Something that always puzzled me about the IWI Desert Eagle. I know that alot of people really like their .50AE and .44 DE's, but wouldn't producing them in 9mm and 40S&W bring in ALOT more customers and sales? (I am talking about IWI shrinking down the size of the Mark XIX frame, the slide, the grip and everything else while accepting a smaller pistol caliber. Basically a Mark XIX built for folks with small hands, and double stacked 9mm magazines)

There is even a 9mm firing "blank" pistol that exists out there for movie scenes etc (obviously cannot be converted). But, I am skeptical whether or not the DE pistol design would even work with a 9mm or 40S&W round, does anyone know if that is the case?

I would definitely be standing in-line to purchase one of these if they could produce the real thing.





I currently own a polymer baby eagle II in 9mm (BE9915RL), and it's my favorite out of the pistols that I own. EAA made a great design with their Witness, and IWI improved on it with the BEII. But still, it's is no Desert Eagle.

Fuuuuuuck my guess was only off by a month.

The arfcom military know-it-all is a Desert Eagle guy? Who would have known.

41 action express would be neat.

No, I dislike the Desert Eagle. Good idea, but a very difficult pistol to use effectively.

I did roast some ants with the muzzle blast from one once.

I feel the same way. The DE is more of a collectors item, than a weapon.

But a 9mm/40S&W version of the Mark XIX, who knows, maybe it could actually become a serviceable duty pistol. Very doubtful, but I still think IWI would sell alot of them. I assume they are rather ignorant for not trying.

rofl @ the ants

A 5 lb. service pistol with a grip that's roughly double the size of what's needed for a 9mm / .40 S&W, that only carries 9 rounds.  Not to mention it's a single-action, so you have to either carry with the hammer down, or carry cocked & locked, but with the safety positioned such that you have to dislocate your thumb to disengage it.  I can see the police forces of the country just knocking down MRI's door for one of those.  

I think the Baby Eagle was their attempt to make a somewhat lookalike scaled-down DE.  (Not to mention the .22LR Mountain Eagle, with the barrel contoured similar to the DE's barrel).  

But I don't think a MK XIX (or the smaller MK VII for that matter) would work with the smaller cartridges.  It seems the magnum revolver cartridges barely produce enough gas volume and pressure to cycle the big gun.  To get a rotating-bolt, gas-operated DE to work with a 9mm, .40 S&W, or .45 ACP, you would need to lighten things up quite a bit.  An aluminum slide might do the trick... maybe.  And then you get into the cost issue.  How big is the market for an oversized, single-stack 9mm that costs $1000+ for the base model?  

Or if you don't want to make it gas operated, you would either need some kind of short recoil (moving barrel) action like on the Baby Eagle.  Or maybe a straight-recoiling barrel, with a locking block similar to the Beretta 92.  Either approach would make for a total redesign.   Difficult to do, and still fit in the MK XIX receiver.  

Or you could make the the slide extra heavy so it can function as a straight blowback action (think Hi-Point pistols).  This may actually work, as the slide is already pretty heavy.  

Now just redesign the magazine to accommodate the shorter cartridge, and you will have a conversion kit that will cost slightly more than a new Glock.  

Making it gas delayed blowback would probably be the easiest way to downsize it and have it look the same.

I agree with Garret: Why do you want a MASSIVE 9mm?  The Desert Eagle sells cause it's a massive gun, with massive kick and blast.  It was to the 80's and 90's what the S&W .500 Mag is to the 2000's.

I have an old Mark I in .357 Mag.  Fun to shoot, especially at bowling pin matches.  Still has a huge muzzle blast, and I swear it's louder than my friend's .50AE.

I'm pretty certain OP meant downsize it to 9mm.

You're right...I was meaning to downsize the DE to a smaller framed pistol (and smaller round), but still attempt to maintain the same design.

It would probably be very difficult, and just wishful thinking on my part. The Mark XIX barely fits in my hands....the pistol is just way too damn big.

I doubt it. They have a niche market. The DE is massive in size and extremely heavy, neither of which are good qualities in a smaller caliber firearm. There is a ton of competition in the 9mm and 40S&W handgun market already so I don't see why they would try to compete in that arena. Not when they basically have the 50AE market on lockdown.  


Highly doubtful that it would work due to the weight of the slide and the rotating bolt. Lots of mass for a little 9mm round to move.

Basically, in my opinion, few people would want a small/er caliber gun built around a DE frame. The grip is already too big for many people. At 6'7" tall I'd say the grip is about perfect for me but most shooters don't have hands large enough to feel like the DE grip fits them well. Personally, I can't think of a reason to want a larger/heavier (than it has to be) firearm.