Air pistol MR-661k “Drozd” (MR-661KS, MR-661k-08 “bunker Drozd”): review of our birds

Closest relatives and species composition

“Drozd” is the most famous and, perhaps, the most successful option for implementing automatic pneumatics. Many foreign manufacturers tried to launch automatic fire on their models, but all this fell short of our Drozd. Any weapon is tested by time and the most severe tests; the MP-661k has passed all the strict selection criteria with dignity and has received wide recognition from hardball players.

Despite its name and possible speculation among participants in various communities, the MP-661k has no analogues in the world of firearms. This is the most common collective image of modern pneumatic submachine guns.

Today, the Drozd air pistol is available in three main versions:

• MP-661k
• MR-661ks
• MR-661k-08

general information

Owners and fans know that there is simply nothing to break in Drozd. This is a really good weapon, with small modifications available at home - a killer thing.

See the rating of pistols in the world here. Read about how to obtain a permit for a sporting pistol here. You will find out further information about which is the most powerful air pistol without a license. The presence of weapons requires compliance with the rules for storing pneumatic weapons.

In total, three modifications of the already famous Drozd pistol of the “automatic” system are produced:

• MP 661 K;
• MP 661 KS;
• MP 661 KV (bunker).

MR-661K

Let's start the review with the classic Drozd MP-661k. Right off the bat, let’s take a look at the characteristics of this pneumatic machine:

Drozd is supplied in regular cardboard packaging in the best traditions of IzhMekh. The kit includes the gun itself, a passport, a loader, a pack of balls and a repair kit. It doesn’t need anything more, the “K” model behaves perfectly even in the basic configuration.

Externally, the bird (thrush) is quite pleasant, it lies comfortably in the hand. There is a removable stock, which most fighters remove due to inconvenience, but its use clearly adds to the appearance. Material – metal and plastic. The body, made of weapons-grade plastic, can withstand hits from similar units; no cracks or splits appear to have appeared.

The main difference between this pistol and other domestic models is the use of electronics and automatic firing mode. To revive the MP-661k, you need as many as 6 AA batteries or accumulators. Shifting the safety lever on the left side of the body downward lights up the red light and puts the submachine gun into combat mode. In a night battle, this burning LED can be disguised, but the red light is already less noticeable.

Batteries in Drozd

Another of the bells and whistles of the electronics is the regulation of the rate of fire (300, 450, 600 rounds/minute), and, most importantly, the length of the fixed burst (firing in singles, threes, sixes). Due, again, to the electronics, the trigger stroke is soft... or rather, none at all - a kind of button for firing that closes the electrical circuit. Again, it’s convenient, some people only dream about it.

Fire modes, LED, safety switch

The Drozd pneumatic weapon is powered exclusively by BaBashes. A large removable magazine for 30 balls with a built-in valve assembly is responsible for supplying ammunition to the line of fire. The dispenser itself is a direct descendant of the MP-654k with a noticeably enlarged expansion chamber, ensuring excellent repeatability of shots.

Can be supplied with 12 g or 8 g CO2 cartridges (via an adapter). The mechanism for puncturing the cylinder can be different, depending on the type of magazine: screw (screw in) or wedge (pierce with a lever). It is possible to charge using the supplied loader. During combat, the same loader can be used to mislead the enemy - if you shake it, the enemy will think that the fighter is on reload. On one side there are a lot of balls, but if you shoot like Rimbaud, they fly out very quickly.

Of the sighting devices in the basic version, the Drozd is equipped with an open sight with a rear sight adjustable along two axes.

Adjustable sight

From the functional part, we note the presence of a long rifled barrel (185 mm), which is enough to confidently accelerate a bullet up to 160 m/s. The shooting is carried out in a heap, during the battle the enemy himself, out of impression, tries to collect all the three fired on himself. When fired, it has the typical distinctive thrush sound. If you hear it from the front, it is better to try to get around it.

The only downside to electronics is the electronics themselves – you can’t run much with them in winter, and you can’t swim in the water. For ordinary civilians, this is probably not a minus, but it is precisely because of the influence of the cold on the drives that airsoft players do not run in winter. Although every business has its maniacs. And again, you need to monitor the battery charge. There is unlikely to be a seller of them in a deep swamp forest.

The price for this unit in the normal market is 6,000 rubles. It's perfect for hardball.

Pistol models

Drozd MR-661K

1. Caliber: 4, 5mm.
2. Initial speed: 120 m/s.
3. Power: up to 3 Joules.
4. Magazine capacity: 30 BB balls.

This is the basic model that started it all.

Basic advantages include:

1. No recoil or blowback system.
2. Powerful automatic shooting even without additional modifications.
3. Made entirely of weapons-grade steel and high-quality plastic.
4. Excellent power and shooting accuracy.

There were some downsides too.

