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Finally in the US roughly a year after we were able to give you a sneak peek during a factory visit, Grand Power's next generation of handguns are now available. The K100 of the Mk12 generation has been a personal favorite of mine; I carried it for years, and took a K100 both through dusty desert multi-day training at Front Sight, and frozen snow/sleet training at Thunder Ranch.
That background could be seen by some as a reason for a potential positive bias, but as a fan of the Mk12 I feel it made me all-the-more scrutinous of changes happening to the gun I love.
The Changes were outlined in this article, but in short include an enhancement to traction surfaces, change to slide design including deeper and broader serrations, the introduction of an optics-mounting system, and a revision to Grand Power's famous rotating barrel action type.
What Is it? The Grand Power Mk23 K100 is an update to Grand Power's prime pistol, the K100. DA/SA (no decocker models imported yet) with full ambidextrous controls, a barrel length to ensure optimal performance of most ammunition, and 15-round capacity keeping the grip large enough for most users, but compact enough for carry.
Who's it for? The size and function package of the Grand Power Mk23 K100 makes it very versatile. Large enough for comfortable range use or home defense, small enough for most to carry. Ambidextrous controls to serve lefties and righties, as wella s those who like to train both hands. Optics readiness brings the gun into the current US market trend of putting a red dot on everything.
Take a Look at the Mk23 K100 in the tabletop video below which includes some comparative points with the Mk12 K100 to show the updates.
Grand Power Mk23 K100 Specifications
Caliber: 9×19
Capacity: 15+1
Overall length: 7.96"
Width: 1.425"
Height without magazine: 5.24"
Barrel length: 4.25"
Weight w empty magazine: 27.7oz
Weight w/o magazine: 24.6oz
Included optics plate patterns:
Vortex Venom/DocterNoblex/MeoRed 30
Trijicon RMR
CMORE STS2
Shield SMS
Price as of date written (click link for current pricing): $616.99 direct from importer Global Ordnance
In the Kit:
Manual
Bore Brush
3 magazines
4 total backstraps
4 optics plates with hardware
2 additional front sights of different heights
We shot the new Mk23 Grand Power K100 in Slovakia a year before they became available int he US, but those were early-production guns, we were jet-lagged, using NATO ammunition, and shooting in a converted fallout bunker. Not exactly the GBGuns normal evaluation scenario. While I enjoyed the Mk23 K100 then, I couldn't give a fair assessment until I had put the gun through the same range protocols I've evaluated other pistols with. That's why I stick to the GBGuns Range Protocol to ensure everything gets a fair and equal treatment, regardless of personal bias, interest, or other factors.
As always (otherwise it doesn't count) the range protocol included:
Cold Shots: Truly the first rounds through the gun. No warm up, no practice.
Full Magazine +1: Suprisingly some modern guns still struggle with this. It's a test of how much play is in the magazine as well as how the slide cycles with pressure. This is also when I do my best to learn the trigger.
What's For Dinnerâ„¢: A test to see what ammunition the gun will eat. Does the gun feed the round from slide lock, will it cycle and feed another round of the same type, does the slide lock to the rear on empty, and is there any notable point of impact change with different loads.
For this gun we used the following ammunition:
Priced and linked where found at the time this article was written
65gr Norma Frangible
110gr Koenig JHP $23.49 / 50 at Optics Planet
115gr Sig Elite Defense V-Crown $19.99 / 20 at Sig
115gr Fort Scott Munitions TUI $28.24 / 20 at Palmetto State Armory
115gr Winchester Silver Tip $19.49 / 20 at Optics Planet
115gr Blazer Aluminum-cased FMJ $11.99 / 50 at True Shot
115gr PPU Defense Line JHP $21.15 / 50 at Global Ordnance
124gr Federal Premium Tactical HST $39.99 / 50 at Target Sports USA
135gr Federal Premium Hydra Shok Deep $36.99 / 20 direct from Federal
147gr Speer Lawman TMJ $18.35 / 50 at Global Ordnance
Range Ammo was Sterling 115gr FMJ $299 / 1000 from Global Ordnance
Sights & Trigger Control: on a 6" spinner target at a distance of 12 yards. We got this from Titan Great Outdoors and use it to gauge how learnable the trigger is and usable the sights are for forced, timed, precise shots.
Practical Accuracy: Five shots from a distance of seven yards at a one inch target. This isn't so much about printing a tight group as it is a culmination of our shooting experience and time for us to collect thoughts prior to making a conclusion.
After Shots: Final impressions and reflections from the range session.
The entire process for the Grand Power Mk23 K100 can be seen in the Shooting Impressions video below.
Ammunition seen in our Shooting Impressions video was made possible by our Patrons and supporters of our ammunition savings account through Ammo Squared.
When filming the range video I forgot the promised "Graham's Trick" to field stripping and reassembling Grand Power pistols and so filmed it separately. That video lives on the second channel and cen be referenced here:
On the Range the Grand Power Mk23 K100 performed as expected. Excellent shooting behavior that I had come to love with the Mk12 K100, but now just a little better. The enhanced traction certainly did its part and was needed. I did not feel any decline in the recoil reduction with the new action, but the trigger did feel a bit different to me.
The single action has a more defined wall than I feel in my Mk12s. That could simply be that my mark 12s have thousands of rounds through them while the Mk23 was fresh out of the box, or maybe they've cleaned up the trigger a little more. It's still a great trigger, but now feels a little more appropriate for carry and less like a competition gun hiding in duty gun clothing.
Depending on when you're reading this, you may be wondering between grabbing one of the last Mk12 models or getting into the Mk23 models. As a long-time fan of the Mk12s I stand by my endorsement of them, but the undated Mk23s offer an even better shooting experience. I don't think you'll be disappointed with a Mk12, but if you plan on spending more range time with the gun the Mk23 is worth the "new item" pricing in my opinion.