Update: A Desert Eagle has been purchased, link to post on page 2
https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...820022715#2820022715


I've always wanted one, everyone probably would own one if the price was right. I've been making lowball gunbroker bids on anything cheap in hopes of making penny/no-reserve dreams come true but have yet to be successful.

Before I'm willing to put some real cash on the line I need some help figuring out what I should be looking for.

I'm leaning towards a .357 as I don't currently own anything in .44 or .50. I don't need a ton of ammo, so I'm not against the other calibers. If I remember correctly the gun was originally made in 357. From anyone that's shot multiple; does .357 give you the "full experience", or is it worth owning a 50 if I'm going to get a Desert Eagle? Should i worry less about caliber and more about finding an example with some desirable trait?

Do these guns run well? My biggest fear is getting some jammo-matic from a bubba that decided to do stupid things inside and having a money pit that can't make it through a full magazine as I just keep buying different ammo and finding more stuff that it won't run on. Does Magnum Research service these well, and do they take care of parts on the older classics?

I'm leaning towards looking for an 80's/90's IMI production action movie style piece to scratch the itch. But I'm not familiar with the generations, and from initial research it looks like there have been at least 4 distinct changes in production location. Is getting a modern Magnum Research pistol a better idea to make sure I have something that works? Do any generations have issues to avoid?

I would love to hear your experiences with the pistol, what version and style you had, why you got it, why you sold it or if you still have it, and what you loved and hated about it!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Rustpot,

Don't have one, but the biggest thing I've seen and read is keep the thing lubed as much as you can and for some reason the .357 magnum is the least reliable of the common chamberings of a Desert Eagle.

They are very finicky about ammo. They like high powered loads. No lead. Make sure you use plated bullets.

My .44 was very picky about ammo. So much I almost gave up on it until I found a round it liked, then it has been flawless.

My .50 AE is fun, but gets spendy. Never had an issue with the .50 since I always used Magnum Research ammo.

I still have them both. The .44 was the first one I got, a LONG time ago. Just a standard blued one. It used to hit me in the head with the brass. Changed springs, different magazines, nothing worked. It was just that picky on ammo type. Once I found the right ammo, I enjoy shooting the .44.

The .50 I have is a chrome one. I really just keep it for the wow factor. Can't remember the last time I shot it.

One of the issues with older ones, is you don't know what the PO used for rounds. If the gas port gets fowled with lead (from using cast type bullets), it is almost impossible to get out, and will never run right.

If you are going for the '80s IMI variety, the good news is that once you make the initial purchase (357?), you can swap between other calibers by just getting a barrel, bolt, and magazine as opposed to buying another pistol. If you want a newer model, swapping between .44 and 50AE just needs a barrel and magazine.

They all run on most any ammo that I have put through it. The gas tube and piston requires jacketed ammo, so keep that in mind.

The early version is a Mark I. It was available in .357, .41, and .44 Magnum.

Later there was a Mark VII. Similar to the Mark I, but with an adjustable trigger. Later versions of the Mark VII were made in 50AE. The architecture of the 50AE Mark VII became the Mark XIX.

The Mark XIX was available in .357, .44, .440, and 50AE with the larger chamber diameter to accommodate the 1/2 inch bullets and allow for interchangeability with the other calibers.

Khar Arms purchased Magnum Research a few years back and changed it up a bit. Adding various finishes and adding a rail, etc.

Desirable traits may include an all stainless model, .41 Magnum or .440 chambering, 10" and 14" barrels.

There is enough of a variety throughout the production run that you can customize them the way you want with ease.

As with anything that is well made, they can start to multiply as time goes on. I like mine.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: .38supersig,

Shot one, once. Had no desire to own as it’s a novelty, IMO. Shoot one before buying if you can.

Only if it comes with a shoulder stock!

I own an early Mark I in .44 Magnum. Fun gun to shoot, never had an an issue with it.

I always used 240 gr. semi-jacketed hollowpoints as per Magnum Research's recommendations.

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
If you are going for the '80s IMI variety, the good news is that once you make the initial purchase (357?), you can swap between other calibers by just getting a barrel, bolt, and magazine as opposed to buying another pistol. If you want a newer model, swapping between .44 and 50AE just needs a barrel and magazine.

They all run on most any ammo that I have put through it. The gas tube and piston requires jacketed ammo, so keep that in mind.

The early version is a Mark I. It was available in .357, .41, and .44 Magnum.

Later there was a Mark VII. Similar to the Mark I, but with an adjustable trigger. Later versions of the Mark VII were made in 50AE. The architecture of the 50AE Mark VII became the Mark XIX.

The Mark XIX was available in .357, .44, .440, and 50AE with the larger chamber diameter to accommodate the 1/2 inch bullets and allow for interchangeability with the other calibers.

Khar Arms purchased Magnum Research a few years back and changed it up a bit. Adding various finishes and adding a rail, etc.

Desirable traits may include an all stainless model, .41 Magnum or .440 chambering, 10" and 14" barrels.

There is enough of a variety throughout the production run that you can customize them the way you want with ease.

As with anything that is well made, they can start to multiply as time goes on. I like mine:

Do you have a 440? That's an interesting cartridge, you never really hear much about it or the 429 they came out with later.

Get the .50

it's a meme of a gun anyhow don't go half way.

