what if i wanted something similar to the .357 magnum desert eagle L5

KSP Trade-In Glock 35 with Drop-In .357 Sig Barrel is likely the cheapest wat to go and get the performance.

Coonan is similar to L5 but expensive and the company is having issues if not defunct.

I don't know. We are getting 1400-1460 with drop-in barrels in a G22 and factory Sig 125 gr loads. We have seen 1500+ in the G35. What kind of numbers are you seeing with the L5?

As delivered the G35-4 is a .40 but they work perfectly with a drop-in .357 Sig Barrel. That's why I suggested a KSP (Kentucky State Police) Trade-In G35-4 as they are readily available at the online retailers right now and the extra barrel length really plays to the Sig's Strengths.

Sig 229R .40 is teadily available as a .40 Trade-In to but the drop in barrels are more expensive and the shorter length doesn't play to the Sig's Strengths.

Jack614 said:

arent .357 sig's less powerful then .357 magnum desert eagle's though?

although,i guess a glock 35 is a .40 caliber according to their website,either way i was kind of looking at the .44 magnum L5 anyway,its kind of the only handgun ive ever seen a .44 caliber for,usually i can only find that in revolvers

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Most .357 Sig is loaded to the power of .40 S&W because people dont like the pop or recoil. Underwood and DoubleTap (among others) are loaded to full .357 magnum power.

I have a Coonan .357. I love it. Its a good shooter, powerful and accurate. Like a .357 revolver, change the spring and shoot .38 specials.

If it were me I'd go for a Desert Eagle 357 Mark XIX

If you want to "blow someone out of their shoes" you are probably out of luck. If you want shock waves in soft tissues or other kinds of devastation, a handgun is just not going to do it. A handgun just pokes holes in people. A high-powered rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun is what does immediate destruction. A high-powered rifle will punch right through most walls. Maybe the OP wants a shotgun loaded with less penetrating shot?

Any of the normal "service caliber" handguns poke similarly sized holes in people. Finding one that you are comfortable with and shoot well is the main thing.

Jack614 said:

wouldnt it be cheaper to just get a .40 S&W instead of getting a .357 sig barrel

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Yes it would, then you would have only one choice of caliber. .40 S&W is good at medium power slow and large and is popular. In .357 SIG you have the change to light and fast with .357 magnum power, considerably more power than a .40. As you have seen there are many other options in caliber as well. I started with .357 SIG, moved down to .40 and now I'm shooting 9mm. BTW if you want to move from .357.40 to a nine you will at least replace the bbl, magazines and recoil spring.

Jack614 said:

arent .357 sig's less powerful then .357 magnum desert eagle's though?

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Well, there's a blending of ideas and specs ingrained in your question.

ATLDave pointed out earlier on:

ATLDave said:

The .357 Sig can almost duplicate ONE .357 Mag load - the 125 grain light for caliber JHP. It cannot do any of the other stuff a .357 mag can do.

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So when you are talking power, you are talking about bullet weight and velocity. The 357 Sig cartridge was designed to mirror or at least get close enough to the 125 gr 357 magnum loading that was used by police for many years in revolvers, and put it into a gun that could hold more ammo in a smaller package. I'd say they succeeded, but the importance of that success is very debatable. So if you are looking purely at that bullet weight, the 357 sig comes close to mimicking the that one bullet weight loading in 357 magnum. The magnum is what the Desert Eagle can be had in. The Coonan Arms 357 pistol also shoots 357 magnum, and not 357 sig. But I believe if you look at load data, the magnum 125 gr loads can still be pushed faster.

If you look at 140-200 grain ammo in the 357 magnum, it may have lower ft lbs of energy compared to 125 grain loads, but that's just because you aren't going to be able to push the heavier bullet fast enough to match that energy level. The length of the bullet limits the case capacity, and increases pressure. However, you are likely going to get better penetration with the heavier bullet even at a little lower speeds. So when you really break it down, yes the Desert Eagle and Coonan shooting 357 magnum ammo could be considered "more powerful" than anything chambered in 357 Sig..

But what does that really mean? Choosing a bullet weight at an appropriate velocity for the task is what matters, and "power" becomes a relatively unimportant idea, because it doesn't really tell you anything. Yes, you can blow a big hole in someone or something with a 357 sig, and that load will definitely stop a human based on the numbers 94095 lists in his post above. It's a good cartridge. But you will also get a lot of flash, and noise to do it, and shooting it indoors would be very very loud. Any gun would, but I've heard 357 Sig is quite noisy.

