I have seen a thread here and there on the site about the Desert Eagle so I thought I would write a quick review.
First some background. I have shot 1911s since I was a kid as well as 357 revolvers, and Ruger Blackhawks with 45 Colt loads that would make a 44 mag blush. I have also shot a fair amount of 500 S&W. I have shot fairly well with all of them so when my buddy says he has a desert eagle in 50 AE he didn't like, I traded him a couple guns I was ho-hum about for it. I have had the pistol over a year now and have put probably 150 rounds through it. This may not sound like a lot but given what the ammo costs and the shortages we've had I think it is enough for a fair review.
Right off the bat let me say that this gun is HEAVY. Mine is the new style with the picatinny rail and the muzzle brake. The brake adds a fair amount of muzzle weight and is removable. I have shot it with and without the brake but prefer it with the brake on so I don't bugger up the threaded holes where the brake screws on. This lead to a dilemma with finding a holster. Most of the holsters available are for the 6 inch barrel without the brake. Magnum research has a decent selection of holsters but anything with the words "Desert Eagle" written on it increases in price by 50%. Plus the few holsters magnum research did have for the muzzle braked version I didn't like so I bought a cheap blackhawk vertical shoulder rig for a 7 1/2" revolver and the Eagle fits with room to spare. The setup is not ideal but it protects the gun well and carries decently. I can actually carry it under a flannel shirt with minimal or no printing.
Now the fun part. Shooting it. This gun is ACCURATE, very accurate. I say this with a bit of a caveat though. In order to shoot this gun well you must use a pretty fair amount of discipline and focus. Not only is the recoil significant compared to most semi-autos, the weight of the gun and the prodigious muzzle blast can make even experienced shooters flinch. I sure did/do if I lose my focus. All of that aside though this gun is fun fun fun to shoot. I have shot 300 grain hornadys with a velocity of 1475 fps, 300 grain speer gold dots at about 1300, and 350gr soft points at 1400 fps advertised velocities. All have shot excellent. The biggest problem I have found with this gun is finding a good consistent grip. The grip on the eagle is huge and even with fairly large hands it is difficult to find a drip that works. There is a pamphlet with the gun showing the grip Magnum Research recommends where the left index finger of a right handed person goes in front of the trigger guard. This did not work for me as I kept nose diving the pistol. Stance is also important. As with any pistol you want as much of yourself as possible on the gun but you must also adopt a stance where your legs can absorb some recoil. A full Isosceles stance is no good and the grip doesn't work for me either. I developed a hybrid between isosceles and weaver and it seems to work well for me. If I do my part hitting milk jugs first shot at 50 yards off hand is no issue. Let me tell you, if the jugs are full of water they know they got hit. I have yet to shoot this gun off a rest for groups though given my offhand shooting I'm sure it will do admirably.
Here are some technical details on the gun and how they affect it. The barrel has polygonal rifling which means it is not a fan of cast bullets. It is also gas operated like an AR-15 which means it really doesn't like cast bullets due to the lead fouling. Because of the gas system, in order to function properly it the pistol should be kept reasonably clean. Having good magazines is also important to the reliability of the pistol as with most semi autos. The gun breaks down to the barrel, slide and frame in seconds and the barrel is easily changed just as fast. In order to change to a 44 mag all that is needed is the 44 mag barrel and magazine. the bolt is the same as the 50 AE. The 357 mag requires a change of the bolt in addition which is still very easy and fast. The gun is single action and as such has a very good trigger. The safety operates opposite a 1911 which I do not like but it is not a carry gun so I don't let it get to me. The brake seems effective but DO NOT shoot it without ear protection. I did once and once was enough.
Bottom line that you should take away if nothing else is that this gun is heavy, loud, expensive to buy and feed but is also fun, accurate, and powerful. In fact I feel confident enough that I might take it for deer this year if my other secret project is not done by then.
