BATON BM-45 CO2 GBB FDE 3rd Lot Review

This time, I'll be reviewing the third production batch of the Baton BM45 CO2 GBB.

I personally like the M1911 series, but with regular gas blowback models (HFC-134a), the single-column magazine often felt like a hindrance, making the performance somewhat lackluster, so I'm looking forward to this (I've owned Marui's M1911, MEU, and WA's M1911).

I've heard that Marui's M45A1 has a significantly improved design and is very smooth, but I haven't been able to bring myself to buy it.

Given this situation, I decided to purchase the BM45, a refined version of the M1911 that has undergone its third improvement (I chose the M45 type because I already have a Tokyo Marui airsoft M1911).

I purchased it in January 2022, so I think it was probably manufactured in November.

Let's start by looking at the outer box and its contents.

Outer box, contents

This is the outer box.

I added two spare magazines.

Let's open the box.

The packaging is quite simple.

Large retailers like Marui use elaborate packaging and atmospheric presentations that really get you excited, but I think simpler options like this product are also great.

This is the contents.

The warranty seems to cover repairs free of charge (internal parts only) within three months of purchase.

This is the instruction manual.

It contains only the essential information. Since you can access the details via the QR code on the web, it seems like a good fit for today's times.

The back of the instruction manual contains the parts list.

I'm curious about the green color of the breech in the parts diagram (an improvement?).

Some of the components in the list are highlighted in red, indicating parts that were changed in the production batch.

Due to extensive modifications, the internal components are completely different from the initial production run.

As a designer, I can't definitively say whether this kind of product improvement and refinement (running changes) while on the market is good or bad.

As production and sales progress, it's inevitable that we'll address issues that become apparent in the market as they arise, but a major challenge will inevitably arise: how to address the needs of our initial customers.

If you neglect customers who purchased the first batch, they might think, "They'll probably just improve it anyway," when you release the next new product. This will not only damage the product but also reduce the manufacturer's competitiveness.

I think deciding whether or not to implement running changes is a difficult decision.

These days, regular updates for software like games are commonplace, so perhaps this is acceptable? (I think software and hardware shouldn't be treated the same because they operate in different environments.)

Main unit exterior

This is an overall view of the main unit's exterior.

It's on the opposite side.

It is basically made of nylon resin for strength reasons.

Nylon resin is a more resilient and stronger material compared to ABS resin, but its texture is often not very good. However, this product didn't feel particularly cheap (though it can't compare to the paint job on ABS resin).

The lock is in the hold-open position.

The outer barrel tilt mechanism appears to have been omitted. While this may be a matter of personal preference, I think omitting the mechanism is a reasonable choice considering the impact on accuracy.

Next, let's look at the slides.

Front section (slide)

This is the serrated section (the grooved part) at the front of the slide.

It's on the opposite side.

Despite being made of nylon resin, it has a sharp design and looks quite good. The markings are also molded to look like those on an M45A1, with "US MC" and "United States Marine Corps" written on it.

It's a muzzle.

The rifling inside the muzzle and the threaded design are superb. The paint job on the outer barrel is also very nice.

Incidentally, since the outer barrel is made of metal, I think there won't be any strength issues even if you attach a silencer or something similar, as long as the female threads are still intact.

Operation system (center of main unit)

This is an overview of the control system.

This is the basic M1911 shape (with modern updates to various parts such as the hammer).

It's on the opposite side.

As is typical of modern models, the thumb safety is ambidextrous, but it basically uses the traditional M1911 operating system and is well-suited for right-handed users.

The engraving is perfectly done. The QR code on the device itself was, as expected, a dummy.

When I tried operating the thumb safety, I found that on M1911-style pistols, the safety cannot be engaged unless the hammer is down, but with this product, the safety could be engaged even with the hammer in the upright position.

I'm not sure if it's due to individual unit variation or a design flaw, but I'll try to pinpoint the cause in the disassembly section.

Next, let's look at the hammer.

I'll knock down the hammer.

It's a dummy, but the visible firing pin looks nice.

Site

Next is the website.

Front sight.

You can see grub screws, but we'll check in the disassembly section whether they're actually used to secure the parts.

