Advice on a D Eagle wanted

[Enigma Nostra]

Hey everyone,

Ive got a chance at a .50 AE Desert Eagle, 19 rounds thru it total, for 944 (rounded), with tax and fees.

Am looking for any intel from anyone whos shot one, owns one, hates them, loves them, etc.

Considering it as a Graduation gift for my g/f. Other possibles are a new camera (she wants an XTI iirc), and a new computer. Both of the second ones are possible from her parents. But not sure what their plans are. Advice here would be good too. She loves the DEagle, but has never shot one. Shes not here, or even contactable atm to discuss it with. Shes not a HUGE gun nut, we kinda argue sometimes on how many someone needs. But she likes the Eagle and the Baby Eagle.

Condition is good, action is smooth, handled it, looked fine to me.


Thanks guys,

-E

[wonderwolf]

1st thing
I have shot a bit through a .44 magnum DE and It is a great weapon, A little $$ to feed at times if you don't handload. You can only shoot jacketed bullets through it since its a gas op handgun.

2nd thing
This is NOT a gun for the weak....its easy to limp wrist and cause jams. Brass is $$ as is loaded ammo about $1 a pop I think. Its very heavy in weight and recoil. See if you can shoot the gun 1st and you will see what I mean.

I would recommend the Baby eagle over the Desert Eagle....Thats not a bad price for the DE but it is abusive and she may not enjoy it after the 1st outing esp if she is on the light side...I weigh south of 150 and its all I can do to take hot 44 loads through a DE. after the 1st outing. Its alot of flash and awe though...I want to obtain one in .44 mag one of these days to go along with my friends DE


EDITED: Get it for her.....after she shoots it the 1st time and decides she dosnt like it...buy her a camera and enjoy your new DE

[Enigma Nostra]

Well, instead of getting alot of .50 accessories, was looking at getting a barrel and mag in .44, since htey swap out. Maybe not quite as "HOLY FU--", but cheaper to shoot.

Thanks for the advice, keep it comin guys!

-E

[okie shooter]

On getting the fifty, just shooting it will not be a cheap. That said there is a thought of shooting something that big has some atraction. Just my thought would be getting a caliber that is less expensive to shoot.

[snapshot762]

Decent price on that. I had a .357 DE, one of the nicest shooting .357's i have shot. Having said that, i did wind up trading it off for a .44 Colt Anaconda.

Pros: Desert Eagles are accurate, caliber conversion is a plus, semi-auto helps with recoil, the "Holy S@*t factor is at the top of the chart.

Cons: MASSIVE and HEAVY! Not a gun for those with small hands. While the autoloading action will help with recoil, the .50 will probably still be substantial. .50 ammo isn't exactly cheap to shoot, but there is the caliber conversion aspect to offset that a bit. Gas operation means jacketed bullets only. I can't speak for the .50 and .44 models, but the .357 can be finicky with lighter loads and reloads in my experience.

At that price, I'd say go for it!

[wonderwolf]

Also remember there are different modles of the DE....some you can't do the caliber swap...it requires a new bolt head/barrel and magazine to perform the swap. Parts for a DE are freaking $$$$ slides and barrels go for about 1/2 the gun price. If I were you I would go for a DE in 44 mag...I see them all the time for south of $800

[Enigma Nostra]

Its (according to my research) Model XIX in .50 AE. Interchangable with the .44 and the .357 (357 needs new bolt assy too). Shopped right, can be done for south of 400. Most of the .44's ive seen real cheap are not the XIX, so not interchangable with the .50 AE barrels.

-E

[weasel_master]

IMHO I'd be apprehensive about it. If you're looking to get it for YOU I'd say go for it. For a female who's not really into firearms, I think personally I'd stray toward another route.

[wonderwolf]

Looks like a baby eagle or camera...the baby eagles are fun to shoot. I shoot a mag through one once in a while when the HP director has his out at the range.

[jfowl31]

I almost got a DEagle a couple years ago, and Im 100% happy that I didnt get it. Its quite possibly the most impractical handgun in the world. Either that or the Magnum Research BFR.

The thing is really 100% for show... UNLESS you are into pistol hunting, and for pistol hunting, there are some really nice revolvers that feel much better in the hand and shoot much better long distance groups.

The desert eagle is a really neat conversation piece if you ask me, but when it costs $50 per range session in ammo alone, plus the pain received in shooting it, plus the weight and absolute non-concealability... Id opt for a couple nice pistols for a thousand bucks.

Get a good single action used 44 mag, and a used baby eagle.

I had a Baby Eagle 40 cal, serial number below 30K, and I regret selling that pistol more than any other one Ive sold.

I shot a 50 DE one time (4 shots), and paid for each round I shot... both in $$ and in the punishment on my hand. The damn thing is so big you can't grip it well, and because of the fact that you cant grip it well, it seems to recoil even more than it should. Im a big guy too... 215lbs, 6'3", and it flopped around on me like crazy. It didnt jam though, and I shot it quite accurately, but I will admit that on the 3rd and 4th shot, I was definitely tired of shooting it, and coulnt hardly hold it steady cuz it weighs so much.

Now if you just want the conversation piece, and not a practical shootable weapon, then go for it. If its something you and her want to shoot on a regular basis... pass. My guess it that it will eventually increase in value, so maybe it wouldnt be a bad investment, but thats marginal... They are still in production, so typically they will decrease... though as a "nitch" gun, if it ever does go out of production, it will be worth something.

JMO... I wouldnt buy it unless I won the lottery all of a sudden... I can think of a thousand things that would be a better way to spend a thousand buckaroos.