Magnum Research Baby Eagle .45 ACP question

Micropterus · October 6, 2011, 03:23 PM

I went to a LGS today that has a range. The looking at their wares and saw a Magnum Research Baby Eagle .45 ACP in their rental counter. I wanted to check it out since this gun is on my kinda-want list.

My question is about the slide mounted safety. It's my understand that this works essentially the same as the slide mounted safety on a Beretta 92FS. When the safety is activated, it decocks the hammer and disconnects the trigger. Is this correct?

On the example I handled, when I pushed the safety down, it did drop the hammer. But the trigger disconnect only worked occassionally. Even with the safety down, I was able to pull the trigger a couple of times at which point it went into double action mode and fully activated the hammer - just as if I was firing double action with the safety off. I looked under the hammer and didn't see that ther firing pin had rotated. Not sure if that happens on the Baby Eagle.

At any rate, I advised the man at the counter that the safety appeared to be malfunctioning. He looked at it, replicated the problem several times, shrugged, and stuck it back in the rental counter.

So, does anyone have a Baby Eagle? Is this the way the safety works on that pistol? Or does the one I handled sound defective? It looked like it had a very high round count through it.

tjhands · October 6, 2011, 03:49 PM

It's not a safety; just a decocker.

Micropterus · October 6, 2011, 04:02 PM

Not correct. It is both a safety and a decocker.

Back to the question, will the gun fire if the safety is on and the trigger still activates the hammer? On the 92FS, the firing pin rotates so even if the hammer did fall, the gun would not fire. I'm wanting to know if the Baby Eagle sytem works the same way.

tjhands · October 6, 2011, 04:07 PM

Yeah, sorry about that. I just Googled it.

Usually with a dual-function lever, the safety function is one way and the decocker is the opposite. If you decocked it and then tried the safety function in the opposite direction and it didn't go or stay there, it sounds like there's an issue with it. One that the manufacturer would probably fix for you (I don't know how Desert Eagle is for customer service) for free.

If you can use that flaw as a bargaining chip and get the thing for a kickbutt price, I'd probably do it, but only if I knew the reputation of D.E.' service department.

Micropterus · October 6, 2011, 04:09 PM

I wouldn't want that pistol. It's ragged out. I'm just wondering if the safety is broken, or if it is characterisitc of the pistol. (And I'm very surprised the clerk put it back in the rental counter without knowing himself if the safety was broken.)

Magnum Research just reintroduced the Baby Eagle and I think I want one, but want to understand the safety first.

priler · October 6, 2011, 04:13 PM

actually it is a decocker AND a safety. yes the one you tried was defective. if i were you,any time i rented a pistol from that guy,i would make sure it was working properly,it seems to me he doesn't care too much and that's not good.

...and yes,with the safety on,you can pull the trigger and it does nothing.the hammer is not supposed to cock back at all.

well,i see some others responded before me,lol.

priler · October 6, 2011, 04:35 PM

just to be clear,i'll give a bit more.

if the hammer is fully back or at "half-cocked",putting the safety to "on" it will decock the hammer to the full rest position and if you pull the trigger,it does nothing,it just moves freely.

the MR BE works a little different to other CZs and CZ based guns(actually,the tanfoglios that have the safety/decocker on the slide work the same but those are not imported here,that is buy choice from eaa).

Micropterus · October 6, 2011, 04:45 PM

I figured it should work like the 92FS, decock, and disconnect the trigger. But wasn't sure since I had not handled one before. I own several CZs and like the BE .45. If the safety on that gun was the way it was supposed to work, I might have decided to pass on the BE.

priler · October 6, 2011, 05:28 PM

i deleted this from my previous post for safety reasons but i may aswell add it again.

the MR BE is kind of unique to CZs and other CZ based guns(note i didn't use the word clone) and it's part of the reason i like these MR BE. actually,the tanfoglios with the safety/decocker on the slide works the same but are not imported here by choice from EAA.

the safety/decocker works different. these pistols don't have what i call a passive FPB but instead it's positive and that's a good thing and here's why. when you engage(on) the safety/decocker,it decockes the hammer all the way to full rest but it also turns into the firing pin and locks it so it can't move.

with the slide off,you can see the pin that decocks,the part that turns and locks the firing pin is inside and you can't see this unless you further disassemble.

my point is this. there is no FPB that adds negative characteristics to the trigger(creep,interuptions,sudden added pressure,etc.) the safety/decocker lever IS the FPB and you activate it when you put it "on". this also means that the reset will be shorter comparatively. THIS is why these BE/jerichos are known to have nice triggers.

however,it is also the reason why MR will tell you to use/carry them in a certain way,like not at "half cocked"(this can atleast be debated however). the DA pull with the hammer at full rest IS the safety,..and the notch on the hammer to catch if you drop the pistol.

it's easy to get a great trigger on these too and the design gives you a large head start imo. just polish(don't take off material) between the plunger and trigger bar where they make contact and polish between the outside of the trigger bars and frame where they make contact and just put in a lighter hammer/main spring from wolff and you got yourself a very good trigger. don't use the lightest spring,just go down maybe 2 lbs. leave the hammer alone.

