Possibly one of the most important weapons in the Metal Gear series - if not the most important - the SOCOM MK23 served both Snake and Raiden as their sidearm of choice in Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, respectively. Hit the jump to read all about this bad boy.
For both of our protagonists, The Heckler & Koch MK23 was less of a weapon and more an extension of their bodies. It never got the exposure of the PSG1 during the Sniper Wolf mission. It was underappreciated. But it was crucial.
The MK23 was designed in 1991 as an offensive handgun for US special forces operating under the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The pistol is considered a "match grade" pistol, meaning that it's designed so that each shot fired does not vary more than one millimeter, making it an extremely accurate pistol. on top of this, the firearm sports a hexagonal barrel design, making it even more accurate.
The HK23 and the USP Compact Tactical
The weapon is amazingly durable, being both waterproof and corrosion-resistant. It's able to fire tens of thousands of rounds without a barrel change. This durability is why the pistol is ideal for special forces.
The MK23 isn't perfect, however. It's been criticized for it's large size and hefty weight. In response, Heckler & Koch produced the USP Tactical, which offered the same performance of the MK23 while being much smaller and lighter. Like the MK, it can be fitted with a suppressor. However, it lacks the LAM (laser aiming module) capability of the MK23. H & K eventually released the HK USP Compact Tactical, which did allow a LAM and suppressor.
A civilian variant of the MK23 - the Mark 23 - is available from Heckler & Koch subsidiaries HK Inc. and HKJS GmbH. The U.S. models debuted with 10-round magazines due to the Assault Weapons Ban, but when the ban expired in 2004, the magazine expanded to 12 rounds to match the government variant. Due to Canada's 1995 Firearm Act, the Canadian model sports a 10-round magazine.
