The Untold Story of the MK23 SOCOM Offensive Handgun
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- Опубліковано 6 сер 2024
- Today we dive deep into the H&K MK23 SOCOM. There is much confusion around the offensive handgun program and the resulting adoption of the MK23. We're joined by Navy veteran Dave Hall who was a part of the offensive handgun program and subsequent use amongst the special operations community. Enjoy!
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Chapters
00:00 - Today on the show
00:20 - The Untold Story of the MK23
03:12 - Opening thoughts
05:22 - Meet Dave Hall
06:43 - Hide sight shooting
11:58 - What is the Offensive Handgun Program?
16:44 - Phase 1 Endurance Testing
25:28 - HK's solution for match grade accuracy
29:50 - Point shooting
31:43 - Phase 1 prototype
34:35 - How you can support us
35:03 - Suppressor testing (wow)
40:03 - Phase 2 testing
46:00 - Hide sight from the woods
49:05 - MK23 accessories
56:03 - Real world use
1:09:36 - Firearms Legal Protection
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A weapon to surpass metal gear.
Kept you waiting huh?
A weapon to surpass papa John’s
.45 huh?
Just like old times
the engravings give you no tactical advantage whatsoever
I moved to south central Indiana in 1998 as a young teenager. I went with my dad to a local outdoor shooting range. Even then I was a HK fan and obsessed over MP5s. At the pistol bay the gentleman next to us had the HK embossed camo case. I watched as he pulled out a Mark 23. I never seen such an awesome looking handgun! We struck up a conversation with him because we didn't even know what it was. He didn't go into much detail but said he worked at NSA Crane and worked on the project. He was nice enough to let me put a mag through it. I'll never forget it! Loved it so much my first handgun was a USP45 my dad bought for me when I was old enough. Awesome video!
Cheers mate
I am a Gunners Mate in the navy and have been blessed enough to visit Crane and get hands on with some of these legendary guns in the school house "gun library". Truly amazing stuff out there that no one will ever get to see or use. Its awesome that you got a once in a lifetime experience to shoot a legit MK23 SOCOM.
Born Hoosier here . All the cool shit comes out of Crane
T😮😅😅😅😅😅
Great story, I'm a native Hoosier also living in South-Central Indiana, and have been on NSA Crane for hunting and business a time or two. Great facility.
This is FACT told by the man himself. Living Legend! Great job guys!
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Why not bring up the fact that the Shadow Moses incident is what made the Mk23 pop off.
*This* _is_ 1911 SYNDIECATE.
I'd argue it is the most important video you have ever put out. It has the potential to be a paradigm shift on how the internet views the MK23 SOCOM offensive handgun.
Many thanks to Dave Hall, for his service, his sharing of the program _and_ proving it was actually used, successfully, by SOCOM many, many times in combat.
Man thank you for the kind words. We all appreciate it
@@1911syndicate You're 100% welcome!
WE NEED MORE OF THIS TYPE OF CONTENT! Truly special handgun and incredibly underrated.
Agreed on all fronts sir thank you for watching 👊🏼👊🏼
I hope delta and the seals still is use it , such a versatile survival gun
My initial interest in the Mk23 was from playing MGS. After researching the history of it, I had to have one! It's a massive tank of a pistol, but I love shooting it! It's completely impractical, but there's no way I'd ever sell it.
Don't see how it's impractical. It kills people dead just fine and can be used to demolish walls.
Completely impractical...I'd say you misspoke right there. It's obviously impractical for a conceal carry gun, sure. How else is it impractical?
@ccompson2 This pistol is giant! It's also very expensive. The only roles this can be used for are duty carry, competition, and home defense. All of these have many options that are far better for those roles with better features, better prices, or better performance. Perhaps the only role that this would be a good option is as an end of days gun. Even then, there's good arguments for other firearms. The Mk23 is an amazing firearm, but practical, it is not.
@@thedavidleveraction1776 excellent reply
Chest rig or shoulder rig. That said this is a fighting pistol. So yes not your every day carry gun.
The best Mk23 lore content on the entire internet.
The best MK23 video..... In The World....
