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« | Primarily used by ION security contractors in the 2030s, the Auto Assault-40 automatic combat shotgun is an incredibly deadly weapon system in close-quarters environments. It fires at 300 rounds per minute and can load a range of different cartridges, from pellets to slugs and even High Explosive fragmentation shells. Its improved internal operating mechanism makes it more reliable in harsh desert environments than its predecessor, the AA-12. Field Manual
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The AA40 is a 12G shotgun used by both CTRG operatives and ION PMCs in ArmA 3. It was added with the release of the Western Sahara DLC.
Overview[]
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The AA40 is a fully automatic, gas operated shotgun that is chambered to fire 12 Gauge shotshells.
It can feed from 20-round drums or reduced capacity 8-round straight box magazines. The AA40 can attain a fire rate of up to 350 rounds per minute. Its muzzle velocity depends on the type of shell loaded: for slugs it is 405 m/s, whilst for pellets, high-explosive (HE) and smoke it is 342 m/s.
The AA40 can be fitted with optical sights on its top rail and also provides the user with the option to affix a flashlight or laser pointer onto the side rail. Lastly, the muzzle can mount a dedicated shotgun suppressor and supports the attachment of an external bipod for added stability during fully automatic fire.
Ironsights[]

The AA40's ironsights are restricted to a fixed zeroing of 100 metres. It cannot be manually adjusted beyond this setting. Neither the front nor rear sight are illuminated.
If the AA40 is fitted with an optical sight that has a zeroing greater than 100 metres (e.g. TWS), it can be zeroed up to an absolute maximum of 300 metres.
Camouflage[]
- Black: Matte black colour scheme. Used by ION PMCs and affiliates of the Tura tribes.
- Snake: Snakeskin-style spraypaint pattern applied over a matte black finish. Exclusive to CTRG operatives.
- Tan: Flat tan colour scheme.
Ammunition[]
NOTE: The following values are based on the ammunition's default specifications. The AA40 applies a modifier of 0.9 that reduces the velocity of slug shells to only 405 m/s and 342 m/s for every other shotshell type.
Round name | Base damage value | Aerodynamic friction | Initial velocity (m/s) | Penetration depth (mm) |
---|---|---|---|---|
12 Gauge (Pellet) | 20 | -0.0005 | 380 | 5.7 |
12 Gauge (Slug) | 42 | -0.008 | 450 | 20.25 |
12 Gauge (HE) | 16 | -0.008 | 380 | 7.98 |
12 Gauge (Smoke) | 3* | -0.008 | 380 | 0.57 |
(*) Although smoke shells technically have a damage value assigned to them, they cannot actually harm their targets even if they are struck at point blank range in the head.
AA40s are able to load up to eight types of magazines. They come in the form of either 20-round drums (that have a weight of 39 "mass") or 8-round straight box magazines (weighing 15 "mass" units).
No matter the type of magazine, they are available in three colour/camouflage schemes (Black, Snake, and Tan):
12 Gauge 20Rnd Pellet Mag[]

Standard 20-round drum magazine loaded with pellet shotshells. They have a muzzle velocity of 380 m/s.
Upon firing, a total of eighteen pellets will be dispersed in a pattern arranged by Poisson disc sampling within a 0.8 degree cone.
12 Gauge 20Rnd Slug Mag[]

Identical to the standard pellet drums but loaded with armour-piercing slugs instead.
12 Gauge 20Rnd HE Mag[]

Unique 20-round drum loaded with high-explosive (HE) slugs. They have a blast radius of 3.5 metres.
HE slugs are partially considered to be armour-piercing and can pierce approximately ~ 7 millimetres of armour plating (direct impact only). However, they are fired with a lower velocity of only 380 m/s.
12 Gauge 20Rnd Smoke Mag[]

20-round drum loaded with non-lethal white smoke shells.
It is essentially identical to drums loaded with HE slugs but instantly disperses a thick cloud of white smoke upon impact (there is no formation delay). The shells are fired with a reduced velocity of 380 m/s. The smoke clouds are non-lethal, but they only last for a maximum duration of 10 seconds before dissipating.
12 Gauge 8Rnd Pellet Mag[]

