How do most people feel about Magnum Research these days?

[KarateHottie93]

I just put $275 down on one of their 1911G's yesterday. I wasn't even considering a 1911 but saw it in the glass and couldn't resist. I know pre Kahr they used to not be very popular at all, as a lot of people just seemed to think they were making novelties. Like most, I have no experience with any of their guns outside of specialty items like the Desert Eagle/BFR. Any of you have experience and an opinion on any of their more standard handguns?

Everything felt nice on the 1911 or I wouldn't have put over 1/3rd of the asking price down. I'm not a huge fan of the extended guide rod but everything else seemed like an amazing package for what it cost.

With that said, I've shot many Kahr pistols so if anything like them, I'll be extremely happy.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

My dad and my grandpa each have older Mk VII Desert Eagles in .44 Mag and my brother bought a .50 AE Mk XIX when he was in the Army. I grew up in the 80s when the Desert Eagle was gaining its popularity, esp in Hollywood, so the things had a certain allure to me. I've shot two Desert Eagles at once and busted firewood rounds in half with 350 gr JSPs from the big .50 AE. They are well made and fun, but I never found them to be very practical. My dad still carries his hunting with him, but when a lever action .44 rifle is only marginally more weight and probably just as easy to carry, I don't see myself ever owning one. I admire the CZ clones, but IIRC, Magnum Research poos-poos the controls by putting them on the slide, which is bass-ackwards and r-tarded. It should be pretty difficult to mess up the excellent ergos the CZs are famous for, but Magnum Research apparently created one of those better idiots and managed to do just that, so the Baby Eagle is probably the last CZ clone I would spent money on. Not really fond of the up-swept slide mounted safety on the Desert Eagle either, but as I consider it only a range toy obviously not intended for serious defensive use, it is not as egregious of an offense. BFR seems well enough made again, but I just don't see myself needing a mammoth single-action revolver chambered in a rifle cartridge any time soon, either. So I guess my overall impression of Magnum Research is that their products tend to be better made than designed and thus lacking in practicality if not in quality.

 

[JTQ]

I view the Magnum Research 1911 as the gun that broke Charles Daly's back.

Charles Daly spent some time and effort getting input from one of the 1911 forums developing that 1911 with Bul. The gun was destined to replace the Armscor 1911's in Charles Daly's line-up. At the last minute, after the design details had been finalized, the deal fell through, and Bul elected to market the gun through Magnum Research. Charles Daly was not doing well financially at the time, but that slight of hand put the final nail in their coffin. Charles Daly is no more.

There is probably blame to go around for all parties concerned, and the least blame probably belongs with Magnum Research, but the whole episode left me with a less than stellar opinion of them.

 

[98Redline]

I have never looked at their semi autos, deagle included, but their BFR is a very well put together single action.

 

[mdrisc85]

I have the Commander sized version, what they call the 1911-C. Aside from the large "Magnum Research" rollmark on the slide, i couldn't be happier with it- both the price and the quality for the money. I had a done a lot of research at the time and seemed to included all the features I wanted for my budget at the time.

 

[bnolsen]

The weight of the magnums and 50ae never impressed me, one guy firing a 50ae at the range had a few jams on his. That was about 15 years ago.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

better made than designed and

+1
Ive put quite a few rounds through my bosses recent production .50 D Eagle- never experienced a malfunction.
The machining and polishing is first rate, but ya, not a terribly practical or even fun gun to shoot. The recoil is manageable, accuracy is good- however the weight, awkward balance, and ergonomics take away quite a bit.
Hard to beat as a display piece or attention getter, though!

 

[wally]

I view the Magnum Research 1911 as the gun that broke Charles Daly's back.

Charles Daly spent some time and effort getting input from one of the 1911 forums developing that 1911 with Bul. The gun was destined to replace the Armscor 1911's in Charles Daly's line-up. At the last minute, after the design details had been finalized, the deal fell through, and Bul elected to market the gun through Magnum Research. Charles Daly was not doing well financially at the time, but that slight of hand put the final nail in their coffin. Charles Daly is no more.

There is probably blame to go around for all parties concerned, and the least blame probably belongs with Magnum Research, but the whole episode left me with a less than stellar opinion of them.

The Bul polymer double stack 1911 have a weird history and seem to have had lots of broken deals. My Kimber BP versions are very good. Charles Daly was always in a precarious position, selling mostly the Armscor (now RIA) stainless 1911, the Bul polymer double stack 1911s and a FEG HiPower clone -- small fish in a big pond, but they treated me well when I had a minor issue with my 4" 1911, sorry to see them go.

Who is selling the BP 1911s now? Haven't seen one in a long time.

 

[hdwhit]

I remember when they came out with the Desert Eagle. I didn't understand pistols in such massive calibers. And I still don't.

Today, it's just part of the Moonie empire, so I understand it even less.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I have zero experience with their 1911s.

The Baby Eagle is a solid gun, made by Tanfoglio and finished by IWI. I personally like the slide mounted safety, and find the grip profile more ergonomic than a standard CZ or Witness. As well, I like the full dust cover with the beveled snout. Most Baby Eagles also have polygonal rifling, if it matters to you.

