Reloading for the Desert Eagle

[Action_Can_Do]

Well as the title says, I will be reloading for a desert eagle 50ae soon. The gun will be ordered this week, and the dies and shellholder are on the way. I've already got the primers and powder (H110) and I am really excited. I'm having a devil of a time finding the right bullets though as they seem to be backordered everywhere. Can anyone give me any tips? I hear the Desert Eagle can be pretty picky and I've only reloaded for revolvers so far.

 

[ljnowell]

Please accept what I say for exactly what its worth, its heresay. I have never reloaded for one, but I have come to understand that you cant shoot mouse-fart loads out of it. Because of the design of the gun they pretty well require some stout rounds to operate reliably. Again, thats what I have heard, no experience with it to back it up. Maybe someone will come in and tell me I'm wrong.

 

[Gewehr98]

Desert Eagles are gas guns, so treat them as such.

Make certain the loads you create can generate the volume of gas required to cycle that big steel slide and bolt reliably.

The .50AE versions shouldn't be much of a problem, but I got my .357 Mk1 Desert Eagle for ridiculously cheap, because the previous owner couldn't get 125gr factory ammo to cycle the gun, and didn't check Magnum Research's website for recommended ammo. He thought the gun was defective, and let it go for a song.

I've never had a problem with the gun from the day I got it, but I also feed it healthy 158gr handloads that would probably shake loose an L-Frame S&W over time, and would definitely shake loose a K-Frame in short order.

So, no, don't go with really light loads in that big .50AE Desert Eagle. It may decide not to cycle well if it doesn't get enough gas volume.

 

[Grumulkin]

As the others have said, no wimp loads. Even with the stiff loads it needs, recoils isn't that bad since being a gas gun tames it a bit and the weight helps it some more.

It is sensitive to limp wristing. If you have problems with it failing to cycle, make sure you're holding your wrist stiff unlike revolvers and many other semiautos which don't care.

 

[Action_Can_Do]

Took me a while to get back to this thread! Thanks for the advice, guys.

 

[bobotech]

Again, NO wimpy loads in a Desert Eagle!!

They don't respond well at all to wimpy loads. I also had a Desert eagle in 357mag and it didn't want to cycle for beans until I started using H110 and 158grain bullets.

 

[RB98SS]

Try this site.

http://thedeserteagle.yuku.com/