Rear sight.

This is a Novak-type site (secured with slotted screws).

There are parting lines remaining on the slide. Personally, I don't mind them, but if they bother you, you can probably remove them by sanding them down (no paint is used).

This is a site picture.

This is a dot-type website that I personally like.

Frame, grip

Let's take a look at the grip.

I think it does a good job of reproducing the G10 grip, which is characterized by its striped pattern.

Furthermore, the area around the magazine catch is slightly recessed, which is good not only for the operation but also for the grip.

The genuine G10 grip has a layered structure, but I believe this product only has a surface coating.

I tried gripping it.

When I, with my average Japanese build (175cm, 70kg), hold it in my hand, the slim grip, characteristic of a single-column reel, makes it quite easy to handle.

Incidentally, the controls (such as the safety button) are within easy reach of the thumb and index finger, making them easy to operate.

Next is the trigger.

The trigger is a traditional trigger with no holes or anything like that.

The trigger guard is basically the same shape as the M1911, but it has been modified with a cutout for easier handling.

Let's look at the frame from below.

The parting lines remain, just like on the slide. I think the frame is also molded in its original color without paint, so they should disappear if you sand them down.

I attached an S&T M3-type light that I had on hand to check the shape of the rail.

It installed without any problems, so the rail dimensions seem to be fine.

S&T M3 type flashlight
It's surprisingly bright for the price. The rail is also well-made. It comes with two CR123 batteries. However, it didn't fit on any Glock-type guns, regardless of the manufacturer. Glock-type rails seem to be too thick.

Let's take a look at the magazine opening.

The most distinctive feature is the shape of the CO2 cylinder's escape route. It's not a realistic design, but I suppose that's unavoidable when using a standard CO2 cylinder.

As is typical of military models, it comes with a lanyard ring.

Finally, let's measure the weight (without the magazine).

It weighs 520g, which is a normal weight for a gas blowback handgun.

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

Magazine

This is an overview of the magazine.

The design is divisive, but I think it's unavoidable given that it uses standard CO2 gas cylinders (I personally find it acceptable).

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).

The most notable improvement is the magazine lip.

I don't have the previous batch, so I can't say for sure, but from what I've gathered, it seems like this is a response to the frequent lip cracking issue.

From my personal observation, it doesn't look particularly flimsy, but it doesn't seem especially sturdy either; it looks average (average strength).

The second and most notable improvement is the gasket.

Like with the lip, I don't have the previous batch, so I can't say for sure, but from what I can see, it uses a fairly thick rubber gasket, so I think the airtightness and durability are quite high (probably silicone rubber).

However, since the material is rubber, be careful not to overtighten it (which will crush and break the rubber) or allow excessive cooling due to residual gas blowing from the cylinder (which will harden and break the rubber), as this can damage the gasket (the same applies to other manufacturers).

Next is the valve.

The groove for loosening the valve is crushed, preventing it from being removed.

Next is the bottom of the magazine.

The screw that secures the cylinder is hexagonal.

The bolts on CO2 magazines from different manufacturers are either slotted or hexagonal, but it would be great if they could be standardized.

Let's try attaching the CO2 cartridge to the magazine.

Installation is extremely simple: just place the cylinder, paying attention to the gasket's position, and quickly tighten it with the included hex wrench to complete the installation.

The weight is measured with the cylinder attached.

重量は200.5gになります。

Live-fire performance verification

We will verify the actual firing performance.

The conditions were a CO2 cylinder (LAYLAX product), a magazine surface temperature of 26.6°C, and a room temperature of 24°C, with 15 rounds loaded (VFC bio BBs 0.2g).

A problem occurred when I tried to fire with the hop-up adjustment set to 0.

With the hop-up adjustment set to 0, the hop-up effect was too weak, causing the BBs to fall out and making it impossible to shoot properly. I can roughly guess the cause of this, but I will explain the cause and countermeasures in detail in the disassembly and customization sections.

Since there was no other option, I set the hop-up to maximum and measured the muzzle velocity (using VFC bio BBs, 0.2g).

That's a very high initial velocity of 88.3 m/s.

I continued firing.

