My first Glock! This thing has been rock-solid from Day 1, accurate and reliable. Drop in a 9mm conversion barrel and pick up a couple G19 magazines and you have two pistols in one. After the Gen 3 Glock went to the dual-stage recoil spring. It's good for .40 S&W to handle the snappy recoil but not so good for 9mm. Makes limp writing too easy to create a failure to cycle the action properly.

 

That was my first Glock and it was a tack driver. Regret selling it. If you are into 40 , it’s a great platform.

 

A 23 generation 3 was my first Glock, and probably my favorite. Good shooter. Get it, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

The 23 Gen 3 was my first Glock pistol - maybe 2005’ish. I’ve installed metrolight sights, OEM “extended” slide stop/release and OEM “extended” magazine catch. Everything else is “out of the box”.

Probably still my favorite. Most carried 2nd to my LCP.

View attachment 1006016
^^ 4 Yards ^^

View attachment 1006017
^^ 42 Yards ^^

Cover garment, 4:00 OWB leather.

 

It works. But a Gen 4 I shot controlled recoil better.

 

Makes me wonder if the Gen 5 would be even better recoil-wise with the heavier slide.

 

you'd be hard pressed to beat a G23. they are stellar guns. I especially love my gen 5. finger grooves on that size glock don't work well with my gorilla hands. but that is just me.

hickok has since abandoned the .40. you must have seen one of his older videos where he discussed it and mentioned carrying it as a reserve officer. he is all aboard the 9 train these days. but, he, like all of us, are getting older every day. I am a die hard .40 fanboy but I'd be lying if I said the 9 wasn't easier and more manageable a caliber to shoot. don't mean I like 9 better. hands down, if I could only own one caliber it'd be .40SW.

 

You're assuredly right. It was a dated video.

His G23 was an impressive shooter. It was extremely accurate.

 

Not as good as the Gen 4 IMO. If you're going to get one, I'd start the search there. I have both a Gen 3 and Gen 4 G23, and prefer to shoot the Gen 4.

You should be able to find plenty of used and trade-ins available and pretty much have your pick.

 

I own a Gen3 g23 . Very reliable . Buy it for sure. Welcome to gt too.

 

G23 gen 3 was my first glock as well. Wish I still had it.

 

It’s my favorite Glock, with my G26 in close second place.

 

Had a Gen 4 that I regret selling, but more recently picked up a like new Gen 3. Can’t speak to any difference in recoil as the Gen 4 was gone for a year or more before I got the Gen 3. I keep a couple of .40 pistols just to have an alternative to 9mm.

 

I've had a Gen3 23 FD frame since 2003 IIRC. Great guns but if buying now the Gen5 would be my choice. Less recoil and no finger grooves.

 

Excellent choice!!

You can fire 3 calibers with any Glock .40

.40, .357 Sig, and 9mm.

For .357 Sig, all you need is a factory Glock 32 barrel only.

For 9mm, all you need is a conversion barrel and a 9mm magazine.

 

There are countries where the entire police force uses Glock 22's and Glock 23's.

And years ago Glock hired a (retired?) deputy US Marshal to do a lot of their product testing on both. Last I heard he still likes the 23 better than anything else. He's also one of those guys who can hit targets at 200 yards all day long with that Glock 23.

 

It’s a great gun. I just bought one about a year ago. It left the mothership in 1999. I’m starting to favor it over my EDC G27.3.

 

My glock 23 is my favorite gun I own. I don't mind a little recoil. Same with my22. Like to have a 27 or 33 for edc. Can't justify another gun right now. Get a glock of any kind,you won't be disappointed.

 

Hickok .45 said it's his favorite handgun. Is it that good?

When I had mine, I put more boxes of ammo through it than you can shake a stick at! Never had an issue with any kind of ammo and that was from day one straight out of the box, with no cleaning to the day I unfortunately had to let it go. Due to a disability that affects my hands, I could no longer handle the recoil of the .40.

If you can get it, then get it! I think you'll be plenty pleased that you did. Unlike others, I preferred my Gen3 over a Gen4. YMMV.

 

I still think my 23-3 has the best trigger of all my Glocks which includes 3, 4, and 5 gens.

 

I agree great pistols, I pulled an old Gen 2 out of the safe to carry, but may have to pull the Gen 3 with night sights back out, I don’t know both are great.

 

G23-Gen 3.... Awesome gun!
A NO sell gun. Can do about anything with this, and hand loading makes it even better....

ssaw

CM
✝

 

I have a G23 Gen 3 and it's one of my favorites! If you have the chance to pick one up, go ahead and get it!

 

It’s the only Glock that I own . I don’t find the recoil bad , but it doesn’t have a snappy recoil . When my friend shot it , he called it radical . He was shooting a 17 , 19 and a 21sf that day . When he shot my DW Pointman 9 and he said that was like shooting a .22 .

 

If it truly is a bargain, buy it. If you don't care for it you won't lose money reselling it.

 

It was also my first Glock. With the .40 the variety of ammo really covers a large spectrum of performance.
My first 23 was a Gen3 but I sold that and bought a Gen4. To me it seems like the Gen4 takes just a little bit of snap out of the recoil. My carry ammo is 180 grain HST, pretty mild recoil for a .40. For woods carry I use Underwood’s 200 grain hard cast flat point. It is a very versatile gun, I use to have a 357Sig and 9mm barrels for it. I will always keep my 23.

 

In my opinion it's the best Glock ever made. I've had one for several years and I like the simplicity of the single recoil spring and I don't need interchangeable backstraps on the smaller guns. I also like the fact that a 357 Sig barrel is a drop-in and 357 and 40 magazines both work just as well and a KKM 40-to-9 conversion barrel works perfectly with no need to change the extractor or ejector.

And I hate the Gen 5 40 caliber guns with their thicker heavier slides which is OK on the G22 which is a duty gun meant to be carried OWB but defeats the purpose of the compact and sub-compact guns which are already at the limit of bulkiness and weight for guns meant to be carried IWB.

The Gen 4's are second best and some may like the double recoil spring and interchangeable backstraps but I like the Gen 3's the best.

 

my favorite carry is a Gen 2 Glock 23. The Gen 23 with gills is still nib in the safe.

For reasons I can not explain, I shoot .40 Glocks better than 9mm.