Magnum Research Desert Eagle

M

Mr. Blonde

New member
I don't hear much of these fine pieces. I never see them used. Maybe because they are upwards of over $1,000.00 new???

I am interested in the .50 Action Express.

Does anyone have any feedback on them?

Thanks in advance.

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"Are You Gonna Bark All Day Little Doggie, Or Are You Gonna Bite?"

"Get rid of that nickel plated sissy pistol and get yourself a Glock" - Tommy Lee Jones
 
Ah, the mighty Desert Eagle...one of the few crew-served handguns out there, along with the HK Mark 23 SOCOM. I used to own a DE in .44 Mag once. They are decent quality handguns, impressive at the range, but way too heavy for CCW and way too powerful for home defense. Their gas system is very prone to fouling and needs to be cleaned meticulously, and most Desert Eagles are finicky eaters, often displaying feed and cycle problems with less than full-power ammo.

I generally like the DE just for the fun factor, and for the ability of claiming ownership of an "automatic Magnum". Lately, however, I've mostly seen armchair commandos and "Matrix" fans with Desert Eagles at the range. The proliferation of the DE in those circles has caused it to be dubbed "Desert Ego" by the local shooters. One thing is for sure: they do make a mighty boom at the range, especially the .44 and the .50AE. The .50 is insanely expensive to shoot, with a box of 50 running $60 at my range. Many a Desert Eagle has ended up in the "slightly used" display after a new owner found out that the DE is less than ideal for carry, and shooting sessions with it tend to hurt the wallet.

Fine gun, good for fun plinking and wowing the folks at the range. Horrible choice for CCW or home defense. The DE might be a very nice hunting gun, especially with the long barrel. Expensive to operate due to its dietary requirements, difficult to clean, and a pain in the rear to lug around for any length of time due to its almost 50-ounce weight. I wouldn't recommend it as a first or only handgun...it's a very unique pistol with a very limited and specialized set of applications.

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I've seen several of them for sale used, for around $800 or so. I had the opportunity to fire one in .44 Mag... awesome fun, much better than the Colt Anaconda I was shooting side by side. Basically, I agree with everything in the previous post. Fun gun if you have the cash, but if you want HD or even carry, you would be much better suited with something else. Yes, these things do jam... one fellow I saw with a two tone was experiencing jams even when he hand chambered a round! Others have said theirs are reliable and very accurate, however. If anything, you should try to rent one to get a feel for them under recoil - they are VERY big pieces.
 
BTW, I know someone that has a stainless .50 AE that he said he was willing to sell... I got the impression it was in the $1200 range give or take $100. He said it was a whole different level than the .44 mag. Very big boom. He said it would be great if you wanted to be the biggest on the block, but not very practical.
 
The only complaint (other than ammo costs) I have for the DEPs is the distance from the frontstrap to the backstrap. those mag rounds are pretty long for an average sized hand. Not impossible to grip but tiring after awhile, especially when reaching for the mag release button with the shooting hand. I find that big meaty part under my thumb getting sore after a while reaching for the release.

CDNN is selling .44mag/10"bbl DEPs (MkVIIs) for $770.

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- Ron V.
 
I am not too humble to say that I am an expert in relation to Desert Eagles. Well, that's not entirely true. Actually, I've fired a whole 2 rounds!

But what a 2 rounds they were! While the power, noise and recoil was tremendous, the thing that really got me was the muzzle flash. Man is that bad-a$$.

Like my learned colleagues said above, it's impractical, but great fun. It's on my list of things to buy which I really don't need. While I look forward to getting one (a stainless .50 hopefully), my puny little .44 magnum Anaconda will sure be jealous.

By the way krept, I've seen NIB stainless .50's for around 1100.
 
The .50AE may be my next toy.

Baboom.

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"Are You Gonna Bark All Day Little Doggie, Or Are You Gonna Bite?"

"Get rid of that nickel plated sissy pistol and get yourself a Glock" - Tommy Lee Jones
 
I paid $11??.?? (that's including tax) for mine. It's a 50 A.E. Model VII. All I can say is with mine I have had zero functioning problems with factory ammo. I have the dies,bullets,etc., but have not done any reloading for it yet, or shot any reloads. Accuracy wise mine shoots to point of aim at 25-30 yards. Haven't shot past that. The 50 A.E. (only) Model VII, is the same platform as the Model XIX's. You have the switching the caliber option using the XIX barrels with this model/caliber. Weight is in more of the 72oz unloaded range. You do not shoot lead in these guns (noted later). I believe that most malfunctions with the D.E. are operator error (ex:not a proper hold, light loads, shooting lead in it which causes the gas port to clog up causing malfunctions, springs not being replaced under the maintaince schedule). I will admit that as in all manufacturers guns that there are lemon's out there. So some problem's aren't the shooter's fault, but the gun's. Stiff magazine springs, or bad magazines can cause jamming/failure to feeds also. Hope this helps some. I say buy one if you can afford it.
 
Forget the Desert Eagle. Too difficult to clean, and too expensive. If you want to make a *really* big bang, get the .454 SBH. Tough as a tank and easy to clean. Of course, you'll have to wait a little while to get it. Maybe more than a little while.
 
Rented a 44mag Desert Eagle the other day, next thing I know I'm buying one. Great gun, tons of fun to shoot. Like every one else says it's real heavy and the muzzle blast is huge. Recoil is not that bad though compared to some of the S&M revolvers I tried in the came caliber.

Got mine IMI DE Mark VII 6" black 44mag for less then $800 new in the box. My local dealer was running a special on it. Weird thing though, it only comes with one mag.
 
Most has been said already, they are big and heavy, but its a great gun for someone who has lots of others already (just a unique thing to have). Its lots of fun to shoot, when it isn't having a cycling problem.

I'm on my sencond 50AE bought like 8 months ago, the new one is made in Israel (Mark XIX)- comes in a hardcase.

I paid approx $960 plus tax (Blue finish), got a descent deal.
 
I have one in 44 mag due to ammo cost considerations and love it. No problems with function, reasonably accurate and plenty of firepower.
 
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