BATON BG-17 CO2 GBB (Glock 17 GEN.5) Review　

This time, I'll be doing an unboxing review of the Baton BG17 CO2 GBB (Glock 17 GEN.5), which was newly released as of the time of writing (January 21, 2023).

I pre-ordered and bought this Glock CO2 model, the first from a domestic manufacturer, and it's the latest GEN.5 model at that.

This manufacturer frequently makes running changes (improvements) to parts with each production batch, but given their track record of producing several CO2 gas blowback models and my desire to replace any improved parts myself, I decided to buy the first batch.

I'm looking forward to watching it with great anticipation.

Opened

This is the outer box.

It's the usual simple box.

The surface image appears to be a direct import from CAD software. From the look of this image, it's clear that the design was primarily done in 3D (this can be seen from the way the edges are defined). The software used is likely either SolidWorks or Catia.

Let's open the box.

The styrofoam shape looks like an M9, but the hammer part seems different. If that's the case, there might be a Glock variation coming soon.

Next is the warranty.

It's great that it comes with a warranty. However, in my case, I disassemble it immediately, so the warranty becomes invalid.

Next is the manual.

This is the usual simple manual.

The back side contains a parts list.

It appears that almost all of the parts were newly designed.

Here is a list of the contents.

There were no missing or extra accessories.

Next, let's look at the main unit.

Main unit exterior

This is a side view of the main unit's exterior.

Other side

The slide and frame appear to be made of nylon resin for strength reasons.

The color and texture are better than I expected. It looks better than the BM-45 (M45, 1911 series) that I reviewed previously.

The real thing has a metal slide, giving it a smooth appearance, but I suppose it's unavoidable since it's difficult to achieve a glossy finish on nylon resin for this product.

Next, let's try holding it open.

It has a slight short recoil, but the amount of descent is relatively small.

This is a matter of personal preference, but from the perspective of airsoft gun accuracy, having little to no short recoil results in higher accuracy.

Now, let's take a closer look at each part.

Slide forward

The front view of the Glock GEN.5 has changed significantly.

The tip has a large chamfer, and it has serrations (serrations) for cocking.

View the tip from below.

There was no engraving on the serial number plate.

Next, let's take a look at the muzzle.

You can clearly see the size of the chamfer at the tip of the slide.

Move the slide back to look at the muzzle.

It appears that dummy rifling is molded into the muzzle. However, the rifling molding is rather shallow, so it was difficult to tell what kind of rifling it was (I'll take a closer look when I disassemble it).

The outer barrel was made of metal (probably aluminum alloy).

Slide markings

Next, let's look at the markings in the center of the slide.

The markings are quite clearly engraved. I think it looks quite similar to the real thing.

It's on the opposite side.

This side has a similar-looking engraving, but I suspect it's different from the real thing.

This is the chamber section (the bottom of the photo is the muzzle direction).

This part seems to resemble the real thing, with shallow engraved markings.

This is a site picture.

The sights were made of polymer and were the traditional Glock U-shaped type. Personally, I prefer metal 3-dot sights, so I'll look for suitable aftermarket parts later.

Each operation part

Next, let's look at the controls.

As you can see in the photo above, all the controls are within reach of your thumb.

The slide release lever is ambidextrous.

The magazine catch itself has been enlarged, and the protrusion has also been increased, improving operability.

Incidentally, the manual safety is engaged by pushing the center of the trigger forward.

Grip

Next, let's look at the grip.

The grip has been significantly changed from the Glock GEN.3 and GEN.4, with a modified anti-slip textured pattern (bumps and grooves) and the elimination of finger grooves (the shape for placing fingers).

It did not come with a backstrap like the one included with Tokyo Marui's Glock 17 GEN.4. However, I was curious, so I tried to see if I could attach Tokyo Marui's backstrap, but the position of the fixing pins was slightly different, so I couldn't attach it.

Are the genuine GEN.4 and GEN.5 compatible?

The engraving was surprisingly clear and well-defined.

Let's look at the grip from the opposite side.

As expected, the manufacturer's markings were blank. Personally, I prefer them to be blank rather than having them try to add some kind of unique touch.

Front of the grip

Rear of the grip

Magazine slot

The opening is flared at the bottom, making it easy to insert magazines.

I'll try gripping it.

When I held it in my hand (I have a standard Japanese build, 175cm, 70kg), it was considerably easier to handle than the GEN.3. For a double-column reel, I'd say it's quite comfortable to grip (though it's not quite the same feel as the CZ-75).

Next is the trigger pull distance.

Just before launch

Immediately after firing (almost the end of the trigger pull)

The firing position is almost the same as where the trigger is fully pulled, and it has that large feel that is typical of Glocks.

The trigger isn't particularly heavy, but it's heavier than Tokyo Marui's Glock, probably because it uses CO2.

The trigger feel wasn't very good, which might be due to individual differences in my gun. The reason seems to be that the trigger safety (the protrusion in the middle of the trigger) is slightly touching the frame, causing it to catch (is the trigger safety spring too strong?).

