Rifle Baikal MP-512-22 - budget version of air guns

Review of the Baikal MP-512-22 air rifle

The air rifle Baikal MP-512-22 is popularly called “Murka”. The model looks very simple, but the technical and functional equipment allows both a beginner and an avid professional shooter with experience to fully enjoy recreational shooting.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of the Baikal MP-512-22 air rifle:

• Safety during cocking (provided by a safety lock, the button of which is installed in front of the trigger).
• Comfortable stock with notches.
• Quite high power (up to 7.5 J).
• Attractive design.
• Affordable price (from 3200 to 4000 rubles depending on the store).

According to the majority of consumers, there are significantly fewer obvious disadvantages than positive characteristics. Some people don’t like the fact that the stock is made of plastic, but the high quality of the material fully compensates for this disadvantage. In addition, during use, the sight settings sometimes get lost.

Photo of the MP-512-22 air rifle

Purpose

The classic air rifle Baikal MP-512-22 is used for recreational and training shooting, as well as for initial training. A model with a reinforced modification is used when hunting small game on foot.

Tree and Magnum

The air rifle MP 512 26 wood, in which the stock is made of birch, does not differ in any features from previous samples and from the most basic model. The only thing is the aesthetic component of the weapon and the weight, which will be a little heavier than models with a plastic butt.

But the Magnum model already stands out from the rest of the lineup. This was influenced by the use of a double steel spring in the design, which consists of a standard spring and an additional one inside. Both inserts differ in the following parameters:

• diameter of the internal spring is 12 mm, external - 19 mm;
• the thickness of the wire of the insert reaches 1.6 mm, for the surface - 3 mm;
• The inner spring is 5 mm longer than the outer one, it has a larger number of turns - there are 54 of them, instead of 34.

Such a spring allows the projectile to be given a much higher initial speed - 185 m/s is guaranteed instead of 140 m/s, and a maximum of 220 m/s. Accordingly, the muzzle energy becomes greater and reaches 25 J. With such characteristics, the rifle cannot be sold freely, since it is capable of hitting a living target and piercing sheet polyurethane. A license is required to purchase it.

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Posted in Weapons and tagged MP-512 Magnum rifle

Specifications

Technical characteristics of the Baikal MP-512-22 air rifle:

History and design of MP-512

MP-512 is a classic spring-piston rifle, which is built by breaking the barrel. It is called the “successor” of the Soviet IZH-38 rifle, but in fact, the first series of MP-512 of 1998 completely copied the later series of IZH-38, so it is more correct to call it a deep restyling, and not “a replacement for the new product.”

A little later, at the beginning of the 2000s, the rifle received a new stock, then sights, the barrel lost six rifling, and the safety design was changed. In 2022, the MP-512 was significantly updated both externally and internally, and it had almost nothing in common with the IZH-38.

The rifle is based on a compressor 85 mm long and 25 mm in diameter. It is made by forging from a solid blank, rather than from a pipe and a welded plug. This engineering solution has both pros and cons: a solid-forged compressor will not be broken by a powerful spring and will withstand a million shots, but with forging it is impossible to achieve a perfectly perpendicular bottom. Therefore, the cuffs on the MP-512 are constantly wrinkled, reducing compression and power.

The trigger is the simplest, unregulated, assembled in a single block on the rear cylinder plug. Compared to the IZH-60, another popular IzhMech rifle, its trigger is extremely clumsy, tight and long. Its force is more than 2 kilograms, and this figure increases rapidly if non-standard springs are installed. The automatic safety is cocked when the barrel is broken and tightly blocks the trigger - this significantly increases the safety of the weapon when used by children or inexperienced shooters.

The barrel is standard for all Baikal air guns: length 450 mm with six semicircular rifling and a choke. It traditionally has high accuracy: 3-5 cm at a distance of 25 meters, but there may be problems with the coating and drill alignment, pay attention to them when purchasing.

The sights are simple - rear sight and front sight. Since 2022, they have been trapped in futuristic plastic enclosures. The rear sight has micrometric adjustment in two planes for easy zeroing without screwdrivers or other tools. A dovetail strip is welded on the top side of the cylinder for installing optics or a collimator.

