Makarov MP-654 air pistol: review, characteristics and reviews

Weight and size copies of military weapons have become very popular among amateur air pistols. The Makarov pistol (PM) is widely used in the Russian Federation, which has caused increased demand for its pneumatic version - MP 654K. The model is unpretentious to use and has a decent muzzle velocity.

In the manufacturing process of the product, elements from combat PM are used, due to which the pneumatics are very similar to the original. The slightly shortened barrel, recessed into the muzzle, imitates a real 9mm caliber. It differs externally from the PM in that it does not have a cartridge ejector.

Purpose

This MP 654 air pistol is intended for amateur and training shooting with spherical bullets for 4.5 mm caliber air weapons. Shooting is carried out at a temperature of 10-30 degrees.

When firing a pistol after keeping it loaded at a temperature of more than 30 degrees, the speed of the bullet can be significantly reduced in the first shots (usually no more than three). During subsequent shooting, the speed is restored.

[edit] Interesting facts

At the Arms & Hunting exhibition at the end of 2012 in Moscow, an interesting sample of the MP-654k was demonstrated. Firstly, the pistol is designed for airsoft caliber - 6mm. Secondly, the loading of the cylinder and bullets is now separate, and the handle can be removed without unscrewing the fixing screw. The appearance of the pistol is also different from the original.

The MP-654k pistol was seen in many Russian TV series and films as the main weapon of characters, be they police officers or bandits. And quite often, the store forgot to unscrew the screw that tightens the cylinder.

Technical and operational characteristics

The Makarov MP 654 air pistol has the following technical characteristics:

• Bullet speed: nominal 110 m/s.
• Caliber: 4.5. Standard ammunition is reduced-size steel (or copper-plated) pellets, although full-size lead shot can be used.
• Weight: 0.73 kilograms.
• Magazine capacity: 13 bullet balls. A device for attaching and puncturing a CO2 cylinder is also integrated into the store. But the cylinder is enough for 50-80 shots, after which the gas energy will be insufficient for the full flight of the bullet.
• Housing: metal, polymer and rubber sealing joints, plastic handle cheeks.
• Dimensions: 169x145x35 millimeters.
• Trigger: double action.
• Barrel: rifled.
• Sight fittings: open front and rear sights, non-adjustable.
• Safety: manual.

Manufacturer: Izhevsk Mechanical Plant.

Cost: approximately $250, depending on external finishing and components.

MP-654K. "MAKAROV" is available to everyone

The relationship between Russian arms manufacturers and government licensing and prohibition authorities is very complex and specific, but sometimes, as a result of all conflicts, the manufacturer and the consumer win, and the regulatory authorities take their rightful role as an informed observer with a decisive vote.

An excellent example of complete mutual understanding of the licensing system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant was the appearance on sale of a pneumatic version of the Makarov - the MP-654K pistol. Complementing the pneumatic Kalashnikov - the Izhmashevsky Junker, the MP-654K gives everyone the opportunity to arm themselves to the teeth - a pistol in a holster, a machine gun on their back.

I would like to introduce all readers to this product because I consider the MP-654K to be the best air pistol sold in the Russian Federation today.

The pistol is supplied with spray cans, a screwdriver and balls.
Why? First of all, the MP-654K surpasses all its competitors in terms of price-quality. Moreover, by quality I mean the totality of appearance, mechanical strength, design reliability, ease of use and the actual quality of manufacture and assembly of all parts and components of the weapon.

Of course, the appearance of the MP-654K is not a death sentence for competitors. There will always be people who want to buy high-quality German pneumatics or an inexpensive Russian pistol or revolver.

In addition, we should not forget that one of the purposes of amateur pneumatics is to satisfy not the least of the passions of the stronger sex (besides the weaker sex, football and beer) - the passion to hold weapons in their hands, different weapons.

Of course, having at your disposal a small arsenal, in which there would be room for a pneumatic Beretta, Colt, Smith-Wesson, is tempting, but, in modern times, it is expensive and not everyone can afford such a pleasure.

So, when you have to choose a single pistol, without a doubt the MP-654K has the best chance.
The appearance of the Soviet “appeaser”, an indispensable attribute of a representative of power for almost half a century, is very attractive. 4.5 mm looks modest compared to the 9 mm of a real Makarov

The MP-654K bolt can be pulled back, placed on the slide stop, or separated from the frame - everything is like a real pistol.
The MP-654K not only looks like a Makarov pistol, but is made using the maximum number of parts and components of a combat pistol.

The obvious external differences between the MP-654K and the PM boil down to the smaller diameter of the barrel bore, visible at the muzzle, and the “extra” swivel that hides the cartridge clamping screw. Less noticeable are the grooves in the trigger and the split “chamber” in the bolt window. The marking on the left side of the bolt also reflects the pneumatic essence of the weapon “MR-654K Cal.4.5mm”. The Latin alphabet in the designation is due to the purpose of the pistol not only for the domestic, but also for the foreign market. Today the MP is successfully sold in the USA through the Izhmekha dealer network.

