HK Mark 23 Club!

[el Godfather]

Dear THR
I want to start this thread to invite all HK Mark 23 owners to check in and discuss their experiences here, and share photos if possible. I recently purchased my Mk23, and I am really enjoying the weapon. It has become my regular car gun. Accuracy is amazing and reliability is top notch. It is built tough to last abuse and use. For the first time I feel confident having a handgun that I don't worry about cleaning often or malfunctioning due to dirt etc.

It is not for everyone. Especially, not for those who wish to conceal carry it unless you are a lot bigger then average man. By design it was not meant for conceal carry.

So far I have no issues with it. The only thing I am looking for it is a holster. Such holster that keeps it covered while on floor mat of my car.

Looking forward to your comments/experiences.

 

[Hk Dan]

Love mine, and I'd NEVER put it on the floor mat. It's big, but most internet types would have you believe that it's an M60 with a bayonet and a 203 attached; it's not. It's light and it corners well, in addition to being soft shooting and wonderfully accurate. Mine has outshot Wilson match pistols and bullseye guns, out of the box!

Love it. And I would NOT put it on the floor of my freakin car.
Dan

 

[Oceanbob]

Don' t have one. If I did It wouldn't be a car gun. Nor would I holster it. It would be a collector piece in pristine condition. (with box, papers and all the extras)

The Mk 23 is no longer in production. I like it for collector value and how cool the weapon is; but personally the weapon is too big for carry.

My car gun is a GLOCK 20SF.

My EDC is a GLOCK 29SF.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

It's on my list of guns to get but it's quite a ways from the top. If I got one and liked it enough, it would become my open carry piece.

 

[el Godfather]

HK DAN.... I admire your love for Mk23.
The reason I put it on mat is to show its strength and durability. The gun is for my use and caters to that specific need that no other gun can come close.

 

[fennecfrank]

love mine. I'll try to get some photos done and share them.

I'm using a holster from Raven Concealment System with MD cut. I'll try to get a picture of that as well.

 

[RX-178]

Almost got one. It felt too big.

Got a USP Tactical instead. I still carry it.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

I'm using a holster from Raven Concealment System with MD cut. I'll try to get a picture of that as well.

Do you actually carry that thing on a daily basis?

 

[rjrivero]

I have one. Never shot it. Wonder what it would be worth today......

 

[el Godfather]

best mk23 - usp comparison thread on hkpro
http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgun-talk/37855-hk-mark23-vs-45-tactical-head-head-comparison.html

 

[gun addict]

what's the point of it really? For the price i mean, it's a fun pistol but to me they are no better than a Glock 21 or Springfield xd45 which has a much thinner grip and a 13 round magazine no less.

 

[MachIVshooter]

The gun is for my use and caters to that specific need that no other gun can come close.

Sounds like internal justification for having spent $2,300 on a cult handgun when any number of $500-$700 guns would have worked just fine.

Seriously, I'm glad you like your toy, and it's a fine peice. But the "It's the greatest gun in the whole wide world and nothing else can compare" proclamations of the fanboys make those of us who don't particularly like HK move into the realm of very much disliking them.

I had a USP stainless .45, lusted after one since I was a middle schooler. Well, after a few months of ownership, I came to the realization that, while it was a decent handgun, there are may others that perform just as well, fit the hand better, and cost significantly less.

 

[Oceanbob]

I've noticed that the maritime finish (which is baked on) does CHIP off on the slide. So be careful about throwing the 23 on the floor of your car.

Used ones I've inspected at the Gun Store also have finish and wear issues.

On the other-hand I've gone swimming with my glock and it still looks the same.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

On the other-hand I've gone swimming with my glock and it still looks the same.

I'm assuming by your name you were swimming in the Ocean. I wonder how well a SIG P226 Navy or a MK25 would hold up in the same enviroment.

 

[Hk Dan]

Actually when they say it's not in production, they mean "this year". The Mark 23 goes in and out of production every couple of years and when the inventory depletes, they make more.

And Mach IV, that was a complete, if not particularly articulate explanation of your dislike of HK. I am a "fan boy" because I've shot them. AND if you paid $2300 for a MArk 23, you need to have me get you one. I'll save ya $600 or $700 dollars, perhaps as much as a grand.

There is not a new gun out there that will do what it does for $500, period.

 

[gun addict]

Glock 21 or xd45 with threaded barrel

 

[giggitygiggity]

I will not despute that the Mark 23 is a good weapon. However, I think the problem with HK's is that I can get a Glock to match or exceed HK's reliability and durability at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, most Glocks have greater magazine capacities and less expensive, more readily available parts. Furthermore, they are more streamlined and do not have as many levers or sharp corners as the HK's.

HK's have an edge over Glocks with regards to accuracy, especially the Mark 23. However, for practical shooting purposes and for most people the difference is slight and sometimes not even noticable. I am sure that if I really wanted to, I could close the accuracy gap with modifications and customizations on a Glock and still be well short of the price of a Mark 23.

 

[fennecfrank]

here are some pictures:

in case you're wondering why the Mark 23 has no threaded barrel, here is the California regulation:

The term “assault weapon” also means any firearm that falls under one of the following definitions pursuant to Penal Code section 12276.1:

.....(4) A semiautomatic pistol that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and any one of the following:
(A) A threaded barrel, capable of accepting a flash suppressor, forward handgrip,
or silencer.......

unfortunately, I live in CA and if I have the threaded barrel on the gun, it's deemed as an assault weapon......

with Raven Concealment System holster, MD cut

As you can see, the holster from Raven Concealment System is very slim. It's possible to conceal carry the Mark 23 if you wear a sweater to cover it. I don't carry my Mark 23 because I don't have a CCW, unfortunately.

 

[Onmilo]

I bought a USP Elite for the reason fennicfrank stated.
Suppressors aren't legal in Illinois either so I didn't need a threaded barrel.
The Elite was also nine hundred bucks less expensive than the Mk23

 

[drunkensobriety]

...

Do not attempt to adjust the color, I'm only green with Envy, and I hate you all.... bastards.

 

[fennecfrank]

 

[PabloJ]

That was my first handgun. I wanted .45auto that I could shoot well with little or no practice. It filled that bill perfectly. Two thumbs up. There were only two frustrations inability to find good belt holster at that time and that it did not come with night sights which for $1600 it should have been equipped with.

 

[el Godfather]

I am not sure what people who don't have Mk23 or never had one for whatever reason, feel the urgue to bash it. I am some what surprised to read a few comments comparing it to a Glock! Not even the same league.

This thread is for those who have/had it not those who don't or can't. Accuracy, trigger, durability not matter how you compare it to Glock, Mk23 comes ahead. I have Glock 21 as well, but you really need to own a MK23 to know what its about.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

IMO you can get a handgun that will do about the same thing for over $1,000 less but that doesn't mean it isn't a good handgun. I still want one.

 

[Winkman822]

I'd love to have me an HK Mk23, but I just can't justify the cost in light of the fact that it's a little too big a gun for me to carry concealed. For me $2,300 for a range gun is a little excessive, but somehow, I had not problem shelling that much out for the Wilson Combat 1911 that I carry daily. :/