KS-23

The KS-23 (Karabin Spetsialniy, or Special Carbine) is a pump action shotgun chambering the 23mm or 4 gauge shell. The KS-23 was the result of the USSR's Ministry of Internal Affairs' request in the 1970s for a new versatile weapon with capabilities to use non-lethal ammunition to suppress prison riots. The massive bore of the KS-23's barrel comes from cut down 2A7 barrels intended for the ZSU-23-4 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft gun. Due to the the rifling of these barrels, the KS-23 is actually considered a special carbine, but functions as a shotgun.

The KS-23 started development in 1975, and started production in 1981. The Soviet Police adopted the weapon in 1985, and it has remained in service to this day.

Insurgency: Sandstorm

KS-23
Slot	Primary
Category	Shotgun
Faction(s)	Insurgent Forces Breacher
Supply Points	2
Statistics
Caliber	4 gauge
Magazine Capacity	3+1
Reserve Ammunition	7+14 shells 7+28 (LC) 7+42 (HC)
Fire Modes	Pump-Action

The KS-23 is a shotgun featured in Insurgency: Sandstorm.

The KS-23 is a shotgun given to Insurgent Breachers. It trades the raw power of the 4 gauge shell for more recoil and less capacity than the more conventional shotguns.

Contrary to popular belief, most shotguns don't have such a short damage falloff distance. Shotguns in more mainstream videogames model shotguns as dangerous in extreme close range, but become ineffective past a few yards. In real life, shotguns are effective to more than 100 yards, and Insurgency: Sandstorm models this very accurately.

The KS-23 chambers a unique 4 gauge shotgun shell, and is extremely lethal at ranges many players don't expect. Even using standard buckshot shells, the sheer power of the 4 gauge is able to kill at very long distances. This shell also performs exceptionally well up close and personal, where shotguns truly shine. At closer distances, the raw power of the KS-23 is easily able to kill enemies in one shot and even brutally dismember and mutilate bodies if aimed properly.

Another feature of shotguns in Insurgency: Sandstorm is the wider variety of ammunition available. Every shotgun can choose to equip and load standard buckshot shells for free, or flechette and slug rounds for a single credit. Flechette rounds act nearly identical to buckshot, but the metal darts housed within posess increased armor penetration. Slug rounds trade out the spread of multiple projectiles in exchange for a solid mass of lead. Both upgraded shell types will only increase armor penetration, not wall penetration.

For all of the power that shotguns provide, there are some harsh drawbacks. For one, the fire rate of the KS-23 is extremely slow due to the manual cycling of the pump (hence the name pump-action shotgun). The fire rate of the shotguns compares to that of the bolt action rifles, meaning that in the effective ranges of the weapon, missing a shot will be problematic, to say the least. Unlike its Security counterpart, the M870, the KS-23 lacks a buttstock, which means that the gun will fit a little better near corners or within confined spaces. Another drawback specific to the KS-23 is the fact that it can only hold 4 shells at a time, compared to the 8 or more of the 12 gauge shotguns. Since shells need to be inserted into the tube individually, reloading the weapon can be extremely short or somewhat long depending on how many shells are left. This can be alleviated by using the Loading Grip, which shortens the reload time and makes it more manageable in CQB.

Overall, the KS-23 is a cheap shotgun that packs a whole lot of punch and not much else.

Optics	1x Holographic 1x Kobra 1x MARS 1x MRO 1x OKP-7 1x Red Dot 2x-1x Holographic 2x-1x Kobra 2x-1x MARS 2x-1x OKP-7 2x-1x Red Dot 4x-1x SU230 4x-1x SU230 BUS
Underbarrel	Quick Draw Grip Loading Grip Aiming Grip Recoil Grip
Barrel	Suppressor
Siderail	Laser Sight
Ammo	Flechette Rounds Slug Rounds