H&K Mk. 23 "SOCOM" {.45 ACP}
In 1991, the U.S. military’s SOCOM (Special Operations COMmand) issued a request for a sidearm to replace all autoloaders currently in use with SOCOM’s various special operations units. Heckler & Koch won the contract competition with the immense Mk. 23. This gun is designed from the ground up as an offensive, rather than defensive, handgun. The end of its barrel is threaded to accept a screw-on suppressor, and the shooter can lock the weapon’s slide for silent single-shot operation (for more information on “Suppressors,” see p. 167). The Mk. 23 is available on the civilian market, but neither the Mk. 23’s silencer nor the military model’s laseraim module, which includes a tactical flashlight/laser combo with two lasers (one in visible red and one in infrared that is only visible through night vision gear) is available on the civilian market. If the Mk. 23 has a drawback, it’s too much gun: at almost two-and-a-half pounds and 10 inches plus ammunition and accessories, few soldiers want to carry the Mk. 23 any longer than necessary. Adding the suppressor increases the gun’s size to 2/L.
Item type
Weapon, Ranged
Ranges 30/60/120
Capacity: 12+1
Strength: 2
Size: 1*/J
Cost: ••••