I would get anything BUT the Hk Mk23. Here's why...
-It's going to cost you nearly $2300
-Magazines are $50-60 a piece and are proprietary. USP mags won't work, making the Mk23 mags uncommon, expensive, and overall hard to get your hands on.
-It's HUGE. I have large hands, am 6'3", and I think it's too big. It's DEFINITELY too big to be concealed.
-It's cost is prohibitive towards stockpiling ammunition, magazines, and spare parts which are nearly impossible to find from Hk. I know, as I own a few Hk products.

If you want the most common of .45's go for a 1911, Glock 21, and Sig 220, in that order.

The 226 is a nice 9mm, but if you're going to go for a 9mm get the Beretta 92fs or the Glock 19. The Beretta can always be found cheap for a used model, and takes the most common magazine on the planet. Right behind that is the Glock 19. Some say the 17, but the 19 is a bit smaller, takes the 17, 19, and 18 33 round mags. If you have a 17 and find 19 mags along the way, you're out of luck. But if you have the 19, you can use everything but the model 26 mags. The only reason I wouldn't go 26, is it's just too small.

If you really want what I think of as the perfect SHTF scenario weapon, get a Glock 23 in .40S&W. Now I HATE the cartridge, but magazines for the 22 and 23 can be found on any dead cop you might come across, as well as in abandoned cruisers. They are also the second most common magazine in the civilian market as far as I know. TONS of .40 ammo floating around out there as well.

 

I really appreciate your response, I'll probably go for the Glock 23 then (still have to decide if I'd rather have the 21), but you make a great point for SHTF scenario. Even if the cops weren't dead/gone, could always barter or buy from them I assume

 

Glock 21 hands down, no seconds, period.

 

Sig 220/226 if you're going .45/9mm and want accuracy, or Glock 21/19 26/30 if you want firepower and ease of use/cleaning.

 

I ended up picking up the Glock 23, the size seemed perfect and the common use of the cartridge (FBI/Police carry) seemed good. May pick up a 9mm eventually as well though!

 

I have owned a Glock 21 since 1998 and bought it used. I have probably fired around 1,500 total rounds through it and I don't particularly take care it like I should. It has never jammed or failed to function the way it was designed to function. I trust this weapon 100% even though I also own 3 - 1911's which I like also.

I am extremely happy with the G21 and would recommend it to anyone. One thing though, the G21 has a large grip and I have medium size hands. I can fire it accurately one handed, but it is much more comfortable with two hands, besided the .45 ACP 230 grain round is better two handed.

 

I'd get the Glock 21 and then later on the Sig P-226. I love both of them. They're both really good and reliable firearms.

 

I just finished typing this in a different post:

I love my Glock 22. I've shot many rounds in extreme cold weather without a single failure to fire, to extract or to cycle.

The first time I shot it it was -45*F, wind was blowing hard and it was snowing. I had my new G22 and my Sig P226 with me.

I started out with the Sig and I couldn't even empty one magazine. The slide wouldn't cycle back into battery properly. The very low temperature was making the metal parts contract and tighten up in places and putting new kinds of crimping pressures on the slide rails.

I would fire one round, the slide would come back, the spent case would eject and a new one would chamber but the slide would stay about half way open. I had to push it back into battery with my thumb.

"It's too cold for shooting, I guess" I said to myself and decided to pack it in.

However, since I had just gotten the Glock I wanted to see how much it kicked compared to my 9mm Sig and decide to put a few rounds through it, even though I expected I'd have to push the slide with my thumb.

The thing worked flawlessly. I shot a few hundred rounds and every time it did everything it was supposed to do.

That was the day when I became a Glock convert.

 

OK, I looked at all three used ( Sig Sauer P-225 service pistol in .45ACP, G21, and H&K USP .40 compact ) back in October. Now, this was pre-election so they were all within $50 of each other ($425-475 each). I picked the H&K USP .40 because the Sig was too large, I've never taken a liking to Glocks, and H&K is a high-quality pistol. My magazines ran $11/each from Cheaper Than Dirt, so I loaded up at the time.
For myself, I'd look for a used USP rather than the Mk23. To me, it's an overpriced pistol and the USP is the same handgun anyway.

