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View Full Version : Opinions of desert eagles from big bore shooters


MrDontPlay
March 18, 2012, 10:32 PM
I'm think of adding a DE in 50ae to my arsenal. Looking for opinions on reliability, shootabilty, and reloading. As far as shooting goes, how do they compare to magnum revolvers? I have a 500 and I can shoot it just fine, I've also shot 44s with no problem, but never a big semi auto.

Jbar4Ranch
March 19, 2012, 11:32 AM
A 325 grain bullet @ an honest 1325 fps doesn't have much above it in standard handgun calibers; the .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, .460 S&W magnum, .500 S&W magnum, perhaps heavy .480 Ruger loads, and some of the proprietary or "semi-wildcat" cartridges such as the .500 Wyoming Express, .500 Linebaugh, .50 Beowulf, etc.

The Desert Eagle is very accurate, and relatively easy to shoot, due to its weight and gas piston operation. It's big, it's heavy, it's extremely impractical, but very fun to shoot.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/jbar4ranch/DesertEagle007.jpg

justin251
March 19, 2012, 11:35 AM
I want one in 357m.

MrDontPlay
March 19, 2012, 11:46 AM
Looks like a nice little setup you got there jbar. How much are magazines for them?

Justin, if I wanted a 357 I'd get a coonan so I could Carry it a little easier. I bet a 357 DE is a pleasure to shoot though!

Jbar4Ranch
March 19, 2012, 11:50 AM
OEM magazines are about $40-$45.

Willie Lowman
March 19, 2012, 11:57 AM
Huge mits are a plus if you are looking to shoot a Desert Eagle.

The grip circumference is pretty big. That's why I don't have one.

I've shot the .50AE. I was impressed by the accuracy. I was impressed by the welt I got on my forehead from a casing that hit me. I was turned off by the 2x4 sized grip.

ohen cepel
March 19, 2012, 12:19 PM
I'm a fan of the .44 version. I like the .50 but ammo prices there hurt me too much.

They are a lot of fun to shoot and very accurate. Not much recoil on the .44

If you get one at a good price I would go for it. If you go .50 just be sure to keep in mind and have the $$ or reload for it.

justin251
March 19, 2012, 12:38 PM
Looks like a nice little setup you got there jbar. How much are magazines for them?

Justin, if I wanted a 357 I'd get a coonan so I could Carry it a little easier. I bet a 357 DE is a pleasure to shoot though!

I just like the cartridge itself. i already have 3 357m revolvers. i think a de 357m would be neat to have.

maybe carry in the winter. lol

Sarge
March 19, 2012, 12:48 PM
They are amply powerful for handgun hunting.

They are a total blast to shoot.

All I have fired, have been accurate; as in being able to engage grapefruit-size targets to 75 yards.

They are unwieldy as hell, making their good qualities a little difficult to enjoy and even harder to employ in a hurry.

jhenry
March 19, 2012, 01:13 PM
They are fun for sure.

We had the local chief of a small PD once who carried a .44 Desert eagle in a cross draw rig. He thought he was the shizznit. The gun entered the room 5 seconds before he did. I have no idea where the guy went, probably to a lower back rehab center.

Skans
March 20, 2012, 08:51 AM
Desert Eagles have less felt recoil than magnum revolvers. As far as .50AE goes, its expensive to shoot. Too expensive for me, that's why I got a .44 magnum DE. Still expensive to shoot, but not ridiculous.

The DE feels like an oversized 1911 to me, but the trigger is not as refined. And, yes it is accurate like others have said.

MrDontPlay
March 20, 2012, 08:58 AM
I think I'd rather have the 50 than the 44. When I think desert eagle, I think 50 cal. Maybe that's because I'm fairly new to the gun world. I already reload for 500 s&w, maybe I could find bullets that work for both. You have to shoot plated bullets in a DE correct?

