This is not exclusive to Airguns since trends of Airguns are highly influenced by what type of Real Steel Pistols are popular to people. This is often based on what people see portrayed in movies and TV Series, and also promoted online. There is for sure an overlap in what is popular and it is hard to say what is influencing what? Is it the popularity of Pistols out in the real world that influences what we see being used in the movies and on TV? Or is it what we see in Movies and TV that influences our choices of pistols out in the real world? Perhaps it is a combination of both?
My list is based on my own personal experience and does not represent the entirety of types of Pistol designs available.
In this Field Test Shooting Review of the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol I find out what the actual Velocity is and how accurately I can shoot it at a paper target setup 30 feet down range. If you have not already watched my Table Top Review for the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol then make sure to do so to see some nice closeup video of it and all the details and specifications laid out for everyone.
Starting with what the actual velocity of the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol. I made sure to keep it nice and warm before making this test and I also placed a brand new 12 gram CO2 cartridge in it and went with lead pellets I am guesstimating where around 7 grain so not super heavy or super light, definitely not a high velocity pellets. I was a bit shocked that my average fps was no where near the claimed 340 fps. My 5 shot average came to 263 fps with the highest being 272 fps and the lowest being 256 fps. Is that good enough for shorter range plinking? For sure but far off the called 340 fps. Maybe the manufacturers claim was using high velocity super light weigth pellets?
Next I performed my accuracy portion of the test and reloaded the 12 round magazine which is actually a dual 6 round rotary magazine you manually switch sides to unload all rounds. My first 6 shots I pointed the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol right at the bulls eye and found out it shoot a bit on the low side so only two rounds actually made it on the paper. I then switched to the other 6 round rotary magazine and aimed a bit higher, this time I was able to get fairly well centered on the target and produce about a 3 inch grouping. So in other words no awards are going to be handed out for this pistol in terms of accuracy or power. By the way I was using my standard shooting stance which is with my hands stabilized on a sand bag up front and sitting on a stool in the back.
The KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol is not listed as any sort of target pistol so I was not expecting world class performance but I was expecting it to shoot a little bit better than your average blowback CO2 BB shooter and it really didn’t at the end of the day. If you’re specifically looking for a pellet shooting Makarov then this will be your Airgun since I am pretty sure it is the only one out there at this time but personally I would go with one of the CO2 Blowback BB versions since they shoot a bit harder and are maybe even more accurate not to mention you also get that blowback recoil with a nice light single action trigger.
Type: Pellet Air Pistol. Distributer:KWC. Model: PM Makarov Pellet. Materials: Metal and polymer build. Weight: 1.7 pounds (754 grams). Barrel: Rifled steel. Propulsion: CO2 x1. Action: Semi auto non-blowback, double action only. Ammunition Type: .177 caliber pellets. Ammunition Capacity: 12 rounds (2x6). FPS: 344-370.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol is not going to make for the best action shooter out there as it is a double action only shooter when compared to a single action only trigger or a single and double action trigger. That said it works fairly well as long as you make sure to fully release it after each shot, short releases may result in the hammer not going back all the way and a misfire. As with most double action triggers it is a bit long and slightly heavy but not unusable, just be prepared to get a little bit of a finger workout.
Accuracy: I have not shot the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol just yet but will be doing so shortly so stay posted for my Full Field Test Shooting Video for the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol. I expect it to do fairly well in terms of accuracy and power since there is no blowback, it is a pellet shooter after all and the barrel is rifled. We will see shortly…
Build Quality: The KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol is built just like all the other KWC Airguns, it’s not going to be the best quality but it is decent and KWC has been making Airguns for a while not just for themselves but for other companies like Umarex, Gletcher, ASG, Crosman and even Sig Sauer. You will find metal on this gun where it matter. The slide, the full size drop out metal magazine and of course lots of internal parts. The frame, trigger, fake hammer and safety are all plastic. Fit and finish is good overall and the fact that this is a fairly simple Airgun design with no blowback, so less moving parts means there is less chance for something to go wrong so it should last a while even with lots of use.