When I disassemble it, I plan to modify either the trigger safety or the frame by filing it down a bit.

Finally, here's the weight of the main unit (without magazine).

At 376g, I think it's on the lighter side. Most models like the Glock can't have weights in the grip, so unless it has a metal slide, it's bound to be light.

Next, let's look at MOS, one of the major attractions of this product.

MOS

I don't know much about MOS, but apparently it's an abbreviation for Modular Optics System.

The mechanism appears to allow a well-known brand of red dot sight to be mounted on the slide (perhaps a Glock-specific standard?).

This system is located near the rear sight on the slide.

Remove the screws and open the cover to take a look.

As you might expect, the female thread section has a copper alloy (brass) insert. While this is stronger than directly cutting threads into resin, it's still a copper alloy, so it's weaker than iron-based materials. Therefore, you should be careful not to overtighten the screw (it can easily strip).

The spring in the middle appears to be the nozzle return spring (I didn't realize this at first). My curiosity got the better of me, and when I pulled the slide in this state, the spring flew off, forcing me to search for it (I eventually found it).

You should absolutely avoid pulling the slide in this state.

Place the included plate here.

I have a replica of the UFC's Trijicon SRO type sight, so I tried mounting it with option ②.

One important point to note here is to use the included short screws for fastening.

I've included the website link.

Unfortunately, the shape of the mounting pin (protrusion) didn't quite match, so it couldn't be mounted properly. I think the problem lies with the replica sight, not the Glock plate (the screw and pin positions were correct, but the pin diameter was incorrect).

I wasn't able to install it completely, but I'll check out the site anyway.

feel well.

Undeterred, I also tried UFC's RMR type, but it didn't fit.

I suppose you can upload photos of genuine or accurate replica sites, but the one I own didn't work (I bought it about 3 years ago).

Later, I'll either buy a Vector Optics website that I personally like, or modify one I already own and attach it.

Fieldstrip

Next, we will disassemble the slide.

Remove the slide by lowering the latches on both sides, following the usual procedure for Glocks.

With other manufacturers, the spring in this latch is often stiff and difficult to move, but this product wasn't that stiff and was easy to move.

This will remove the slide.

Let's take a look at the slide's hop adjustment mechanism.

The hop-up adjustment mechanism is an older type. While other manufacturers nowadays allow adjustment without removing the slide, this product requires removing the slide for adjustment. However, removing the slide isn't difficult, so it's not too much of a hassle.

Also, out of the box, the hop-up was inexplicably set to maximum (likely left as it was after being tested for hop-up adjustment). Personally, I recommend setting it to the weakest setting when storing it to avoid damaging the hop-up packing.

Incidentally, the hop packing is blue, so I think it's a BN type. Personally, with Baton, I preferred the TK-WF long-range hop (though the adjustment was a bit tricky).

I might check the trajectory later and make some personal changes.

We'll cover the finer details of the slide when we disassemble it.

Finally, we measure the weight of the slide.

At 193g, I'd say it's on the lighter side.

Magazine

Next up is the magazine.

The magazine is, of course, an open type, and I think it's probably made of some kind of metal.

This product's magazine uses an open-type design, which is relatively safe. However, some other manufacturers use a sealed-type magazine, which is extremely dangerous, so you should check this when choosing a CO2 gas blowback gun.

I've written about the dangers of sealed magazines at the following link, so please take a look if you're interested (they're quite dangerous).

Let's take a look at the table.

As expected from a double-column design, it's quite thick.

Ammunition feeding lip, gas route packing.

The lip is thick, large, and made of a firm material, so I think it's quite durable.

The gas route packing has a relatively small surface area, as is typical for CO2 models.

Next is the back.

It features a valve to prevent disassembly and a molded hole shape that would be used to check the remaining ammunition in the real thing.

Next, let's look at the gasket that withstands the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas.

This gasket is a type with improved durability.

Previously, Baton's gaskets were transparent, so they were probably made of silicone rubber, but in this product, they seem to have switched to fluororubber, the king of rubbers (something like a superior version of silicone rubber, but it's weak against gasoline), and the thickness has also been increased, so I think it will be reasonably sturdy (the adoption of fluororubber may be new to this model).

Next, let's remove the bottom plate of the magazine.

Press down the part shown in the picture.

While keeping it pressed down, slide the plate.

This will expose the CO2 cylinder insertion port.

Finally, we measure the weight of the magazine.

At 277g, I think it's on the heavier side.

Live-fire performance verification

Next, we will check the actual firing performance.

The conditions were: CO2 cylinder attached, magazine surface temperature 25.4°C, room temperature 24°C, and 23 rounds loaded (G&G bio BBs 0.2g).

For the main unit, I tried shooting with the hop-up amount multiplied by approximately $ \frac{1}{3}$ of the total.

This is the initial velocity after firing a few more shots.

I was able to consistently fire an entire magazine at around 75 m/s using approximately 0.2g BBs.