By the way, the English designation on the pistol is more or less clear to almost all Russians, but the presentation of operating temperatures in the Russian-language passport in Kelvin, along with degrees on the Celsius scale, is in my opinion overkill, although it well illustrates the thorough approach of the company’s engineers to the preparation of the user manual.

Izhmekha weapon passports, unlike the gray pieces of paper from some factories, are generally distinguished by sufficient information content and decent execution, and this is a component of the manufacturer’s respectful attitude towards the user.

In this regard, the packaging let us down - an ordinary cardboard clamshell (although there is a bar code and a serial number of the product written in a felt-tip pen), although I suspect that this is a subtle marketing ploy for foreigners, saying that everything Russian is simple and reliable, even hammering nails. By the way, now Izhmekh produces MP-654K in very decent plastic cases.

But, let's return to the essence of the conversation - the object that lies inside the mentioned box.

The MP-654K frame differs from the frame of a combat pistol (PMM or IZH-71-100) only in the weakened barrel seat. This was done, apparently, in order to prevent the weapon from being re-barreled, which is essentially pointless, since turning the MP-654K into a full-fledged firearm also involves replacing the modified bolt, which, in turn, is not practical from an economic point of view.

I think it is unnecessary to remind our “Kulibins” of criminal liability for such “searches,” since I have not yet seen a single “experimenter” who would be brought to their senses by the words of the Russian language spoken in the wild.

The pistol barrel is rifled. When shooting steel balls, rifling does not have any positive effect, but to reduce the cost of the design, the MP-654K uses blanks for rifled air rifle barrels, the production of which is well established.

The sighting device of the pistol consists of a fixed front sight and a horizontally adjustable rear sight.
In my opinion, in this case, a sports-type rear sight, adjustable in two planes, would be more suitable, since it better allows taking into account the individual characteristics and tastes of the shooter when bringing the weapon to normal combat, although it negatively affects the appearance of the pistol. One of the advantages of the MP-654K is the location of the cartridge for balls and a can of CO2 in the pistol handle. When using domestic cans of CO2, you must use the adapter included with the pistol. The
trigger mechanism of the pistol allows you to fire both self-cocking and with pre-cocking of the hammer. When the weapon is put on safety with the hammer cocked, the hammer is released smoothly. In general, everything is exactly the same as in the combat version.

The MP-654K bolt remains motionless when firing, but it can be forced to the rearmost position and the hammer is cocked. The pistol's delay serves more of a decorative function, although if desired, the bolt can be locked in the rear position by pressing it up.

The unique consumer properties of the pistol are ensured by the original layout solution, which involves placing part of the firing device in the magazine. In addition to the fact that the magazine holds 13 steel balls of 4.5 mm caliber (foreign marking 4.5 BB), a can of compressed CO2 gas is installed in it. Both foreign-made canisters with a gas mass of 12 g and domestic canisters with a gas mass of 7 g can be used. In the latter case, it is necessary to use an adapter, which is included in the delivery set of the MP-654K.

By the way, “Izhmekh” played it safe - 14 balls fit into the magazine without any effort, versus “the devil’s dozen” according to the passport. This does not in any way interfere with the operation of the weapon.

A valve is mounted in the upper part of the magazine, which, at the moment the trigger hits the firing pin, ensures that the portion of gas required to give the bullet an initial speed is cut off.

The system for feeding the bullet onto the barrel line does not have a magnet, which is often used in foreign systems.
The ball, ready to fire, is mechanically held in the magazine opposite the hole, pressed by the feeder spring. The pistol's firing device ensures reliable operation in any position of the weapon in space. To disassemble the valve device, a special key is used. The design of the valve device is extremely simple - all the details are at a glance.
It should be noted that the problems with valve reliability that users of pistols produced before 1999 encountered have now been completely resolved. The MP-654K is not inferior to domestic and foreign analogues in terms of the reliability of the valve device, and the mechanical strength and reliability of the main parts and assemblies of the pistol are exactly the same as that of the Makarov pistol.

True, I still managed to break the firing pin on my pistol, but this was the result of more than 1000 empty triggers made by many friends and acquaintances in whose hands the MR was.
No air pistol should be able to withstand such abuse, and mine couldn’t withstand it either. 14 balls fit into the magazine without any effort, compared to the thirteen indicated in the passport.
This does not in any way interfere with the operation of the weapon. You can see the results of firing from the MP-654K in the illustration. Shooting was carried out from a distance of 5 m, which is available in almost every apartment.

I recommend that before you start shooting, get a magnet and not spend money on imported bullet catchers, but fill a cardboard box of a suitable size with old newspapers and magazines and attach a target to it. After shooting is completed, the balls are easily removed from the box using a magnet; all that remains is to worry about replacing the can.