October 6, 2011, 03:23 PM	#1
Micropterus Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2009 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 306	Magnum Research Baby Eagle .45 ACP question I went to a LGS today that has a range. The looking at their wares and saw a Magnum Research Baby Eagle .45 ACP in their rental counter. I wanted to check it out since this gun is on my kinda-want list. My question is about the slide mounted safety. It's my understand that this works essentially the same as the slide mounted safety on a Beretta 92FS. When the safety is activated, it decocks the hammer and disconnects the trigger. Is this correct? On the example I handled, when I pushed the safety down, it did drop the hammer. But the trigger disconnect only worked occassionally. Even with the safety down, I was able to pull the trigger a couple of times at which point it went into double action mode and fully activated the hammer - just as if I was firing double action with the safety off. I looked under the hammer and didn't see that ther firing pin had rotated. Not sure if that happens on the Baby Eagle. At any rate, I advised the man at the counter that the safety appeared to be malfunctioning. He looked at it, replicated the problem several times, shrugged, and stuck it back in the rental counter. So, does anyone have a Baby Eagle? Is this the way the safety works on that pistol? Or does the one I handled sound defective? It looked like it had a very high round count through it.

October 6, 2011, 03:49 PM	#2
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	It's not a safety; just a decocker.

October 6, 2011, 04:02 PM	#3
Micropterus Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2009 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 306	Not correct. It is both a safety and a decocker. Back to the question, will the gun fire if the safety is on and the trigger still activates the hammer? On the 92FS, the firing pin rotates so even if the hammer did fall, the gun would not fire. I'm wanting to know if the Baby Eagle sytem works the same way.

October 6, 2011, 04:07 PM	#4
tjhands Senior Member Join Date: January 20, 2005 Posts: 1,718	Yeah, sorry about that. I just Googled it. Usually with a dual-function lever, the safety function is one way and the decocker is the opposite. If you decocked it and then tried the safety function in the opposite direction and it didn't go or stay there, it sounds like there's an issue with it. One that the manufacturer would probably fix for you (I don't know how Desert Eagle is for customer service) for free. If you can use that flaw as a bargaining chip and get the thing for a kickbutt price, I'd probably do it, but only if I knew the reputation of D.E.' service department.

October 6, 2011, 04:09 PM	#5
Micropterus Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2009 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 306	I wouldn't want that pistol. It's ragged out. I'm just wondering if the safety is broken, or if it is characterisitc of the pistol. (And I'm very surprised the clerk put it back in the rental counter without knowing himself if the safety was broken.) Magnum Research just reintroduced the Baby Eagle and I think I want one, but want to understand the safety first.

October 6, 2011, 04:13 PM	#6
priler Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 177	actually it is a decocker AND a safety. yes the one you tried was defective. if i were you,any time i rented a pistol from that guy,i would make sure it was working properly,it seems to me he doesn't care too much and that's not good. ...and yes,with the safety on,you can pull the trigger and it does nothing.the hammer is not supposed to cock back at all. well,i see some others responded before me,lol.

October 6, 2011, 04:35 PM	#7
priler Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 177	just to be clear,i'll give a bit more. if the hammer is fully back or at "half-cocked",putting the safety to "on" it will decock the hammer to the full rest position and if you pull the trigger,it does nothing,it just moves freely. the MR BE works a little different to other CZs and CZ based guns(actually,the tanfoglios that have the safety/decocker on the slide work the same but those are not imported here,that is buy choice from eaa).

October 6, 2011, 04:45 PM	#8
Micropterus Senior Member Join Date: August 29, 2009 Location: Newport News, Virginia Posts: 306	I figured it should work like the 92FS, decock, and disconnect the trigger. But wasn't sure since I had not handled one before. I own several CZs and like the BE .45. If the safety on that gun was the way it was supposed to work, I might have decided to pass on the BE.

October 6, 2011, 05:28 PM	#9
priler Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2008 Posts: 177	i deleted this from my previous post for safety reasons but i may aswell add it again. the MR BE is kind of unique to CZs and other CZ based guns(note i didn't use the word clone) and it's part of the reason i like these MR BE. actually,the tanfoglios with the safety/decocker on the slide works the same but are not imported here by choice from EAA. the safety/decocker works different. these pistols don't have what i call a passive FPB but instead it's positive and that's a good thing and here's why. when you engage(on) the safety/decocker,it decockes the hammer all the way to full rest but it also turns into the firing pin and locks it so it can't move. with the slide off,you can see the pin that decocks,the part that turns and locks the firing pin is inside and you can't see this unless you further disassemble. my point is this. there is no FPB that adds negative characteristics to the trigger(creep,interuptions,sudden added pressure,etc.) the safety/decocker lever IS the FPB and you activate it when you put it "on". this also means that the reset will be shorter comparatively. THIS is why these BE/jerichos are known to have nice triggers. however,it is also the reason why MR will tell you to use/carry them in a certain way,like not at "half cocked"(this can atleast be debated however). the DA pull with the hammer at full rest IS the safety,..and the notch on the hammer to catch if you drop the pistol. it's easy to get a great trigger on these too and the design gives you a large head start imo. just polish(don't take off material) between the plunger and trigger bar where they make contact and polish between the outside of the trigger bars and frame where they make contact and just put in a lighter hammer/main spring from wolff and you got yourself a very good trigger. don't use the lightest spring,just go down maybe 2 lbs. leave the hammer alone.