While it doesn't quite reach the 85 m/s of Mr. Baton's BM-45 that I introduced previously, I think it's a pretty good number for a gas blowback pistol.

Regarding hop-up behavior, the BM-45's TK-WF packing had a small protrusion, causing BBs to fall out when the hop-up was set to minimum. However, with this model's BN packing, BBs did not fall out even at minimum hop-up (although the muzzle velocity was low with hop-up set to 0).

This model frequently double-loads when the hop-up is set to maximum, so I think the hop-up is quite strong (with 0.2g BBs, the peak muzzle velocity is at hop-up level $ \frac{1}{3}$).

Introduction article on chronographs

Fuel efficiency

This is the weight of the magazine before firing.

This is the weight of a magazine after firing 23 rounds.

With 2.5g of BBs consumed for 23 shots, that works out to 0.11g per shot, which is quite fuel-efficient (almost the same as the BM-45).

According to research, a CO2 cylinder holds 12±1g, so theoretically it should be able to fire about 120 rounds (6 magazines). However, to maintain the necessary gas pressure for firing, in reality it would probably only be around 4-5 magazines (around 100 rounds).

I actually tested it by shooting it, and it held open after firing about 23 rounds x 4 magazines, so I think it's quite good (towards the end the muzzle velocity dropped somewhat to around 65 m/s).

Finally, here's a video of it in operation.

Baton Glock 17 CO2 GBB, straight out of the box, fully functional.

The slide is relatively lightweight, so it doesn't feel heavy, but I think the blowback speed is quite fast.

I suspect that adding a red dot sight might change the slide's weight and increase its overall weight.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.2g
It's inexpensive and accurate, so I use it for a wide range of purposes, from performance testing to airsoft games. It's been my favorite since it first came to Japan (around 2008). It lasts a long time for a biodegradable product.

G&G Bio-Bullets 0.25g
It's 0.25g. I generally use 0.25g BBs when playing airsoft.

This is an article introducing Baton's BM-45, which is often used as a subject for live-fire comparisons. Please take a look if you're interested.

Summary

Overall, this is a very high-level product, and I believe it incorporates all the know-how that Baton has accumulated from the CO2 models they've sold so far.

Moreover, I'm very satisfied because it's a realistic Glock 17 CO2 model, which I've personally been waiting for. Plus, the fact that it's the latest GEN.5 and comes with compatible plates from various manufacturers via MOS is a great bonus.

The exterior looks pretty good for a nylon bag, just as the reviews said (the paint on the metal parts seems stronger than on the BM-45).

The actual shooting performance was impressive, with a stable muzzle velocity and a very fast blowback. Therefore, I think it would perform just as well in competitive settings like Steel Challenge, given its JASG certification, as it would in airsoft games.

Also, not just with this model, but for some reason, all of Baton's CO2 models seem to have exceptionally good fuel efficiency (you can definitely fire around 100 rounds).

After testing its shooting performance, I played around with it, firing about 300 rounds using four CO4 cartridges, and I didn't notice any suspicious or damaged parts, so I think its durability is pretty good (though you can't really know for sure until you use it for a long time).

The next thing that concerns me is...

The trigger sticking issue (trigger safety) I mentioned in my review is a disappointing point, although it might be due to individual unit variation. However, it looks like I can fix it later.

The second point is the durability of the MOS. Looking at the slide speed during actual firing, I personally doubt whether the bolt size (probably M4) connecting the MOS and the sight can withstand it.

I personally feel that a heavy sight with a tapered screw head on an M4 might fail due to shear stress. It will probably last for about 1-2 magazines, but I personally think it might not last that long due to low-cycle fatigue failure (I think it would be fine with a lighter sight).

We won't know until we see how things progress.

Another point is the slightly lower initial velocity. Of course, it's still sufficient performance as it consistently produces 75m/s with 0.2g BBs in a handgun, but Baton's previous models produced around 80-85m/s, so I wondered what happened.

Considering the pressure of the cylinder at high temperatures, I understand why a margin of about 75 m/s for 0.2g is necessary, but personally, I feel like it could be around 80 m/s (I might adjust it).

That concludes my rather lengthy unboxing review of the BG-17.

Next time, we'll be disassembling the slides.

Baton BG-17 CO2 GBB (Glock 17 GEN.5 MOS)
If you buy it online, it's hard to tell before and after the hammer incident. With Amazon, you'll be taken directly to Baton, so you might want to contact them and confirm.

Baton BG-17 Spare Magazine
This magazine seemed like it would be quite durable.

・Baton (PUFF DINO) CO2 12g cartridge
These are genuine gas canisters. The manufacturer is Puff Dino, but Baton is the authorized distributor and treats them as genuine. It seems that only these canisters are eligible for the 3-month warranty. You can choose between packs of 6 or 50.

Marushin CO2 12g cartridge
I think Marushin offers the best balance of price and quality. You can choose between a set of 5 or 30. However, you will no longer be eligible for Baton's 3-month warranty.