The Soviet riot shotgun built from rejected autocannon barrels for maximum stopping power

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Developed in the 1970s to suppress prison riots, the KS-23 is the largest-bore shotgun in modern service. Its unusual design relies on repurposed aircraft autocannon barrels, giving this massive weapon a rifled bore and the ability to fire everything from tear gas grenades to steel projectiles capable of disabling cars.

The KS-23, or Special Carbine-23, emerged from a collaboration between the Soviet Union's TsNIITochMash and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Engineers faced a unique manufacturing challenge: they needed a weapon with significant stopping power but lacked the budget for custom-made barrels. The solution was to repurpose barrels originally intended for the Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23, an autocannon used on military aircraft. While these barrels failed quality control for high-stress aerial combat, they were perfectly suited for the lower pressures generated by shotgun slugs and specialized riot-control ammunition.

Because these barrels were rifled for autocannon use, the KS-23 is technically classified as a carbine rather than a traditional smoothbore shotgun. The weapon system is remarkably versatile, utilizing a 23 mm shell that equates to roughly 4 gauge by European standards. Operators can load the standard tubular magazine with a variety of rounds, including buckshot, plastic or rubber less-lethal projectiles, flash-bangs, and tear gas grenades. For larger-scale operations, the system supports muzzle-mounted mortars that can launch high-efficiency tear gas canisters over greater distances.

Over the decades, the platform evolved to meet changing tactical requirements. The KS-23M Drozd, introduced in the early 1990s, featured a shortened barrel and detachable stock for indoor maneuverability. Later, the KS-23K adopted a bullpup layout and a seven-round box magazine to address the original model's slow reloading process. While the military and police versions remain specialized tools, a civilian variant known as the TOZ-123 was introduced in 1995. Unlike the police models, this hunting version features a smoothbore barrel, though its import into the United States was prohibited during the 1990s.

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