A rare inert Soviet aircraft cannon is now available for sale: the GSh-23 twin-barrel 23 mm autocannon. This Cold War through modern-era Autocannon has been meticulously restored from a demilitarized parts kit to a museum-quality display by the fabrication and restoration team at Ordnance.com. The GSh-23 (Gryazev-Shipunov GSh-23) is a legendary twin-barreled autocannon developed in the 1960s, known for its blazing high rate of fire and service on iconic Soviet aircraft like the MiG-21, MiG-23, Su-17 Fitter, and Tu-22 bomber. This professionally restored piece of military history comes complete with an inert 23×115 mm round to illustrate the ammunition, helping to make it an ideal centerpiece for collectors, museums, or aviation history enthusiasts. A 23 mm aircraft autocannon of this provenance rarely appears on the market – especially one fully inert and restored to such a high standard.
Designed in the early 1960s as a replacement for the aging NR-23 cannon, the GSh-23 offered a much higher rate of fire to meet the demands of fast jet combat entering service in 1965; it was developed by the Soviet KBP Instrument Design Bureau (by V. Gryazev and A. Shipunov) and quickly became a staple of Soviet Cold War aircraft armament. This Autocannon’s twin-barrel, gas-operated design gave Soviet fighters a powerful edge – pilots could unleash a burst of 23 mm projectiles in a fraction of a second, increasing hit probability on fast-moving targets. The trade-off for this firepower was heavy recoil and rapid ammunition consumption, but in high-speed air combat, the benefit of quick strikes often outweighed these costs.
During the Cold War, the GSh-23 was widely deployed across various platforms in both air-to-air and air-to-ground roles. It was standard equipment on late-model MiG-21 fighters and all variants of the MiG-23 fighter, giving these aircraft a formidable close-range weapon for dogfights. In fact, some MiG-21 models carried the GSh-23 in an underbelly gun pod (the GP-9) to supplement their missiles, a lesson learned from early air combat where cannons proved crucial. The Su-17 (and its later Su-20/22 variants) and Su-25 attack aircraft carried GSh-23 cannons in special pods (such as the SPPU-22) with downward-tilting barrels, allowing pilots to strafe ground targets with high precision. Even strategic bombers like the Tu-22M Backfire and Tu-95 Bear mounted twin GSh-23s in tail turrets as defensive guns, leveraging their high fire rate against interceptors. This versatility meant the GSh-23 saw action as both an offensive gun in fighters and a defensive weapon on larger aircraft, truly cementing its legacy in Cold War aviation history.
The GSh-23’s signature feature is its twin-barrel, gas-operated mechanism based on the German Gast principle of operation. In this design, the two barrels are mechanically linked: the recoil from firing one barrel automatically cycles and reloads the other. This reciprocal firing mechanism allows almost instantaneous cycling between barrels, achieving an exceptionally high cyclic rate of fire without the need for an external power source or complex multi-barrel Gatling system. In essence, each shot from one barrel powers the next shot from the other barrel, resulting in a continuous alternating fire that sounds like a single prolonged burst. The rate of fire for the GSh-23 is around 3,000 to 3,400 rounds per minute – far higher than its single-barrel predecessors. This gives pilots only a brief window to fire on target (a one-second burst could fire 50+ rounds), but ensures a dense volley of shells that can be devastating to an enemy aircraft or ground target. Unlike electric-driven rotary cannons (e.g. the American M61 Vulcan), the Gast system is entirely self-powered by recoil, which simplifies maintenance and allows installation on smaller airframes without bulky drive motors. The GSh-23’s simplicity and reliability made it a favorite in Soviet service. A variant called GSh-23L added multi-slotted muzzle brakes on each barrel to mitigate recoil forces, further improving accuracy in bursts. Overall, the twin-barrel design was a clever solution that delivered Gatling-like firepower in a compact package – a critical advantage in the fast-paced combat scenarios of the Cold War.
Below are key technical specifications of the GSh-23 23 mm autocannon and its ammunition:
For collectors, museums, and aviation history enthusiasts, this inert GSh-23 offers a one-of-a-kind showpiece. It’s essentially the same cannon from a MiG-21 or Su-17, now available for civilian ownership – a MiG-21 cannon for sale that you can legally bring into your collection. The historical significance and rarity of this item cannot be overstated: Soviet aircraft guns in any condition are extraordinarily scarce, let alone one that has been expertly restored to display condition. Owning this piece is as close as one can get to holding the firepower of a Cold War fighter jet in your hands. Imagine showcasing an actual Cold War autocannon for sale that once-equipped famous aircraft – it’s a surefire conversation starter and centerpiece for any military collection. Museums will find it invaluable for Cold War or aviation exhibits, allowing visitors to see up close the engineering of a Soviet aircraft gun that once roared in the skies.
This 23 mm GSh-23 twin-barrel autocannon display is not only a tangible artifact of Cold War technology but also a beautifully restored work of industrial art. The sleek yet utilitarian Soviet design, with dual barrels and mechanical linkages, invites viewers to marvel at how form followed function in this weapon. The GSh-23’s story – from the drawing boards of Tula, to the wings of MiGs and Sukhois, to its painstaking restoration in our shop – resonates with history. Now, all that history can be yours. Items like this inert Soviet aviation gun seldom appear on the open market, especially in such superb condition. Whether you’re a militaria collector looking for a statement piece, a museum curator enhancing a Cold War exhibit, or an aviation buff fulfilling a dream of owning a fighter’s cannon, this restored GSh-23 checks all the boxes.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to own a genuine Cold War-era twin-barrel autocannon.
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Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item's general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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