By the way, there is a separate conversation about spray cans. To test the pistol, I wanted to buy two domestic (7 g CO2) and two imported (12 g CO2) cans from the largest St. Petersburg gun store, but estimating that for the 40 rubles that an imported one costs, I can buy 10 of ours, I thought about it and bought five, considering that this amount was quite enough to shoot enough.

I was sorely mistaken.
Two cans turned out to be completely empty, with the help of the third I managed to “throw” two balls about two meters from the muzzle, the fourth honestly worked as many as three magazines of 14 balls each, and the fifth, so that I wouldn’t relax, turned out to be empty again. In my opinion, for the MP-654K, a sport-type rear sight adjustable in two planes would be more suitable, since it would better take into account the individual characteristics and tastes of the shooter.
A classic lesson in saving, which well illustrates the old idea of ​​​​how many times a stingy person pays - on imported goods I still had to spend a can of spray.

Three people besides me witnessed such confusion with a “high-quality domestic product” and there was a desire to find out why the cans did not perform well. It was hard to imagine that I bought the cans, recharged in the basement, next to the bathroom, from which diluted industrial alcohol is poured into bottles labeled “vodka.” In addition, the store representative assured me that this product was received directly from the Sergo production association (POZIS trademark, Zelenodolsk). True, he didn’t explain when it was received. Everything became clear after reading the packaging of the cans, which I left at the store. The shelf life of the cans turned out to be only 12 months from the date of production, and they were manufactured in the fall of 1997. So be more careful when buying domestic spray cans.

The foreign 12-gram canister ensured the production of more than seventy full-fledged shots.

It is worth thanking the developers of the MP-654K for giving us the opportunity to choose the best.

By the way, the MP-654K can shoot not only balls, but also lead bullets. Of course, this is an “emergency” option that you can use without having balls, but with a great desire to shoot. In this case, the pistol turns into a single-shot one, and to insert a bullet into the barrel you have to remove the bolt and separate the magazine. The activity is quite pointless, but the very possibility of using lead bullets, in addition to balls, is interesting.

In conclusion, I want to assure all owners of the MP-654K that you have got into your hands an excellent air pistol, with which you can gain initial skills in handling weapons, get better at shooting and shoot “for beer” among friends and acquaintances.

The pistol that was used in the preparation of this material was purchased by me in one of the gun stores in the city of Izhevsk. Back then I couldn’t even imagine that a gun counter could look much simpler. It follows from Russian laws that pneumatic weapons in our country are classified as “sources of increased danger”, as a result of which they can be sold to citizens exclusively in specialized stores that have equipped storage facilities, sales premises, a license to sell weapons and are controlled by departments of the licensing and permitting system .

On the one hand, this state of affairs is beneficial to gun stores, since it does not allow third parties to sell pneumatics and, accordingly, share profits from sales with arms companies.

On the other hand, the sale of domestic air rifles and pistols in any sporting goods store would help our arms factories to slightly increase production volumes.

But there is a third party - our Russian businessman, who grew up in a country of exceptions to the rules and puts at the forefront the motto “if you can’t but really want to, then you can.”

In the summer of 1999, on one of the highways of the Southern Urals, at roadside dumps among motor oil, air filters and antifreeze, I was surprised to find a Junker, MP-654, MP-512, RPSh. We were pleased with the prices - slightly lower than the Russian average. According to the sellers, trade has been going on for a long time and quite successfully.

It turns out that the weapons room can easily be put together from planks and placed on the side of the road, and the license to sell weapons is replaced by personal relations with the local police.

It’s probably worth praising the local authorities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for making air guns more accessible to the people, but it’s also a shame about gun stores - you have to pay money for equipment, an alarm system, a license, pay taxes, report to the OLRR for each weapon in your gun store, and now also compete with roadside trade.

Why am I saying all this?

Simply, if you suddenly, on the endless roads of our homeland, see a man on the side of the road with an AK74M on his shoulder and a Makarov in his belt, do not be alarmed - this is not a highwayman, but a happy owner of a Junker and an MP-654.

Or maybe you yourself will become a client of such a “shop on the road” - you will save a hundred rubles...

Mikhail Degtyarev Kalashnikov 3-2000

Circuit and device

The pneumatic MP 654K is similar in functioning to the firearm model. The trigger mechanism has hardly been altered, differing only in the absence of a firing pin. The magazine was also changed, which was modified for loading with balls and fixing a carbon dioxide cylinder.

The Makarov MP 654 pistol works according to the following principle:

• a CO2 cylinder is placed in the store, screwing it in until it is pierced by a needle;
• in a can, liquefied gas becomes compressed, it is located in a sealed chamber;
• lead or steel bullets are loaded into a magazine equipped with a spring-loaded feeder;
• after pressing the trigger, the trigger hits a spring-loaded valve, which briefly releases compressed CO2;
• The outgoing gas has a high pressure, acting on the ball and pushing it out of the barrel at considerable speed.

