It is what it is, a large (and heavy) gas operated semi-auto that fires magnum pistol cartridges. If for whatever reason you must have a semi-auto pistol that fires the .357 magnum, .44 magnum, or .50 AE cartridge (or all three if you get the conversion parts), then the Desert Eagle is the best choice, mainly because it is the only choice. Though in fairness the Desert Eagle's near monopoly on the magnum semi-auto pistol market is because it drove all its competitors (the Coonan, the LAR Grizzly, the AMT Automag IV and V) out of production, so it must be doing something right. Actually there is one competitor left in production, the Wildey, though the Wildey is chambered in different cartridges (.44 Auto Magnum, .45 Winchester Magnum, and .475 Wildey Magnum). Used Coonan's, Grizzly's, and Automag's still pop up from time to time, but of course their prices (especially for their magazines) are steadily and constantly increasing since they are out of production.
Briefly, the Pros and Cons of the Desert Eagle are as follows:
Pros:
- Fires magnum pistol cartridges.
- Good accuracy, pretty much equal to what any good magnum revolver can do.
- Controllable, its shear mass has the very practical side effect of significantly reducing the felt recoil to the shooter.
- Easily scoped, its gas operated design allows for a fixed barrel that a scope can be mounted directly to.
- Easy to disassemble, it has a takedown lever like a Berretta 92, and is a snap to take apart for cleaning.
Cons:
- Fires magnum pistol cartridges, and only magnum cartridges, so ammo is expensive unless you reload, and unlike a magnum revolver, no .38 special or .44 special cartridge firing capability (they don't have the oomph to cycle a Deagle), and no lead bullets unless they are gas checked.
- Takes longer to clean than a revolver or recoil operated pistol. The Deagle's gas operated system is kind of like an AR-15 in that it exhausts directly onto the operating parts (slide rails, frame rails, recoil spring assembly, etc.), so there are more areas that get gas residue buildup.
- Bulky, it makes a 1911 or any other service sized pistol look like a compact.
- Heavy, and I don't mean just a little heavier than other pistols, I mean a lot heavier. A Deagle is over half again as heavy as a steel framed pistol like a 1911 or CZ 75, and 2 to 3 times heavier than a typical alloy or polymer framed pistol like a Beretta 92 or a Glock 17.
- Expensive, new Desert Eagles are typically sold in the $1300 to $1800 price range (depending on finish and sights), and even used Desert Eagles typically go for around at least $1000.
Personally I think the Desert Eagle is a sound (albeit specialized) design. It is definitely not for everyone, but as long as a shooter understands it for what it is, I don't think they will be disappointed in it.
