The HK MK23 built for SOCOM was the first and last offensive handgun

In the regular military, a handgun is a last-ditch defensive weapon that is very rarely used. However, when it comes to special operations forces, a handgun can be used as a primary offensive weapon in specific situations.

In the late 1980s, SOCOM went looking for such a new handgun. This search would eventually give rise to the Offensive Handgun Weapons System and the Heckler and Koch MK23, or the Mark 23. 

SOCOM felt that the 124-grain NATO-loaded 9mm round didn’t have enough stopping power for this new gun. (It’s worth mentioning that in the modern era, we understand that handguns don’t have stopping power in general, and that’s why everyone now uses 9mm.) So, the Command looked at alternatives like the new 10mm cartridge but felt it was logistically difficult and not refined enough for the task.

It finally settled on the .45 ACP, which had previously served for over 70 years. The traditional .45 ACP military round was a 230 FMJ that moved fairly slowly. SOCOM went with a 185 grain .45 with a +P rating. The +P load would be considered an overpressure cartridge. 

This lighter, more powerful cartridge would move fast and theoretically hit harder. Due to the increased pressure – which would beat the guns up and eventually destroy them – SOCOM couldn’t turn to the M1911, however. Further, SOCOM also wanted a weapon that could be suppressed and work with a laser-aiming module for night vision use. 

So, it started a contest.

The MK23 passes SOCOM’s extremely rigorous tests 

Colt and Heckler & Koch both developed weapons for the contest. Colt’s entry was eliminated during Phase 1, leaving only HK’s entry, a handgun that would eventually be known as the MK23. 

The MK23 has to survive one of the most rigorous tests we’ve come across: The weapon was submitted to a reliability test and had to fire 2,000 mean rounds before failure (MRBF). The MK23 averaged 6,027 MRBF, with one sample reaching 15,122 MRBF. 

Three pistols were put through a 30,000-round endurance test and maintained an accuracy standard of 2.5 inches at 25 yards. That’s an impressively accurate firearm, and it demonstrated an extreme degree of durability after firing 30,000 rounds. The weapons were also subjected to thermal testing, as well as mud, ice, and sand testing. 

The HK MK23 passed every test SOCOM threw at it. HK won the contest, and SOCOM acquired 1,950 HK MK23 pistols. The pistols were issued throughout SOCOM and may still in service.

Related: A history of American Squad Automatic Weapons

The pistol’s specs

The HK MK23 is a massive gun and surprisingly heavy. It’s essentially a weapon system that fields a suppressor from Knight’s Armament that’s designed to take the same beating as the handgun. It also features an Insight laser aiming module (LAM). 

It uses 10-round double-stack magazines. When fully loaded with the suppressor and LAM, the weapon weighs five pounds. For reference, the HK MP5 submachine gun weighs 5.6 pounds. The handgun is 16.5 inches long, and the suppressor is equipped. Its barrel length is 5.87 inches, which is quite long for a handgun. 

The MK23 utilizes a double-action/single-action (DA/SA) trigger system. This means that its first shot is double action and features a long and heavy first trigger pull. After the first shot, the trigger converts to a much shorter and lighter single-action design. Users can manually decock the hammer to transition the gun back to double action. 

The weapon featured mostly ambidextrous controls. The decocker and slide lock are set up for right-handed users. The safety and magazine releases are both ambidextrous.

The weapon performed very well. It was extremely accurate, had fairly soft recoiling, and was incredibly reliable. The MK23 was very modern for the era but would be considered a bit too large by today’s standards. And today, the need for .45 simply doesn’t doesn’t exist. 

The MK23 reached notoriety with its use in famed video games like the Metal Gear Solid series and its prominent use in the movie Tears of the Sun.

The pistol is still produced, and outside of SOCOM, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, and Singapore have also adopted it. The big pistol is often called the “crew-served handgun” and will likely continue its reign as the first and last offensive handgun.

Feature Image: Mark 23 pistol with a suppressor and a Laser Aiming Module (LAM) attached. (Photo by UNHchabo~commonswiki/Wikimedia Commons)

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