The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol - The Firearms Forum

kravi · 03-18-2004, 01:11 PM

So yesterday I stopped by my range (read "private club") and decided to mess around a little. So I tried [renting and] shooting a .44 Magnum revolver (lots of fun). Had some kick (but a built in compensator) and was incredibly accurate. Now I'm used t o shooting the .45 ACP, so I was pleasantly surprised by the increased kick, but not shocked.

Then the guy at the range offered me his personal Desert Eagle .50 Cal. Fun, I thought. I anticipated a bit of a shock, but I knew that it was a semi-auto, so I figured the kick wouldn't be much worse than the .44 Magnum.... And anyway, I know that IMI makes a lot of quality gear (I'm Israeli though, and a little biased), so I figured that it would be good fun.

The first shot, at 30', hit dead center. I mean, smack dab in the middle of the $&@%ing x-ring, the shell casing flew past my head, and I was nearly brained by the recoil. That weapon is not a pistol, it is a canon mounted on an overly-large pistol grip.

My point, however, is that I am not a small man. I'm in good shape, strong wrists (lots of exercise, etc), didn't have a problem with the weight. I have small hands (nothing I can do about that), but I couldn't control the pistol. If I went for accuracy I'd risk maiming myself.

How, and this whole post leads up to this, does anyone ever expect to use this as a combat gun? Isn't that what it was designed for? I can't imagine very many officers being powerful enough to shoot this weapon properly. I found myself flinching (and the .44 mag and the .45 ACP don't make me flinch at all), and I'm pretty strong. So what is the point of this pistol?

-Kravi

P.S. Sorry this message just sort of runs on. I had an... interesting St. Patrick's day :-)

Country101 · 03-18-2004, 04:08 PM

Who knows? Maybe they figure if you can shoot them in the leg with a bullet with that much power, it'll do just as good...

What kind of .44 did you shoot?

Country101

kravi · 03-18-2004, 04:10 PM

It was a S&W, but sadly I don't remember the exact flavour. Of course, after shooting it, I walked around saying "Make my day" for a couple of hours...

-Kravi

45Smashemflat · 03-18-2004, 04:37 PM

Not sure the Eagle was really supposed to be for Combat - I always thought of it as a auto-lovers hunting gun.

kravi · 03-18-2004, 08:05 PM

Naw. If it was made by IMI it would have to be for combat. They don't really produce "sporting" weapons. Though if it generated a big profit, I guess they probably would :-)

Their job is to create great combat weapons, and sell a lot of them to foreign governments to help defray production/R&D costs...

Of course, don't quote me on this :-)

-Kravi

RELTOR · 03-18-2004, 09:02 PM

Who ever heard of 50ae surplus? These guns were made, because consumers would buy them. Think about this the 357mag was rejected by many police departments in the sixties and seventies due to it's recoil and muzzle flash at night. The desert eagles were designed by american mechanical engineers to be overly engineered. I'm not saying they are not well made and accurate, they are just too damn big and heavy for any serious use. The make the the HK mk23 seem small.

Here is an excerpt from what seems like the DE webpage? (they can't spell so well either) http://www.zvis.com/dep/dephist.shtml

It was a year of 1979, when in Minneapolis, USA - Magnum Research Inc. was founded

There were 3 people in the begining. Three very determined persons, and their objective was very clear, to develop an entirely new semi auto handgun around the very popular .357 magnum revolver cartridge. Working name of the project "Magnum Eagle". "Fathers" of the gun are J. Lindig, J. Skildam and H. Z. Skildam, founders of the company, also B. White - technological details and development. Originally gun was designed for target, silhouette shooting and hunting.

The first working prototype was ready by 1981, however problems with cycling/feeding made MRI to look for outsiders help. Such help was soon found - IMI(Isreaeli Military Industry). So in 1983 the first Desert Eagle was produced & sold, chambered for .357 magnum. Later the much more powerful .44 magnum DE was produced, by 1987 the .41 Mag round appeared, unfortunately this promicing round later was abandoned. In 1991 desert eagle was introduced in very mighty .50 Action Express caliber, designed by Evan Wilding, rebated case, base .44 magnum, which made very easy to interchange barrels between .44 .50 AE calibers. Finally the latest but hopefully not the last .440 Cor-Bon (Cor-Bon round, necked down .50 AE, for more info about this round read in .50 AE vs. .440 Cor-Bon) was produced in 1998.

kravi · 03-19-2004, 10:50 AM

Good post. Thanks for the info.