Realism: The KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol really does look and feel like a real steel Makarov PM semi auto pistol with the exception of the ejection port which is not cut out. everything is really believable even though not all the parts work like the slide, slide catch release and fake hammer. On a real Makarov PM the frame would also be metal adding to the overall weight but the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol comes in at 1.7 pounds which is actually very close to the weight of a non-loaded real steel Makarov PM which weighs around 1.6 pounds but will be a lot heavier fully loaded.
Good weight and solid feeling gun. Lots of metal where you need it in the slide, magazine and other internals.
All metal full size drop out magazine holds CO2 and 12 pellets.
Decent looking replica of a Makarov PM.
Not a lot of writing on the gun, very clean looking (Non Ranger version).
Recessed barrel helps with look of realism.
Rifled barrel will help with accuracy.
Non-blowback operation with increased fps and CO2 efficiency.
Working safety in same position as real steel version.
Double action trigger is a bit long but not overly heavy so should be decent for action shooting.
Cons:
No blowback, slide is fixed and does not move either.
Hammer moves but does not cock back for single action shooting and is made out of plastic.
Sights are not adjustable and are all black so shooting at darker objects will be a bit more challenging.
Hard to tell when out of ammo, have to listen to the sound or count shots.
Comments:
It is nice to see more full size drop out metal magazine Replica Pellet Pistols coming out in the Airgun market. Generally speaking most are going to be non-blowback but there are a few blowback options. That said a Non-blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol like the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol will typically give you a high velocity and more shots per CO2 and can even be a little bit better in the accuracy department since there is virtually no recoil from them. The KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol is a nice little Replica Airgun that looks the part, feels the part and hopefully turns out to be a fun and accurate Pellet Plinker at the end of the day.
My Vimeo Videos for the KWC PM Makarov Non-Blowback CO2 Pellet Pistol:
I have another Huge Mystery Box to open and share with everyone, this one was even larger and heavier than the last one! You are going to have to watch the video to get all the details on what is actually inside but I can say there are 4 AEG Airsoft Rifles from a new to us company called Arcturus in both AR and AK versions and 2 CO2 Non Blowback Replica Pellet Pistols from KWC.
I do have a some more videos to make from the last Mystery Box Preview being a Specna Arms AEG PDW AR Airsoft Rifle and a Paintball Pump Shotgun that I still need to make both Table Top and Field Test Shooting Video for.
This is both a revisit and a comparison Field Test Shooting Video all wrapped up into one so hold onto your socks! Make sure to watch my Table Top Revisit for the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol where I go over the importance of this gun and how it started things off not only for Umarex but also Replica Airguns!
As always with my Indoor Filed Test Shooting Videos I test out the velocity of each Airgun along with the accuracy but in this case I want to see how a nearly 20 year old Blowback BB Pistol stacks up agains a much more modern similar BB Pistol. The closest CO2 Powered Blowback BB Pistol to the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol as far as I could tell was the KWC Makarov Full Blowback BB Pistol since both are about the same size, share a similar look and design, have similar velocities and should perform relatively the same.
I’m not going to give it all alway in this written version of my Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol Field Test Revisit, so you will ahed to watch my YouTube Video to find out. I will say both guns performed well and for the first ever working slide with simulated blowback action BB pistol ever made, I would say it holds its own against todays more modern airgun designs.
Way back in 2006 I made a video called the World Smallest Full Auto BB Pistol and uploaded it to YouTube then I kind of forgot about it fro a while… A few months later I went back and checked on it and had received around 100,000 video views and I lost my mind for a bit. It made me wonder perhaps if people wanted to see more Airgun Videos so I started making the occasional Airguns Video when I bought a new Airgun and uploaded them to YouTube. They kept getting decent views and people seemed to want to watch them so I decided maybe starting an Airgun Blog that I could link my YouTube Videos to would be something people would be interested in?
Well that was how the Replica Airguns YouTube Channel and Website all began and since then things have really grown with over 300 thousand Subscribers, 138 million Video Views and over a thousand Video made to date.
I figures it was time to take a look back at the Airgun that started things all off and see if it still stands up to the newer Airguns on the market. That Airgun is the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol which by the way was Umarex’s first ever BB Pistol and was also the first BB pistol to have a working blowback slide. I tried to find out exactly when the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol went into production but could not find this exact info but I’m guessing it is around 20 years old by now.