Thank you sir we are fortunate we were able to share the story
Great video guys. One thing very overlooked on the MK23 is it’s accuracy. One of the most accurate 45 pistols, of any design.
I love the MK23 my dad has one but he doesn't have all the attachments like y'alls. Now my uncle was a Tunnel Rat in Vietnam and he still has his Colt 1911 and his crooked neck flashlight he used in the tunnels of Vietnam. I remember his comment when he first shot my dad's MK23 "I wish I had this pistol in the tunnels, it's a game changer." Awesome video guys.
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Thank you to Dave Hall, the OHWS trials are always talked about as kind of myth and legend, but to have somebody who was actually involved give their long-form account. What an unexpected treat for us Mark 23 ultra diehards.
Yessir
I second this. I enjoyed this very much and watched with my MK23 in hand. Thxs!
I was in college in 1997 and the local Scheels sporting goods had 3 MK23 in Camo Cases and I wanted 1 bad but couldn't afford it. I wish I could go back and snag all 3! I ended up getting a USP45T around 2005 which I still have and its amazing!
Seeing the “Swimming holster” for a suppressed mk23 was wild. Crazy to know these were used on DSVs
The best 1911 Syndicate video yet is about a MK23...
Glad you enjoyed it
I'd love for HK to offer another variant of the Mark 23 with updated features, like the standard cuts for mounting lights and an optics cut.
And standard barrel threading...
@@PhotoBobBarker I agree.
Modern LAM while we're at it lol
@@PhotoBobBarker with modern swapable booster pistons the threading issue isnt all that huge, like they said just buy the extra piston and use it across multiple platforms, i know with a simple piston swap 1 can can work with a mk23, usp45 tac, and a kriss vector
And in 10mm
I bought my MK23 after your last show. It has since become one of my most beloved guns in my collection. Man what a blast shooting that thing. Thank you for putting this great video together.
THANK YOU!!!!!! As a diehard .45acp fanboi a Mk23 is a bucket list item. I've only ever handled a mk23 a couple of times and would love to own one (or more) someday. This history lesson was beyond anything I've ever heard. Also thank you to your esteemed repeat guest James and especially to Dave Hall for his perspective and history lesson on this iconic firearm and its accessories.
Have a USP 45 and a couple of HK45s. I need to add the Mk 23, but really, the HK45 is a fantastic pistol and fits all my 45 acp needs.
Thanks for the nice words
That’s a great gun I mean it kept that man safe while he was overseas, it is THE pistol for sneaking in the shadows
Really cool to hear his story. As a military brat, I was fortunate to know guys like him, to learn from guys like him, because I spent lots of time in the base gym and pool. I did get to shoot the MK23 as a kid best gun I had ever shot.
Like many other teenage boys in the late 1990s, I was introduced to the MK23 by Metal Gear Solid. I was instantly hooked; even the blocky rendition on the PS1 looked amazing. I saved up my pennies and picked up an Airsoft version; I instantly fell in love with the design. As I got a bit older and started owning my own firearms, I befriended an Air Force officer who shared my interest in firearms. He sold me my first semiauto pistol(a 1911, naturally) and had a MK23 that I got to shoot on occasion. It's an unbelievably comfortable and accurate pistol to shoot; I admit I have relatively large hands and freakishly long fingers, but I felt at home with it. I was shooting groups with the MK23 at 50yd that I struggled to make with other handguns at 25yd.
I still really want one, but haven't made it quite happen yet. It's still on the list, though. :)
Thank you to everyone involved for making this.
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Dave Hall military inside insight on the project is just mind blowing 🤯. It really gives credit to the shared goal between professionals and the company (Hk).
To this day, the freaking LAM modul and its simple rugged form are still the epitome of elegant gun design. It looks so simple yet so cool, just a timeless, beautiful gun in form and function.
I could have asked for a better video. A Gen1, An original tester and operator, how perfect of a video to be forever preserved.
very cool, i didnt think anything would come close to the Forgotten Weapons video, great stuff!
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historic video that evey Mark 23 owner needed to hear! Hard to love this gun anymore than I already do but this video took it to another level
Dave Hall, what a legend. Great video guys.