I'm glad, at least, that it originally didn't have a "military" application. I can imagine all of those poor junior officers trying to shoot them.

My friend, who is a professional gunsmith for the IDF told me this morning that he's only seen two of them being worn by anyone. Ever.

They do scare me. I've seen the muzzle flash during the day and it is a good 22 cm in length. A friend of mine (an ex-US Marine) told me that at night one gets a "several" foot muzzle flash... He too owns one.

-Kravi

IShootBack · 03-19-2004, 03:43 PM

Same point as climbing a mountain...Just because.

ISB

Smokin Guns · 03-19-2004, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Same point as climbing a mountain...Just because

Yup!...Jest a matter a'time here...

JohnnyRobotic · 03-19-2004, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kravi
strong wrists (lots of exercise, etc)

ROFL, ahh yes times are lonely

Hydra Shok · 03-19-2004, 09:34 PM

Quote:

strong wrists (lots of exercise, etc),

mojo45 · 03-20-2004, 10:23 PM

JUST LOVE THE BARREL!!!

Crpdeth · 03-21-2004, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnnyRobotic
ROFL, ahh yes times are lonely

LOL, Somehow, I knew that was comming...Er, I dont think I'm helping much.

I'll hush now.

Silencer · 03-21-2004, 11:59 AM

I think the .44 S&W you shot at the indoor range was not loaded with full power .44 rounds. I used to work, then was part owner of an indoor range, and when we rented out the .44 we had, it was loaded with reduced .44 rounds. The .44, loaded with full power rounds, has a much bigger kick than the .45acp.

The Desert Eagle .44 will have less kick than that S&W .44, but will have a louder "boom." I never tried the .50, and I have no need to. Yep, those DEs are big, and hard to handle if you got small hands. I'm 6'5" and my hand feels small to the DEs.

kravi · 03-23-2004, 10:11 AM

Quote:

ROFL, ahh yes times are lonely

Why do you think I spend so much time online?

<whistling away at the wind>

Would I be even more out of order if I said that it was just too big for me?

Silencer: I'm sorry, I guess I wasn't clear. The S&W definately had more kick than the .45 ACP. I just felt that it was comfortable and manageable. I had fun shooting it. Strong wrists, remember...

It was definately the .44 Magnum. And a lot of fun.

I should really be more careful with what I write, shouldn't I !?

-Kravi

Taurus_9mm · 08-21-2007, 01:09 AM

It wouldn't be my first, second, third or even fourth choice for a combat handgun but it beats a sharp stick, right?

If I had one it'd be for the 'fun factor', much like my reason for getting a Raging Bull in .500 Magnum. It serves no useful practical purpose for me but I just wanted one, and so I got it. If I ever got a DE in .50AE it'd be for the same reason.

I'd rather not go into combat with just a handgun but hypothetically, if that's all I had at the time, I'd prefer something along the lines of the Taurus 608, 8 shot .357 or a reliable pistol with hicaps I.E. Beretta 92FS/Taurus PT92, Springfield XD .45, Glock 17, 21, 22, Ruger P95 or one of the many other flavors available.

travihanson · 08-21-2007, 01:45 PM

BAH, Desert Eagle's are a fine weapon.....If you want to use it for a club. All of the Eagle's I have shot.....357, .44, and .50 have been inaccurate, hard trigger pull, and just heavy. Not a big fan, owned a couple of them for resale purposes only.

charagrin · 08-21-2007, 08:57 PM

Regardless of your notes on the Eagle, I shall own one ere long. Ah, my love, My petite little peashooter, How I shall cherish you. You are my BBW(Big Beautiful Weapon). We shall walk together in the moonlight, and our love shall last forever.