It has muzzle velocity and stability comparable to a long-barreled electric airsoft gun.

This level of performance from a handgun is quite surprising.

Introduction article on chronographs

Fuel efficiency

Next is fuel efficiency.

This is the weight of the magazine before firing.

This is the magazine weight after firing 15 rounds for measurement.

With 1.5g of BBs used for 15 shots, that's only 0.1g per shot, which seems quite fuel-efficient. However, the comparison is with an HFC-134a gas blowback gun, so it's not a direct comparison, but it's still impressive.

According to research, a CO2 cylinder holds 12±1g, which should allow for about 120 shots (equivalent to 8 magazines). However, maintaining the necessary gas pressure for firing would likely only allow for about 5-6 magazines in practice.

Finally, here's a video of it in operation (the trigger stroke is also shown).

Baton M45 CO2 GBB (Normal Operation Video)

This video shows the gun in operation after firing more than three magazines' worth (45 rounds). As expected of a CO2-powered gun, it operates very smoothly.

Ballistics confirmation

I went airsofting, so I checked the trajectory of the bullets.

I checked with Yanex.

It's like a microwave.

The conditions were such that the temperature was around 0°C.

This is a ballistic trajectory image.

With an initial velocity of 87 m/s, which is as high as a typical electric airsoft gun, it produced a surprisingly good trajectory for a handgun.

Even with a handgun sight, I could hit a 30cm frying pan with ease at a distance of 30m. However, because it was a handgun sight, at 40m, I could only manage to hit the upper body of a man target.

It has pretty good accuracy and range.

However, because the hop-up protrusion is small, even with 0.2g BBs, it was necessary to turn the hop-up dial halfway to achieve proper hop-up, so I doubt there will be enough hop-up when using heavier BBs (area for improvement).

In other words, the feel of turning the dial and the amount of hop-up don't match intuitively, so I'll have to come up with a solution for that in the future.

That concludes the verification.

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.

Summary

Thanks to improvements made in the third production run, I think this is a very well-made product.

What's particularly impressive is the high level of operability, which I believe is absolutely impossible to achieve with a regular gas blowback (HFC-134a) single-column magazine. I think this is something that can only be achieved with CO2.

While I haven't checked the trajectory in actual shooting performance, the fact that it consistently achieves a muzzle velocity of 88 m/s with hop-up maxed out and 0.2g BBs is quite impressive.

The initial velocity was excellent, and the trajectory was almost identical to that of a regular electric airsoft gun.

I didn't really notice the cheap appearance due to the use of nylon resin for strength, which is an inherent characteristic of CO2 gas blowback devices (though it can't compare to painted ABS resin).

However, one area that could use improvement is the BBs falling out when the hop-up adjustment is set to 0. This might be due to individual unit variation, but I couldn't shoot at all with this gun.

I suspect the packing is too stiff, preventing the hop-up arm from fully depressing (more details next time).

Another point is that the movement of the various controls (trigger, safety, etc.) is a little stiff. I think this can be fixed by disassembling, greasing, and adjusting, but it would be nice if they moved a little more smoothly right out of the box.

In any case, this performance with a single-column magazine like the M1911 is quite good, so I would recommend it.

Thank you for your time.

Next time, I'd like to take it apart.

Baton BM45 CO2 GBB
You can choose the color at the link provided. Black, black grip, and FDE (the model featured in this blog) are available.

BM45 Spare Magazine (Type-N, gasket, improved lip)
This is the latest magazine from 2022. Please note that the TYPE-N is an improved model with a modified lip and gasket, so be careful not to make a mistake when purchasing.

・1911 CO2 Magazine (Type-NL, gasket, lip, improved version with increased ammunition capacity)*Note: When attached to the 1911 or BM45, the CO2 cylinder will be visible from the outside.
Before I knew it, a version had appeared that had switched from single-column to double-column magazine, increasing the magazine capacity from 15 rounds to 27. The BN-SILENT HOWK seems to be the main design, and with the BM45 and 1911 versions, the CO2 cartridge is visible from the outside. It's a tough choice between prioritizing overall performance or appearance (it's about 1000 yen more expensive than the one above).

・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.