I'm not sure how common these are to find in gun shops, but they had one at Ramsey Outdoor in Ramsey when I stopped by on Saturday. The gun was massive, had a very heavy DA pull, and an even heavier price tag at just over $2K, but it was pretty cool having finally seen one in person.

That gun is a tactical boat anchor.

They're gigantic pistols.... and the original tac light/laser package that went with it was huge too. When all kitted out, it looks and feels like a cinder block. (H&K has made vast strides in ergos and weight in tactical pistols since the Mk23. I love my HK45c.)

 

The heavy price tag seems about right... they're pretty much collector's items at this point. (Same with a PSG-1, if you can find one, they're worth more now used than they were priced new.)

I shot one of these a few years ago. It can be a cool and interesting gun but i think the size really makes it impractical for defensive purposes. Just get a pistol caliber carbine if you feel the need for such a long barrel.

that's a big mama jama! nice never saw one before.

 

Wow, I'd like to go over there just to see it.

 

With regards the size and weight, I think it's a case where the government came up with some pretty ridiculous goals for the Offensive Handgun Weapon System, and HK went and built something that actually met the requirements.

 

Well, they've got the HK45CT now, and that's a much more practical and useful pistol for .45ACP.

I have one of these. LIke everyone said, it's really impractical. The grip is too large for most people unless you have extra large hands. Trigger reach is a bit of a stretch even in single action mode. DA feels like 16+ lbs and SA feels like 8lbs. Mechanical accuracy on these are good but it's very difficult to get good accuracy for me because of the trigger pull and long reach

I had one a few years ago and then sold it to a friend. They are huge pistols but lighter and more ergonomic then a Desert Eagle. I liked mine and it fit my hand well but I just wasnt shooting it much. Never cared for the trigger pull and at the time I had it nobody was doing action jobs on these things. The parts list is specific to the mk23 and if a part gets destroyed from a bad trigger job then its tough getting a replacement from HK.

What my buddy said about MK23 a week ago or so:

 

It was purpose built for special operations and, in that very limited application, I can see where a tool like that would have its place. They were looking for an "offensive pistol" that allowed the operator to have reliable, wet/dry, one-handed, silenced firepower at his disposal that he could use whilst wearing neoprene or drysuit gloves.

 

The trigger guard and trigger are gianormous allowing for easy use with drysuit gloves. The sights at nearly three quarters of an inch over parallax to accommodate the use of a .45 caliber can. The decock and safety are huge as well to make them accessible even when wearing the enormous gloves that allow for very little tactile feedback.

 

Basically, if you're not carrying around an 80 pound rebreather and covered from head to toe in fishman gear, this is probably not the gun for you.