UPDATE- Just found this info at the previously unheard of Nation Master-
A 23mm Russian shotgun firing the 'Barricade' slug, also used to launch various nonlethal grenade-related weapons. It comes in three models, the fixed-stock KS-23, the folding-stock KS-23M, and the bullpup box magazine-fed KS-23K. The Vektor CR-21 has a typical bullpup configuration. ...
Also available is the TOZ-123, a civilianized version of the KS-23 in four-gauge.
UPDATE 2 - "The weapon is so powerful that a direct shot of a rubber baton from such a beast to a human being closer to 40 metres would kill him. The barrels of these toys are made out of the barrels of discarded/whitdrawn from service 23mm aircraft cannons. The main use of the KS-23 is anti-runaway-vehicles and anti-barricades, and this is done by using 23mm shells that are HIGH-EXPLOSIVE. The ammo normally used in the KS-23 to defeat vehicle engines or to breach through barricades and/or armored doors is something that I can only ressemble to the grenades fired by the M41-A pulse rifle of the Colonial Marines in the movie "Aliens". The Russians themselves cannot decide whether call the KS-23 a "large combat shotgun" or a "hand-held small-caliber grenade launcher": the 23mm shell of the KS-23 is more similar to a grenade, in dimensions, engineering and effects, than to a standard shotgun shell. The cartridges are so big that the KS-23, even if it's large a bit in its standard versions, holds no more than 4 rounds; only difference is the KS23-K, the bull-pup of the series, which is pump-action (all others are semi-auto) and holds 6 shells."
UPDATE 3 - An entry also at Modern Firearms.
1 comment:
The information you have posted, especially "Update 2" is inaccurate.
The weapon is not 4-gauge, rather its calibre corresponds to approximately 6 gauge (23x75mm). 4-gauge would correspond, approximately. to a "1 inch" flare round.
The barrels are not made from "discarded/whitdrawn from service" aircraft cannon; barrels for the NR-23 series autocannon that don't meet standards are factory modified for these shotguns.
None of the KS-23 series have ever been referred to as "large combat shotgun" or "hand-held small-caliber grenade launcher" this is a complete myth. As they have rifled barrels they are referred to as carbines or "special purpose" carbines.
There is no high explosive round for these weapons, this is another myth. The small volume of the projectile (< 20cc) would make this rather pointless........
The statement about the rubber ball round being lethal at 40m is also untrue. Persons have been struck at 15m without fatalities. It *is* considered unsafe at ranges under 40m.
The ammunition for the weapon includes various tear gas projectiles, a small flash/bang grenade, buckshot, blank and a solid slug round.
The slug round is designed to disable vehicles, similar to the Ithaca "Roadblocker" 10 gauge magnum shotgun (a very camparable weapon).
The statement that the 23mm round is "more similar to a grenade" is also nonsense; the KS-23 fires metal based paper/plastic shotgun rounds.
The reason the KS-23 only holds four rounds is due to the pump mechanism and the (comparably) short barrel; the rounds are 75mm long, marginally shorter than even a 3" magnum shotgun cartridge, let alone the 3.5" magnum round.
The KS-23-K (semi-auto, magazine, bullpup)never entered production; only one prototype exists.
I hope this helps dispel the myths.
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