As far as I know there are no new Walther PPK or PPK/S Steel BB pistols on the market, perhaps some in 6mm Airsoft versions so the closest 4.5mm BB Airgun I could compare it to was the Makarov line of Airguns, Umarex and KWC have made versions of the Makarov including the original Umarex non blowback all metal Makarov, the Umarex Legends Blowback Makarov Ultra and the KWC Full Blowback Makarov PM. Of course there is the Baikal Makarov but that is a gun that is hard to compare to other Airguns so I left that one out of the picture.
In this video I compare the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol to the newer Makarov BB Pistols to see if it holds up at least in terms of appearance and features and to be honest other than the plastic stick magazine it really does hold up considering its age and how much time Airgun Manufacturers have had to make improvements over the years.
Make sure to watch this video to see how the Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol compares to todays modern Airguns and stay posted for my shooting comparison where I test out the much older Umarex Walther PPK/S CO2 Blowback BB Pistol to the much newer KWC Makarov PM in the Replica Airguns Indoor Shooting Range.
I will be away competing in a Body Building Fitness Contest so there will not be any more videos that week.
You may have noticed I have been withering away this past couple of months. This is in preparation for a Fitness Contest I am going into. For a show like this you need to be super lean to be competitive.
I have been competing since 2015 mainly in Men’s Physique and have qualified myself over the years to compete at the National level in Amateur Body Building.
The competition I am going to is the GNC / ALLMAX Canadian National Pro Qualifier in Toronto. If I do really well I can possibly get an IFBB Pro Card. Getting an IFBB Pro Card means I would now be able to compete in Pro Body Building competitions.
In order to win the Pro Card I would need to win my hight class and then win the overalls against the other winners in their hight class.
To date I have come close to winning the IFFB Pro Card but just missed it on two occasions. I am hoping to get the IFBB Pro Card this times around but I know the competition will be very competitive.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol is pretty decent for a double action only trigger, certainly light enough for some fairly fast action shooting without tiring your trigger finger too much. It would have been nice to have been able to cock the hammer for some slower and more precise single action shots.
Accuracy: So far I have not had the chance to test out the shooting performances for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol, but I am expecting it to get sub 2 inch 10 shot groupings from 30 feet out and hopefully the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol will chronograph in close to the 400 claimed fps. Watch for my Field Test Shooting Video down the road.
Build Quality: The KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol is a pretty basic CO2 BB Airgun, basically two metal halves of the frame screwed together and not a lot of working parts. It’s almost all metal except for the grips and hammer and has a good weight and solid feel to it so I expect it to hold up well over time. The fit and finishes seem just fine but it does have some noticeable seems going all around the Airgun where the two halves join together.
Realism: The KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol at first looks like a real steel Makarov, it’s about the right size and weight, has a recessed barrel and no CO2 tab on the bottom so overall a good looking replica. It’s when you look a little bit closer look that you can really tell, from the lack of an open ejection port to the small screws on the right hand side of the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol. When you start to play around with it you will notice the hammer is plastic and only for show and of course not being a blowback gun the slide and slide catch release do not function at all.
Pros:
Full metal frame.
All metal full size drop out magazine that holds the BB’s and CO2.
Working safety, and magazine release.
Because it’s NBB it will get higher fps and more shots per CO2.
No ugly CO2 tab on the magazine.
Seems to have a decent double action only trigger.
Very affordable at around $70 Canadian.
Less moving parts means less to go wrong for longer reliability.
Cons:
No blowback operation so no single action trigger or simulated recoil.
Ejection port is not cut out and hammer is only for show.
Has those ugly screws on one side of the frame.
Comments:
Most of you probably already know I am a bit of a Blowback operation Airgun snob so when I review Non Blowback Airguns I am generally not as excited. What can I say, I just like the simulated recoil Blowback offers and the fact that Blowback Airguns will generally allow for a much lighter and shorter single action trigger. The plus side to a Non Blowback Airgun is going to be four main points: Usually a lower price tag, faster fps, more shots per CO2 and better longevity of the gun since there are a lot less moving parts to wear or break. It really come down to what you prefer, but the good news is you can have your choice of a Non Blowback Makarov like the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol or you can go with the blowback KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol. Or better yet, why not both!
