# Mark 23 SOCOM



## HK Dan (Dec 22, 2010)

I was immediately struck by the size of the gun. She's a biggun, you're not going to CCW this puppy (not without a fanny pack the size of a gunny sack or an Antarctic parka). It is literally the same dimensions as a Desert Eagle. Fit and finish are great, and the controls are all reachable, though. The gun is also LIGHT. In playing around at the house, it corners very well and makes target transitions about like my USPs. Okay, so how big is it really? About 1/2" longer and the same height as a Beretta 92--that's not ridiculously large is it? And I found myself warming up to her.

At the range, she won me over completely. Yes, the claims of 2" groups at 50 yards are true. Mine will do every bit of that and probably better. Clay pigeons on the berm at 50 yards can be broken at will. At 100 yards every other shot will claim a bird, and that's mostly me doing the missing. Recoil is incredibly soft--I load .45 in full SAAMI spec and they felt like powder puff loads. The gun wiggled when it went off, and was right back on target.

The DA trigger is all HK, meaning it sucks. The SA trigger is all HK, meaning it's perty darned good. Now I'm not a trigger whore. I don't mind a snarky trigger so long as it's not Sigma level bad, and this one is no where near that level. It is long, heavy, and grindy in DA mode though.

So, back at home I decided to prove to myself that it was in fact a big gun. I measured and compared the grip circumference to my USP40. Hmmm...smallest diameter, 1/8" difference. Largest diameter? Identical. Length of pull to trigger? Identical.

Bottom line? This sucker is a shooter. It's big boned but not huge, and it's ight and maneuverable. Accuracy is surgical. It's like a .45 caliber laser gun. If the sights are on a target, the target is destroyed. Some hold over is needed at 100 yards. Half the front sight post worked like a charm, using Elmer Keith's method of aiming with hold over.

I like the gun, even though she's a collector's piece more than a shooter. I have an uneasy feeling that she'll be out at the range more this year...LOL

Dan


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