The KS-23 is a pump action shotgun developed by TsNIITochMash for the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs and manufactured by the Tula Arms Plant. Firing a 23x75mmR round from a rifled barrel, it is officially classified in Russia as a carbine rather than a shotgun and is regarded as the largest bore shotgun in modern military and police use. Designed through the 1970s and into the early 1980s, it entered service around 1985 with Soviet MVD forces for riot suppression and remains in use with Russia's FSB Border Guard Service as well as forces in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and North Korea. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
Service Status Weapon ClassCarbine / Shotgun Assault Weapon 2 Introduced Year Introduced Year Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) FAQs
Why is the KS-23 called a carbine when it looks like a shotgun?
Military Factory says: "While displaying an appearance more akin to a shotgun, the Russians designate their KS-23 as a "Special Carbine" (KS = "Karabin Spetsialniy") due to its large-caliber rifled barrel assembly (unlike conventional shotguns that make use of smoothbore barrels)."
Connections
Operated By
Source MilitaryFactory.com: KS-23
Source MilitaryFactory.com: KS-23
In the Other Atlases
Manufactured By
Also in Business Atlas: the manufacturer of this subject.
Source Wikipedia: KS-23
Sources
1. Wikipedia: KS-23
Infobox: service
1985-present
Article text
It is officially designated as a carbine in Russia because it uses a rifled barrel. The KS-23 is renowned for its large caliber, firing a 23 mm shotgun shell, equating to 6.278 gauge using the British and American standards of shotgun gauges and approximately 4 gauge using the current European standards (based on the metric CIP tables), making it the largest-bore shotgun in modern use.
Infobox: caliber
(or 6 gauge)
Variants
The original KS-23 was developed jointly by NIISpetstekhniki (MVD) and TsNIITochMash in 1971 and was accepted for use by Soviet police in 1985.
View the Source2. Military Factory: KBP VSK-94 Silenced Military / Special Police Sniper Rifle
Page subtitle
Carbine / Shotgun Assault Weapon
Physical
The KS-23 entered service with Russian police forces in 1985.
- Weapon class classified from the entity's own sourced description text.
View the Source3. Wikidata: KS-23
Wikidata Q1137650, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source MilitaryFactory.com: KS-23
MilitaryFactory.comOperated By: Soviet Armed Forces, Operators
[ North Korea; North Vietnam; Russia; Soviet Union; Vietnam ]
Operated By: Vietnam People's Army, Operators
[ North Korea; North Vietnam; Russia; Soviet Union; Vietnam ]
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