My Video Review for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 NBB BB Pistol:
Another Field Test Shooting video coming to you this week from the Replica Airgun Sea Can Indoor Airgun Range! Today I test out the KWC CQBP M45 A1 CO2 Airsoft Pistol to see what kind of real world velocity it gets and how accurate it is shooting a rapper target form about 30 feet away.
Starting with my Chronograph velocity results, the KWC CQBP M45 A1 CO2 Airsoft Pistol is really powerful! It shot right up to and just over 500 fps using a brand new CO2 with .20 gram Plastic Airsoft BB's. The temperature was decent right around the mid 20's Celsius which is not too hot or too cold.The actual 5 shot average was 497 fps with the fastest shot hitting 503 fps and the slowest hitting 492 fps so all pretty close in velocity.
Next I placed 10 rounds down range at my paper target using a rested seated shooting position (Sand bag up front and seated on chair in the back). I did find the KWC CQBP M45 A1 CO2 Airsoft Pistol shot a bit high but windage was well centered. My 10 shot grouping produced about 1.5 inch fairly tight group with one outlier that came out a bit.
Overall the KWC CQBP M45 A1 CO2 Airsoft Pistol is a pretty well rounded Airsoft 1911, it's mostly metal with good weight, has lots of power, maybe even too much for anything close range, produced some decent accuracy and it isn't going to set you back too much at the end of the day. Just be aware that because it is a none blowback pistol it does only shoot in double action which is not typical of most 1911 pistols.
In this Classic Legends Airguns comparison video I look at a number of different Classic or Legendary BB Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I personally feel is the best . My final choices are of course based on my own personal opinion and in this video I end up picking two as they where kind of each in their own class.
In this Makarov comparison video I look at a variety of different versions of Makarov BB Airguns and compare them to each other to determine which one I feel is the best in their class. My final choice is of course based on my own personal opinion and even then I found it hard to pick a clear winner.
In this video I feature my top five favorite BB pistols for early 2016. That said there are lots of other BB pistols I truly love and enjoy but I had to pick 5 so these are them! You may notice that many of them are blowback, I do like the blowback guns after all and this is my top 5 pick so naturally many of them will have blowback action.
Here is a list of my top 5 guns featured in this video not necessarily in order of choice:
Action: Semi auto non-blowback, double action only.
Ammunition Type: Steel BBs 4.5mm.
Ammunition Capacity: 21 rounds
FPS: 394 fps/ 120 m/s.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 Non-Blowback CO2 BB Pistol was about medium to hard but I have definitely experienced heavier trigger pulls on some guns. It is nice that the trigger is in the style of a 1911 and not your typical lever styled trigger like you will find on some 1911 wannabe's. I imagine if the CQBP M45 A1 has a lever style trigger it would have more leverage and be a bit lighter.
Accuracy: I have not shot the KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 Non-Blowback CO2 BB Pistol but expect it to perform similar to the Cybergun Sig Sauer GSR Sigarms I reviewed a while back since both guns have similar internals so for now until I do my dedicated Field Test review you can read my Cybergun Sig Sauer GSR Sigarms Review: "Accuracy was decent but not outstanding, I got around a 2.5 inch grouping from a 20 foot away free standing position, shooting just to the left and high on the target. I did find that I was able to zone in a bit better with the Cybergun GSR as I got used to the trigger. I also put the Cybergun Sig Sauer GSR through my Chrony Chronograph and got very close the manufacturers 397 claimed feet per second, actually starting off well above it and settling down to around the 370 FPS mark. My 8 shot average on a new CO2 was actually 422 FPS."
Build Quality: You will find a pretty nice balance of metal and plastic on the KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 Non-Blowback CO2 BB Pistol. The metal slide, magazine barrel and some literals give it a really decent weight in the hand and the fit and fish feel good overall. The trigger and hammer are not the best aspects of the gun in terms of quality as they are both plastic and both kind of made more for show and less for function.
