Suggestions on MAGNUM autoloaders!

[Palladan44]

Ive always been a semi-guy for 9mm, 45 ACP
And a wheelgun guy for 357 and 44.

(I AM a handloader and prices of factory ammo no longer make a difference to me)

Within the last few years ive been into 10mm, and in my opinion, 10mm Auto is an entry class Magnum round when loaded at the upper half of its range. Its terminal performance and capabilities to knock steel over, and blowing water jugs in half IMO make it a clear step above other standard service caliber Autos.

How about something a little bit (or a lot) more?
Options:
Desert eagle in 44 mag or 50ae, maybe.
Lar Grizzly in 45 Win Mag?

Im interested in hearing what you all have for auto loaders that pack a whallup, and why you like or dislike them.

 

[jmr40]

I've shot a couple of those big guns, never owned one. For someone who just wants one they are fine, but I see them more as novelty guns than practical. 10mm is as big as I think is practical in a semi. If I need more power than 10mm a revolver is where I'd be looking. And even at that I draw the line at a Ruger Redhawk. For me the big revolvers made for the 500 and 460 Smith rounds are just too big. If I NEED a handgun that big I'd rather carry a compact rifle.

But that is just my opinion. Nothing wrong with buying a gun just because you want it, even if it isn't the most practical.

 

[GarrettJ]

There are a few other options as well, such as the Automag, Auto Mag, Wildey Mag, and Coonan. Some come in "standard" calibers (.357 & .44 Mag), and others are chambered in less common calibers that may be available from some speciality ammo companies. Otherwise, reloading may be your only option for some of these (is there any commercially available .44 Automag or .475 Wildey Mag, for example?)

And yes, the big boomers can be fun to play with. I've got a pair of Desert Eagle MK-XIX models, as well as a Desert Eagle L5. For weight, the L5 is only around a half pound heavier than the Colt Delta, if that's a concern. It's still a bit chunky, though.

Something like a .357 has very little recoil is a heavy autoloader (makes a great gun for bowling pin shoots). And my "standard" .44 load that I can shoot all day through the Desert Eagle starts making the hand sting after shooting just a few cylinders through a revolver.

 

[Reinz]

I’ve pretty much retired my Auto Mags and Wildeys due to expense. The guns are are almost worth too much to shoot since parts are scarce. Yeah, the “New” Auto Mag company has released a few guns, but parts, if and when?

Then there is the ammo. The 44 amp and 475 Wildey are astronomical to buy, and a PIA to make. The 45 Win Mag Ammo is not as high to purchase.
But the cool factor of shooting them is tops!

The Desert Eagle in 44 mag is fun, and ammo not a problem. I’m just not wild about that fat grip. I’ve never shot the 50.

I like the Coonan, I regret letting my brother talking me out of it.

If you enjoy 1911’s, the LAR Grizzlies in 45 Win Mag are like shooting a 44 mag out of a big 1911, and ammo (pre COVID) not an issue. And the guns are more affordable and some 1911 parts interchange. Caliber conversions are available on GB, but high.

Bottom line, they are all enjoyable and I don’t regret buying a single one, just regret selling the Coonan.





Pair of Grizzlies in 45vWin Mag.

 

[1KPerDay]

The Coonan I shot was a heck of a nice gun. The DE is a behemoth but fun.

 

[Mn Fats]

Always wanted a Coonan being a Minnesotan. I heard they were out of business now but I'm not sure what the deal is there.

 

[Japle]

I have a .44 AutoMag and a DE .44 Mag. I prefer the AutoMag, but, as has been said, parts aren’t yet available and the prices are high, so I mostly shoot the DE. The new AutoMag company is shipping the first guns and I have high hopes, but they cost $3800-4000, putting them out of reach for many. A DE can be had for much less.

Both have impressive recoil and blast and both are pussycats to shoot. Lots of recoil, but no pain and both are very accurate with my handloads. I have zero experience with factory ammo in either one.

I’ve shot hogs with both and they will do the job with power to spare. I shot a few deer decades ago with the AutoMag. The last one was hit with a 265gr Hornady at 1510 fps in the chest and the bullet exited through the ham near the tail. I could eat the meat around the bullet hole.

You really ought to own one or the other or both. Tons of fun.

 

[JTQ]

... I see them more as novelty guns than practical.

