From the author.
Dear Readers! I return to my favorite topic and continue to acquaint you with rare and interesting weapons. Today I will begin to acquaint you with a Russian pump action carbine chambered for 4 caliber. I prepared this material for publication back in the spring, and KardeN helped me a lot in preparing and editing the material, for which I express my gratitude to him. But then I got distracted by describing the fate of Romanian destroyers and frigates, so this series of articles comes out with a big delay.
Since the material included not only the description and performance characteristics of carbines
of the KS-23 family, but also an excursion into history, an operating manual, user reviews, a description of civilian versions, etc., this was enough for a whole series of articles. I hope that all this was collected, systematized and written for a reason, and someone will benefit from my work.
Best regards - Mikhail Zadunaisky.
KS-23 (special carbine, 23 mm) - a joint development of the Research Institute of Special Equipment of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and TSNIITOCHMASH. It was created in Soviet times as an effective, but not deadly, weapon for suppressing riots in prisons. That is, for the humane suppression of riots in prisons and colonies. Later, these multifunctional police complexes began to equip units of the Internal Affairs Directorate and units of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for carrying out operations to suppress mass riots, as well as for penetrating assaulted objects.
They say that the origins of this topic were the former head of the PKU NPO STiS of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, and now Lieutenant General of the Internal Service, retired V. A.
Predecessors
Previously, Shpagin's signal pistols (SPSh-44), created for a 4-caliber hunting cartridge, were used to combat riots. For them, 26-mm cartridges with remote gas grenades Cheryomukha-2 and Cheryomukha-4 were developed and produced, as well as (according to data not subject to verification) traumatic and buckshot ammunition.
But the combat characteristics of the weapon did not quite satisfy the guardians of order.
Shpagin's flare gun (SPSh-44)
Bird cherry-4 cartridges for SPSh 1972
There was also a naval version: line throwing devices (line throwers). They were created specifically for the fleet on the basis of signal pistols SPSh-44 (later SP-81) and with their help they threw the ends of the mooring lines on the pier or on board another ship.
AL-1S line-throwing device set: pistol, cartridge for rocket ignition, rocket, line
True, the smooth and short barrel of the SPSh could not provide the required firing range, and the firing accuracy also left much to be desired. The lengthening of the barrel of the SPSh slightly increased the accuracy of shooting, but it became more difficult to hold the pistol.
The moment has come when it was necessary to subject the weapon either to a deep modernization, or to create a new weapon. They began to develop new weapons. I believe that the decision to create a new weapon was not made by Soviet gunsmiths from scratch. Apparently, they took into account the experience of German gunsmiths, who, back in the Second World War, created the so-called "assault pistols" on the basis of Walter's signal pistols.
The experience of German gunsmiths
In the 30s, the command of the Wehrmacht set before the gunsmiths the task of creating an effective infantry weapon for close combat. German gunsmiths have created many interesting and promising samples. Among them are assault pistols based on standard 26-mm "rocket launchers", which were adapted for shooting hand-held fragmentation grenades M-39 ("Egg").
M-39 grenades were originally developed as a dual-use ammunition: when replacing the standard fuse with a special tube, they could be fired from flare pistols.
Leuchtpistole (Leu. P)
This grenade launcher system consisted of Walther Leuchtpistole signal pistols mod. 1928 or 1934 and anti-personnel fragmentation grenades. Initially, to improve accuracy, a folding metal shoulder rest with cushions on the butt plate and a folding sight designed for two firing distances were developed: 100 and 200 m.
Flare gun Walther Leuchtpistole. Note the hole in the frame. A pin was inserted into it for attaching the butt
Kampfpistole Z (KmP. Z)
Then, in 1942, a specialized 26 mm Kampfpistole Z pistol with a rifled barrel was developed on the basis of the Leuchtpistole. 5 grooves in the barrel significantly improved the combat characteristics of the weapon, but this became possible not only thanks to the barrel. The Kampfpistole Z was equipped with a graduated sight, and a spirit level was fixed on the left side of the hull. In addition, the weapon fired 26-mm grenades with ready-made rifling, which were designed to combat enemy infantry at distances up to 200 m. The radius of destruction by shrapnel was 20 m. All this significantly improved its combat characteristics: the range, accuracy and effectiveness of firing increased.
Pistol Kampfpistole Z. Letter Z = Zug. (German “cut”). Next to the rifled Sprengpatrone-Z grenade
Since the presence of rifling in the 26 mm barrel did not allow the use of either M-39 fragmentation grenades ("Egg"), or signal or lighting cartridges, it was decided to expand the range of ammunition. And for the Z model, over-caliber 61-mm cumulative anti-tank grenades mod. 1942 (Panzer-Wurfkopfer fur Leuchpistole 42 LP), which, according to various sources, penetrated from 50-80 mm of armor at distances up to 75 m. This allowed experienced German grenade launchers to effectively fight at close range with Soviet T-34 tanks.
