Desert eagle

[fishblade2]

I wanted to know all about desert eagles. What are the cons of them besides not being practical or the seldom jamming. I am going to buy one in the next couple of days but need more info. What all brands are there. If not brands then models. What are the difference mostly in reloading the shells for the two because I heard that the .500 smith and wesson bullets could be adjusted with different bullet weights and powder charges but how is that different for the desert eagle? I really love the gun and I want it for collecting but like said before I need to know about them. Also what about the company who makes them? Are they good? Reliable? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Olympus]

The search function is your friend here. Also try Google, "Desert Eagle Review" and you'll get more posts from various other boards. Enough material to keep you reading for at least a couple days. You'll learn more and faster than waiting for people to post. Search first. If you can't find the specific answers you're looking for, then post away. That's how I do it anyway...

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If I had more money than sense, I would not mind having a DE. I like handguns with unusual design, and gas operation with a rotating bolt, as well as the engineering needed to be able to feed revolver rounds out of a magazine, certainly qualifies.

What are the difference mostly in reloading the shells for the two because I heard that the .500 smith and wesson bullets could be adjusted with different bullet weights and powder charges but how is that different for the desert eagle?

The .500 is made for use in a revolver. A revolver, at the bottom end of the power spectrum, can use pretty much any ammunition that will fit in its chambers and push the bullet out of the barrel, or, if you want to load it hot, blow the hammer back on every shot. (Please forgive a bit of hyperbole.) Because there is no need for feeding in an action, there is a wide range of bullet weights, shapes and construction to choose from. You're more limited with a DE. It will not function with reduced loads, and bullets with jackets that enclose the base (jacketed hollow or soft points) must be used, or lead will build up in the gas port(s) and render it a single-shot.

 

[Bobson]

I had the chance to shoot a .50 AE Desert Eagle a few years ago, when I was still in the Air Force. A guy at the base range owned one and brought it, and was nice enough to let a few of us fire it.

After the first shot, I didn't even want to shoot it a second time. The recoil was bad, sure, but nothing terribly uncomfortable. But man, was that pistol freakishly inaccurate... I didn't see anyone hit closer than 6" from the bullseye at 15 yards - including the owner. :banghead:

If I ever bought a DE, it's use would be limited to opportunities where I say, "Hey guys, check out my Desert Eagle... *two minutes pass* K let's go do something else."

 

[fishblade2]

So for reloading how many grains would you put in it? And just to get the comment correct you have to load soft tip or hollow tips right? What rounds can't be put in it?

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

But man, was that pistol freakishly inaccurate...

User error, not the pistols fault. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1xj_3RvP2E

 

[56hawk]

So for reloading how many grains would you put in it? And just to get the comment correct you have to load soft tip or hollow tips right? What rounds can't be put in it?

I use 32.5 grains of H-110 behind a 300 grain JHP. The bullet just has to be copper jacketed. FMJ, JHP, softpoint, plated, etc. Lead bullets will plug up the gas system. You also need to use a fairly clean burning powder for the same reason.

I do find mine hard to shoot accurately for a couple reasons. The main reason is how you have to hold the gun to keep it from jamming. You have to use a weaver stance while holding the gun very tight. I find it hard to hold that way and still have good trigger control. The other thing is that it throws the casings really close to your head when you shoot it.

 

[daorhgih]

D.Eagle tips:

The gun (as most guns are) is more accurate than you are. Believe everything you've heard about NO unjacketed LEAD rounds! Good upper-body strength is a real asset. I wear latex gloves to increase my hold-ability on the gun; almost like shooting it in slo-motion. Take the recoil through your shoulders, NOT your elbows. You can actually accurately "double-tap" pretty well this way. "Limp Wristing" the piece will put brass down your shirt; a firm hold will flip the brass about 10-ft in regular fashion. I shoot Weaver and Isosceles stance, and just holding the gun out at the extremity of your arm is pretty impressive, if that's your bag. It doesn't seem right that a huge chunk of steel would be finicky about cleaning, but it is; let it soak overnight and avoid problems later. A shot of compressed air will let you see just how complicated the gas-routing really is. Shorter barrels are louder and "Flash"-ier; longer barrels are accurate. Reloading the .50AE is the only way to really enjoy the gun, dropping the $2.50+ ea. price of a single round. Eye protection and DOUBLE ear protection. KEEP IT CLEAN. Don't take the barrel/action apart unless you have the BOOK beside you. There's this LITTLE funky part that can go in backwards, but won't come back out ! ! ! Do not dry-fire it. Enjoy. L1S1

 

[xr1200]

All I can say is handle one a lot, cycle it and definitly fire one, before you buy one. I owned a 44 mag version about 20 yrs ago and consider it an odity or just a plain POS.

