Of course the H&K Mark 23 SOCOM pistol is designed to have illuminators and/or a suppressor affixed. When searching caves in Afghanistan, a handgun with a light, laser, and/or suppressor might be invaluable. For example, the handgun might be carried with a suppressor or a light mounted so it can be employed in special circumstances. In some special ops units, the handgun may serve the dual role of backup weapon and special purpose weapon.

Admittedly, spec ops chopper pilots normally have heavier weapons in their cockpits-at one time TF160 pilots flew with an MP5K strapped to their legs-but in a crash only the weapons worn on the person may stay with the pilot. For special ops helicopter pilots such as those assigned to TF160 such a kit can be even more critical if downed behind enemy lines.

Should the operator find himself in a situation where he must clandestinely infiltrate from behind enemy lines, this E&E kit is his final option. The pistol, along with a good fighting/survival knife, carried on the belt in conjunction with compact survival items is the basis for many special operator's escape and evasion kit. Interestingly, one other old mission of the handgun became a new mission once again in Afghanistan where Special Forces operators were reminded that it is easier to fire a handgun from horseback than a rifle or carbine. When the handgun is carried as a backup weapon, the operator will not normally carry a large supply of ammunition for it, though two spare magazines for a military high capacity auto grant somewhere in the 40- to 50-round range.

In other circumstances which might occur on a mission-helping to carry an injured team mate, for example-the handgun can be used more readily with one hand. And, bear in mind that hits to a weapon are not all that uncommon in combat since the weapon will often be in front of the body or protruding from cover. As a result, if their primary weapon, whether an M4 carbine, a shotgun, or an MP5 SMG becomes inoperable, they can't make a quick trip to the unit armorer for a replacement. Special operators often operate behind enemy lines or other areas well away from normal supply channels. I did not see many SEALs running, though those that did took it as their due for not performing their best.Īmong the various roles the handgun plays in special ops, one of the most basic is as secondary weapon. As a result, any time one of the 'froggies' missed a shot, he had to run carrying one of the steel plates from the range. In typical spec ops fashion, the SEALs were striving for perfection. In fact, I was at Black Water a couple of years ago when a group of SEALs were receiving handgun training with H&K's SOCOM pistol. Members of Delta, other Special Forces Units, DevGroup (aka SEAL Team Six), other SEAL teams, as well as visiting foreign units including the British Special Air Service and Special Boat Service are continuously rotating through training cycles at Gunsite, John Shaw's Mid South, Black Water, and other such facilities. A good indication of this stress on handgun skill is the frequency with which special operators will be found at the better firearms training centers. The handgun performs myriad missions for the special operator hence, skill with the handgun is considered important in many special operations units.

Seal team 6 subsonic rounds