I am contemplating adding another .44 in a couple of months as I add one more number to my years on this rock.

I am really liking a JM-barreled Marlin 1894, but a Desert Eagle has been on my want list for decades. I am good on revolvers, so I am really narrowing it down between the classic lever and Israeli-made behemoth.

Given these choices, are there any strong opinions of one model over the other?

Do you have any other lever action rifles? If not, I'd say that would be my first choice. I also wouldn't hesitate to get a newer Ruger-made Marlin. Here's a brief review I found: https://1895gunner.com/bulletp...bulletpoints-41.html

If you do have a lever action already, the Desert Eagle in .44Mag would be a lot of fun, so long as you can wrap your hands around one. Just make sure you get the gold plated model.

Really though, an older Israeli-made one with a gently worn finish before they went nuts with the Picatinny rails would be sweet.

A friend recently asked me about a desert eagle in 50 AE his relative was selling. It had a low round count, as would be expected. He’s not really a big gun guy, the price was $1500 for the boat anchor handgun. I told him the usefulness was limited, though it was a cool gun, 4+ lbs.

I think the $1500 was an ok price, but not a barn-burner deal. He also has some younger kids he may want to help with shooting going forward.

The idea of a 44 for the 44th is sound. I’d lean to the lever gun or a mid-length barreled revolver.

A lever action would be cool, don't pass up a Ruger "Deer Stalker" 44 Carbine if you come across one, I have an older tube fed one.

Go for the lever gun... I bet the DE would lose a lot of it's appeal after one range session.

Plus lever-actions are just plain FUN !

Thank you all for the responses. I do have a 1895 Cowboy in .45-70 that does not get the range time it should. I quite enjoy shooting it when it does make it to the range.

Thank you for suggesting the Ruger Deer Stalker. I was hunting for a 96/44 for a bit before seeing how high they went for on GB. I will have to check out the DS.

The new Ruger-produced Marlins look cool with threaded barrels, laminate furniture, night/fiber sights, and other current technology. If I go with a lever action, I am leaning towards an older just so both of my lever action rifles would be old-Marlin productions.

What keeps the DE on my list is the fact that, with the right model, I could get a .50AE kit down the road. I have shot the .50AE before and found it to be a literal blast, but I wasn’t buying the ammo then.

I picked up a Desert Eagle 20 years ago or so, it was a package deal, custom case and .357. .44 and .50 barrels, mags and bolts. The 50 AE is great fun to shoot. I Mag-na-Ported the barrel to reduce the rotation in that caliber. Fun gun, but I don't put a lot of rounds through it. In .44, the recoil in that heavy pistol is no problem at all.

A .44 lever is a great option. Look at the Henry's as well. Recoil is very manageable.