HK .45 Mark 23 - buy it or not?

UR2X3M4ME

UR2X3M4ME

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Help this gun whore decide: to buy or not to buy.

I like it a lot. I hate its price. Love the story behind it. Love its surgical accuracy. I hate polymer frames. Love the quality and finish. Love that it recoils like a 9mm. Love the top-secret proprietary marine blued finish. Did I say I hate its price?

I have access to a new one, now, @ 2250$. Dealer has only one and I told him to put my name on it for a week. With kebekistan taxes the darn thing ends up at 2586$.

I do it or not?

PS: as return courtesy, if I don't buy I'll give the lead.
 
Yes, I admit to choke on the price. I just can't get that gun out of my mind since I held it.

Also the fact that the size forces me into Open division, should I take it to an IPSC match.
 
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UR2X3M4ME said:
Yes, I admit to choke on the price. I just can't get out of my mind since I held one.

Also the fact that the size forces me into Open division, should I take it to an IPSC match.
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I don't know if it'll help but... My 2 last purchase respectively cost me 2.2k and 3.5k and I never looked back. I enjoy high end pistols and like the "exclusivity/rarity". Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich at all, I just decided to enjoy quality over quantity :)
 
I just bought one 6 weeks ago. Not regretting it one bit.
I allready have about 1800 - 2000 rnds through it. The only real expense is the ammo. If you buy factory, prepare to go broke. Norinco is the best buy for factory .45.
The trigger is starting to get nice and smooth and should get alot smoother with age. Kind of like a fine wine.
You can run this gun hard and not expect to have any trouble within the say... first 60,000 rnds.
I was shooting at a tactical match a few weeks ago and a member of Peel swat was there. They used to carry this gun but have switched to s&w m&p's only because there are no holsters available to carry this gun with a light. The department chopped them all up when they were replaced.
Travasty!!
So anyway, the swat guy says the only thing that will ever go on this gun is the trigger bar spring and dont expect that untill like I said, about 60k.
I will order a spring for myself just in case, as you may end up waiting about a year for parts.
This is my primary IDPA/tactical pistol and is now my favorite. A close tie with my german made sig p220 though. Another really fine pistol.
So if you buy it, enjoy!
 
Not worth it for the money IMHO but if it makes you happy and can spend the case... why not! .45 ammo is killer on the wallet though. Definitely would want to look into reloading or just buying Norc :p
 
well this one is still in the safe and its fired from time to time...

Metal Gear Solid was the inspiration !
BTW the re set is bar non the best out there right out of the box.

sw1-1.jpg

9mmPDW.jpg
 
I looked at one when my dealer got them in stock, and they are fantastically built pistols, more akin to a tank than a pistol to some degree. (Obviously I kid but you get the picture) The only thing that stopped me from getting one was that I am a smaller guy and the Mk.23 is a large pistol, and I am not saying that lightly. If you read up on the testing this pistol went through, and how accurate and light shooting it is, you'll understand why it's the price that it is.
 
I owned one. Didn't see a particularly improved shot at 50 yards as compared to some of my other plinker s.

If you can shoot it...and it is comfortable ... do it.
 
I owned a USP in .45 that felt like a 2x4 in my hand but I was still very accurate with it. It was a good gun tho. Mark 23 is a big sucker with a hefty price tag, more than I would spend on a gun. BTW if you want a HK .45 why not get a USP for almost 1/3 of the price.
 
Rivalen said:
I don't know if it'll help but... My 2 last purchase respectively cost me 2.2k and 3.5k and I never looked back. I enjoy high end pistols and like the "exclusivity/rarity". Don't get me wrong, I'm not rich at all, I just decided to enjoy quality over quantity :)
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I'm with you on that, quality has its price and we have one life to live. I also have the expensive disease of enjoying fine things. I can afford coughing the amount, I'm just debating whether it is wise to spend the amount on a gun I did not know about a few days ago. All I have read, seen and felt about it says "do it". Wisdom says wait, too much hype about that thing, find out more info. But if I wait or beat around the bush, another SOB is going to be the proud owner of it. Hence my question, to buy or not to buy?
 
I have owned both the USP and HK45 never tried the mk23. I think its giant size and cost makes it a bit of a reach. If you are into comical guns like a desert eagle or a BFG revolver than the mk23 is up your alley.

USP45 is my favorite handgun and it took me a long time to get there. Honestly, all of the video game and airsoft play HK gets really kept me away for a long time.
 
X2 On the USP .45, i have one and i love it. Its super accurate and i am by no means a great shot. You could buy that and a sh$t load of ammo for the price of a mark 23.
 
4tkal said:
I just bought one 6 weeks ago. Not regretting it one bit.
I allready have about 1800 - 2000 rnds through it. The only real expense is the ammo. If you buy factory, prepare to go broke. Norinco is the best buy for factory .45.
!
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Thank for the good info. Cost of ammo is not really an issue since I reload. I read these things like +P loads and Teflon boolits. I'll pass on the later unless they waive the 10 points penalty on PT (penalty targets - IPSC).
 
TK-Hryciuk,

Bang on, same thought process. From what I read that pistol is the most modern and improved pistol since the 1911. Materials used, components strength and corrosion resistance will make it outlast anything else that has been made so far. To my hand, the grip feels bulky but hell, everything is so well located that I could do my drills easily. For the little bit I toyed with it, I find easier to drop the mag from the index than the thumb.
If I read you well, you say do it. Thanks for your comment.
 
Shot one a couple of times, didn't see anything in the pistol i can find better in others. Silly big for most folk. I'd buy almost anything else for that coin. If i wanted a silly big gun, i'd pick up a DE or a BFR and consider it a better deal for the money. That being said, nothing really wrong with it, if you like it have at it :)
 
I have an HK45 smaller overall but still has the enlarged trigger guard, a 1913 accessories rail standard and an enlarged abi mag release as well as ambi slide release ...cheaper in price and can go for 50,000 without cleaning or issues (check out Vicker's torture test of one!!!)...will save you about $1,000 that you can dump into more mags and ammo. HK45 is an easier gun to find holsters for and carry as well.

BUT there is the BA factor of the biggg "offensive" pistol that is the HK Mark 23!!!

Regardless, if you go with HK you will be a (possibly broke!!!) happy camper :)
 
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