Delivery options

1. ON A WIDE FRAME - for MP-654K-20, MP-654K-28 and other pistols with a wide frame
2. ON A NARROW FRAME - for MP-654K-32, MP-654K-38 on a narrow frame with a beard on the shutter. The barrel has a bushing and a slightly shorter thread than on the MP-654K 20 series.
3. FOR WIDE FRAME + GASKET - the kit includes a fluoroplastic gasket for the nut without a groove, suitable for replacing the barrel on a stock MP-654K-20 and 28 series, if only the barrel without a gasket is visible in the nut from the breech side
4. FOR A NARROW FRAME + GASKET - the kit includes a fluoroplastic gasket for the nut without a groove, suitable for replacing the barrel on a stock MP-654K-32 and 38 series, if only the barrel without a gasket is visible in the nut on the breech side

Cleaning and disassembly

To disassemble and assemble a weapon, as a rule, instructions and manuals are not enough; you need to see the whole process. Training videos can help you understand how to disassemble and assemble the MP 654 pistol.

Note: Complete disassembly may be required after the product has been dropped into water or dirt. It is not recommended to unnecessarily disassemble the weapon.

During scheduled maintenance, partial disassembly is performed, the barrel and mechanisms are cleaned and lubricated. For this:

• the magazine is disconnected;
• the trigger guard is moved to the left and down - it becomes delayed, allowing you to disconnect the bolt;
• the bolt is pulled back all the way and its rear part is lifted up, then the front of the bolt disengages and it is removed through the barrel;
• The return spring is removed from the barrel.

A copper cleaning rod is used to clean the barrel. The barrel is wiped with a rag soaked in oil and pushed through the bore using a cleaning rod. As soon as there are no dark spots left on the rag, the remaining oil in the barrel is wiped dry.

The mechanism is cleaned with a dry toothbrush. Oil is added in places of moving components (use an oil can with a long spout for this or spray it from a spray can).

The structure is assembled in the reverse order. The assembled product is wiped from excess oil, but not wiped dry - the remaining thin oil film will protect the metal from early rusting.

Security measures

To minimize walking around with a loaded weapon, you should prepare the target in advance. Shots are fired only towards the target, making sure that there are no people in the direction of shooting. Before carrying, the MP 654 pistol must be unloaded, for which the remaining balls in the magazine are shot and the cylinder with the remaining gas is unscrewed.

While operating the pistol, it is prohibited:

• point the muzzle towards people;
• store and leave in a charged state;
• disconnect the full cylinder from the magazine;
• disassemble the magazine with the cylinder placed.

Also, when the bullet speed decreases, which is associated with the gas consumption in the cylinder, you need to stop shooting in time, without firing blank shots without gas. Otherwise, after the magazine is removed, the remaining bullets in the barrel will hit the trigger mechanism, causing it to break.

Flaws

The disadvantages, according to reviews from fans of air guns, include:

• a common problem for all CO2 pneumatics, which concerns a decrease in the temperature of the cartridge with frequent shooting and leads to a significant decrease in bullet speed;
• in some models modifications are allowed that worsen the tightness of the pneumatic system;
• not completely similar to the original firearm: experts will notice that there is no ejector and there is an extra screw with a ring for tightening the can at the bottom of the handle;
• it is impossible to install other sighting devices - with the exception of a laser designator in front of the trigger guard.

Despite the fact that the Makarov MP 654 air pistol has some disadvantages, they are not considered critical for shooting enthusiasts. To reduce barrel wear and increase bullet speed, it is recommended to use lead balls. To improve the tightness, you can do some easy tuning that won’t take much time. This will allow you to understand in practice the structure and principle of how the gun functions. With proper care, you can significantly increase the service life of the product, because weapons love lubrication and cleanliness.

This product can be purchased at any gun store.

Pneumatic pistol Makarov MP 654 K - weapon modifications

First, you need to figure out what the identification markings on the body of the weapon mean.

MR - Mechanical Plant.

6 — weapons group (pistol).

5 — weapon type (gas-cylinder pneumatics).

4 - model number.

K is a magazine modification of an air pistol.

Each pneumatic PM Baikal has its personal number, consisting of one (two) letters and several numbers, for example T14011697, where:

T14 is the year of production of the pistol (there may be an H at the end of the number, which means that the series of pneumatics is intended for export).

01 - month of production (for PM up to series 28 it can be from 01 to 12, for later series it means model).

1697 - serial number, each pistol has its own.

Pneumatics differ in types of valves. There are 3 options:

1. Simple.2. Similar to IZH-79 (beard with bevel).3. Similar to the combat (“bearded” PM).