if the target is struck by all nine pellets at once (individual pellets only deal 6 base damage).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Damage will be reduced if the projectile's velocity drops below this value.
References[]
- ↑ Bohemia Interactive a.s., 2010, Weaponry, Arma 2, viewed 5 March 2025, <https://www.arma2.com/arma-2-pmc-weaponry/arma2-rft-weapons>.
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\language_f\stringtable.xml, Type: High Explosive Rounds: 20 Used in: AA-12
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\sounds_f\weapons\aa40\shotgun_st_1.wss
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\sounds_f\weapons\aa40\shotgun_st_2.wss
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\sounds_f\weapons\aa40\shotgun_st_3.wss
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\sounds_f\weapons\aa40\aa40_dry_1.wss
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\sounds_f\weapons\aa40\aa40_reload_final.wss
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\weapons_f\config.bin, CfgRecoils >> recoil_single_aa40
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\weapons_f\config.bin, CfgRecoils >> recoil_single_prone_aa40
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\weapons_f\config.bin, CfgRecoils >> recoil_auto_aa40
- ↑ ARMA 3 2013 [Video Game], Bohemia Interactive a.s., \a3\weapons_f\config.bin, CfgRecoils >> recoil_auto_prone_aa40
External links[]
See also[]
Weapons of comparable role and configuration[]
- M1014 (USMC/U.S. Army counterpart)
- Saiga 12K (Russian Armed Forces counterpart)
![]() | |
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Handguns | G17 9 mm • M9 9 mm |
Shotguns | AA-12 |
Carbines | M4A1 5.56 mm (M4A3) • XM8 Compact 5.56 mm |
Assault rifles | FN FAL 7.62 mm • M16A2 M203 5.56 mm • XM8 series (XM8, XM8 M320) |
Designated marksmen rifles | XM8 Sharpshooter 5.56 mm |
Sniper rifles | AS50 12.7 mm • KSVK 12.7 mm |
Squad automatic weapons | XM8 Automatic Rifle 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | PKM 7.62 mm |
Launchers | FIM-92F Stinger • RPG-18 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Operation Arrowhead | Private Military Company |