Yep

 

[tarosean]

I see them more as novelty guns than practical.

Yep

Once you reach a certain level where everything is covered 10 fold what else is there?

 

[Ohen Cepel]

Only readily available option I think now is the Desert Eagle. I prefer it in .44 as it is easier to feed in that than the 50, plus I have other .44's around. I don't see it as a novelty and I would be fine hunting deer with it if inclined.

Coonan and the others are good options but gone and so $$$.

So, quick call in my mind is the DE in .44 (unless you are already loading for 50AE).
They did make them in .41mag years ago which would be sweet and there is the .357 option but I think the DE does best in .44.

 

[GarrettJ]

I went several years before getting a .50 barrel for my Desert Eagle. I figured it was essentially a slightly fatter .44 that was more expensive to shoot. I was surprised at how much much additional recoil it has. Although it's not really the recoil, so much as it is the muzzle rise. The DE doesn't have a terribly low bore axis, and this tends to exaggerate the amount of muzzle flip.

The nice thing about it is that you can switch between .44 and .50 with just a barrel and magazine swap. It takes about 10 seconds if you go slow. (It's a bit slower going to .357, as that requires a bolt swap as well). So you can shoot big & expensive when you want, and then go back to the more "economical" .44 for general blasting.

I haven't tried the .429DE cartridge yet. But you can throw it in there with the other "nonstandard" magnum pistol cartridges, if you want to be different.

 

[TTv2]

If you're interested in a .357 Magnum semi auto, hold off because I think Ruger has a plan to offer their 5.7 pistol in .357 in the next few years. Yes, it's a polymer frame, but the price between it and a Coonan or a Desert Eagle is huge and the weight much less.

For larger calibers, I don't see much practical use in a magnum semi auto. I do agree that 10mm at full power is a magnum semi caliber and it's available in pistols that can actually be carried, so I see no use for a semi auto .44 or .460 Rowland (with the comp) or Wildey Magnum or .50 AE.

That said, if I had to choose one caliber for a huge, clunky, semi auto hand cannon, I'd have to go with the .50 AE Desert Eagle. More power than the .44 Mag and it's rimless because it's purpose built to be shot in a semi auto. Bullets are going to cost twice as much compared to .44 or .45, but it's not exactly a gun you're gonna shoot a thousand rounds from every year.

 

[MikeInOr]

I always wanted a Desert Eagle in .50AE but they are just too big and ungainly. Then DE came out with their L5 model in .357 with a 5" barrel and alloy frame which is much lighter than the XIX, but I wanted .50AE. A couple years later DE came out with the L5 in .44mag and I was really tempted but held off. Then they came out with the L5 in .50AE and I think I got pretty much the first one to hit Oregon. I couldn't be happier!

Having only shot a DE in .41 mag prior to my purchase I was a bit hesitant about .50AE in such a lite gun. I grabbed the handle with a vice like grip and squeezed off the first round expecting the gun to collide with my forehead... oh man! What a sweet shooter! I have been adicted ever since!

I picked up a .44mag barrel a little later on and .44 mag is considerably less expensive to reload. I can't really tell a big difference between .44 mag loads and .50 AE. The gas actuated semi auto action really takes any sting out of both loads.

Don't forget about the 429 DE round. It is a 50 AE case necked down to 44 (.429) and kicks the .44 mags butt. 429 DE is only available in the 6" barreled XIX model though. I don't know if they will ever make an L5 barrel in 429 DE.

 

[entropy]

I've shot a Coonan and several DE's. The .357 was like a .22 in the DE; can't say that for Coonan, but it's far from punishing or uncontrollable. Even the .50 AE wasn't bad out of the DE. If there's a downside to shooting magnum rounds from an autoloader it's the fact that power levels affect function, unlike revolvers, where they only affect recoil, but the gun will still work as long as it doesn't come apart.

 

[Dragonfly]

Before I picked up my Auto Mag earlier this year I really enjoyed shooting my .44 Desert Eagle. It was big and heavy, but I found it easy and fun to shoot, and I've got small hands. I liked shooting it much more than .44 Magnum out of a revolver, to be honest. I went for the .44 version as ammo was much easier to find around here and the pistol significantly less expensive. It was a little fussy with ammo—it did not like Winchester White Box but functioned perfectly with S&B ammunition. I only sold mine since I didn't really need two .44 calibre magnum pistols!