Reduced capacity 8-round straight box magazine loaded with pellet shotshells.
Aside from its lower ammo count and being lighter to carry, it remains identical to the standard 20-round drums.
12 Gauge 8Rnd Slug Mag[]

8-round straight box magazine loaded with armour-piercing slugs.
Remains identical to the baseline 20-round slug magazine aside from its reduced capacity and weight.
12 Gauge 8Rnd HE Mag[]

8-round straight box magazine loaded with HE shotshells.
Remains identical to the baseline 20-round HE magazine aside from its reduced capacity and weight.
12 Gauge 8Rnd Smoke Mag[]

8-round straight box magazine loaded with non-lethal smoke shotshells.
Remains identical to the baseline 20-round smoke magazine aside from its reduced capacity and weight.
Trivia[]
- As stated in its Field Manual entry, the in-game AA40 is essentially a futurised take on the real-world Atchisson "AA-12" automatic shotgun.[1]
- The AA40 was not initially available as part of Western Sahara's launch assets and was only included after the release of Update 1.1.[2][3]
The AA40's pre-1.1.1 "12 Gauge" smoke shell.
- One of the antagonists of the Extraction mini-campaign/scenario, Gustavo Dimitrovich, uniquely wields the AA40 as his primary weapon. Prior to Update 1.1, Dimitrovich was armed with an ADR-97 SMG as opposed to the AA40.
- The AA40 is unique for being the first shotgun-type weapon in the series that is capable of being suppressed (albeit only in a semi-official capacity).
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Firearm Blog 2015, 'POTD: EXCLUSIVE: The AA-12, SOCOM Model', The Firearm Blog, 16 April, viewed 2 March 2024, <https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2015/04/16/potd-exclusive-the-aa-12-socom-model/>.
- ↑ Nillers et al. 2021, Western Sahara - Changelog, Bohemia Interactive Forums, viewed 28 September 2022, <https://forums.bohemia.net/forums/topic/236830-western-sahara-changelog/?tab=comments#comment-3466561>.
- ↑ Rotators Collective 2023, OPREP - WESTERN SAHARA UPDATE 1.1, Arma 3, viewed 23 November 2023, <https://dev.arma3.com/post/oprep-western-sahara-update-11>.
- ↑ Nillers et al. 2021, Western Sahara - Changelog, Bohemia Interactive Forums, viewed 1 November 2022, <https://forums.bohemia.net/forums/topic/236830-western-sahara-changelog/?do=findComment&comment=3466860>.
External links[]
See also[]
Weapons of Western Sahara | |
---|---|
Shotguns | AA40 |
Carbines | Velko R5 5.56 mm (R5 GL) |
Assault rifles | Galat ARM 7.62 mm • SLR 7.62 mm (GL, Para) • Velko R4 5.56 mm • XMS 5.56 mm (SG, GL) |
Squad automatic weapons | XMS SW 5.56 mm |
Machineguns | SA-77 7.62 mm (Compact) |
Grenade launchers | GLX |
Static | ZU-23-2 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | P07 9 mm |
Shotguns | AA40 |
Carbines | Velko R5 5.56 mm (GL) |
Assault rifles | SLR Para 7.62 mm |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk18 ABR 7.62 mm |
Sniper rifles | GM6 Lynx 12.7 mm |
Machineguns | SA-77 Compact 7.62 mm |
Grenade launchers | GLX |
Launchers | MAAWS Mk4 Mod 1 |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. Tanks DLC |
![]() | |
---|---|
Handguns | P07 9 mm |
Submachine guns | ADR-97C TR 5.7 mm • PDW2000 9 mm • Vermin .45 |
Shotguns | AA40 |
Assault rifles | XMS 5.56 mm (SG, GL) |
Squad automatic weapons | Mk200 6.5 mm • XMS SW 5.56 mm |
Designated marksman rifles | Mk18 ABR 7.62 mm |
(Parenthesis) denote variants. |