Realism: The KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 Non-Blowback CO2 BB Pistol looks and feel the part of a M45 1911 A1 including a full size drop out metal magazine, working magazine release and safety. The slide catch release is none functioning and so is the hammer which does not cock back for single action shooting. It would have been nice to have a single action trigger and a working slide to finish off this pistol but it is meant to be more of an entry level pistol at the end of the day.
Should have good FPS and lots of shots per CO2 based on my 4.5mm BB version testing!
Rail for mounting accessories.
Nice white dot sights.
Recessed barrel give it a more realistic look.
True 1911 style looking trigger even though it is double action only.
True 1911 working safety.
Cons:
No blowback - slide does not move either.
Hammer moves but does not cock so no single action shooting.
Non adjustable rear sight.
Trigger action is bit heavy and long so it’s not going to be the fastest action shooter.
Comments:
If you're looking for a lower cost well made 1911 in that classic A1 style but with a little bit of updating like having a Picatinny rail and tactical sights then the KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 Non-Blowback CO2 BB Pistolmay just be right for you. So it doesn't have blowback or a working slide, on the other hand it has lots of metal on it giving it good weight and feel and with less moving parts there will be less to go wrong down the road. You can also expect to get fps into the 400 range with a decent amount of shots per CO2 so the trade off not having blowback may be worth it for this reason. All in all a nice airgun in the under $100 category.
My Vimeo Videos for the KWC Metal Slide CQBP M45 A1 CO2 Air Pistol:
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is really nice. It is single action only since it is a blowback pistol that requires racking the slide to chamber the first round. The take-up of the trigger is slight with a crisp light release, the trigger is definitely not going to get in the way of the accuracy of this pistol.
Accuracy: The accuracy and true feet per second performance will be tested when I do my future Field Test Shooting Review shortly (weather permitting).
Build Quality: Excellent, the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol seems to be really well built like the other full blowback KWC BB and Airsoft pistols I have reviewed and shot in the past. The fit and finish is very good but I expect the electromagnetic black coating to wear off in the high spots fairly quickly but this does give the slight worn in real gun look. In terms of quality it looks like KWC may have even gone to extra effort to beef up some of the areas perhaps prone to breakage like the trigger guard since this pistol is made out of Zink based metals rather than hardened steel like you would find in the real firearm.
Realism: I have to say the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol is a really nice replica overall, perhaps one of the best considering it has full cycle blowback with an all metal full sized drop out magazine. Sure the Baikal MP-654K takes the cake in terms of realism since it is practically a real Makarov rechambered to shoot Steel BB's but the MP-654K lacks blowback operation and the ability to fire quickly using a single action trigger. A couple of drawbacks with the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol that are different from the real steel Makarov PM are the thicker trigger guard and butt plate.
Pros:
Has full cycle blowback operation.
Nice heavy blowback spring makes slide nice and snappy, should have good blowback operation.
All metal build.
All metal full size drop out magazine that holds the BB’s and CO2.
Fully field strip-able.
All part function like a real Makarov.
Open ejection port and reassessed barrel.
No ugly CO2 tab.
Seems to have a really nice single action only trigger.
Internal fixed hop-up for improved accuracy and sustained trajectory.
Cons:
Lower fps because of short barrel and presumable heavy blowback operation.
Magazine base sticks forward a bit more and is thicker than a real steel Makarov.
Trigger guard looks to be thicker than a real steel Makarov.
Comments:
The Makarov is one of my favorite pistols, it's a true classic! So the fact that there is yet another Makarov Air pistol on the market is fine with me. And perhaps the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol might just be the best all around Airgun Makarov hitting all the hot spots us Replica Airgun enthusiasts love... Like full blowback operation, a nice light single action trigger, a full size metal magazine that holds the ammo and the CO2 and of course an all metal build with all those working bits and pieces like you would find on the real steel Makarov PM. But you will have to decide for yourself...
My Vimeo Video Review for the KWC Makarov PM CO2 Blowback BB Pistol:
Wow! Some new 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft guns and they are all brought to us from KWC. I would expect all of them to be available eventually in both 4.5mm Steel BB and 6mm Plastic Airsoft but for now I have the M11 in both Steel BB and Plastic Airsoft and the Makarov PM and CQBP M45 A1 in Steel BB.