They did a segment on Gun Stories. While the handgun was unique, they pointed out the MANY downsides.

quote:

Originally posted by xanth:
One of the issues with older ones, is you don't know what the PO used for rounds. If the gas port gets fowled with lead (from using cast type bullets), it is almost impossible to get out, and will never run right.

Aha! This is the piece of information I was missing. I know I've heard of friend-of-a-friend types who swear these guns are junk that won't run. I wish I knew what calibers and if they ever shot lead.

quote:

Originally posted by FenderBender:
Get the .50

it's a meme of a gun anyhow don't go half way.

You make a good point. And .50AE is probably not available in commercial loads with non-jacketed lead, which would decrease the chances of getting one with a leaded gas system.


Thanks for all the replies so far!

I"ve had one for years, 5 barrels (.357, .44, .429, .440 and .50).

Not really a practical handgun, I shoot it for fun with the 50AE. Had it Mag-na-ported to eliminate the rotation when you fire it.

So heavy that 50AE recoil isn't bad.

After all, the Desert Eagle in 50AE is the choice of Bullet Tooth Tony in Snatch.

quote:

Originally posted by Chuck Perry:

quote:

Originally posted by .38supersig:
Desirable traits may include an all stainless model, .41 Magnum or .440 chambering, 10" and 14" barrels.

Do you have a 440? That's an interesting cartridge, you never really hear much about it or the 429 they came out with later.

Yeah, I have the .440 in 6 and 10 inch barrels.

The .440 has more energy than the 50AE. You can split a bowling pin with three rounds or less.

I was able to get a full set of the .440 dies before they went out of production. The 429 rings in at just under the 440. Giving me a half baked excuse not to get one.

As far as the sweet spot of shooting one, the 41 Magnum is good to go. The 50AE works best with the external muzzle brake.

The fun part is that they have had such a long production run, there are a few variations worthy of note: I bought a 357 for almost nothing because it had 'light surface rust'. The reason why it was rusting over was because it was never finished. The guy sold me a prototype without knowing it. The frame casting is the same as a production model. Thats it.

I had bought another slide and 50AE barrel for peanuts that wouldn't extract a round. Cleaned it, lubed it, got it all ready to go. Jammomatic just like the guy said. Upon further inspection, I read the side of the bolt and it had .41 stamped on it. Felt like I had won the lottery as these are super rare.

The Mark I and Mark VII don't require as hot of a load in 357 or 44 as the slide has slightly less mass than the Mark XIX.

I have no experience with any of the models from Khar Arms.

I have an old 1987 aluminum frame .357 Desert Eagle that I haven’t shot in many years. Started out as a Mark 1, but I put in the adjustable trigger and later safety levers to make it a Mark VII. It’s a big and heavy gun.

I've got a DE 50...I recommend the 357. I have a Grizzly LAR in .357. I shoot 180gr .38 +P (hand loads) in it because it chucks the brass at least 2 if not 3 lanes over at the range, and my .38 vs 357 brass count is like 5:1. My .357 is very pleasant.

The DE is manageable, but POI is not close to the sight picture. Anddd...I have to wear a ball cap with the brim down because the first time I shot it, I got cut in the forehead by a piece of brass. Left a little bloody crescent moon.

I shot Marzys at one of the local shoots quite a few years back. Can't remember if it was 357 or 44 but it was fun to shoot.

I don't have a need/want for one other than a range toy. But it was fun to shoot and not as bad as I thought it was going to be.

^^^

Marzy has a .44 Magnum, and yes, it was fun all day long.

I've got a Mark XIX 6" barrel, .357 Nickel finish.
I've run over 1K of ammo through it and it prefers FMJ loads.
I reload so run my pressures up to spec.
I put on a Fiber Optic set and use the Arachni grip.
I've got a shoulder rig and carry it occasionally.
I've had it for over 10 years and it seems to crawl into my range bag almost every weekend!

I thought the whole point of the Desert Eagle IS about making an expensive mistake. What good would it be to make a small mistake, like on a Glock, for example ?

Never fired one but watched a guy at my local range have problems with reliability, then the gunsmith spending weeks to figure out what the issue was.

Ultimately it was a combination of lead ammo and the actual load.

He got it relatively clean and then found a load it liked.

It kind of reminds me of a Garand rifle: they work great if you stick to ammo of the same projectile weight moving at the same speed as the specific load it was designed for. If you go to faster powders or changing the load the extra speed can cause parts to batter or break faster.

In addition, they are huge in the hand and are single action only.

I decided I'd rather spend the money on either a Ruger Super Redhawk with 7.5" barrel or the Ruger Super Blackhawk with the same barrel length.

These fit my hand better and I can shoot ANY load I want- from weak cowboy .44special loads to the hottest Buffalo Bore-type hunting/butt-kicking loads.



Oh, I also realized anything more powerful than .44mag is not something I need to own or shoot in a handgun platform. I fired a cylinder of .454Casull and 5 rounds left my hand feeling the same way around 40 rounds of .44mag does.

If you REALLY want one, get it if you can afford it. You only live once and you may regret not having it at some future date.

However, if you just want to shoot one, try to find someone near you who can meet you at a range and let you shoot it once.

The only factors these beat a good revolver in are capacity [and S&W makes an 8 shot .357mag] and style [which is personal preference]. I like both bottom-feeders and revolvers, so I don't feel the need.

Your approach may be very different.