What's the issue with the Desert Eagle?

[Nolo]

Just got home from a friend's house to find the parents of another friend of mine talking to my parents. My friend's dad was retelling the story of how he killed a black bear recently with a S&W Model 500. He said it took 4 hits to put the beast down. I kinda related that to a recent discussion I had where a few friends of mine were talking about how ineffective handguns are in general, and this event seemed to only re-enforce that assertion (though the 500 has a muzzle energy greater than a .30-06 with the loads he was using (300 grainers at ~2000 f/s)).
So then I thought about the Desert Eagle pistol. It's less powerful than the 500, but people always deride it for being "too much gun". Certainly if you can't hit anything with it, or if the recoil is too punishing for you, then that's true; every man (and woman) has their sweet spot. But considering how hugely ineffective pistols are in almost any incarnation, why do people put down the .50 AE Desert Eagle so much? It seems to me that it is, at least for some people, a very viable weapon. Is it just Counter-Strike?

 

[Hoppy590]

It's less powerful than the 500, but people always deride it for being "too much gun".

its too much gun becuase its some 3 feet long. think as a texas steak and only holds like, 7 shots.

also your talking hunting V self defense. as a hunting gun both the .50AE and .50 SW are good for certain sized animals. as selfdefense, the guns they use are too big, the rounds will make follow up shots difficult in smaller framed guns and have limited round count

 

[Nolo]

While I know that a rifle is far superior in this respect, I was mostly thinking about home defense, not carry defense.
Unless, of course, you're expecting trouble.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I think over the years, people get tired of teenagers mouthing off because of things they've learned in video games and movies.

I know I've nodded thousands of times when listening to gamers talk about "Deagles."
I've also said, "Oh really, is that right?" and equal number of times to tae kwon do students telling me that a japanese sword can bisect an engine block.

I think patience wears thin after people deal with the uneducated repeatedly.

I mean, it's no big deal, it's just the way it is.


Anyway, [/rant]
Realistically, why would one want to fire .50AE when another, more controllable, caliber would do the job just as well?

You don't need a monster truck to offroad, you only need a 1982 Chevy K10.

It's simply another exercise in excess.

 

[valor1]

I don't see any issues with the Deagle. It's simply big, bulky and heavy. Nice to see them in the movies. As a home defense gun the ones that I have are the ones that I prefer - 1911, Cz-PO1, and a 357 magnum revolver.

 

[Nolo]

But the .500 didn't do the job (at least not the first three shots), that's my point.
5.56s don't always do the job in Iraq, and their energy and terminal effectiveness is much greater than all standard pistol rounds.

 

[AJD]

Its because its so popular with the movie crowd and as you said the Counter Strike/PC Gamer crowd. As a result it gets so much praise from people that don't know anything about guns. Then as a result alot of people that know guns bash it as much as they can just because of that...almost to balance things out.

That and alot of people on this board and other online gun boards seem to be very "serious" when it comes to guns. Guns are "tools" and need specific, practical "tasks". Where does the Desert Eagle fit into this rigid system? The Desert Eagle also costs around $1200+ and that also makes it a target of criticism(Why spend that much money on such an "impractical" gun?). In addition Magnum Research has capitilized on the "movie hype" and now has Tiger Stripe, Gold Plated, Bright Chrome, etc. etc. finished Desert Eagles which further infuriates the "serious" crowd because of how "impractical" these finishes are.

Having shot one. I'd say that its too big and too expensive.

 

[DMK]

While I know that a rifle is far superior in this respect, I was mostly thinking about home defense, not carry defense.

A Desert Eagle wouldn't necessarily be a bad gun for home defense (assuming it's reliable, I have no idea). It's just overly large and heavy though.

All the reports I've read showed that 44Mag is actually not quite as good a manstopper as 45ACP, .357Mag, or 40S&W. It's certainly powerful enough to penetrate, so it may be just due to the fact that 44Mag ammo just doesn't have the R&D in SD bullet design that the other rounds have. 44Mag's R&D probably goes more into bonded, deep penetrating hunting rounds. It could also be because some folks just can't shoot the round under pressure as accurately as the lighter recoiling rounds.

That's splitting hairs though. I believe statistics don't show the whole picture and that any HP rounds between 9mm and 44mag have about the same chance of stopping an attacker if you can put 5 or six of them center of mass. Luck needs to be on your side no matter what.

The best thing is find a gun that is reliable, you are comfortable with, and you can shoot accurately and quickly.

