The Baikal MP 651K is a modular .177 caliber air pistol / rifle made by Russian gun company IZHMASH. Like the others in the Baikal range, the MP651L is a CO2 powered pistol, it fires either 4.5mm pellets or BBs. As standard it holds up to eight pellets in its rotary mag, this can be increased to 23 rounds using the inline magazine.
The beauty of the 651K is that, although you can buy it just as a pistol, it comes as a modular kit that allows you to quickly convert it into an air rifle. In fact, the kit can turn your air pistol into any one of four configurations. Adding the extensions is a quick process, and you can easily convert your air pistol into a rifle in minutes.
A sturdy air pistol, the 651K weighs 700g in its pistol format and is constructed primarily of aluminium, although a number of reviews I’ve read have complimented the pistol as feeling as though it was made of steel. The addition of a barrel and stock pushes the weight up to 1.5kg. Length of the pistol is a sensible 240mm, this extends to 840mm when configured as a rifle. In terms of color, the MP651K comes in matt black.
The FPS reported in the owners manual is 230fps, but apparently this is an error – the Baikal MP 651K can actually manage a pretty impressive maximum of 393FPS. Both of the gun’s sights are made of metal (not sure if aluminum or steel?) and the rear sight can be adjusted both for elevation and for windage.
Build quality of this Baikal Makarov is excellent, as this air pistol is manufactured in the same plant that manufactures Baikal shotguns and military grade AK-47s. Built for the rugged Russian winters, these guns are perfect for winter in the Northern US and Canada, as well as for sports shooting. The manual is also well written – a nice surprise – and gives detailed instructions on how to disassemble and rebuild the pistol / rifle.
Price is, as with all Baikal guns, pretty reasonable – some might say cheap, but given the quality I hesitate to use that word. The pistol on its own can be had for under $100, with the full kit at under $200 if you shop around. It’s not always all that easily available in the US, but you should have no real problems importing it from Europe – there are a number of good import companies in the UK that are worth trying – for example, York Guns, or Brocock Ltd.
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