Baikal Makarov MP-654K-Best BB type?

[Mobiasstrip]

I have been trying to use Gamo 4.5 cal round lead shot with my new (to me) Makarov.
They are proving very tedious to load into the magazine as, I would estimate, about a third are slightly too large and do not drop down correctly. These then need fishing out which is a right old faff…
I prefer to use lead rather than steel bb as lead does not ricochet as much and also will protect the rifled barrel. However using them is not going well.
Interested to hear what others recommend. Have I been unlucky with a duff batch? Maybe my magazine is slightly tight (it’s gen 2 I believed -April 2000).
Appreciate any advice. Thank in advance.
Steve

[cozzamec]

I've found they aren't great either, try the accu bb, copper coated lead ones

[wickerman]

I have never had a problem with them but only load about 6 so they don't crush

[Mobiasstrip]

I've found they are great either, try the accu bb, copper coated lead ones

Thanks. I’ll order some and give them a go :-)

[Mobiasstrip]

I have never had a problem with them but only load about 6 so they don't crush

Maybe I’ve got a bad batch. I’ve never even loaded 6 without one or two getting stuck and needing to be removed as they didn’t drop down into the magazine.

[wickerman]

on one mak I had I opened up the hole where bb comes out it was to tight for lead

[Josie & John]

Pre 2002 Mak mags have a 4.4mm BB loading hole, rather than later models, which are 4.5mm wide and generally feed 4.5mm Gamo ball without issue.

You could carefully open up the hole or try and source a later magazine.

Copper coated lead ball such as Smart Shot work best in a 4.4mm smoothbore barrel in a Mak and if used in a standard 4.5mm barrel, groups tend to open up in my experience.

John

[Lawrie Amatruda]

Great little pistols, and so easy to bulk fill with no alterations, making them very cheap to run.

Cheers, Lawrie.

[Mobiasstrip]

I've found they are great either, try the accu bb, copper coated lead ones

These arrived earlier in the week. They load perfectly and appear to shoot well although I’ve not really tested accuracy yet. Problem solved. Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

[Mobiasstrip]

Great little pistols, and so easy to bulk fill with no alterations, making them very cheap to run.

Cheers, Lawrie.

They are great pistols. Quite unique wrt factory components.
Can you bulk fill these? I’m surprised, but then I really know very little about PCP/ bulk filling. Apart from a couple of CO2 pistols I’m a springer collector.
Having now joined a club I’m looking forward to finding out more.

[Lawrie Amatruda]

If you have access to a filling source, eg a fire extinguisher, I make a small adapter that replaces the powerlet screw at the bottom of the grip, that screw normally comes out easily, then I adapt a powerlet that acts as the reservoir, so no alteration to the pistol at all.
Cheers, Lawrie.

[Mobiasstrip]

Pre 2002 Mak mags have a 4.4mm BB loading hole, rather than later models, which are 4.5mm wide and generally feed 4.5mm Gamo ball without issue.

You could carefully open up the hole or try and source a later magazine.

Copper coated lead ball such as Smart Shot work best in a 4.4mm smoothbore barrel in a Mak and if used in a standard 4.5mm barrel, groups tend to open up in my experience.

John

Thank you for this advice John. Interesting to hear that they changed the filling hole size. I guess they had feedback about the problem.
Mine is pre 2002 but fortunately I haven’t needed to open out the hole as the copper coated Webley Accu BB (7.4 gr) load without any issues so far while the Gamo ball (8.18gr) do not. Both have 4.5 on the tin!



Did Baikal make a smoothbore 4.4 barrel or is this something you fabricated?
I haven’t tried to dismantle mine (yet)…
Best
Steve

[capt hindsight]

Mines similar, some of the Gamo lead balls are a bit tight or wont drop in, others are fine. I think its just inconsistent manufacturing tbh. As mentioned above the copper coated ones drop in nice and dont cover my fingers with lead, Boris at Rusmilitary recommends copper coated lead BB only. However i've found the Gamo lead BB to be the most accurate.

[Josie & John]

Thank you for this advice John. Interesting to hear that they changed the filling hole size. I guess they had feedback about the problem.
Mine is pre 2002 but fortunately I haven’t needed to open out the hole as the copper coated Webley Accu BB (7.4 gr) load without any issues so far while the Gamo ball (8.18gr) do not. Both have 4.5 on the tin!



Did Baikal make a smoothbore 4.4 barrel or is this something you fabricated?
I haven’t tried to dismantle mine (yet)…
Best
Steve

Hi Steve,

The Gamo are 4.5mm and are generally more accurate in the Baukal Mak, while the Smart Shot are a close second. The Smart Shot are nearer to 4.4mm than 4.5mm, despite what it says on the tin, hence why they fit in pre 2002 mags, while Gamo don't.

The Gamo can sometimes jam, if you load a mag to capacity due to them being soft lead, whereas the thin copper coating of the Smart Shot gives no such problems. I usually load 1 Smart Shot, followed by 8 Gamo in my post 2002 mags.

Standard Mak barrels are 4.5mm rifled. You used to be able to buy 4.4mm smoothbore barrels from Russia but owing to western sanctions, sadly this is no longer possible. I was lucky to have bought a couple, alongside a smoothbore barrel extension that looks like a steel silencer and adds a few FPS when fitted. What I like about these Izhevsk made barrel threads is they are internal and not visible when the silencer is not fitted.

There's a company that advertises newly manufactured replacement barrels including extended and threaded ones on t'bay but I have not tried them. They're not cheap - try searching for item no. 126494438407

It may also be worth contacting Boris at RussMilitary.com as he sometimes has spare barrels and magazines, albeit the latter are probably going to be for post 2014 so called Gen 4 pistols, which have a slightly different barrel head, so while some do fit earlier models like yours, others don't.

I would see how you get on with the Smart Shot in your barrel before you consider opening up the loading hole or an aftermarket barrel.

Best of luck!

John

[vintage]

I have been trying to use Gamo 4.5 cal round lead shot with my new (to me) Makarov.
They are proving very tedious to load into the magazine as, I would estimate, about a third are slightly too large and do not drop down correctly. These then need fishing out which is a right old faff…
I prefer to use lead rather than steel bb as lead does not ricochet as much and also will protect the rifled barrel. However using them is not going well.
Interested to hear what others recommend. Have I been unlucky with a duff batch? Maybe my magazine is slightly tight (it’s gen 2 I believed -April 2000).
Appreciate any advice. Thank in advance.
Steve

I use to use Dust Devils in mine when I owned a Mak. Never had a problem with them.