 

[cfullgraf]

I had an opportunity to shoot a 357 Magnum Desert Eagle in the 1980's. It was interesting but not in the budget at the time. It satisfied a bucket list item.

I figure my 460 S&W Magnum XVR would be good for busting a big block V-8 if I ever needed to. I do not think it would be a good semi-auto pistol round, maybe a rifle carbine though.

 

[Richard Jay King]

Unfortunately it is not possible due to pesky physics to make a "normal" Browning type locked breach recoil operated autoloader for most magnum handgun cartridges. The momentumm of, say, a .44 mag is just too much...unless of course you add a muzzle brake and considerable mass to the slide and barrel. The DE is able to do this because it is gas operated but this makes for a huge handgun that almost needs a set of wheels on it. About the maximum energy that a standard tilt barrel type "normal" auto like a full sized 1911 can go wilthout major modifications is 10mm and or .45 Super power. Topping out somewhere around 600 fp of energy. Which is plenty enough for any deer or black bear size animal and more than enough to discourage a threat from two-legged skunks.....The whole idea behind autoloaders in my view is to have lots of firepower in a packable compact package...My 4" M629 revolver is both packable AND has magnum power if I ever need it...

 

[Rembrandt]

Desert Eagle .44 magnum is a superb piece of machinery. Cycles well, consumes widely available ammo, and extremely accurate. Most times it's only one shot to get the job done.....but it's nice to know there's more available if needed.

 

[sparkyv]

in my opinion, 10mm Auto is an entry class Magnum round when loaded at the upper half of its range.

Well, there exists a 10mm Magnum, actually...just sayin'. Full disclosure; I'm a huge 10mm Auto fan.


I'm of the same opinion:

10mm is as big as I think is practical in a semi. If I need more power than 10mm a revolver is where I'd be looking.

 

[starling]

Desert Eagle is the most practical across the board for a cannon as long as your hands can handle it. I dont think I have huge hands... probably average. I didnt have any problems with it. It might be more about grips strength than anything else.

Smaller caliber magnum autoloader is easy... tokarev. Its basically the first automag in mass production. 8mm magnum AKA 7.62x25

I have shot all of them (I think) other than the 9mm or 10mm magnum Automag 3 and 4 and the original Automag. I have handled and broke down the original and its more a work of art than something you shoot a lot.

Never got my hands on a Mars either (who has?) ... they were pretty darn powerful. At least from what I can tell.

 

[Trashyshoots]

Could always build a short barreled ar chambered in something crazy if you have crazy grip strength.

 

[Demi-human]

Could always build a short barreled ar chambered in something crazy if you have crazy grip strength.

While I can hold my 450Bushmaster like a pistol, I haven’t been brave enough to try it, yet.
It seems like it has much more than just two grains more powder worth of recoil, to my shoulder, yet I can shoot these all day...

Obviously, because one is a Desert Eagle.

 

[starling]

While I can hold my 450Bushmaster like a pistol, I haven’t been brave enough to try it, yet.
It seems like it has much more than just two grains more powder worth of recoil, to my shoulder, yet I can shoot these all day...

Obviously, because one is a Desert Eagle.

Nothing like racking a Desert Eagle. Feels like you have some sort of anti aircraft pistol.

 

[bc1023]

If you can swing it, the FK BRNO Field Pistol is likely the most capable semi auto handgun you can buy.

16+1 rounds of 950 ft/lbs of energy, 150 yard accuracy, and some incredible penetration and destructive force. Nothing else suggested in this thread really comes close. I've had Auto Mags, Automags, Desert Eagles, and a Coonan. In fact, I still have the Coonan. The BRNO puts them all to shame. I clocked the 95 grain round at a 5-shot average velocity of 2121 fps. Recoil is stout, but easily manageable.

 

[Demi-human]

Whoa there, @bc1023.
That’s a strong statement. Let’s see if the math works.

My beloved Desert Eagle:
(300grains@1475fps)8rounds=
3.54 million awesome points

The Euro upstart:
(95grains@2121fps)17rounds=
3,425,415 awesome points

It is close, but the numbers show victory to the Eagle and the BRNO a very beautiful second.

(With 400 grain bullets it’s a cool 4 million...)