Intro:
It the late 90’s KSC release a Mk23 replica true to its real steel counterpart in terms of realism. KSC duplicated the external accessories ie: decocker, Single action/Double action trigger assembly, etc. Internally they utilized the recoil buffer system similar to the real steel version. This gun was revolutionary in it’s time for the fact that it was completely up to scale, able to take real LAM and flashlight units. The Mk23 was fitted with a long range piston that expelled most of the gas toward the BB instead of bleeding too much gas into the blowback assembly. This resulted in a highly accurate long ranged pistol BUT the recoil suffered greatly at this expense. The recoil was sluggish at best.
Over the years the Mk23’s were updated and refitted but the overall internals remain unchanged. The only updates were piston changes, the Hard-kick unit was released but was not enough to boost the recoil to acceptable speeds and for a few years the Mk23 faded popularity plagued by accuracy inconsistency, and reliability issues.
Year: 2005
KSC released a new Mk23, blowback based on the highly popular KSC USP compact. It boasts a large bore, offset piston with a diameter of 15.5mm which is 122% of the previous Mk23. The blowback assembly no longer has a piston cup rather now has a tight fitting O-ring .
The hop-up unit remains the standard rotary 2nd generation KSC Hop-Up and barrel runs at the original Hard-kick length 123mm. After adjusting the hop-up dial we’ve noticed that the “tight” collar as seen in the USP series did not make it’s way to the Mk23 so after repeated use the Mk23 Hop-up will move and trajectory consistency will be dramatically compromised. Constant hop-up adjustment is required similar to a KSC Glock 19.
Recoil Guide and spring assembly have been changed in the fact that it no longer uses the HK type Buffer Recoil system, it now uses the standard single spring type recoil guide similar to the USP.
The lower Trigger/hammer assembly remains untouched and all the aftermarket and OEM are interchangeable.
The magazine has been updated; it now has a 25% gas capacity increase. The outer shell is also zinc instead of stamped steel. The valves are also easier to remove/replace since they no longer require you to remove the magazine outer casing to reach them.
Performance Report:
Many of the reliability/performance issues have addressed and revamped in this new edition but a few still remain. The Mk23 05 is still true to the older models in which they cannot consistently function correctly on pure green gas or even the slightly weaker Abbey Predator gas. They simulate an over pressured magazine and sputter while not completing the blowback cycle. A stronger hammer spring is the only remedy for this particular problem.
The range is a different story, the Mk23 series has always been strong when it comes to range and I am happy to say this version is no different. With an effective range of 45 meters this pistol makes a competent competitor against carbine-sized, low tuned AEG’s.
Aesthetically Mk23 is a beautiful pistol with all the real steel features being present. All the levers are all metal, and there are no evident seams to dissuade you from authenticity. All the real accessories fit without modification.
Velocity is a disappointment, on green gas the Mk23 flounders between 284-287 fps
Gun features:
Live Decocker: As mentioned before this pistol replicates the real steel feature of a live decocker which means that it can be decocked without using your thumb to guide the hammer down. The lever needs to be swung down which activates the decocking assembly in result it safely brings the hammer into the “down” position.
SA/DA: The Mk23 is a single action Double action piston which means it can be manually cocked to fire the first round or the trigger can be pulled in the down position and the gun will fire in double action mode.
Tuning parts Impressions:
- Guarder recoil spring set with steel Pt66
Guarder has continually made advancements in the Airsoft community and this set is no exception. The harder hammer spring is strong enough to prevent any “light Strikes” within the firing action. Although Guarder has been known to have their hammer springs lose tension, this set des not exhibit any sign of it as of 350 shots. The recoil spring is also considerably stronger than the OEM version but not strong enough on its own. You will need to leave a helper spring in the assembly to completely cancel the slow recoil cyclic speed as shown in the picture. Steel pt 66 is a drop in fit, and always a good insurance for the longevity of the gun, if part 66 breaks the impact hammer does not correctly hit the valve and leads to continuous gun malfunction.
-KM Head 1950 Steel Part 66 KM
What can I say? It’s steel, and it’s KM, which means it’s considerably stronger than the pot metal OEM part and it fits perfectly which is expected from a maker like KM. A pure drop in part that is absolutely required for reliability of the KSC Mk23.It keeps the rocking impact hammer straight in alignment. Without this piece the gun will misfire and often purge all of the gas content out of the magazine.
-KM Steel Hammer Strut
The Mk23 struts being constructed out of aluminum, KM has made a direct copy of this knowing the intention of gamers to always upgrading. The steel hammer strut will not bend or warp under heavy load like the OEM version; as a result the action and performance of the gun will be more consistent. KM made a few hammer struts for other pistols with notoriously weak struts, the Mk23 being on that list.
-KM 6.04 TN inner Barrel
The TN barrels have always been a must in the KSC pistols. The Mk23’s exceptional range has been increased but the most improvement has been in the accuracy department. The velocity increase is a meager 6-8 fps. The KM barrel is always a mandatory upgrade for any KSC pistol.
-Shooters Design Hammer and recoil spring set
The Shooters spring set is possibly the best set available on the market regarding this pistol, the hammer spring loses its effective tension after 3000 rounds which are always a good time to overhaul your pistol. The recoil spring is the perfect tension in sync with a light helper spring. The impact buffer spring is utterly useless but a nice touch.
-Shooters Design CNC Aluminum Slide and outer barrel
The SD CNC Aluminum slide and outer barrel set is an excellent reproduction and the blowback assembly fitment is completely “Drop-in”. You will need to “clean” the slide of Burrs on the rails which can be done with tried and true fine sand paper, the quick way a dremel wire bit or you can put the slide on an physically cycle the action until it cleans itself up. To further increase Cycling fluidity you can ramp the slide and outer barrel where they touch so that the outer barrel can drop without flat surface to flat surface resistance.
-Zeke Metal slide and outer barrel set
The Zeke Metal slide was release a few months after the original non-Hardkick Mk23 and has still been floating around all these years. I have had two of these slides and NOTHING is a quick fix install job. Each slide is cast from a Metal powder so each slide in different in terms of fitment. These slides require a lot of filing. The finish resembles a dark primer but comes off easily if handled too much. The slide being cast is full of pits and the trademarks are not precise. We would recommend staying away from this one.
-02 KSC HK Mk23 SOCOM Pistol HW Hard-kick Gen.1 lower frame assembly
As mentioned above EVERYTHING on the 05 lower frame is completely compatible to the prior versions. The impressive HW frame replaced our project Mk23. Every thing is a complete swap.
Conclusion:
After addressing all the power-to-gas balance tuning, the Mk23 is an acceptable performer in terms of cyclic speed and range. With an effective range of 40 meters and the cyclic rate of OEM Glock 19 this pistol is an adequate skirmish pistol in outright performance. Regarding reliability to quote Tommy Lee Jones “do yourself a favor and go get a Glock , The Mk23 is no Glock or USP nor does it stand the test of time or handle upgrades as well as the two aforementioned pistols. Although the 05 hardkick is a step in the right direction, it incorporates too much of the previous generation internals to be completely free of failure.