This is just my quick preview video so make sure to watch it as I do show you around the guns fairly nicely but you can expect some more upcoming detailed Table Top and Shooting Videos shortly...
Here are some of the basic specifications for each gun...
During this Field Test Shooting Video Review of the Baikal Makarov MP-654K, I take a look at the actual real world velocity using my Chronograph along with some accuracy testing using paper targets with a controlled shooting position.
I shot 5 rounds through my Chrony Cronography and got an average fps of 306 which was not super high but just fine for plinking. I would expect to get well over 100 shots with my Baikal MP-654K Makarov since the CO2 being released with each shot is fairly conservative. The temperature on this day was under 10 degrees Celsius.
Moving on with my accuracy results from 30 feet back in a semi rested position, I was able to get a 5.5 inch goruping with 10 shots. The Baikal Makarov CO2 BB Pistol does have a rifled barrel which may work better when using lead BB's but you would have to be careful not to load too many at a time since the magazine follower spring is rather heavy and could deform the softer lead BB's making them jam in the gun. Hard Steel BB's do not deform or jam in the gun but are not optimal for rifled barrels since they do not grip the rifling very well and can give sporadic results. My grouping was also centered a bit to the right but not by too much.
The 2013 Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol may not be the best performer I have tested in terms of velocity and accuracy but it is for sure one of the best built and most realistic BB pistols I have reviewed.
Materials: Weapons grade steel slide, frame and most parts.
Weight: 1.7 pounds.
Barrel: 3.8 inches, metal-rifled.
Propulsion: CO2 x 1.
Action: Semi auto, double and single action.
Ammunition Type: Steel/Lead BB's 4.5mm.
Ammunition Capacity: 13 rounds.
FPS: 380.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the 2013 Blued Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol is good in single action mode (When cocked), when shooting in double action mode it is a bit heavy but it seems like over time the gun is working its self in a bit as the metal is hard and as with many Russian made guns, they need some break in period. The trigger springs are heavy so don't expect light trigger pulls.
Accuracy: The accuracy and true feet per second performance will be tested when I do my future Field Test Shooting review.
Build Quality: Excellent, the Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol is made side by side using the same machine sand same materials as the original Makarov PM (9x18) firearm that it is Replica of. There simply is not another airgun made to this quality level or that is as accurate a replica of it's real steel version.
Realism: You simply can not get any closer to how close this gun resembles the original Makarov PM (9x18). You can even field strip this gun exactly like the original. The only acceptation is when it come time to fire the BB gun version, The Baikal MP-654K is not designed to have blowback operation which is understandable as it would be impossible to fabricate this gun so close to the original and still give it blowback operation.
Pros:
All Steel construction
Made side by side in the factory to the real steel version with same build quality and on same machines.
The closest BB gun to a real gun you can get in terms replicating the parts and being made out of the same materials as the real version.
Can filed strip like the real version.
New 2013 version has recessed barrel.
New 2013 version has the flush CO2 screw.
New 2013 version is the PM style with narrower handle and PM grips.
Can field strip like the real version.
Shoots in single and double action.
Safety works as a de-cocker.
Made in Russia!
Cons:
Expensive compared to other airguns.
No blowback operation.
Only a 13 round magazine.
Gun requires some breaking time.
Comments:
The new 2013 Blued Baikal MP-654K PM Styled BB Air pistol is one of those must have airguns if you are a collector, sure the price is a lot more than most airgun replicas out there but the 2013 Blued Baikal MP-654K is built like no other airgun. Rather than creating a replica gun around existing airgun parts, Baikal takes a different approach and reworks a real Makarov backwards so it is made to shoot steel BB's using CO2 rather than 9mm rounds. You could say it is a real Makarov but chambered to shoot steel BB's and use CO2. These guns are rarely available in Canada since they often get stuck in customs because they are so realistic. I was actually very surprised when we located a secure that had some that they where willing to give up!
