If you want one and can afford it, buy it.
Personally I have never seen the point of them and everyone I have spoken to that was actually issued one preferred other guns for work use. Granted that is only a few guys, but the complaints were all the same and, of course, totally unsurprising: 'it's huge and pointless and we have to carry a ton of #### already, and it's still just a handgun'. When it was first developed it made some sense as light and laser technology were totally primitive, and CQB was kind of...theory based, in a way that changed substantially after the US spent a decade in a shooting war at close range.
Although I'm told it was popular for a really specific application: dive teams who did beach landings, then set up hides from which they might need to shoot quietly, through light cover. The heavy .45 does well through intermediate materials, suppresses well, and the mk23 wasn't bothered by dives and beach landings. Everybody not involved in that particular tasking just went to the 226. Most of the mk23s were almost never used, according to everyone I have ever spoken to on the subject.
The program was maintained in part because it allowed greater allotments of .45acp...to be used in 1911s. The units which had used the mk23 have pretty much all dumped it, to my knowledge. The replacement is an HK45c...that "C" should tell you something IMO.
Anyway if you want a massive, durable, accurate pistol that shoots a round that is good through intermediate barriers, but otherwise maybe 2-5% more effective than a 9mm (or equally effective on paper) that has a history of being developed for, then mostly hated or ignored by, a particular unit in the US Navy, well, this is the one to buy.
Personally I have never seen the point of them and everyone I have spoken to that was actually issued one preferred other guns for work use. Granted that is only a few guys, but the complaints were all the same and, of course, totally unsurprising: 'it's huge and pointless and we have to carry a ton of #### already, and it's still just a handgun'. When it was first developed it made some sense as light and laser technology were totally primitive, and CQB was kind of...theory based, in a way that changed substantially after the US spent a decade in a shooting war at close range.
Although I'm told it was popular for a really specific application: dive teams who did beach landings, then set up hides from which they might need to shoot quietly, through light cover. The heavy .45 does well through intermediate materials, suppresses well, and the mk23 wasn't bothered by dives and beach landings. Everybody not involved in that particular tasking just went to the 226. Most of the mk23s were almost never used, according to everyone I have ever spoken to on the subject.
The program was maintained in part because it allowed greater allotments of .45acp...to be used in 1911s. The units which had used the mk23 have pretty much all dumped it, to my knowledge. The replacement is an HK45c...that "C" should tell you something IMO.
Anyway if you want a massive, durable, accurate pistol that shoots a round that is good through intermediate barriers, but otherwise maybe 2-5% more effective than a 9mm (or equally effective on paper) that has a history of being developed for, then mostly hated or ignored by, a particular unit in the US Navy, well, this is the one to buy.
). I drift Southbound to save pesos (cheap basta) and take that opportunity to ride the hog (noisy basta). Very generous offer, evidently you're a gentleman. Cheers.