The design of the rifle is very simple, the components can be easily disassembled and changed, and the abundance of spare parts at an affordable price will allow you not to be afraid of breakdowns and repair the weapon yourself.

Device

The weapon is equipped with an adjustable optical sight (vertically and horizontally). For greater convenience during use, the safety button is located next to the trigger (in front of it). The automatic safety locks the trigger while the rifle is cocked, thereby preventing accidental discharge.

The barrel of the weapon rotates in a vertical plane. The rifle is cocked in the traditional way - breaking the barrel.

The butt is made of high-strength plastic and has characteristic inserts so that the hand does not slip on the butt.

Operating principle

The functioning of the mainspring ensures the movement of the heavy piston. This work leads to the formation of compressed air, which pushes the bullet out of the barrel and a shot occurs. Cocking the weapon is quite difficult - the rifle is equipped with a reinforced spring.

The following brands of bullets are suitable for this rifle:

• Quintor Phantom bullets (flash-noise) – 0.25 g, 4.5 mm.
• Beta bullets (pneumatic) – 0.52 g, 4.5 mm.
• Piranha bullets (pneumatic) – 0.75 g, 4.5 mm.
• Blik bullets (pneumatic) – 0.25 g, 4.5 mm.
• DS bullets (pneumatic) – 0.75 g (0.28 g, 0.4 g, 0.5 g, 0.62 g, 0.67 g), 4.5 mm.
• Tornado-Magnum bullets (pneumatic) – 0.78 g, 4.5 mm.
• DI bullets (pneumatic) – 0.67 g, 4.5 mm.

Disassembly

Experts recommend disassembling the rifle only when specifically necessary (clean, modify).

But if you have already decided to disassemble the weapon, then you should adhere to the following points:

1. We separate the stock from the barrel box - unscrew all the fasteners and remove the axis that connects the box and the barrel.
2. We knock out the pin from the receiver socket.
3. Remove the spring and piston.

Explosion diagram of the MP-512-22 air rifle

Analogs and price of air blower MP 512

Air rifle MP – 52 C – 00 4.5 mm . A rifle for recreational shooting, for those who do not have shooting skills. It has a buttstock made of plastic with rubber inserts for easy anti-slip grip. Plastic parts are made of very durable material. The average cost at 2022 prices is 4,110 rubles.

Air rifle MP - 61 4.5 mm. A model with a safety button, recommended for novice shooters. The rifle has a removable, closed front sight, a retractable butt, and a bullet speed of 132 meters per second. The weight of the product is two kilograms, the length of the gun is 79 centimeters. The average cost at 2022 prices is 4,880 rubles.

In the ranking of the best rifles in terms of guaranteeing quality and shot power among pneumatic guns of domestic and foreign production, the MP 512 is in fifth place

Air rifle MP - 60 4.5 mm. Has a plastic clutch with a safety button. The rifle is intended for training and sport shooting. The average bullet speed is 150 meters per second. Fixed barrel 45 centimeters long. The base spring is charged using a side lever. The average cost at 2022 prices is 4,260 rubles.

Air rifle MP – 512 – 28 4.5 mm. The rifle is equipped with a plastic stock with slotted optics. There is an automatic safety, an adjustable front sight and an aiming rib. The magazine inserts one bullet by refracting the barrel. The bullet's flight speed is 170 meters per second. The average cost at 2022 prices is 4,110 rubles.

Upgrade

For the MP-512-22 rifle, it is possible to install a tactical or laser flashlight, and there is also a mount for an optical sight.

Some shooters use a sound moderator that absorbs sounds during the shooting process. To do this, there is a muzzle at the end of the barrel - unscrew it and install the sound moderator.

Improved accuracy

To increase the accuracy of the rifle, the following parts need to be modified:

• Platoon. First, we modify the platoon - we change the angle of thrust and toe by no more than 5 degrees. In the diagram you can see the state of the thrust and piston before and the field of modernization.
• Trigger mechanism.

