still giddy - new desert eagle

[genie]

i just picked this up last night and i'm still a bit giddy. my new beauty is a very shiny desert eagle. i'm thinking of naming her bella.

what made me so tickled is that this genie lives in maryland so most handguns made after 1/1/03 are banned unless they have an integrated key operated safety and are approved by our state police. so of course all new magnum research handguns are now banned. but a local gunshop got this beauty from their distributor that was nib and made back in 2002 - before the ban.

i know all the wise folk who say desert eagles are impractical, large, expensive....but she's so pretty! and that ruled out rationalization. this is the first gun i've bought that's not in tactical black or grey but i figured it's a good choice to be all shiny.

(hopefully these pics will show. please do be kind and pardon my sucky photo skills....)

bella:

and some of the siblings:

 

[genie]

hmmm...ofoto seems to be tempermental.

in case the dreaded red xs show, attached are the pictures.

first is bella.

 

[genie]

attached is the second pic from the original post.

 

[anapex]

Genie: Not to be picky but the integrated lock law took effect 01/01/03. So I'm hoping you just mixed the numbers up and the DE you bought was made in '02 and not '03.

 

[genie]

Not to be picky but the integrated lock law took effect 01/01/03.

yup that's right -- thanks for the correction. guess the giddyness and all...i'm going to go and edit the original paragraph now.

 

[anapex]

You know in all my pickiness I forgot to ask. What caliber did you get it in?

edit: nevermind just looked at the pictures and saw the .44 stamped on it.

 

[BHPshooter]

Very nice. I'm sure you love it.

How does she shoot?

Wes

 

[newbushmaster]

How do you like the factory grips? Do you plan to replace them? Nice picture and nice DE.

 

[George Hill]

"Yeah Baby!"

I'm kidding... cool gun. I might end up with one of them myself some day... Think I'd go with a black finish myself...

 

[PO2Hammer]

Very nice. Is it nickle or stainless? I had a black one in .357 years ago, I suddenly miss it! Mine wore a Trijicon reflexII sight. It would shoot less than 3" groups at 50 yards all day long. Get a good cleaning kit together to take to the range, because they get dirty quick, and after 50-100 rounds, they start to get sluggish and won't go fully into battery. Mine was 100% reliable when clean. Mabey the nickle being self lubricating will help with that. Make sure you use synthetic lube. Have fun and post a report!

 

[genie]

thanks for the kind words.

"Yeah Baby!"

heh heh it is very pimped out. what's funny is that even a month ago i never gave desert eagles a second glance. much less anything that wasn't tactical black/grey. but this one was sitting on the shelf all pretty and shiny - the little seductress! plus the fact that it was still new and it's been over a year since new manufactured copies are banned...and well, my checkbook came out.

How does she shoot?

erm...well... i haven't shot it yet. i just completed the waiting period and picked her up and then the snows and ice started. the range i have a membership with is outdoors, so it might be a while till that melts out. i may have to goto an indoor range sometime...

How do you like the factory grips? Do you plan to replace them? Nice picture and nice DE.

again thanks for the kind words. people say i have decent camera, but i don't understand much beyond using a flash for indoor pictures.

to my hands, the factory grips feel fine. they're pretty flat and basically not that noticeable. eventually i may be tempted to try the hogue grips, but my bank account is still shellshocked.

Very nice. Is it nickle or stainless?

the finish is polished chrome. i know, i know -- that sounds so pimped out. this almost feels like a guilty pleasure: "hi, my name is genie and i own a bling bling gun."

 

[Kamicosmos]

they start to get sluggish and won't go fully into battery.

That is probably leading, not just soot. My .357 did that too, and it was a nice build up of lead right under the gasport on the frame.

Make sure the bullets have a very thick jacket!

Best bet is to reload for it, so you can pick the actual bullet.

Mine likes Star Bullets. It ripped right through the thin jackets on Rainers.

It really likes Hornaday XTPs!

 

[Jake]

Congratulations. And yes these guns may in fact be " impractical, large, and expensive" but they sure are a lot of fun. I've had one in 50 AE for about a year and a half now and I still get that goofy- happy feeling and big stupid grin on my face every time I pull the trigger.

 

[000Buck]

Trivia question:

What was the supposed caliber of the one Chief Gellespie carried on "In the Heat of the Night"?