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PostPosted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 6:55 pm 
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Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Now a review of a rather unique air pistol, the Baikal MP-654K “Makarov” Generation 5. Why is it unique? Because it is the only CO2 repeater made entirely from an ordnance steel. I already have the 2008 and 2009 MP-654K “Makarov” models in my collection. A month ago I purchased from MrMarvin a heavily re-designed 2013 MP-654K “Makarov” (pic), so called the “Generation 5” model, with a serial number: T13504371H where T13 is the production year (2013), 5 is the “Generation 5” model, 04 is the production month (April), 371 is a number in this particular production batch and an H indicates an export-only version. I also purchased an original leather holster (pics in the Airgun Gallery section). This holster will NOT fit the earlier models of the pistol! It’s too small!
The pistol arrived in a colored box, in contrast to a spartan brown box used for earlier models, packed in a wax paper and wrapped in another greasy brown paper exactly as it has been done in the past. Surprisingly, the box was additionally sealed in a plastic bag what suggests that it was shipped directly from the mother Russia without re-packing in Canada. Attached was also an instruction manual containing as usual, the quality control confirmation page and only one plastic seal for a cartridge valve. No valve tool and cleaning rod which were supplied with the earlier models. Apparently some cost cutting measure. Not so nice.
The new pistol has an old fashioned brown/orange bakelite grip panels with a Red Star in the center. The panels show some scratches, minor blemishes and look kind of worn out. I couldn’t understand why, keeping in mind that the box was sealed in a plastic bag so the pistol was supposed to be brand new. However, later on I watched a video on You Tube and the guy said that the plastic grip panels for the MP-654K Generation 5 “Makarovs” are the authentic grip panels adopted from the real Makarov firearms! Incredible!
The major design changes are as follows:
1. In order to accommodate a real Makarov grip panel the steel frame was made narrower and a bottom part of it was cut out to accommodate a redesigned magazine. This cut out doesn’t make sense to me because it makes the frame less stiff. However, to be honest, I didn’t feel any adverse effects during shooting.
2. The new magazine is much slimmer (pic) and doesn’t fit to earlier models and vice versa.
3. The new slide return spring is the ORIGINAL one adopted from a firearm! It is very long and very stiff! (pic). Most likely, the Russians have tons of real springs in the magazine and cut costs by re-using them. It is now very hard to remove/re-install slide. One must have “steel” fingers.
4. The new safety catch is also the original one from a firearm.
5. The steel barrel is a solid steel cylinder which is recessed about 10mm showing a muzzle diameter of nearly 9mm and the rest is drilled to 4.5mm cal and rifled. It makes a very authentic appearance.
6. A top portion of the slide and the entire frame exhibit a matte finish. Only the left and right surfaces of the slide are blued and glossy. All that looks not bad but I guess it is not authentic.
Now shooting. At 18-19C a rapid ten shot string using Daisy Premium BBs (5.3 gr) and a fresh CO2 cartridge resulted in the highest velocity of 386fps and the lowest of 334fps (average 365+-16fps). The Gamo 8.2gr round balls resulted in the highest velocity of 344fps and the lowest of 299fps (average 330+-15fps). That’s not bad. Accuracy at 25 feet is surprisingly good with the Gamo round balls with a consistent grouping of 1.5-2.5”. With steel BBs the grouping increases to around 3.5”. The trigger pull in DA is still very heavy. No change here as compared to older models.
Now, can I recommend the Baikal MP-654K Makarov Generation 5 for an average pistol shooter? Absolutely not. First, the pistol is very expensive ($299). For nearly that price one could buy, say, two KWC Colt 1911/Blackwater 1911 blowback pistols that are great fun for plinking. Second, the MP-654K Generation 5 is not suitable for everyday plinking due to a very heavy trigger pull in DA which precludes a really rapid shooting if someone has a weak or average strength trigger finger and makes an accurate aiming rather difficult. However, this pistol should be considered by collectors especially those who collect Russian made air pistols and other unique air pistols.


Attachments:
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5(1)(a).jpg
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5(1)(a).jpg [ 321.94 KiB | Viewed 8827 times ]
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5-new magazine(right)(a).jpg
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5-new magazine(right)(a).jpg [ 183.61 KiB | Viewed 8827 times ]
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5-slide spring (left new Gen5)(a).jpg
MP-654K 4.5mm-13 Generation 5-slide spring (left new Gen5)(a).jpg [ 162.12 KiB | Viewed 8827 times ]
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 7:35 pm 
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Location: The World
I know theses are pretty scarce
if you only be able to purchase one between the 2009 and 2013 version

wich would be your ULTIMATE choice between them & why ?

Thanks in advance

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PostPosted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 8:30 pm 
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Location: Edmonton
Excellent review, rav. Thank you.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:13 am 
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Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Quote:
The Professional wrote
if you only be able to purchase one between the 2009 and 2013 version wich would be your ULTIMATE choice between them & why ?


By a small margin the MP-654K-Generation 5 (2013, 2014 or 2015) version:
-it’s a bit more accurate than the 2009 and earlier versions particularly with lead balls (uncoated like the Gamo brand or copper coated like the H&N Sport brand)
-it fits very well even large hands despite the small size of the pistol and it's very pointable
-it looks fully authentic like a real service Makarov pistol

Unfortunately, even Mr. Marvin doesn’t show the MP-654K-Generation 5 anymore on his website. It seems that they are gone.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:25 pm 
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Does it have a flexible pistol grip (when squeezed)? Is it really noticeable?