 

[Nolo]

Expensive, yes. So are other weapons.
Big, sure, but so is, say an Uzi or an M1 Carbine.
Does MR play up the movie hype? Yes. I don't blame them, I'm sure it's sold more than one firearm.
I'm not sure the recoil is so bad, but then again I've never fired one nor have I fired any other large-bore handgun (I'm basing this off of videos of firing this weapon and second hand experience, so don't flame me).
It's certainly not a carry weapon, that's for sure.
Maybe it's because I'm a rifle guy and I'm coming at this from the perspective of someone who shoots and deals with almost exclusively long guns. I dunno, I just don't see anything wrong with the weapon.
Just for your info, I am in no way, shape or form thinking of buying one of these weapons.

 

[DMK]

Big, sure, but so is, say an Uzi or an M1 Carbine.

those are shoulder fired weapons. Much easier to steady and shoot accurately.


Keep in mind that there are many weapons with a legendary status, that aren't really all that great when you compare them to their contemporaries. Movies have some to do with this as do video games. Sometimes a weapon will be adopted by a respected force who may not actually use it much or will never admit its problems, yet the weapon will inherit it's owners status.

The P.08 Luger is such a weapon. A beautiful piece of machinery. A fine range gun. A true legendary firearm and most likely a cherished jewel in anyone's collection. I wouldn't want one for an SD weapon if I had a choice among it's contemporaries though.

 

[h0ss]

Never shot a desert eagle (or a S&W 500 for that matter), but i have held one at my local gun shop once, and it was HUGE in my hands. I could not reach the mag release with my thumb, even after stretching and reaching a little bit, i had to cradle the gun in my left hand then let go and practically reach around to the front of the grip to hit that sucker. I thought that was a little big.

As far as too much gun, maybe not compared to the S&W 500, or depending on some people's opinions, maybe not at all. But IMHO its definately too big.

 

[Nolo]

those are shoulder fired weapons. Much easier to steady and shoot accurately.

Sure. But people don't complain ad nauseam about the .454 Casull being "too much gun", and it has a larger, sharper kick.

 

[antsi]

I think the point about shoulder fired weapons is that the whole rationale for pistols is that they are small and convenient to carry around all the time while going about your not-planning-to-be-in-combat business. Shoulder fired weapons are generally superior for all other purposes. Therefore, to me and I think many others, if you are giving up the size and convenience factors, there is little further rationale for a pistol. In other words - if I am going to lug around something as big and heavy and inconvenient as a Desert Eagle, I will go for a shotty or carbine.

 

[MachIVshooter]

The Desert Eagle does have a practical application, but it's not SD/HD. It is a hunting pistol, capable of amazing accuracy. I have fired many <3" 5-shot 100 yard groups with mine from a rest Using Handloaded 325 gr. Speer JHP's at 1510 FPS. Though not in the picture, I used a Burris 2.5-4x scope. As for HD, it would work, but I suspect it wouldn't be as effective as a purpose-specific round form a more conventional caliber. THe .500" HP bullets simply aren't designed to open up on humans. They were constructed to achieve penetration on big game animals.

Though heavy, they aren't that much bigger than average pistols:

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

I must admit, though, shooting my uncle's .44 mag desert eagle was a lot of fun.

And, be honest with yourself, past all the self defense hoopla, and the armchair commando'ing that we all do, one of the biggest reasons we own guns is that they're fun to shoot at pieces of paper.

The Desert eagle is certainly that.

 

[sig226]

I think your friend's dad had some bad luck with bullet placement. The wheelgun gets a better reputation for hunting because of history, mostly. Magnum revolvers have been used by hunters for years. They are very effective in the right hands.

Also, some states prohibit the use of semi automatics for hunting. This argues against the Desert Eagle. But if you want to hunt with it and it's legal, why not? It works.

But don't get the gold one.

 

[Big Boomer]

I might have gotten one if I could get my hands around the grip

 

[ugaarguy]

So then I thought about the Desert Eagle pistol. It's less powerful than the 500, but people always deride it for being "too much gun". Certainly if you can't hit anything with it, or if the recoil is too punishing for you, then that's true; every man (and woman) has their sweet spot. But considering how hugely ineffective pistols are in almost any incarnation, why do people put down the .50 AE Desert Eagle so much?

I think it's a combination of neophytes constantly trying to claim what a great carry gun is a Desert Eagle is, and the common perception of all autos as defensive guns. Contrast that with the common perception of large revolvers as hunting firearms.

Sure. But people don't complain ad nauseam about the .454 Casull being "too much gun", and it has a larger, sharper kick.