Love these pistol high capacity, laser module and silencer. Looks futuristic alongside XM8
MK23, never shot one, never held one, but I’ve been a fan for many years. I have a few HK handguns, my HK45T is by far my favorite. It’s a big gun, I can only imagine how much bigger the MK23 is. Great video. By far the most informative on its story, and the perfect person to tell it. Awesome. Aloha 🤙🏽
Thanks for the shoutout!! 💯🤘🏻🤝
The Mk23 is a super-nerd of nerdy guns and I'm so glad to see an awesome video about the SOCOM and OHP. I don't own a Mk 23 (yet? haha, probably yet) but it's super rad to hear the stories about how it was developed, actually used in the field, and the real-world reasoning behind some of the decisions surrounding it. Was also so cool hearing it with the slide-stop mechanism and comparing it to modern signature suppression options. Rad video guys!
Thanks bro!
A 1 hour documentary about the Mark 23 ? Yes, please…
This has been a pleasure and a bucket list spine shivering moment seeing and more importantly hearing the slide locked mk23
so cool learning more niche info not only about the gun but just this entire video was outstanding
Haha glad you enjoyed it
Mind blown! Amazing amazing video and deep dive into the offensive handgun weapon system that is the US SOCOM MK23! Knowledge bombs by James incoming and I could just sit and listen to Dave Hall's stories all day long like a kid in a candy shop!
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Love the history in these videos. Hearing from guys that tested and fielded these weapons is pretty incredible.
Right? Fortunate for the first hand experience Dave brings to the video. Super cool story and background.
Glad you enjoyed it
This is a great video. Aside from the great guys at 1911 Syndicate and of course the amazing James from TT, getting to hear Dave Hall talk about his Mk23 experience in detail is amazing. He had written alot of what he said years ago on HKPRO, it's great to hear it from him.
Glad you enjoyed it. Lucky to have the crew there that day
Right? Dave was and is the definition of a professional and we were fortunate he was willing to come hang with us
I had a German MK.23 in the metal HK box 3years ago, and i sold it for so much that i bought a motorcycle with the cash.. though i do regret selling it. It has made its way back to my list of guns to buy
I remember watching Ian’s history lesson on the Mk23, and thought “wow! What a great idea the slide lock was” and then 14 seconds later he said it didn’t make the next round of prototypes. Such a unique and clever feature, figured it was poorly executed. Seems to work well here.
The problem with slide locks is that in a "big boy" round it really batters the frame because it's absorbing all the force that would usually be cycling the slide. The old MK22 Hushpuppy was always cracking frames, and that was a subsonic 9mm with an aluminium frame.
@@j.murphy4884to be fair, it was meant to only be used very sparingly, first shot at a sentry kinda thing.
Wow what a cool video guys and a special thanks to Dave and James for sharing their stories on the MK23! 👏🏻
Great vid guys. Thanks for putting in all the effort.
My Mark 23 is my favorite handgun. Fitted with a Lobos rail, SureFire X400 light/laser, and Rugged Obsidian suppressor. I shoot 45 Super (185gr/1300 fps) through it regularly. As you showed in the vid, point shooting is a major strength of the suppressed Mark 23.
Thank you all for the video & information. This is still in my top 45acp pistols
This is the best video I’ve seen on the tube in years!! Thank you!!
This was by far my favorite video you have ever posted. This is my dream gun. I have a passion for all things HK and one day I will own one of these .
Thank you! Best MK23!! Thank you Dave Hall for your service and sharing it with us!! BTW love my USP Tactical!
Just found you guys today and glad I did, great work and history lesson, mad respect
Dave is the man!
Great video! Thank you Dave for the detailed history and your distinguished service! Shot my MK23 a couple weeks ago and we watched this video together
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Such a super cool video guys!! So much knowledge and experience.... thanks for taking the time to educate and entertain us!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent video that went a long way to document the actual history of this special handgun. Kudos and thanks.