LOL, actually I blew my D. Eagle savings on a Star PD .45.-Char

travihanson · 08-21-2007, 09:38 PM

Smart thinking on the PD....Just because you used the D eagle money

, J/K, but you should try one before you buy it....You will regret it...

03-18-2004, 01:11 PM	#1
kravi V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 135	The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol So yesterday I stopped by my range (read "private club") and decided to mess around a little. So I tried [renting and] shooting a .44 Magnum revolver (lots of fun). Had some kick (but a built in compensator) and was incredibly accurate. Now I'm used t o shooting the .45 ACP, so I was pleasantly surprised by the increased kick, but not shocked. Then the guy at the range offered me his personal Desert Eagle .50 Cal. Fun, I thought. I anticipated a bit of a shock, but I knew that it was a semi-auto, so I figured the kick wouldn't be much worse than the .44 Magnum.... And anyway, I know that IMI makes a lot of quality gear (I'm Israeli though, and a little biased), so I figured that it would be good fun. The first shot, at 30', hit dead center. I mean, smack dab in the middle of the $&@%ing x-ring, the shell casing flew past my head, and I was nearly brained by the recoil. That weapon is not a pistol, it is a canon mounted on an overly-large pistol grip. My point, however, is that I am not a small man. I'm in good shape, strong wrists (lots of exercise, etc), didn't have a problem with the weight. I have small hands (nothing I can do about that), but I couldn't control the pistol. If I went for accuracy I'd risk maiming myself. How, and this whole post leads up to this, does anyone ever expect to use this as a combat gun? Isn't that what it was designed for? I can't imagine very many officers being powerful enough to shoot this weapon properly. I found myself flinching (and the .44 mag and the .45 ACP don't make me flinch at all), and I'm pretty strong. So what is the point of this pistol? -Kravi P.S. Sorry this message just sort of runs on. I had an... interesting St. Patrick's day :-) -->

03-18-2004, 09:02 PM	#6
RELTOR Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 9	Who ever heard of 50ae surplus? These guns were made, because consumers would buy them. Think about this the 357mag was rejected by many police departments in the sixties and seventies due to it's recoil and muzzle flash at night. The desert eagles were designed by american mechanical engineers to be overly engineered. I'm not saying they are not well made and accurate, they are just too damn big and heavy for any serious use. The make the the HK mk23 seem small. Here is an excerpt from what seems like the DE webpage? (they can't spell so well either) http://www.zvis.com/dep/dephist.shtml It was a year of 1979, when in Minneapolis, USA - Magnum Research Inc. was founded There were 3 people in the begining. Three very determined persons, and their objective was very clear, to develop an entirely new semi auto handgun around the very popular .357 magnum revolver cartridge. Working name of the project "Magnum Eagle". "Fathers" of the gun are J. Lindig, J. Skildam and H. Z. Skildam, founders of the company, also B. White - technological details and development. Originally gun was designed for target, silhouette shooting and hunting. The first working prototype was ready by 1981, however problems with cycling/feeding made MRI to look for outsiders help. Such help was soon found - IMI(Isreaeli Military Industry). So in 1983 the first Desert Eagle was produced & sold, chambered for .357 magnum. Later the much more powerful .44 magnum DE was produced, by 1987 the .41 Mag round appeared, unfortunately this promicing round later was abandoned. In 1991 desert eagle was introduced in very mighty .50 Action Express caliber, designed by Evan Wilding, rebated case, base .44 magnum, which made very easy to interchange barrels between .44 .50 AE calibers. Finally the latest but hopefully not the last .440 Cor-Bon (Cor-Bon round, necked down .50 AE, for more info about this round read in .50 AE vs. .440 Cor-Bon) was produced in 1998. __________________ "...Before it's too Late"

03-19-2004, 03:43 PM	#8
IShootBack Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Virginia Posts: 2,306	Same point as climbing a mountain...Just because. ISB __________________ "The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name." Exodus15:3

08-21-2007, 01:09 AM	#16
Taurus_9mm V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Louisville, Kentucky Posts: 345	Re: The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol It wouldn't be my first, second, third or even fourth choice for a combat handgun but it beats a sharp stick, right? If I had one it'd be for the 'fun factor', much like my reason for getting a Raging Bull in .500 Magnum. It serves no useful practical purpose for me but I just wanted one, and so I got it. If I ever got a DE in .50AE it'd be for the same reason. I'd rather not go into combat with just a handgun but hypothetically, if that's all I had at the time, I'd prefer something along the lines of the Taurus 608, 8 shot .357 or a reliable pistol with hicaps I.E. Beretta 92FS/Taurus PT92, Springfield XD .45, Glock 17, 21, 22, Ruger P95 or one of the many other flavors available.

