Desert Eagle question/opinions.

I will be happy to take it off your hands. In a bug out situation it would make a good theft deterrent with a shoulder holster. they look awesome and would definitely be great to hunt with!

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Owning a DE is like owning a 600+ HP automobile ... no practical application. Or in my case a motorcycle capable of 145MPH off the showroom floor. And it's one of the slower ones!

But, I still have the bike and the DE in .44 Magnum and both are a hoot to take out and blow away the cobwebs.

If we only acquire those things with a practical application, life would be a lot duller. Not to mention never having a spouse, kids, a second computer (or third fourth or fifth), more than one or two guns and any number of other things we really don't absolutely need.

When you have four kids, twice as many guns sounds better!

Why does one need a "practical application" to justify owning a Desert Eagle?......people acquire many things in life that are not "needs" but "wants".

Mine is used both for fun and hunting. Do I need it or are there better firearms that could do the same job?....yes, but I can afford to have lots of toys that have no specific purpose.

Check your barrel measurements again......it's probably 14" not 12".

I have yet to understand the practical application of DE beyond collection, conversation piece and novelty.

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What more reason do you need?

I like my DE in 44. It's accurate, pretty and soft shooting. I guess you could say it's practical at the shooting range.

I liked my .50, hated having to sell it, but I rather like still owning a house, so it was a good call. I'll replace it as soon as MRI figures out that the picatinny on top of the latest ones is ridiculous looking. The standard 7/8" waver was fine.

In a bug out situation it would make a good theft deterrent with a shoulder holster

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Trying to move on foot, cover distance quickly, and possibly have to walk or run many miles at a time sounds like a blast with a 4.5lbs chunk of steel dangling in my armpit.
If it works for you, go for it. Not my cup of tea.

The Desert Eagle is a seriously cool pistol. I don't think I'd ever own one, but it is really cool.

They make great fun guns, that was the only reason I bought mine and it does it very well.

I would say the practical advantage would be magnum calibers with faster reload times than the standard magnum platforms; revolvers. Plus and extra couple rounds.

because theyre fun.


mines a 50 is the a 357 a real soft shooter?

I think they're just the ultimate compensator gun. Kinda like guys who drive a Dodge Ram 1500 but never haul anything, and don't have any family to drive around...they just buy it because it is big and manly.

el Godfather said:

Not sure i agree with you analogy of not needing kids. Rest may be.

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I read a story not too long ago about a couple who had a second child so as to "grow" a "spare part" (kidney ??) for a dying first child. All morality aside, that couple felt a need for a child. For the rest of us, for the most part, children are optional. Your beliefs may not agree with that position, but after all you do have the option of altering your beliefs or simply choosing not to procreate.

Is yours the current Mark XIX, ir the older Mark VII?

The Mark XIXs are as big as the .50 AE pistol, and it would be hard for me to see the point of the same weight pistol in .357. On the other hand the Mark VIIs .357d were svelte D, well, compared to the .50).

Mark XIX:



Mark VII:




I own a Mark VII .50, and I like it. I passed on a Mark VII .357--and that was likely a mistake. Unless I can get a Coonan--then I'll be all better!

Unless you have NBA player sized hands there are probably much better options. For handgun hunting a Performance Center Smith will run about the same $$$ and be waaay better in terms of accuracy, ergos, weight, and reliability. I admit they look cool, but for a guy with hands like mine there is little practical application. There are many firearms that will fill the shoes of the DE much more comfortably.

I think they're just the ultimate compensator gun. Kinda like guys who drive a Dodge Ram 1500 but never haul anything, and don't have any family to drive around...they just buy it because it is big and manly.

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Unless, of course, you use it for it's intended purpose. My .50 was bought for hunting. Never did see an animal when I carried it afield, but with 2.5 MOA accuracy and the power of the .50 AE, anything inside 200 yards would have been meat in the freezer.

Do not judge, lest ye be judged.

Is yours the current Mark XIX, ir the older Mark VII?........ I own a Mark VII .50, and I like it.

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I'm sure you're aware, but the Mk VII .50 became the Mk XIX platform.

Unless I can get a Coonan--then I'll be all better!

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They're back in production. Very nice pistols, though I personally don't see the point with so many 10mm 1911's that use a lot of standard parts and weigh less with equal power.

I would say the practical advantage would be magnum calibers with faster reload times than the standard magnum platforms; revolvers. Plus and extra couple rounds.

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That I would agree with... along with the idea of just owning one, other than that it is not practical. For instance, and this is just my opinion... If I had a choice of a .357 Mag. DE or a .357 Mag. Revolver (which only gives you 6 shots) or throw a 1911 in .10mm Auto I would go with the .10mm Auto. Smaller frame than the DE, and on the same power level as the .357 Mag.

Now as you move up in caliber say a .50 AE, owning a DE may make more sense to me... I mean it's not like the S&W 500 Mag. is practical by any stretch of imagination, so carrying a .50 AE DE in the northwoods may be a smart move. Big power with quicker reloads.

I just bought a Desert Eagle in .50. I'll admit that I bought it because it's cool, and I wanted it. No planned application other then that. But......

Now that I've played with it a bit I've changed my mind a bit. When I lived up north (AK) Lots of folks carried .44mag and bigger revolvers with 5-6" barrels for bear and moose defense. Having shot several of those, and now my DE, if I was ever in a situation that called for that kind of big bore SD gun (Woods with big predators) I'd carry my DE. It's easier to control, faster for follow up shots, and faster to reload then a revolver of similar energy.

Is it a practical CCW? No. But it's a well made, accurate example of about as powerful as a handgun can resonably get. (.45-70 handguns need not apply) So in that role it's actually pretty dang practical.


And it's still super cool. and fun to shoot.

I mean it's not like the S&W 500 Mag. is practical by any stretch of imagination, so carrying a .50 AE DE in the northwoods may be a smart move

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They're actually very close in weight. The DE 6" is more compact, though (VERY relative term. lol)

Big power with quicker reloads

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I only carried one mag when I hunted with mine. I had a box of rounds in my pack just in case, though.

I handloaded exclusively for my 6" .50, and got some pretty respectable figures out of it. I was launching 325 gr. Speer JHPs at 1,510 FPS for 1,646 FPE, and it grouped an average of 2-9/16" @ 100 yards (5 shots) from my hands.

It is a very capable hunting handgun in both power and accuracy, only surpassed ballistically by the .500 S&W and some of the Linebaugh and other semi-custom jobs. Don't be fooled; .454 Casull from a real gun (not a pressure barrel) will not exceed the .50 AE. Better sectional density on the bullets, but not more energy. Believe me, I tried with my 7.5" SRH.

MachIVshooter said:

Unless, of course, you use it for it's intended purpose. My .50 was bought for hunting. Never did see an animal when I carried it afield, but with 2.5 MOA accuracy and the power of the .50 AE, anything inside 200 yards would have been meat in the freezer.

Do not judge, lest ye be judged.



I'm sure you're aware, but the Mk VII .50 became the Mk XIX platform.



They're back in production. Very nice pistols, though I personally don't see the point with so many 10mm 1911's that use a lot of standard parts and weigh less with equal power.

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Never gotten the idea of using a pistol over a carbine when it comes to hunting so I still see it as pointless.

Not many revolvers can you change calibers and barrels lengths as easily as the Desert Eagle can.