To facilitate the construction, the production of Kampfpistole did not use steel, but some light, but expensive alloys. Due to the high cost of weapons, a batch of 25 thousand pistols was produced, and their production was stopped, but the idea itself was not forgotten.
Sturmpistole
The very next year (1943), German gunsmiths issued a simple and original solution: the Leuchtpistole flare pistol was equipped with an inset rifled barrel-liner (Einstecklauf). This made it possible to shoot both grenades with ready-made rifling, and with the liner removed - fragmentation grenades, as well as lighting and signal cartridges.
The new weapon was named Sturmpistole (assault pistol). To increase stability, better hold the weapon and improve shooting accuracy, the Sturmpistole assault pistol, like its predecessors, was equipped with the same folding shoulder rest and a barrel attachment with a sight.
In the hands of a Sturmpistole soldier with a cumulative Panzer-Wurfkopfer 42 LP. Above the barrel - a removable sight at 100 and 200 meters
Unusual Mauser
On several forums I came across this strange photo.
They claim that this is a Mauser 98k rifle, adapted for shooting ammunition from assault pistols.
On some forums, they write that the rifle's "native" barrel was replaced with a rifled barrel from Kampfpistole Z, and it fired rifled grenades. On others - that the trunk was removed, the bed was shortened, and the rest was covered with sheet metal. A clamp was installed in front of the shutter, which held the bottom of the 4th gauge sleeve. Like, the use of a rifle stock was supposed to improve the combat characteristics of the hybrid relative to the assault pistol-grenade launchers.
Personally, the photo causes distrust and a lot of questions. I will only say that using the muzzle grenade launchers for the Mauser rifle adopted into service, it was possible to achieve the same result. At the same time, the rifle is intact, and the grenades are thrown.
Whatever the case with the Mauser sawn-off, I am sure that the Soviet gunsmiths studied the evolution of all German "pistols" during the Second World War and made the appropriate conclusions.
American footprint
There is an opinion that the KS-23 carbine is not a new Soviet development at all, but just a scaled copy of the Winchester 1300 smoothbore American civilian rifle. That the bolts, trigger and receiver are the same, but the differences are insignificant, purely external.
Let's brush up on what this gun is together and take a closer look at it from a different angle. The Winchester 1300 shotgun was developed in the late 70s (1978-1980) and was produced for a good quarter of a century, until production ceased in 2006 due to the closure of the plant. During this period, on the basis of Winchester 1300, 33 modifications were developed for cartridges of 12 and 20 calibers.
Winchester 1300 Camp Defender
These shotguns are still popular with hunters and athletes both in the United States and abroad for their simplicity, reliability and fast reloading speed.
The Winchester 1300 is a typical shotgun, so, like most of this type, it uses manual reloading with a movable forend, which is more than a dozen years old. The Winchester Model 1897 shotgun, developed by John Browning before the First World War, worked on the same principle. The barrel of the Winchester 1300 is locked with a rotary bolt with 4 lugs. Receiver made of aluminum alloy; the trunks are made easily removable, and their length depends on the modification and can vary from 457 to 711 mm. The barrels can be drilled with cylindrical holes or the gun comes with 3 interchangeable chokes. The gun has a tubular magazine, which is located under the barrel, and its capacity depends on the modification and can hold 4, 5, 7 and even 8 rounds. The magazine is loaded through a window at the bottom of the receiver. The stock and the butt is wooden or plastic, a rubber butt pad is installed on the butt. The safety lock of the gun is a push-button type that locks the trigger. Reloading in Winchester 1300 is accelerated thanks to the Speed Pump system. Its essence boils down to the fact that the bolt is immediately unlocked immediately after the pressure in the barrel is reduced to a safe level. As a result, this leads to the fact that sometimes, after firing and ejection of the spent cartridge case, the shutter is either completely open or partially. However, this is not a defect in the mechanism, but a design feature.
The Winchester 1300, in turn, was created on the basis of its predecessor, the Winchester 1200. The Model 1200 was developed in 1964, went on sale a year later and managed to fight in Vietnam. It was produced for about 15 years, until it was replaced by an improved model: Winchester 1300.
Its predecessor, the Winchester 1200 Defender.
American rifle Winchester 1200 Defender
Soviet carbine KS-23
As you can see, the American and Soviet models have a lot in common. In one of the next parts, we will return to American guns in order to compare their mechanisms.
Regardless of the situation with the Winchester 1300 shotgun, I am sure that in the process of creating the Soviet carbine, the American shotgun left a deep mark.
To be continued…
Sources of information:
Skrylev I. KS-23: Our police carbine.
Mischuk A. M. 23-mm special carbine (KS-23).
Degtyarev M. The birth of "Snipe".
Blagovestov A. From what they shoot in the CIS.
Monetchikov S. B. Infantry weapons of the 3rd Reich. Pistols.