My Vimeo Video Review for the 2013 Blued Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 BB Pistol:
More guns to show off! Good for you and me! In this update video I show you some very interesting guns indeed! As many of you are aware, the Baikal Makarov MP-654K CO2 4.5mm Steel BB pistol has been really hard to find new here in Canada, making the price of used ones escalate up into the $700+ price range for one in as new condition. Well for those looking to buy a Baikal Makarov MP-654K we have located some and have them for sale now in our Canada Replica Airguns store (Very limited supply). These are the 2013 PM new design models with the narrow grips and mags, they also have the recessed barrels and cut out extractor. We sell them in the blued version only.
Another CO2 BB pistol that has been out of stock for some time is the EKOL ES series. I reviewed the ES 55 CO2 BB Pistol a while back but until now have not been able to show off the ES 66 Series which is more browning high power looking in design. The good news is we have both the ES 55 and ES 66 CO2 4.5mm Steel BB Pistol in stock in our Canada Store. These guns are mostly metal with full size drop out metal magazines that hold the CO2 and BB's, they also shoot in both single and double action and have pretty decent power! We are now selling both the ES 55 and ES 66 series of guns in our Online Canada Store.
I've looked at several Gletcher Airguns over the last little while and finally got my hands on the Gletcher APS Blowback CO2 BB Pistol which is a replica of the Russian Stechkin Soviet Military sidearm introduced back in the 50's. It's kind of a bigger brother version of the Makarov, i was surprised at how large it actually was when i got my hands on it! The real steel version had the ability to shoot in both semi and full-auto but my Gletcher APS 4.5mm BB replica only shoots in semi auto. Again, checkout the full line of Gletcher Products in our Canada Replica Airguns Store.
Ammunition Capacity: 16-17 round full size drop out magazine.
FPS: 350.
Trigger Pull: The trigger pull on the Umarex Legends Makarov Ultra is fairly long but in term of resistance is about a medium pull, there is no double action so single action only but the pull is longer than most single action triggers to accommodate the BB chamber mechanism on the magazine. Basically a BB is pushed into the breach/barrel during the first half of the trigger pull, then the trigger is released.
Accuracy: I tested the Umarex Makarov Ultra Legends from 30 feet back shooting at a paper target using a semi rested position (sand bag up front and standing in the back). My 10 shot grouping was just a bit below the bulls eye but fairly well center left and right and all 10 BB's stayed within 2 inches with most of them grouping even tighter than that. Not bad at all! This pistol also got a respectable 333 fps on this not super warm day so I would expect it to hit the claimed 350 fps during summer weather.
Build Quality: Being a pretty much all metal gun, makes the Umarex Makarov Ultra feel solid and sturdy. The only plastic parts on the Umarex Makarov Ultra where the grips and some magazine parts like the CO2 tab. The painted finish is a nice metallic dark grey, a definite improvement over the previous Umarex non-blowback Makarov glossy black finish.
Realism: The Umarex Legends Makarov is a licensed replica of the Makarov PM 9x18 Russian military and police pistol. It is a very close copy in both looks and feel, has a very heavy blowback action and field strips just like a real Makarov. You'll also find a full size drop out magazine that holds the CO2 and BB's and a working slide catch/release that locks back when the magazine is empty.
Working slide catch and release (Locks back after last shot).
Realistic working metal safety.
Full size dropout magazine that holds BB's and CO2.
Can be field stripped like original Makarov.
Fully Makarov licensed.
Much better finish than original Umarex Makarov.
Cons:
Has the exposed CO2 tab on the bottom of the magazine.
No recessed barrel.
Trigger is a bit long because of how BB's are chambered.
Safety does not de-cock the hammer like original.
Comments:
Umarex really addresses the majority of the shortcomings found on the original non-blowback 4.5mm Steel BB shooting Makarov. They added the much asked for blowback operation, made the slide catch/release operational, upgraded the magazine to a full size drop out CO2 and BB magazine, gave it a more realistic paint job and even replaced the plastic safety with a metal safety. The only tradeoff is the loss of the short take up single action trigger and perhaps a few fps. All in all a big improvement over the first version which even today is still a very good BB pistol.
Watch my Vimeo Review for the Legends Umarex Makarov Ultra CO2 Blowback BB Pistol:
