talk me into/out of a Desert Eagle .50AE

DE is cool but I'd rather have the bfr. The revolver is better for being able to use reduced loads up to max loads without tinkering with it. Don't lose much capacity with the revolver and bfr just looks so much better.

“Mister Anderson”

Go for it...Desert Eagle all the way!

A buddy of mine had one and it was literally a blast to shoot! The gas action, along with a hefty weight of 4.5 lbs., take away almost all of the felt recoil so it's totally fun to shoot (that is fun but a bit on the expensive side)!

You can win all the internet cool points if you can conceal carry your new DE. Preferably IWB. On second thought might want to carry two so you don’t lean to one side.

1KPerDay said:

is the MKVII the new kinder, gentler, lighter design? Is the MKXIX the old full size frame? My brother had one of the early .357s with the smaller frame but sold it off. Obviously I don’t know much about these beasts.

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No, the Mk VII was the predecessor with the slimmer barrel that has a 3/8 dovetail. The Mk VII .50 became the Mk XIX platform.

I'd have to replace the whole upper to make this one a .50.

.50 is fun, but the .44s are much softer shooting and cheaper to feed, so I probably won't have another .50 unless I stumble on a great deal.

MachIVshooter said:

No, the Mk VII was the predecessor with the slimmer barrel that has a 3/8 dovetail. The Mk VII .50 became the Mk XIX platform.

I'd have to replace the whole upper to make this one a .50.

.50 is fun, but the .44s are much softer shooting and cheaper to feed, so I probably won't have another .50 unless I stumble on a great deal.

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thats what mine is, the older MK VII frame that had a newer slide assembly added. The former owner must have really wanted to have that .50, he probably spent as much money on converting it as he did for the gun
I have the frame, the older MK VII slide, bolt, and .44 barrel, the newer MK XIX slide, bolt, and both .44 and .50 barrels for the newer slide. If I could find another frame I'd be able to assemble a complete 2nd gun.

I like the gun itself, I just wish they made a version chambered in .32 ACP.

MachIVshooter said:

No, the Mk VII was the predecessor with the slimmer barrel that has a 3/8 dovetail. The Mk VII .50 became the Mk XIX platform.

I'd have to replace the whole upper to make this one a .50.

.50 is fun, but the .44s are much softer shooting and cheaper to feed, so I probably won't have another .50 unless I stumble on a great deal.

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It’s a testimonial to how insane .50 AE is that this is true.

BSW

Barrett.

Look to the practical. Do you have the patience to learn to shoot the DE, so it will cycle reliably ? At over 5 and a half pounds, loaded, they are almost as heavy as a rifle,
and require a firm grip, and solid stance. It will never be an efficient carry pistol, based solely on weight. These pistols are limp wrist detectors, and will lockup, any time you do not give the slide a firm
foundation to function upon. I like my DE, but many folks don't have the time, money for ammo, or patience, to learn to shoot well with one.
They are very accurate, and if you can handle them, very dependable. (If you keep them clean, they can soot up, in less than 100 rounds.)

All in all, the 500 JRH weighs about half as much, and will never lock up on you. But, you have to deal with the recoil. JRH might be a better bet.

1KPerDay said:

Also in the market. I was hoping for a .458 Lott but the .500 nitro makes even less sense so it's a frontrunner LOL

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This made me laugh out loud...... Nice.

1KPerDay said:

I have L/XL sized hands but I’ve handled the DE before (even shot one round of .50 out of one once) and it’s still pretty chunky. But ergos are secondary when you step into the ridiculous. LOL

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I have XL hands and I find the DE pretty comfortable to grip. My boney fingers didn't care for some of the edges though. But that was like 10 years ago on an older generation, and it sounds like you're in the know on these guns.

1KPerDay said:

There are custom builders and I believe Freedom Arms originally made them. Not sure if they still do. Plus FA revolvers are generally out of my price range , though pretty as jewels

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You probably already know, but if you seriously consider the JRH, contact CraigC. He's well acquainted with that cartridge.

Both, but for me personally revolver all the way. The BFR Bisley grip is a must for recoil and no finger bite. I wear 2xl gloves but force on 1x in deer skin for shooting as the grips get slick in the Alabama heat.
Others have mentioned the ability to download and still function reliably and that is big. I have 3 load levels for my 500L very light, mid range and some that have the potential to turn the front sight into a dna collection device (that I limit as I need to shoot weekly and a lot to be able to have those be useful and until components are flowing again I can’t).

Only if you get the special edition BLING model

Love this movie & this scene.

I got a steal of a deal on this 50AE so I bought it thinking I would flip it for some quick cash. Shot it a bit and still have it. It is fun and worth having around even considering it's impracticability.

Here is a Ruger Bisley on my 44 special vs the BFR Bisley on my 500L.

Do it!

I like mine.

Meeks36 said:

You can win all the internet cool points if you can conceal carry your new DE. Preferably IWB. On second thought might want to carry two so you don’t lean to one side.

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you’re not really trying until you dual-carry in the Thunderwear holster.

MachIVshooter said:

I just need to find a 10" Mk VII barrel to chop and thread for a suppressor.

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Been there. Not trying to dissuade you. Just be aware, it’s kind of like suppressing an AK47. The gas system makes a lot of noise from gasses that bypass the suppressor.

And the gas blowback in the face is pretty impressive too.

With that said, I can get subsonic ammo to cycle the gun if I use 300 gr. bullets and a slow powder.

GarrettJ said:

you’re not really trying until you

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Pull the triggers on both of them at the same time.

I once sat a bench over from a Barrett owner (moving off the line whenever he shot) and the novelty of seeing and watching it was tempered by thought of the owner’s ammo cost as he blazed away at a 100 yard target.

Far be it for me to dissuade anyone from novel pursuits, especially in firearms, but is there something else on the table that might bring joy along with a healthy serving of practicality? Less iconic by half, but a T/C Encore Pro Hunter pistol, scoped, offers interesting possibilities.

Do you have hands sized for the DE?