Cheers
@1911 Syndicate Bravo Gentlemen, fantastic video!!! Incredibly cool and interesting, well done!!!👏
Ever since I saw one at Target World in Cincinnati circa 1997 I’ve wanted one. Finally grabbed one this year and added a Rugged Obsidian45 and SureFire X400 Vampire while I hunt for the unicorn pieces.
Dude! Hunt down that B&T suppressor
I really appreciated the note to use the mag as the volume reference. Great work!
Another great video guys. Of note B&T released a small run of Mk23 suppressors produced here in the states a couple years ago. I picked one up from Copper Custom at that time.
Thank you for this. It was worth my time and I enjoyed it.
So happy I got my Mark23 when I did. I am a complete sucker for U.S history weaponry and their purposes. Thank you guys for the awesome and precise hiSTORY on this weapon.
I remember hearing the boing reverb when I learned to shoot in tunnels and hides. It's a weird sound and it makes for weird tinnitus. I have to sleep with 2 fans of different size blades to drown it out.
I think i met your guest in 2009 in Afghanistan. I was attached to a LRST team for a while and then a HCT team assistant team leader.
My wife bought me a Sig mk11, a copy of my duty weapon.
I watched this for the second time tonight. I enjoyed this so much I actually downloaded it. Bravo on putting out the most interesting and factual video on the MK23. This is so damn good!!
What an A-1 video looks like guys!! this is THE definitive lesson in Mk 23 lore, history, background and hands on operations! I'm just a small timer in the YT world, but as fate has it, I was given the opportunity the other day to come into possession of a Mark 23 Civilian mod. Gonna be doin a shoot on it real soon and I feel really lucky that I came across this Episode. Kudos to you all and to all the team members. I had a friend from school that was on the teams in the early 80's and then went on to become an instructor. Got a hell of a lot of respect for anyone that can do what the teams can. Love the coin! Thanks again for all the much needed knowledge and for the education and experience you all passed on to us in this video! And the opportunity to actually listen to a member of the testing teams give his take on this is a bucket list moment in time for me.
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I want to get that B&T Can soooo bad! Amazing video and Dave Hall was amazing as well as extremely humble.
Fantastic work, guys. What a great opportunity to hear Dave's story. This video is going to make a Mk23 harder to aquire.
Haha, you can find them, just stay on the hunt
I know the story of the B&T cans vs KAC. It was before B&T had a US factory so a guy was given license to manufacture the IMPULS IIA, I have one and in my opinion it’s an outstanding suppressor that was mostly utilized by military’s around the globe. They are serviceable and you can swap the internal stack once one starts to get peppered with powder giving it a very high round count before needing baffles replaced. The company was named CCF. He told me when they did the suppressor testing at the MK23 program that Reed Knight showed up to the range with a small plastic cooler which the owner of CCF knew immediately what was up. Reed put a large glove on and reached into the cooler and pulled the KAC can out of the dry ice to start testing. As I’m sure you are aware suppressors are much quieter in the cold. Not sure if the story is true but it’s definitely a good one and we know the KAC can was selected over the CCF Swiss Impuls IIa. I believe the KAC have welded baffle stacks or did back then. I bought the Impuls for $550 making it an easy choice.
This is my favorite video on my favorite handgun. Thank you for the history lesson and showing the importance this weapon has in the war fighting kit in years past.
Great show gentlemen thank you and I love my H&K firearms.
Watched this from start to finish. Amazing history. Thank you.
Way to document history in such a perfect way . Well done!
Thank you🤙🏻
Love it!! Thank you, this is one of your best videos. And, yes I’m enjoying my Mark 23 as well.
Boom
thanks for the vid...that's so amazing. that can only make people rave more about the mk23 than they already do.
the only video anyone should watch for the MK23! Incredible!
London Bridge tactical just did a group order on those thigh holsters in woodland camo. Hope you all were able to pick up one. It was a limited run and they closed orders at the end of November. Thank you internet, scored one.