Perceived recoil of a 454 is reduced when fired out of something like a Freedom Arms or Ruger Single Action. Those big plowhandle grips roll in your hand and distribute the recoil unlike pistol and DA revolver grips which send it straight back into your wrist all at once.

You also have to remember that revolvers aren't powder charge dependent like autos. Handload ammo too light for an auto and it wont cycle without spring changes. Go lighter still and even with super light springs you throw off the timing of the auto cycles & functions. With a .454 Casull chambered revolver you can load up really light .45 Colt cowboy loads, full house .454 Casull Loads, or anything in between and the gun will function without any changes. Your typical big bore revolver owner buys his gun for just this versatility.

Last, you need to go handle a Desert Eagle and a large frame SA revolver side by side. The DEs are HUGE in the grip, too large for most people to grip comfortably or properly.

 

[chute2thrill]

""I must admit, though, shooting my uncle's .44 mag desert eagle was a lot of fun.

And, be honest with yourself, past all the self defense hoopla, and the armchair commando'ing that we all do, one of the biggest reasons we own guns is that they're fun to shoot at pieces of paper.""

davidsdivad nailed it... i'd think of it as a novelty.. and if you can afford it... its most likely going to a range so you can show it off...

 

[FireArmFan]

I never really hear that the desert eagle is "too much gun" as far as recoil goes that is. While there is a pretty good recoil I more often hear about the Desert Eagle being "too much gun" for carry. It's simply to big.

For home defense, it would work, but I can think of better choices for a home defense pistol. I'd rather have something in .45 or .40 that I could make better shot placement, and quicker follow up shots. I have also heard (key word here being "heard" because I do not own a Desert Eagle) that they tend to get very dirty quickly and not function as well as they should.

I have no issue with Desert Eagle's but I do tend to get annoyed when I hear people who play games like counter strike and think that the "Deagle" is the best, most powerful, most accurate firearm on the Earth. That can get annoying but the way I look at it is at least these people are getting excited about firearms instead of trying to get them banned.

 

[massglockman]

I think that there are more people against the gun because of the hype they get from the videogammers. The gun is awesome to shoot i have more fun at the range, and when i bring it with me there is often a crowd granted this is because of massachusetts not lettin u buy one new. Its rare to see them and they are even more here used be around 1500 plus. They are too fat at the grip lots of recoil making second shots almost impossible. But who is goin to use it for self defense, its not exactly practical. Its a gun that u want just to say u have it. But thats how most guns are these days you can only justify so many carry guns, hunt guns, range guns, then u get the what the heck i got some spare room in the safe guns but hey its just my 2 cents

 

[Onmilo]

I am in league with those folks who feel the .50 A.E. Desert Eagle was mainly constructed to appeal to shooters who simply insist on having the biggest of everything.
In a practical standpoint the five shot .500 and .460 S&W MAgnums and the .454 Casull are better hunting cartridges.

That said, if my goofy state would ever allow deer hunting with a semi automatic handgun I am first in line for a 10" barrelled Desert Eagle in .44 Magnum or .41 Magnum.
Add a good scope and these pistols are more than capable of killing deer to 150 meters.

 

[Myles]

Once upon a time I had a .357 DE. Got a low, low price on it. Nice pistol, lots of fun, but frankly it was too bulky and I didn't have a use for it, other than fun.

A friend of mine later purchased one of the .50 Action Express models when it first came out, I guess '90 or '91. This was an even larger framed, massive honkin' piece of steel. Very fun! Recoil? It's a gas system and the pistol weighs a ton. I didn't think it had much recoil compared to say a .44 Mag. in a revolver.

Although, I will say I teased him mercilessly about his DE being a stand-in for a small penis. Big gun, little wee-wee syndrome.

 

[inkhead]

Damn the people defending it for home use are OWNERS. Gee come on seriously??? The gun is for hobbyists. It's a fun piece to own. It's not practical for self defense. In the time you handle one shot out of that weapon, I'll probably have pumped seven very accurate, and clear line of sight, without being jarred into you. while you stand there trying to think after your next shot.

Find me a home defense training center that teaches you all about the great eagle...

The bullets won't go through nearly as many blocks of ballistic gel.. However I can't even imagine shooting that INSIDE of my large house. How you could clearly think, or defend anything with the mental fog of your teeth rattling your brain....

 

[Malodorousroadkill]

One of those 8 shot performance center smith .357s would be a better defensive arm than a .357 Desert Eagle. They're about the same price, the revolver shoots both .38s and .357s, speed loaders are about 7-10 bucks vs 40+ magazines, revolver is lighter, revolver more ergonomic. With the .41 mag version, just about any 10mm auto will out perform it in a defensive setting.