Not accurate, poor trigger, to heavy, its really more of a movie or prop gun that you would see the gangstas carrying. No real world use, its not even any good for hunting beyond 25 yrds.

<deleted>

 

[MachIVshooter]

But man, was that pistol freakishly inaccurate... I didn't see anyone hit closer than 6" from the bullseye at 15 yards - including the owner.

Actually, the Desert Eagle is about the most accurate autoloading pistol out there, especially with optical sights, because they mount directly to the barrel. I was able to average 2-9/16" 5-shot groups at 100 yards with the .50 I had.

It was a fun gun, very powerful. I have large hands and strong wrists, so managing the thing was not difficult (although I'd occasionally get a reminder about firm grip from a piece of brass leaving a crescent cut in my forehead).

I sold it a year ago, because I needed to pay the mortgage and it was one of my least used guns. Even reloading, it is expensive to feed, and it's not exactly a plinker anyway. Regrettably, I never killed any big game with it, but I'll own another one day.

They are high quality guns, but have very limited use for most people. Extremely large and heavy and overly powerful for defensive use, they're really only good for hunting, silhouette shooting and noisy range toy.

its not even any good for hunting beyond 25 yrds.

A stout .50 AE load still makes well over 1,000 FPE at 100 yards from a 6" DE. It's practical hunting range is about 6 times what you've asserted.

 

[ChCx2744]

fishblade...Unless you are a pretty rich and priveledged person, I highly suggest that you take some more time to finalize your decision. You say this gun is going to be a collector's piece, but you want to reload for it. I'm going to assume, then, that instead of a gun for a collection, it's gonna be more of a range toy. That being said, there are better alternatives that will save you the trouble of having to deal with the cost of shooting it, the extensive operational and maintenance experience and possible frustration or soreness due to the massive recoil. There are far more entertaining and better alternatives for range toys than DEs. I only know one guy who actually OWNS a DE and he has it just to have it, barely ever shoots it or cleans it; kind of like a set of fine chinaware that never gets used, it's just pretty to look at.

This is just my opinion, but I just hope you don't regret buying it. Unfortunately, I've impulsively bought guns in the past that I ended up selling soon after. But hey, it's your money, spend it how ya wanna.

 

[seed]

Did you post this over at TFL as well? Regardless, the DE is a fun and accurate hand cannon. If you can afford it, go for it. As I said over at TFL, there is an excellent 3-part video on how to detail strip the DE to a practical level and it is well worth viewing. You need to at least detail strip the slide/upper assembly to get it clean and throughly lubed, especially all over the bolt. And of course, only use JHP's or JSP's...no lead or FMJ (I don't think a TMJ exists for .44 magnum or .50AE, but if it did it would be perfect for practice shooting).

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Not accurate

Way more accurate than you actually.

 

[Ash]

And available in gold tone, too!

 

[Loosedhorse]

What can I tell you? I own one (in .50); I own a S&W .500. The .50 DE is less flexible, because the case is smaller and the operating pressure is confined to a certain "envelope" to enable the semiautomatic (gas) functioning.

The old Mark VII .357s were svelte compared to the .50s. Now, the Mark XIX .357s and .50s are the same size, both the same size as the Mark VII .50.

It has a certain iconic (movie) stature. It's fun. It would work well for handgun hunting. They are great, and reliable...

But compared to a Smith .500, well...

 

[fishblade2]

Fist of all, yes I did post it on the firing line because I wanted other people from both sites to give me advice . After reading this stuff and heard the information about it I went with the 500 smith and wesson. I like the idea of paying less to have the same amount of power with more flexibility in reloading it. Thanks for all your help though guys! I know this post will be helpful for others as well!