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Knight's Armament Company Masterkey


Door-Breaching Under-Barrel Shotgun Module [ 1985 ]



The KAC Masterkey was developed to broaden the tactical reach of the special forces operative, giving him a compact and effective door-breaching tool.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/26/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Door breaching has long been a technique relied upon by various law enforcement, special forces elements, and standard infantry to gain entry to otherwise inaccessible areas. Various systems have been devised over the decades to breach such obstacles as doors and, during the 1980s, the Knight's Armament Company (KAC) of the United States developed the "Masterkey" for this very purpose.

The weapon was essentially the primary working components of the classic Remington M870 pump-action shotgun and this was mounted under the forward section of a standard assault rifle such as the Colt M16. The reduced profile of the M870 reduced the amount of carried shells to four (with one shell being chambered) and, lacking any sort of stock or grip of its own, the magazine of the rifle doubled as the grip handle, providing access to the M870's trigger unit which was retained from the shotgun. The end result was an effective battlefield piece suitable for door breaching and one that added little length and weight to the rifle.

Notable operators of the Masterkey included United States Delta Force. The shotgun door-breacher concept continues today in such developments as the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (MASS) produced by C-More Competition (and detailed elsewhere on this site).©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications



Basics [+]
Manufacturer(s)
Knight's Armament Company (KAC) - USA
Operators
United States National flag of the United States
Service Year
1985
National Origin
United States


CLOSE SUPPORT
Extreme close quarters use; trench-clearing; doorbuster; security.
SPECIAL FORCES
Qualities of this weapon have shown its value to Special Forces elements requiring a versatile, reliable solution for the rigors of special assignments.


Overall Length
432 mm / 17.01 in
Barrel Length
432 mm / 17.01 in
Weight (Empty)
5.73 lb / 2.60 kg
Action
Manually-Actuated Pump Action System
Caliber(s)*
12-gauge
*May not represent an exhuastive list; Calibers may be model-specific dependent; Always consult official manufacturer sources.
Feed
3+1 rounds (one chambered)
Sights
Weapon-Dependent


Material presented above is for historical and entertainment value and should not be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation - always consult official manufacturer sources for such information.

"Masterkey" - Base Series Name; modified Remington M870 used as underslung base weapon system.


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Images



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Image of the Knight's Armament Company Masterkey
Image from official Knights Armament Company marketing material.

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