Years back I purchased an HK Mark 23 out of pure nostalgia and love for the gun’s history.  Fast forward to today, and that Mark 23 is my favorite pistol to take to the range.  No, I’m not saying the pistol is practical by any means, but the gun is an absolute joy to shoot.

Recently a good friend (and also my real estate agent) Jake from 1911 Syndicate reached out and asked if he could borrow mine for a video.  I told him no, as this gun holds a very special place in my heart, but that I was willing to bring it out to the range so he could shoot it.

TFB Collab: H&K Mark 23 Special with 1911 Syndicate

Before heading to the range I gave Jake and Chris a rundown of the Mark 23 and some details as to what makes the gun so special.  They quickly told me to save all this information for the video.  Plainly put, I’m not accustomed to doing video, and I’m not accosted to being deprived access to vast swathes of information to fact-check myself on the fly.  All that aside, here’s the video.

NOTE: Video contains some NSFW language.

Regarding those specs, I might have missed (or just messed up), here’s the full rundown from HK.

Specifications:

• Overall Length: 9.65″
• Barrel Length: 5.87″
• Sight Radius: 7.76″
• Weight (with magazine): 39.36oz
• Trigger Pull (SA/DA): 5.17lb / 11.47lb

Below is the full product description from Heckler and Koch:

The HK Mark 23 Caliber .45 ACP pistol gives shooters match grade accuracy equal to that of the finest custom made handguns — yet exceeds the most stringent operational requirements ever demanded of a combat handgun. The Mark 23 provides this accuracy without the need for hand-fitted parts common in custom-built match pistols costing thousands of dollars more. One of the most thoroughly tested handguns in history, the MK23/Mark 23 project originated in 1991 when HK began development for the U.S. Special Operations Command, the organization that directs the activities of America’s most elite military units, including the Navy SEALs and the Army Special Forces. On May 1, 1996, the first HK MK 23 pistols were delivered to the U.S. Special Operations Command for operational deployment, making the MK 23 the first caliber .45 ACP pistol to enter American military service since the venerable Government Model 1911A1. During testing, MK 23 pistols met the most stringent operational and accuracy requirements ever demanded of a combat handgun. Endurance testing demonstrated a service life of over 30,000 rounds of +P ammunition. To meet the reliability requirement, the pistol had to demonstrate a minimum of 2,000 mean rounds between stoppages (MRBS) with both M1911 ball and +P ammunition. All pistols exceeded the 2000 MRBS with an average of 6000 MRBS. In more than 450 accuracy test firings from a precision firing fixture at 25 meters, MK 23 pistols far exceeded the government requirement, averaging 1.44 inches, with 65 groups of less than one inch. There were four groups of .5 inches, with 5 rounds going through the same hole!

More information on the HK Mark 23 can be found on the Heckler and Koch product page, and don’t forget to check out the review done by TFB’s Nick C.  Big thank you to Jake and Chris from 1911 Syndicate for having me on their channel, and for helping me buy my house.  Thanks for reading and watching.

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