 

Glocks Rule

You picked a Good one with Glock, and there are several reasons why Glocks are the way to go.
Glocks can take abuse that will stop other guns from working, it's kind of like the AK47 when it comes to the abuse it will take and still keep shooting.
I work on lots of guns and I also train officers with different guns at the range, and the Glock is a gun that will work without oil and keep going.
Most (not all) small parts for Glocks work on the other models.
There are a few different frames sizes, but I can tell you that as a Glock Armorer, most of the small parts will work on any of the Glocks. If you have a full size glock, like the Glock 21, the Glock 30 will use those Glock 21 magazines, the only exception is the Glock 36 wit a single stack mag.
I carry a Glock 22C on duty with the Glock 27 as a back up, and it will use the Glock 22 mags from my duty belt, they just stick out more.
My Glock 23C will also use the G22 mags.
Glock have fewer moving parts, easy to work on, nd there are so many of them out there. The magazines are less expensive than others, even with the recent prices

 

Of the three you asked about, I'd go with the Glock 21.

 

Glock 21

I bought a Glock 21 several years ago and have never had a problem with it, however, I recommend upgrade to match quality barrel, trigger, etc., so that you can maximize accuracy. The Glock 21's accuracy "out of the box" can't even glimpse the HK Mark 23's accuracy. Don't get me wrong, the Glock is GREAT for survival and field stripping, but the HK Mark 23 is preferred amongst USSOCOM due to it's accuracy, quality and easy field stripping. I've never had my Mark 23 jam up nor had any other problems with it. Getting mags is more difficult for the Mark 23 (unless you order them in bulk directly from the manufacturer) and yes it is an expensive handgun but WELL WORTH IT. If I had to rough it survival style, I'd probably BRING BOTH!

 

You cannot do wrong with a pre-4th gen Glock. I'm an HK fan and I've shot an mk23 but I'd much sooner take home a USP or HK45 before the mk23.

 

Sig 226, I've carried one for 23 years it is built like a tank and runs like a scalded ape no matter what ammo I feed it.

It is still an absolute tack driver to this day.

 

I think with the Glock 23 you can get a kit with the barrel and magazine to shoot 9mm on the same frame. I have a 23 also and love it. I've picked up a few 15 round mags for the full size as they fit, but stick out the bottom a little.

 

I think with the Glock 23 you can get a kit with the barrel and magazine to shoot 9mm on the same frame. I have a 23 also and love it. I've picked up a few 15 round mags for the full size as they fit, but stick out the bottom a little.

Same with some of the newer 226's, you can get the conversions for .22, .357 Sig, .40 S&W, and 9mm.

I pistol- 4 calibers.

 

Mk23?? Are you joking? It's like holding an overpriced and WAAAAAAAY overrated checkered 2x4, I don't care who uses it. Glock 21 no question.

 

The Mk23 isn't overpriced, it's built unlike any other pistol out there. Most pistols are built to shoot things, the Mk23 was designed with the specific intent of killing people. It wasn't built to be a fallback or backup to a rifle like the 1911 or Glock, it was built to be a primary weapon system for the Special Forces community.

It's built overkill with the design factoring in the worst case scenarios that could be devised. It's not like any other pistol, but it comes at a cost; weight, size, and price are beyond what you'd find in a regular pistol. The USP series takes the best features of the Mk23 and puts them into a civilian package which is no slouch on it's own.

I like the Glock 21, it's a great gun, perfect cartridge, and a tough package, but hardly the greatest gun ever. I'd pick up an HK45 before a Glock 21, and a tuned 1911 before either one of those.

Everyone has an opinion out there, my recommendation is to try them all and use what works best for you.



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The person that started this thread has not posted since March of 2010.

 

Yah, Zombie thread is undead.

 

HK45>G21>Mk23

The Mk23 is too big for anyone who's not a 6'6'' German lumberjack. Hence the new HK45...the CT version was adopted by the Navy SEALs as the Mk24. Definitely recommend it over the G21 if you dont mind paying the extra $$$