baikal mp654k review

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Average Ratings

Value for Money	9.2/10
Reviewer Rating	8.7/10
Overall Rating	7.8/10

95% Recommended20 out of 21 Reviews

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By kiwi47 on 27th Aug 2004

kiwi47's Ratings

Value for money	10/10
Overall value	9/10
kiwi47's recommendation

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General Comments

This is a long-term review of the MP654K Makarov CO2 pistol. I have been shooting two versions of this pistol for 16 months now, and have become quite familiar with their strengths and weaknesses.

As far as longevity is concerned, I think I'll wear out before the Mak does! Despite tens of thousands of rounds, this pistol just keeps coming back for more. Barrel wear is undetectable thus far, and the only replacements required have been one set of seals. When delivered, both examples were bone dry, and required a thorough check and lubrication. The exterior appearance improved immediately a little oil was rubbed into the blueing. Standard of exterior finish varies, but is pretty good overall. If replacement of the main/hammer spring is ever required, replacements are available from suppliers of parts for the 9mm bigger brother, as this spring is common to both calibres.

The Mak is a pistol which improves with a little modification. Straight out of the box, the slide is very stiff to operate, due to the fact that the spring is the 9mm item, as are a large proportion of the other internals. To ease this, I cut 2 coils off the inboard end of the spring, then smoothed the cut end with a diamond file. Another improvement which can be made is to carefully cut down the CO2 cartridge screw, and put a screwdriver slot in it. This eliminates the rather unsightly swivel from the bottom of the magazine, and makes the mag release more accessible. Some polishing of the sear and hammer contact faces, and the ends of the hammer spring will contribute to overall smoothness. This was done on one pistol, and the other began to smooth out naturally after around 1500 rounds.

The Makarov is rather fussy about its diet. In view of the rifled barrel, I initially tried it on Gamo lead balls. I found that the last ball invariably stuck in the bore, and on investigation found that the mag follower was mutilating the soft lead ball, causing it to mis-feed. I then tried loading the mag with a copper-covered steel ball at the bottom, and this fixed the mutilation problem. The last round in a rapid-fire string would still jam, however, due to pressure drop generated by chilling of the gas cartridge. I concluded that at 4.47mm (measured) dia the lead balls were just a little too tight for the bore. I then switched to using copper-coated steel balls, and retrieved and inspected the first 50 or so I fired. The copper showed scuffing and smearing, but on none of the balls checked did the steel show through. I regularly checked the rifling for damage during the first 5000 or so rounds of copper, and continue to do so from time to time. No damage is evident yet. I would not even consider using plain steel balls, though, as I'm convinced these would ruin the rifling. I suspect that the bore may be hard-chromed, like the 9mm, and this contributes to its longevity.

I won't comment on accuracy here, as this has more to do with the shooter than the pistol, and has been addressed by other reviewers. I'm pleased with my Mak, and consider it excellent value for money. And when all's said and done, it's the FUN factor that counts!

Total Respect: +2