HK SOCOM vs Desert Eagle

N

Nightcrawler

New member
Okay, let's say I had a lot of money to blow on a new handgun and it came down to either a Heckler & Koch Mk. 23 Mod 0 SOCOM or a Desert Eagle. Which would you choose? If it were me (it isn't, I haven't got the cash), I don't hunt, so that doesn't matter, and both are probably too big to be a carry gun (though I have a large enough frame, being 6'2" and broad shouldered, to conceal either one in a shoulder holster). So, which would you get, given these parameters?

SOCOM:

socomflag.jpg


Points: Can fire inexpensive .45ACP loads, plus more powerful .45 Super and .45 SMC ammuniton. Looks cool, very nice, very accurate, politically incorrect threaded barrel. 10+1 capacity. It is the more expensive of the pair, though, and .45 Super/SMC ammo is hard to come by and expensive.

DESERT EAGLE:

mark_vii_alloy%20(2).jpg


Points: Can interchange calibers. .44 Magnum leaves .45 Super in the dust in power loadings, and there's no comparison with .440 Cor Bon or .50AE. Can get it in all different finishes, loads of custom features. The gun is heavier (that's good, really, when you're shooting powerful rounds), and is limited to 7, 8, and 9 rounds in the magazine.


Is there anything I'm missing? Which would you get?
 
Depends upon my purpose for the weapon.
Since I am not a handgun hunter... the SOCOM.
I don't need a .44 Mag but I do shoot .45ACP - hence the choice.
Now - if I was a .44 shooter and or a Hunter... then the DE.
 
I got to get a good look at a DE yesterday (first time with one in hand)... HUGE! Pretty cool looking weapon, but man, it's massive. Shop is asking $1200 for it, ouch. I'd go with the HK, maybe not the "cool factor", but seems it would be more livable than the DE.

Side note, dealer says the DE in gold will be the weapon of choice in the next Matrix flick, gawd, what a butt-ugly gun.
 
I would not hesitate, the Mark 23 it is!

BTW, you will not get the Mk23 Mod 0, but the Mark 23. Are you aware of that?

I got a Mark 23 already and it´s a beautiful gun, lots of fun too. You can consider it also a " rare" gun, The DE it´s not.

My opinion is biased since i love HK handguns, nevertheless i find the Mark 23 a fantastic weapon.

Size does matter? Why are you between those 2 BIG handguns?

NB
 
Battle Royale!

The Crew-Served Handgun versus The Desert Ego!

Call me odd, but the allure of these two guns escapes me. Why would I want a monster like the .44 DE when my 3" snubby 629 shoots the same round? Ditto the SOCOM; a G30 also holds 10 rounds of .45 and fits an IWB holster so much better. (I'm real big on the whole size/efficiency thing...) I'd rather have a USP .45 Compact.

That being said, I occasionally find myself wanting a DE in .440 Cor-Bon. What I'd use it for (other than tearing up the backstop at the local indoor range) is beyond me, but the round is super groovy.
 
Call me odd, but the allure of these two guns escapes me.

Ah, but that is the joy of collecting. I happen to have samples of both.

Not too many .44mag semi-autos out there and I like the idea. And being a big HK fan, the Mark 23 is a must.

For shooting, the SOCOM is it. The DEPs are just too heavy to shoot for a very long time.
 
THere are things to be liked about both guns. I would spend a lot of time staring at either one, because I am currently unemployed and thus would not be able to afford the ammo of either.

but since I already have a USP 45 (yeah I know they aren't the really the same) I would have to to the DE plus there is mystic in the DE .50
 
i have never seen the hk .. i have however seen the desert eagle and have held it . .cool looking .. even when it fires .. the 3/4 type slide is uncommon.. and the AGENTS in the movie THE MATRIX looked really cool firing those desert eagles ..
I WANNA BE AN AGENT !!! :D
 
I would have to go with the HK Mark23

After picking mine up last week, I dont think you could convince me that buying the Desert Eagle would have made me happier. The Mark shoots like a dream, no recoil, groups under 2" at 25 yards and it is affordable to shoot. In my opinion the Desert Eagle is the firearm to buy if you already have everything else. I don't see a use for the oversized Israelii beast.
 
Some guy who said he knows a SEAL told me that all the Special Forces guys use SOCOMs, so I'd have to go with that.
 
If you have the chance to buy a Mk. 23 Mod 0, buy it. There are very few in civilian hands. Make sure it is not stolen though.
 
Gunhead

I have a shoulder rig for my DE and if you are tall and have broad shoulders, you could easily use a DE for a carry piece. It is quite comfortable. I carry mine in that rig if I am using it as a dispatch firearm when I'm out hunting. That would be with the 6" .44 mag barrel. Once you put the 10" scoped .50 barrel on, all bets for concealability are off. I have a separate hog-leg holster for that option.

Tamara

I really wanted the .440 COR-BON barrel to hunt with but according to the lame hunting laws here, it doesn't qualify for big game, but a .357 magnum does. Typical State idiocracy. I had to get the .50 barrel and live with the beating that thing dishes out.

Nightcrawler

While the SOCOM looks cool and I would like to have one if it wasn't in .45 ACP, how many pistols out there are gas-operated with a rotating bolt? It is also cool to shoot the spinner targets at 100 yards and watch them do 3 complete revolutions. The only thing I don't like about it are the black front and rear factory sights.
 
HK.

A friend of mine has 2 SOCOMs. One is for his collection (unfired, in the box), the other is for shooting. Must be tough...

M1911
 
I wussed out...

And bought a Desert Eagle (Ego?) in .357 Magnum. Just finished assembling a batch of 158gr handloads using a gob of AA#9, giving 1600fps. Should have no problem starting a fire in a survival situation. The big chunk of Israeli steel reminds me of a former associate, they both wield diplomacy like a blunt instrument.;)
 
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