08-21-2007, 01:45 PM	#17
travihanson Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Milo, ME Posts: 582	Re: The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol BAH, Desert Eagle's are a fine weapon.....If you want to use it for a club. All of the Eagle's I have shot.....357, .44, and .50 have been inaccurate, hard trigger pull, and just heavy. Not a big fan, owned a couple of them for resale purposes only. __________________ The two loudest sounds in the world are a click when you expect a bang, and a bang when you expect a click.

03-18-2004, 04:08 PM	#2
Country101 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dardanelle, AR Contributor Posts: 2,029	Who knows? Maybe they figure if you can shoot them in the leg with a bullet with that much power, it'll do just as good... What kind of .44 did you shoot? Country101

03-18-2004, 04:10 PM	#3
kravi V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 135	It was a S&W, but sadly I don't remember the exact flavour. Of course, after shooting it, I walked around saying "Make my day" for a couple of hours... -Kravi

03-18-2004, 04:37 PM	#4
45Smashemflat Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 1,494	Not sure the Eagle was really supposed to be for Combat - I always thought of it as a auto-lovers hunting gun.

03-18-2004, 08:05 PM	#5
kravi V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 135	Naw. If it was made by IMI it would have to be for combat. They don't really produce "sporting" weapons. Though if it generated a big profit, I guess they probably would :-) Their job is to create great combat weapons, and sell a lot of them to foreign governments to help defray production/R&D costs... Of course, don't quote me on this :-) -Kravi

03-19-2004, 10:50 AM	#7
kravi V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Maryland Posts: 135	Good post. Thanks for the info. I'm glad, at least, that it originally didn't have a "military" application. I can imagine all of those poor junior officers trying to shoot them. My friend, who is a professional gunsmith for the IDF told me this morning that he's only seen two of them being worn by anyone. Ever. They do scare me. I've seen the muzzle flash during the day and it is a good 22 cm in length. A friend of mine (an ex-US Marine) told me that at night one gets a "several" foot muzzle flash... He too owns one. -Kravi

03-20-2004, 10:23 PM	#12
mojo45 Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: NC Posts: 25	JUST LOVE THE BARREL!!!

03-21-2004, 11:59 AM	#14
Silencer Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Southern California: Inland Empire Posts: 1,299	I think the .44 S&W you shot at the indoor range was not loaded with full power .44 rounds. I used to work, then was part owner of an indoor range, and when we rented out the .44 we had, it was loaded with reduced .44 rounds. The .44, loaded with full power rounds, has a much bigger kick than the .45acp. The Desert Eagle .44 will have less kick than that S&W .44, but will have a louder "boom." I never tried the .50, and I have no need to. Yep, those DEs are big, and hard to handle if you got small hands. I'm 6'5" and my hand feels small to the DEs.

08-21-2007, 08:57 PM	#18
charagrin Former Guest Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 451	Re: The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol Regardless of your notes on the Eagle, I shall own one ere long. Ah, my love, My petite little peashooter, How I shall cherish you. You are my BBW(Big Beautiful Weapon). We shall walk together in the moonlight, and our love shall last forever. LOL, actually I blew my D. Eagle savings on a Star PD .45.-Char

08-21-2007, 09:38 PM	#19
travihanson Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Milo, ME Posts: 582	Re: The Desert Eagle .50 isn't a pistol Smart thinking on the PD....Just because you used the D eagle money , J/K, but you should try one before you buy it....You will regret it... __________________ The two loudest sounds in the world are a click when you expect a bang, and a bang when you expect a click.