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 1:57 pm 
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Quote:
CZ-Sniper wrote
Does it have a flexible pistol grip (when squeezed)? Is it really noticeable?


With the steel mag inserted into the mag well, the grip is solid like a rock. No flex at all.
Without a mag, if you have REALLY strong hands, you can minimally flex the bottom front part of the frame by say 0.5mm. This happens because the bottom part of the frame is cut out to accommodate a new steel magazine. However, you don’t shoot without a mag inserted so this phenomenon is irrelevant, anyway.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 20, 2015 8:19 pm 
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rav wrote:
Quote:
CZ-Sniper wrote
Does it have a flexible pistol grip (when squeezed)? Is it really noticeable?


With the steel mag inserted into the mag well, the grip is solid like a rock. No flex at all.
Without a mag, if you have REALLY strong hands, you can minimally flex the bottom front part of the frame by say 0.5mm. This happens because the bottom part of the frame is cut out to accommodate a new steel magazine. However, you don’t shoot without a mag inserted so this phenomenon is irrelevant, anyway.


I see. Thanks for clarifying. It's good to know that such a solid - looking air pistol actually feels solid in the hand.

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 12:50 am 
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rav wrote:
Quote:
The Professional wrote
if you only be able to purchase one between the 2009 and 2013 version wich would be your ULTIMATE choice between them & why ?


By a small margin the MP-654K-Generation 5 (2013, 2014 or 2015) version:
-it’s a bit more accurate than the 2009 and earlier versions particularly with lead balls (uncoated like the Gamo brand or copper coated like the H&N Sport brand)
-it fits very well even large hands despite the small size of the pistol and it's very pointable
-it looks fully authentic like a real service Makarov pistol

Unfortunately, even Mr. Marvin doesn’t show the MP-654K-Generation 5 anymore on his website. It seems that they are gone.


Ok , Thanks for the hints Rav
...oh and for the lead balls , after all thoses shooting session with different type of BBs , what brand or type you actually prefer
to use now and why specifically ?

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 22, 2015 6:37 pm 
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Quote:
The Professional wrote
...oh and for the lead balls , after all thoses shooting session with different type of BBs , what brand or type you actually prefer
to use now and why specifically ?


Regarding lead balls I prefer the copper plated H&N Sport Preazisions-Rundkugel brand. Due to copper plating they are noticeably harder than the pure lead uncoated Gamo brand. They are more resistant to deformation by a terribly strong spring in the magazine of the MP-654K Generation 5 pistol. Still, it is advisable to insert a steel BB first and then 8-10 lead balls on the top of it. This way the stress on the lead balls is more evenly distributed. Personally, I insert 2 steel BBs first and then the lead balls. Even then the first lead ball which is in contact with the steel BBs can sometimes get deformed and cause a jam. The mag spring is definitely too strong. It can, most likely, be weakened by cutting one or two coils although I haven’t tried it yet.

I don’t shoot steel BBs in my MP-654K pistols at all just to prevent any potential rifling wear.


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 24, 2015 3:08 pm 
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Thanks for another in-depth and thorough review Rav!!

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 26, 2015 7:53 pm 
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Location: Vancouver.bc
i got one too,nice,everything are so stiff,hard to pull the slide when its new.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 27, 2015 4:57 pm 
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Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Quote:
magnum wrote
i got one too,nice,everything are so stiff,hard to pull the slide when its new.



After more or less 500 shots it’s gonna get smoother except a slide because it is not a working part (no blowback). Anyway, you don’t really need to rack a slide for each shot.


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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:01 pm 
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Location: Russia,Moskow.
5-a 500 series with the index " H " - which were exported.We call them 32 series - they are really made of combat prototypes.300-series - these are the same 5 only without the index " H " were made directly for Russia for the domestic market.And so-between 300 and 500 series differences virtually there is no-later can straight for the photo both.
The only thing valued "N" that they gates were not peskostruy and shone and 300 series gun was attackerman.Later the "N" version completely gone peskostruy-how in your version of the photo above.
On your instance of the frame of the video it says that this same gun was released to 54 years,and then the frame was already slanting.And the round holes under the fuse flag indicate that the bolt was made before the 80s.The actual year of production on many grounds can be accurately determined by experts.And the framework, gates, parts and bakelite can be different years of production-collected from the details of different years that were in stock.That's why your bakelite was scratched.That gun that your photo is valid until alterations were combat prototype.

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:20 pm 
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Location: Russia,Moskow.
Here is a 500 " N " series made for export, have a glossy, shiny shutter (shown by arrow)


Attachments:
IMG-20190312-WA0081.jpg
IMG-20190312-WA0081.jpg [ 142.74 KiB | Viewed 3487 times ]

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PostPosted: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:23 pm 
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And here is the same gun 300 series-made for the domestic market of Russia-with a matte,sandblasted top shutter.


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IMG-20190312-WA0082.jpg
IMG-20190312-WA0082.jpg [ 171.5 KiB | Viewed 3487 times ]

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