1. Without batteries, electronics do not work (although the batteries run out extremely slowly).
2. Air temperature affects the cans.
3. Mass stamping “kills” the quality a little, but this is rather a subjective judgment.

The pistol can be very coolly upgraded. It’s not even possible, but it’s necessary - you rarely meet an owner who has not changed the weapon “to suit himself” for the better. For example, if you remove the cutoff to six shots and switch the pistol to automatic mode, you will simply get a “combat machine” that fires in bursts.

The Drozd is a very powerful weapon, but there are other models of pistols, for example, the characteristics of the Makarov MP 654 pistol are among the best in the world. In addition, there are such models as the Colt 1911 A1, Kedr submachine gun, Pugach Makarov pistol, Walter P 38 pistol, IZH 53m air pistol (also known as MP-53M), Beretta air pistol and many others.

As for other “tweaks,” you can experiment with replacing the barrel. Watch the video:

Despite the fact that the length of the barrel and the correct gas flow will not affect the accuracy of shooting, you can increase the power indicators. If you see gas splashes when firing, it means the gun is overusing excess energy.

In this case, lengthening the barrel will give you the opportunity to save money and make shots more powerful. The range in all models will remain within 20 meters, after which the balls predictably scatter in all directions.

Another point is the ability to transfer the model to air. The next time you shoot, all three cans in the cassette will last for several minutes.

If you cannot decide on the choice of weapon, then it is worth looking at the types and names of pistols.

For information about spring piston air guns, see here.

See prices for high-pressure pumps for pneumatics at: https://pwpn.ru/komplektaciya/nasosy/visokogo-davleniya.html

In order not to remain unarmed after this time, various tubes and cylinders of higher power are offered, which are connected to the pistol.

These cans are manufactured at the factory. You don't have to reinvent the wheel. The average price is slightly higher than the median - 7,000 rubles.

Drozd MR-661KS

1. Caliber: 4.5 mm.
2. Initial bullet speed: 100 m/s.
3. Power: up to 3 Joules.
4. Magazine capacity: 30 BB balls.

This pistol is the first modified copy of the original. It is distinguished by “stifling”, as professionals say. This means that the weapon is made less powerful.

In fact, this experimental model turned out to be quite useless for several reasons. Firstly, it is not particularly different from the original. Secondly, the price is exactly the same.

The only thing is that it has become a little lighter, so if it’s important for you to carry a lighter weapon, pay attention to it.

As practice shows, most buyers of pneumatics pay attention not so much to the technical characteristics, but to the “special effects” that the weapon can produce.

The air pistol MP 661k 09 blackbird bunker shoots noisily, powerfully, produces excellent bursts and hits bottles almost with ease. In order to shoot at targets “from the hip” in the countryside, this is an ideal option.

It is important to understand that this is not an air gun for hunting and serious games, including self-defense; there is no point in using it for that. The price for Drozd, a submachine gun, reaches an average of 7,000 rubles.

Drozd MR-661KV

1. Caliber: 4.5 mm.
2. Initial bullet speed: 120 m/s.
3. Power: up to 7.5 Joules.
4. Magazine capacity: 400 explosive balls.

The first thing that catches your eye is the appearance of the weapon. Very modern appearance, reminiscent of something similar to a blaster, even with an admixture of “cosmic” details.

This is a modification of the main model. The pistol has a mode change from automatic to single shot. In addition, the automatic mode can be adjusted according to the criteria of firing speed and the number of balls in the queue.

Thanks to a special system for installing cartridges, you can connect three at once. Since the main purpose of the pistol is recreational shooting, the increased speed in this modification allows you to fully experience all the excitement without being distracted by trifles.

Versions with the designation KS are produced with weakened characteristics, but owners manually bring them to more advanced indicators. In the West, even specialized companies do this. Watch the video:

This version of the weapon is called “bunker” because the magazine capacity is very increased. If in the main version the store could hold 30 balls, then here the volume is increased by more than 10 times! Hopper capacity – 400 “bullets”.

The balls are poured into the hopper and fed, as in any airsoft weapon. Some potential users are put off by the protruding power connector, but for the most part, owners will immediately replace the large block with car contacts.

Electronic pistol. This means that, in addition to the cylinders, it runs on batteries, and if the batteries run out, it won’t shoot even in single-player mode. But the batteries run out very slowly and last a long time. If it happens that the weapon breaks down, then the material about repairing pneumatic weapons will help you.

The average retail price for it is about 10,000 rubles, and maintenance costs mere pennies.

MR-661k-08 (bunker Drozd)

The main modification of the classic MP-661k is MP-661k-08, or, in simple terms, a bunker thrush, or according to some indicators, MP-661KV. This is a real hardball machine gun, capable of holding back the advance of several dozen people at once. For this Drozd, bullets begin to be measured not by quantity, but by mass, and the cylinders fly out to replace them like cartridges in their firearm counterparts.