Jbar4Ranch
March 20, 2012, 09:23 AM
Jacketed bullets are the way to go, yes. The gas channel in the DE makes a 90° bend after it leaves the barrel, travels to the front of the gun, and makes another 90° bend out to the gas piston. If it ever gets clogged, it is virtually impossible to clean, and you have a big, heavy single shot. A friend of mine bought one cheap a few years ago that was a single shot, but it turned out that the previous owner had simply lost the gas piston and didn't know it. We turned out a new one on the ol' JET lathe one evening using mine as a pattern, and it shot great after that. :)

tomrkba
March 20, 2012, 09:54 AM
I wasn't impressed with the reliability of the two I fired.

ohen cepel
March 20, 2012, 09:59 AM
Odd that they weren't reliable. Lots of things could be wrong with them, but light ammo or limp wristing is most likely.

I haven't seen/heard about many being unreliable. Mine has been 100% when fed correctly.

big_bad_kitty
March 20, 2012, 10:18 AM
I have had mine about three months. I carried a S&W 629 4" 44Mag as LEO for many years. I always wanted the larger bore and the DE 50AE specifically. I purchased the reloading dyes at the same time. Only have about 250 rounds through it so far and when I hit 500, I will begin the reloading task. No FTE or FTF so far with it and it shoots exactly where I point it. I am a big guy, 6'5" and 295 so recoil from it or any other big bore handgun is not a problem. You must grip it, aim it and hold onto it after you have shot it but what is different about that than with any other handgun? I personally like mine and will continue to shoot it. Nothing else like it anywhere I have found yet!

:D:D:D

drail
March 20, 2012, 10:24 AM
The Desert Eagle is in a special class - it's somewhere between hand held and crew served. It is a marvelous piece of engineering. Kind of a handheld Garand.

Sarge
March 20, 2012, 10:26 AM
I didn't find the recoil of the DE in 50AE bothersome at all, even for one-handed shooting. I'm not a big guy, either..

Skans
March 20, 2012, 10:35 AM
Odd that they weren't reliable. Lots of things could be wrong with them, but light ammo or limp wristing is most likely.


Ditto that; most likely light ammo. Mine didn't like Blaser aluminum cased .44 magnum. I could tell by the feel of it that the ammo was weak - felt like I was shooting a .45 and it didn't have enough punch to reliably cycle the action - not the gun's fault.

Desert Eagles are well made guns - not much breaks or goes wrong with them if you take care of it.

aarondhgraham
March 20, 2012, 10:51 AM
One of my range acquaintances has one,,,
Whenever we see each other we always swap guns for several rounds.

Mine is a 6" S&W 629,,,
Mine kicks a lot more than his,,,
All in all his is more pleasant to shoot.

Would I buy one?
Not in a million years,,,
The machine is good but I have no affinity for it.

Several years ago he went javelina hunting with his DE,,,
He took the limit his first day out on the dunes,,,
Apparently you just sit and wait for one,,,
Then pop him as he walks the trail,,,
I've seen the pictures.

I like the DE as a range gun,,,
For hunting I think I would stick with a revolver,,,
If for no other reason than I always feel strange hunting with a semi-auto.

Even when I'm on a morning rimfire-walk-about for bunnies,,,
I feel more proper with a revolver than a semi-auto.

It's not rational,,,
Just a personal preference.

Just an afterthought about DE culture,,,
Was the DE available when the movie Sudden Impact was made?

While the AutoMag is a sleek handgun,,,
It's (IMHO) simply not as imposing as the Desert Eagle.

Aarond

.

dev_null
March 20, 2012, 11:30 AM
People have already posted the pros (and cons) above, just wanted to add:

Proper stance/grip are key with the .50 AE. While it's important not to limpwrist it, or to let the front sight leave an imprint on your forehead, I found out the hard way that straightarming this monster and locking the elbow results in the arm pistoning back in the shoulder socket, which is less than enjoyable. Word to the wise, and all that...

Skans
March 20, 2012, 01:33 PM
When I think desert eagle, I think 50 cal.

That's funny. When I think Desert Eagle, my first thought is "first semi-auto .357 that really made its mark when they upped it to .44 magnum". The 50AE was a much later afterthought.

Rembrandt
March 20, 2012, 02:14 PM
Wonderful piece of engineering, very accurate and quite mild in terms of recoil. Down side is the grip size and holding it....solved the problem with checkering the front strap. Don't know why DE doesn't offer this on all models.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v405/Rembrandt51/gripcheckering.jpg

coolbreezy
March 20, 2012, 05:49 PM
owned one a long time ago, shot like a champ. It was a great gun, but expensive as hell and expensive to shoot. My tax returns are going towards another in .50 cal.