On the other side, a heavier bullet fired from 357 magnum will penetrate deeper in a heavier bodied animal, or may defeat barriers your attacker is hiding behind. So really, "power" doesn't tell you a lot about the cartridge or how a bullet will interact with a living creature. It tells you a general number which is a unit of work, that gives you some idea of what combination of bullet mass and velocity you are getting. But where does the extra power go if you shoot through your attacker? It goes into whatever is behind the attacker. So is the 357 magnum better than the 357 Sig? It depends on the application. Is it more "powerful" yes if loaded properly it can surpass the 357 Sig. Does that matter? Maybe depending on your needs.

To paraphrase Robert A. Heinlein, anything powerful enough to drop a man in his tracks is powerful enough to go through a frame house wall. There are things you can do to minimize the risk, but no one answer.

Almost anything powerful enough to use as a self-defense round will penetrate multiple layers of drywall.

If you’re forced to shoot in a thin-walled, densely populated apartment building, you need to use your assailant as you backstop.

Far, far more important than the particular model of gun or which service caliber or particular bullet is developing the competence to only put the bullets where you intend. That is going to require many thousands or tens of thousand or hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammo.

I intend no offense, but, OP, your questions so far suggest only a passing acquaintence with handguns in general. If that is correct (and I may be wrong in my inference), then you have a long but rewarding road ahead of you. Buying even the finest pistol will not make you a proficient hand gunner any more than buying an antique katana makes one a samurai.

The more powerful the pistol, the more arduous that road to skill will be. Rather than asking what gun will be best for self-defense, you might consider first asking the question “what pistol is best for learning to shoot.”

For the money you might have spent on a Deagle or Coogan, you could buy a .22lr pistol (Ruger Mk— or Browning Buckmark are solid choices) and a service grade 9mm. For home defense, neither size nor weight is a drawback. Look at full-size 9mm’s, and make sure to consider the metal-framed ones. Many fine choices. You’ll likely still have money for a couple of lessons.

Then try to wear them both out shooting them a lot.

Just an observation on something: Revolvers are handguns too.

To expand a bit on ALTDave's advise, a similar .22 & 9mm would be a great place to start. Such as a pair of S&W M&PS. A .22 for training and practice. A 9mm that is used for defense, but gets shot enough to get familiar and comfortable with it. The reason I recommend such a pair over say a Buckmark and a Glock is because the two will feel so similar that it will cut down on the familiarization needed with the larger caliber.

I actually think it is NOT important that the two guns feel similar. I feel there is more to be gained through the better sights and trigger of the dedicate target .22lr versus the tacticool 2/3 scale service-ish models.

But that is just my opinion.

Jack614 said:

hmm,maybe ill stick with 9mm then.i mean,im not against getting a 9mm.i just figured maybe something more powerful then a 9mm would be more interesting

either way,what are some other good 9mm's besides glock 19

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A 9mm would do just fine in the role you seem to need it for and with certain loadings is fairly warm such as the 115gr Buffalo Bore xtp's @ 1400fps. I'm not saying it's the round for you, just that it is a viable option and plenty powerful for the task. It's not quite the "hand cannon" show off gun but near perfect for an apt. The 10mm would work for a cool powerful handgun and nothing says you can't own both.

There's dozens and dozens of cost worthy 9mm pistols out there. CZ, Walther, Glock, Sig, Beretta, Springfield, Colt, so many companies make excellent choices. You getting to a gun shop and seeing how each feels in your hand will be the most important part of deciding which choice best fits you.

Real original eagle too bulky. Moded eagle and too many others $$$$. 10mm odd ball like 40. Just go get you an affordable 45 on 1911 frame. Search online for best 45 auto loaders. See which ones are common among the sites. Plenty of dependable 45s under the the insane 1000 mark. Go to a shop that has pistols you can try before buy.

Jack614 said:

ive always thought desert eagle L5's were cool but ive heard more negative stuff about desert eagle then positive stuff

i would say .44 magnum desert eagle L5 but the only handgun ive found thats .44 caliber was desert eagle's and i dont want to buy a revolver

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Reading through this thread I get the idea that you're not very familiar with firearms. I'd HIGHLY suggest you find a range that rents pistols and spend some time and money there shooting various pistols.

Some of your comments have me scratching my head. Things like the 10 mm offering similar ballistics to a revolver.

Revolvers come chambers in rounds from .22 LR to .500 S&W, .45-70, and so on.

You're lumping all revolvers into one class. 10 mm basically offers .357 Mag ballistics in a semi-auto pistol. You can also get revolvers chambered in 10 mm.

I don't want to make assumptions but from some of your posts you sound like you're very young and inexperienced. If this isn't the case then I'm sorry.

In either case you REALLY need to spend some time shooting various pistols. I'd offer to take you to the range but since you haven't filled out the location portion of your profile I have no idea where you live.