It’s not worth going into detail here; functionally everything is the same as “K”ashnom Drozde. We will only point out the main differences with the previous version.

The pistol began to use a removable magazine design with a built-in hopper for 400 balls. At the moment of power supply, the ratchet feeds bullets from the hopper to the top of the magazine, hence the strange sound when turning on and firing. The bunker thrush feeds on three 12 gram cylinders, or one 88 g (in the MP-661k-09 model, an 88 g adapter is included). At the top there was a standard Weaver bar for the body kit that Drozd was asking for.

Bunker

TTX models:

The normal price for MP-661k-08 is approximately 8,000 rubles.

I couldn’t find a good review of the classic model, so I suggest a couple of videos about the bunker model.

And one more video. The author lies a little, but it was shot beautifully.

Modernization

As one of the great people said: “The ideal is unattainable, but one must strive for it.” It’s the same with Drozd, it’s optimal, but with minor modifications on the part of the owner it becomes even better.

External tuning is possible for everyone, since you can install muzzle guards, a tactical body kit, optics, or replace a standard stock. True, many limit themselves to installing a collimator sight and laser designator. In this case, there is an increase in the quality of shooting offhand and from the hip.

• Replacement of electronics. Most owners immediately change the control board and remove the 6-shot mark and switch the pistol to full automatic fire. In this case, Drozd becomes simply a hurricane, sweeping away everything in its path.
• Changing the barrel. The barrel can be checked in a very simple way; if you see gas splashing from it when firing, then its balance is poor. In addition, this threatens excessive gas consumption, which means a decrease in the rate of fire and an increase in consumption for the same gas. The problem is eliminated by installing a longer barrel, plus you can get a slight increase in power.
• Transfer to air. When firing in bursts, especially from a bunker thrush, three cans are enough for only a few seconds of normal shooting, after which the shooter feels a drop in power. The solution is to switch to compressed air or larger cylinders.

From all of the above, we can draw the following conclusion: Drozd is worth the money asked for it, and if you spend some more money on fine-tuning it, then you will have in your hands the best automatic air pistol for recreational shooting. It is not particularly suitable for hunting and self-defense.

MR-661KS

In order to expand the target audience and fit into our law, IzhMekh traditionally publishes a weakened version of the “KS” with the main model, which falls into the category of a product structurally similar to a weapon. Here the barrel was cut - from 185 mm to 75 mm, and the final speed fell within the permitted 3 J. Otherwise, everything is the same, the owners of the “castrati” correct the lack of power by installing a normal long barrel.

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The 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun model IZH-25 “Baikal” is used for sport shooting on a bench. The muzzle constrictions of the barrels provide high accuracy of combat at long distances, the bell and cylinder of short barrels provide a large diameter of scree at short distances. The vertical arrangement of the barrels provides a good overview when aiming.

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Tuning

Let me mention once again that in the hardball community and the community of pneumatic enthusiasts, this barrel is not only one of the most revered, but also the most tuned. There's just so much you can't do with it - easy installation of optics, collimators, barrel extension, silencers, butts. A dream for DIYers.

You can read about the general principles of improvements in our article about tuning. The Drozd pneumatic submachine gun is no exception to this list. I propose to simply consolidate the main points on tuning the MP-661k:

• External tuning - muzzle, optics, collimators, body kit, individually to taste and color.
• Payment - brute force payment allows you to get several features not provided for by the basic design - completely unlimited automatic fire, increased rate of fire, and others.
• Barrel - replaced with a longer (400 mm) smooth barrel.
• Transfer to air - three cylinders or even one on Drozda must be replaced frequently. Therefore, owners try to change the source or at least increase the reservoir.

Drozd tuning is extremely popular to the level of standard modification options on the market. Here is an example of one of the “local” bunker Drozds in the latest fashion:

Details on this tuning can be found HERE.

Description

The weapon described is the most successful variation of automatic pneumatics. They have been trying to do something similar abroad for a long time, and there are many successful models, but all of them are seriously inferior to the Russian “birdie”. This was confirmed by the test of time and various tests; “Drozd” successfully withstood all the rigors of tough selection.

The peculiarity of Russian weapons is that they do not have a real prototype among firearms. Although there is still debate in the community on this matter, there are many versions of the origin of the submachine gun. But none of them is close to the truth, and it is the following - the blackbird is a collective image of almost all modern representatives of the pneumatic submachine gun tribe.

Blackbirds behind the hill

Usually, our gun stores are bursting with foreign pneumatic imports, the quality of which is most likely aimed at the speedy re-circulation of the buyer’s funds (we read “for the speedy breakdown of the pistol”), with the imposition of the idea of ​​​​the “normality” of such a phenomenon. For some reason, domestic weapons do not fit into this model, perhaps that is why foreign stores like to sell both main modifications of the blackbird. It is no coincidence that users are happy with such acquisitions: laws abroad in some places allow pre-inflated performance on pneumatics.