The full size Desert Eagle is somewhat of an engineering marvel, if not a bit cumbersome. I had a Mk XIX in .50 AE, and I did enjoy it, but paying my mortgage when things got tight years ago took priority over it's ownership, so I sold it. I'll probably have another one day; it is a fun pistol to shoot, and I still want to take an elk with one.

 

[JTQ]

The Bul polymer double stack 1911...

I'm referring to the Magnum Research 1911 ( https://www.magnumresearch.com/Firearms/Magnum-Research-Desert-Eagle-1911-G-Model.asp ) and not the polymer double stack gun.

The gun in the link I posted above was originally "spec'd" by Charles Daly (with input from members of one of the 1911 forums) from Bul. It was going to replace their Armscor 1911 and was to be the Charles Daly G4. It didn't happen. Magnum Research now sells the gun.

 

[Demi-human]

I have only molested a MR nineteen eleven while waiting to pick up my new mkXIX. I feel they are nicely made. They felt just the same as any Rock Island or Remington. Not quite as top quality as my Dan Wesson, but i did not get to fire it. Didn't have quite the fit and finish of the Eagle, but still felt like a pistol one could beat another to death with, as all nineteen elevens should.

I truly appreciate their service and customer support. The Eagle had a mar in the rifling, most likely didn't affect a thing but I knew it was there and could not live with it. I sent them a picture, they sent a box, I sent a barrel in a box, and they sent a new barrel. Two weeks in all. I called the first week, they said their smith was at a funeral, I apologized, said I could definitely wait and the man asked what was wrong. I explained and he said he would just send another barrel as the smith couldn't "fix" missing rifling. Great people in my book.
And better still, the gas tube is now in line with a groove instead of a land, and I get much less copper flare at the muzzle and gas vent.

 

[CraigC]

To be precise, the BFR is not only available in the long frame rifle cartridge guns. They are also made in standard length revolver cartridges and that is where they really shine. Their build quality, precision and accuracy rivals that of Freedom Arms but they are closer to Ruger's price range. They are only slightly beefier than a Ruger single action and available in everything up to .500Linebaugh.

 

[BigBore44]

I’m really curious what kind of performance you get out of a, say, 45-70 out of a BFR. Maybe it’s just me. But I don’t think I’d be that impressed.

 

[Demi-human]

I have not shot one, but was very impressed by the video I watched. Wherein some one put an eight teen inch long hole into an embankment of hard clay. After travelling through a home made mannequin, a sheet of plywood and a six by six treated post. A fourty five auto may make it through the man and post, but will probably be found on the clay rather than in it, let along a foot and a half.
By far my favorite is making firewood with it.

 

[DT Guy]

I remember when they came out with the Desert Eagle. I didn't understand pistols in such massive calibers. And I still don't.

Today, it's just part of the Moonie empire, so I understand it even less.

Disregarding the rather loaded nature of that comment in itself, it's incorrect:

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2011/09/16/who-owns-kahr-arms/

 

[Mn Fats]

The full size Desert Eagle is somewhat of an engineering marvel, if not a bit cumbersome.

Like you, I have no experience with their 1911 but based on the big desert eagle, Im a fan of their product. That .50 AE DE was the second most accurate semi auto handgun I've ever fired in my life.

 

[Tirod]

Opinions about a firearm can vary widely from one forum to another, and also in what time frame ownership occurred. You basically get a snapshot view of what the currently posting members "feel" emotionally about their reputation, and it's often not highly accurate.

Point in case, "moonies." Which if you really believed it, means, that said group of people like firearms so much they offer legal Thompsons and CCW guns even back in the day when nobody offered a small single stack 9mm. So much so they own the company that was smart enough to sell a gun that Daly was apparently in too difficult financial straits to offer, and now sells. Daly did go under - most do. In point of fact, over 85% of business ventures fail in the first ten years. Magnum has survived longer than Daly. Good business decisions as a whole being more in evidence by Magnum than Daly.

See how the "feelz" work out? Daly wasn't sufficiently capable of staying in business, Magnum is, yet Daly is held up as the victim in the process. Business economics does not work with "feelz," it requires long term assessment and planning. The results are clear enough.

Magnum Research is doing well arming America, which if the implication has any merit, means the Moonies have more consideration for your safety than your local liberal elected representative. They think you can be trusted more with a gun than who you might have voted for. Think about that.

 

[Rodentman]

I have the full sized XIX in 50 AW with 6" and 10" bbls. Also the newer L5 in 357. These are great fun. Practical? No, but they are fun to reload and I enjoy them. Recoil on the 50 is a bit more than I anticipated considering the weight of the pistol, but not unmanageable. Just can't really download for it. And NO lead bullets.

 

[MikeInOr]

A "compact" L5 Desert Eagle in .44 is on my short list! Practical?... no. Fun?.. HECK YAH!

I look at the 1911 DE as pretty much any other 1911 out there. I don't see anything that special about it... but I definitely would not turn my nose up at owning one!