500 SW Magnum vs Desert Eagle .50 AE

G

GunMaverick

New member
Hi all,
I was talking to my father last night about a .500 mag when he brought up a solid point. He said why not get the second most powerful handgun in the world that has less recoil, more ammo capacity, and is semi auto(the Desert Eagle .50 AE). At first I agreed, but then I thought price vs power, and practicality vs size and all that. So now I'm stuck, I can't decide between the two. Any opinions, thoughts, and experience relating to these guns would be most welcome.

GunMaverick
 
"...the Desert Eagle..." Hi. How big are your hands? A DE requires very big mitts to shoot. It's a very big thing. Only fired a .44, that didn't come close to fitting(so big for my hand it was really funny), but it was not in any way unpleasant to shoot. Just really friggin' big. Mind you, at 5 pounds and gas operated, that's sort of expected.
Anyway, the AE starts at about $35 per 20. The S&W at about $40 per 20. Midway prices.
A 325 grain bullet out of the AE runs at about 1500 fps with max loads with ~25.5 ft/lbs. of recoil energy. The S&W at about 1950 fps with ~45.6 ft/lbs. with a 350 grain bullet at 1760ish fps. No 325 grain recoil numbers on Chuck Hawks' recoil page. Mind you, a 350 at 1440ish out of the S&W has about the same recoil as a 325 AE at ~ the same speed.
The real issue, assuming the big SOB fits your hand, is local availability of ammo and/or brass and bullets.
 
Only thing the .50AE has is common with the .500 mag is bullet diameter. If you're a hand loader you're still stuck having to load the AE at near max load to get the gun to cycle reliably and are limited to jacketed bullets as to not clog the gas port. With the .500mag you can go from mild to wild when it comes to reloads.
I've personally owned both and a .460 mag. Of the three the AE was the least desirable and the .500 a close second. The .460 is way more versatile and if you reload its actually more powerful up to about a 350 grain bullet. From there the .500 is king. More and less expensive bullet options as well with the .460
 
The .50AE is not the second most powerful handgun, dont forget about

.500 Linebaugh
.500 Maximum
.475 Linebaugh
.480 Ruger
.460 S&W magnum

Energy is not always on track with power. To me, power means deep penetration, which means HEAVY bullets. The heavier the bullet, the better; as more mass has more momentum and is harder to slow down/come to a stop.

And like others have said the Desert eagle has extremely giant sized grip. Which not everyone can shoot accurately. The desert eagle also is limited to projectiles because it uses a shorter automatic casing, and does not have an adjustable gas system.

My vote would go to .500 S&W magnum, as it can shoot powderpuff special loads, or 700gr lead hardcast flat nose, bear dropping, super penetrating projectiles
 
Capacity is irrelevant.

You will need to start handloading if you want to fire these pistols.

I absolutely hate chasing brass. For that reason alone, I'd get the revolver.

The double action trigger is heavy, but the single action trigger is supposed to be excellent.
 
Capacity is irrelevant.
Click to expand...

Not to everyone.

If it is irrelevant, then why not use a Contender/Encore or something like that??

I passed on .50 Desert Eagles and .500 revolvers for the simple reason of ammo commonality. .44s & .45s have all the power I need, more than I normally use, and can share bullets across a couple of different cartridges.

For me, it wasn't the power, or the recoil or even, directly, the price of the .50s it was the cost of the "logistic support". ;)

A DE requires very big mitts to shoot.
Click to expand...

That depends on your definition of "very big". I wear size 8.5 gloves (very snug fit) and manage my .44 Desert Eagle just fine. Yes, its BIG but not too big for me to handle. The nearly 5lb loaded weight is a chore, though.
 
> Desert Eagle

Out of production, but common enough on the gun auction sites:

A) LAR Grizzly in .50AE. It's basically a stretched and beefed 1911. Most common in .45 Win Mag, but .50AEs were made. (LAR slapped the "Grizzly" name on everything from 1911s to single-shot .50 rifles)

B) AMT Automag V in .50AE. Designed by Larry Grossman, it might be thought of as a mix of Hi Power and S&W 58. Larry's engineering was excellent; AMT's production quality was skiffy. Some require "a little work" to function reliably, but they're usually way cheaper than an LAR.

Both of them are "somewhat bigger than a 1911", mostly due to the deeper grip to hold the longer AE cartridge. They're a *lot* smaller than a Desert Eagle, particularly in width.


There're also the .460 Rowland or .40 Super conversions for ordinary 1911s. Neither has the horsepower of the .50AE, but the Rowland kit is only $300ish plus your 1911.
 
The Deagle-50 has excellent stopping power and a quick reload with more shots. The Smith 500 has a lower rate of fire, but is stronger and more accurate and doesn't ever jam. You can't go wrong with either, but the Deagle is my favorite and I've shot both.
 
The Smith 500 has a lower rate of fire, but is stronger and more accurate and doesn't ever jam
Click to expand...

I would disagree on "stronger and more accurate". Also disagree on "doesn't ever jam", as absolute statements.

I do not think you will find a "stronger" lockup than the multiple lug rotating bolt of the Desert Eagle. Stronger as to blow up strength? what does that matter in practical terms???

More accurate?? I think you'd have to show me. The Desert Eagle has a fixed barrel, with integral chamber. Potentially more accurate than a revolver with separate chambers. In practical terms, it depends more on the sights, trigger pull, and the SHOOTER.

doesn't ever jam? Everything can jam. Agree the revolver is less likely to jam, quite a bit less likely. But it can jam, and sometimes, they do, though rarely.

And, please, Keep the "Deagle" as a video game gun, where it belongs, and enjoy the Desert Eagle in real life.
 
the 50ae is not even second among production handgun ammo. Id argue that the 460 S&W is stronger id wager that the 454 Casull is stronger as well. Both of which have ammo that is easier to find than the 50AE (at least in this area).
 
I have both and prefer shooting the 500 over the 50ae. As mentioned in earlier posts, the 50ae has a big grip that definitely will not fit smaller hands. I just purchased new grips and do slim down the grip profile to a more manageable level.
 
The DE is simply a hard gun to bring to "bear"...lol. Sorry.

Really though, most humans can neither thumb cock the hammer OR disengage the safety in a smooth, one handed motion. Great as a primary hunting handgun, horrible for a wildlife defense piece. The Smith gets my vote.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top