Our friend Dave is the reason that group order was kicked off. This video collaboration has great reach :)
amazing!@@teufelshundtactical
I left a comment few days ago about this being a good entertaining video, truth is probably best video I’ve ever watched, I like longer videos provided they are done well, this one checked all the boxes, entertaining, educational, just an exceptional video
Thank you brother appreciate that
Ugh… I wish I could get one in my state :( hk is the goat. Great video gents, nice Top Gear’ish intro.
just an awesome piece of educational and entertaining material, thank you
Wow! What an amazing piece of work. Fantastic in every way.
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This was my favorite video you guys have done. Bravo, now I want/need a Mark23
Do it bro!
Such a treat. Thanks for putting this together.
Fire video guys! Thank you and the guys for coming on and giving info!
Thank you sir appreciate you watching 👊🏼👊🏼
Show the gear at their feet
Immense video. I'm in England and fortunately don't have guns to tempt my fun money but the MK23 is the only handgun I covet.
This really changes the way I look at handguns as more than just a sidearm to a rifle. Especially suppressed.
That's the whole goal: offensive handgun is not just a catchy name.
@@Borderline5440 Yeah the maneuverability to this extreme ive never thought about. Something with a dot and more capacity would be really something. Even 147 +p 9mm in a host is something i might pursue.
I would love to take a Mk23 pistol class from Dave Hall
This was a really cool video, more than I expected
The Solid Snake gun. Shadow Moses.
great video. Amazing knowledge and stories.
love my mk 23. need more vids on this. thanks guys!
✌🏻
I was able to hold this beautiful creation and it is just insane how huge it is but it just looks stunning
Wow, amazing video with so much history. Well done guys.
Thank you
The intro is SOOOO GOOD. PLEEEEAAAASEEEE keep doing that.
I’ve sold every HK I’ve ever owned but could not put down my iPad while watching this video. Thank you for such a great contribution to the shooting community!
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Thank you for the kind words sir. Jake worked super hard on this video and it shows.
Tears of the sun....... Bruce Willis and his team do work with the mk23
They do indeed
great documentary keep up the good work
phenomenal video, i have always dreamed about owning one but i think it’s time to make it a reality!
Get in there
Yo what a spectacular video. Excellent content, truly. Thank you gents. 😊
👍🏻🤙🏻
Very entertaining video, well done!
Man, this brings back memories! We used this in my first CQB course and none of us liked it in that role. Ridiculously heavy double action pull and way too much muzzle flip. Those of us that had privately owned USP45s thought that gun would have been much better. I carried it sometimes on my first deployment though always in SA. In fairness it was best suited to a specific role (Recon/maritime) but I rarely saw it used after 1998. Years later we used the HK45C for its suppressed capabilities and it was thought very highly of. Great video.
Same. Shot a buddy's and was thoroughly unimpressed. He tried to nerd out on me about why I should love it. I was just like.... Meh. I've shot some very mid uspsa limited guns that were way way better.
Thank you gentlemen for your work, service and being an American.
No thank you sir 👊🏼👊🏼👊🏼
I got a MK23 with a LAM from a Navy Seal Lieutenant Junior Grade when I was at the Big Shell in 2009.
Loved it! I was under the impression the USP45T was more heavily used
I genuinely can't tell you how happy I am to finally find a demonstration of the MK23 with the slide lock. Bucket list moment indeed. It's probably a really silly feature for this kind of gun and for this kind of calibre (I read that one of the reasons for the discontinuation was the fact that it would damage the frame), but man do I love the gen 1 MK23.
One of my dream guns, took a long time to get one and the KAC can just happened to hit the market at the same time.
It's one of those that I always dig out, always managed to make everyone shoot quite a bit better. Especially the unexperienced ones.
The 1911 boys doing a 1hr vid on HKs MK23? My Saturday is now complete.
Hahaha enjoy
This is already your best video yet and I haven't even watched. Gonna go grab my Mk23 for good viewing company.
Oh then you’ll definitely like it haha
Always thought it strange that the mk23 is often referred to as the world's first offensive handgun considering the GIGN's history with the MR73
Or the Colt Walker
I believe because it was directly created as an offensive handgun in the offensive handgun program, which was meant to standardize the sidearm across all special operations team members
Fascinating video, fascinating pistol, and fascinating men!