Trigger softening

To do this you need to do the following:

1. Change the angle of engagement of the piston and sear, as well as the shoulder of the trigger.
2. Grind and polish the surfaces of the piston and sear, as well as the trigger and sear.
3. Remove burrs from the sear shaft.

We start by engaging the piston and sear. Before the fix, the piston transmitted significant torque to the sear and trigger. To correct this deficiency, you need to draw a perpendicular to the sear, and then draw it up to 3 degrees to the side.

Scheme for changing the piston angle

Next we get to work on refining the trigger itself. On the factory part, the angle is incorrect - the radius from the base to the axis is less than the radius from the end of the shoulder to the axis of rotation. Photo 2 shows the most suitable radius option in the ledge (ideal range is 112-115 degrees).

Ideal radius option in the ledge

We straighten the sear shelf a little with a file, then we sand the mandrel and do the finishing touches using GOI paste. It is worth noting that the edges of the descent must be sharp.

Shortening the descent

To shorten the descent, two methods are used:

1. Installing a cross pin (screw) to limit trigger movement during cocking. Thanks to these actions, the length of the hook of the sear ledge and the trigger is reduced.
2. Shortening the length of the shoulder on the trigger. There is one big drawback to this method - if you make it too short, it will be impossible to correct the ledge.

Eliminate idle speed. To do this, it is enough to install a small piece of the cylinder (for example, the refill of a ballpoint pen) into the SK spring.

Muzzle chamfer

Some shooters are not entirely satisfied with the “native” bevel of the rifle. In fact, it doesn't have much of an attractive design, but it is smooth. If you are not sure that you can make the upgrade better, then you should not touch it.

Sometimes the barrel gets pinched due to knurling under the front sight, and to do this, a new chamfer is made, the barrel is cut, and sometimes a thread is cut.

The accuracy of the rifle depends on the quality and correct shape of the muzzle chamfer - if the bullet spins unevenly, then it will fly not along a flat trajectory, but along a spiral one.
The next method is the simplest and most competent, and therefore does not require additional complex devices. To make a chamfer yourself, we will need the following parts:

• A barrel without a chamfer (or with a bad chamfer).
• Cotton wool.
• Bullet.
• Steel ball (diameter 5-15 mm).
• Abrasive of different sizes.

So, we perform these steps:

1. Step 1: fix the barrel vertically (muzzle at the top).
2. Step 2: place the bullet and then the cotton wool into the barrel (from the muzzle side).
3. Step 3: pour abrasive into the barrel until a small slide forms.
4. Step 4: take a steel ball, place it on the abrasive and turn it with pressure.

The ball is rolled along the cut and removes the excess layer of metal from the barrel. The abrasive needs to be periodically changed to a finer one, and after half an hour of work you can get a mountainous and smooth chamfer.

The chamfer is formed, then remove the bullet (in the direction of the muzzle). After this, we place the cotton wool and also push it in this direction. Repeat the procedure several times to completely remove the abrasive.

Muzzle chamfer diagram

Weighting

To make the most accurate shots, you can upgrade to make the rifle heavier. To perform this task, it is necessary to install a muzzle weight weighing up to 350 grams. You should also fill the bed with polyurethane foam with the addition of lead shot.

Each shooter has an individual weight, so you should gradually increase the weight. The ideal weight of a weighted weapon is at least 3.5 kg.

Schemes of possible muzzles

Power increase

To increase pneumatic power. The Baikal MP-512-22 rifle will have to fulfill several points for additional modernization of the weapon.

Boring the trigger block

We increase the recess for the spring to 31 mm. Typically, boring is done using a milling cutter, but in the absence of one, you can use a drill with an angle of 120 degrees (the main thing is to place a flat part, for example, a coin, under the spring).

These actions are performed in order to subsequently install an even longer spring (for example, from Gamo Hunter 220). Pay attention to the diagram that shows the result of boring the trigger block.

Boring the trigger block

Reducing the bypass hole

To do this, tuning is carried out using a special bushing. It is placed in the rubber bypass gasket. By the way, you can order it from a turner if necessary.