MrDontPlay
March 20, 2012, 06:07 PM
Quote:
That's funny. When I think Desert Eagle, my first thought is "first semi-auto .357 that really made its mark when they upped it to .44 magnum". The 50AE was a much later afterthought.


I think most from my generation think of it as a 50, that's the one we hear about and see in the movies. Like I said, I've only been in the gun game for about a year. Also my thought is why not buy the biggest caliber it comes in!

44 AMP
March 20, 2012, 09:14 PM
The Desert Eagle is not a bad gun. Huge and ammo sensitive, yes, but not bad. Impractical for most people doesn't mean bad.

I got my first one back in either 84 or 85, when they first came out in .357 Mag. Sold/traded that one a few years later, and then got a second .357 around 88. Got a .44 in 90.
http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/oo254/357amp/DSCF0554-1.jpg
Its not a bad gun. The only thing I have against it is that it could (easily in my opinion) have been so much better...

I have avoided the .50 caliber guns, both auto an revolver, primarily because I cannot justify the cost/benefit for me in tooling up for another unique caliber. Except for brass, I can feed several guns in different chamberings in both .44 and .45 calibers, from the same supply of bullets, primers and powders. Adding in the .50 bullets and brass just doesn't seem worth it to me, at this time, anyway.

The worst physical thing about the Desert Eagle is the grip size. Its not praticularly badly shaped, but the dimensions are not right for most hands. It may only measure big, but it feels huge. TO me, its the worst of the magnum autos for this. The Wildey feels a tiny bit shorter, front to backstrap, but feels much thicker, side to side.

The Auto Mag feels much better in my hand, but has rather squarish "edges" with the factory grips.

The LAR Grizzly feels very good to me, with the Pachmayr grips. Long, front to back, but seeming to "lock" into my hand.

And the Coonan is also long front to back, much better with rubber grips than the smooth wood ones.

And all these guns fire rounds of the same approximate length.

The Desert Eagle should only be expected to run properly with ammo the factory recommends. Shoot anything else, and you should not blame the gun if it doesn't run well.

That being said, you can get the Desert Eagle to run well on handloads, tailored to the gun. Its not a military class auto pistols designed and intended to operate under all conditions, no matter what popular fiction or even marketing suggest. So its not fair blaming the gun (or its design) for not being what you think it ought to be.

There's a few general rules to keeping them going pretty well. NEVER NEVER shoot cast bullets. Plug the gas system good enough and you will be buying another barrel assembly in order to get the gun running again.

Don't shoot Blazers, or any other aluminium cased ammo. I don't think there is any steel cased stuff in calibers the DE chambers, but if there is, DON"T shoot it in the DE.

The guns seem to work best if the magazine is allowed to "float". Don't put any pressure on the baseplate or feed jams are likely.

My "Mark I" (there weren't any "marks" when I got mine) .44 Mag has behaved pretty well over the years, and it is quite accurate, considering the rather crude stock sights.

Loaded up, the .44 DE is a hefty chunk of metal. I imagine the .50 would go a oz or three more. Its around half the weight of a carbine (on the upper side, I might think), but it is a lot shorter.;)

Its mass makes it more pleasant to shoot than "regular" guns in the same calibers, and if you put good sights on it, follow up shots can be pretty quick, especially in .357. Years ago I found out I could clear 5 bowling pins off the table faster with a DE .357 than I could with a 1911!:eek:

Enjoy the .50, if that's your thing, I'ver got more than enough to manage with what I've got.

turbotype87
March 20, 2012, 09:32 PM
I have owned two in the past. One in 44mag and in 50AE. Sold them both due to ammo prices. I never had any issues with them, They were very accurate and recoil wasn't bad due to the heavy dual springs. I should've kept them. The cost for one now is alittle to high for me. Good luck in your decision.

MrDontPlay
March 21, 2012, 06:53 AM
Can you put in lighter recoil springs and load lower velocity rounds?