I purchased a new Desert Eagle in March of this year.  The package that I purchased was the one that came with the blued pistol, both 50 AE and 44 Mag barrels, and one magazine for each.  The pistol has been having some serious issues since purchased.  The pistol occasionally locks shut.  It has done this with or without a round in the chamber.  When it seizes shut the slide overhangs the frame by a very small amount, maybe 1/32 an inch.  There are two ways that I have found to retract the slide.  One is to sit there and tug the hell out of the slide until I get lucky and it opens.  The second is to flip the takedown lever, slide the seized barrel and slide forward as far as pistol will allow with barrel still on, and then the barrel seems to just magically break free.  The pistol is under warranty and has been sent back twice already.  This is my third or fourth Desert Eagle I have owned.  Unfortunately at this time it is the only one that I have and that is why I am here for some help.  lol  Here is my big question for other Eagle owners.  With the handgun partially assembled (meaning that the entire slide, bolt etc, piston, recoil rod assembly, are assembled minus the barrel onto the slide as if barrel was there) are you able to rotate the gas piston  1/4 turn clockwise while looking from the rear of the gun?  It also rotates very slightly but stops very solid counterclockwise The counterclockwise seems normal to me just not the amount of rotation clockwise.  Clockwise I am literally able to get the flats of the piston at 3 and 9 oclock to further explain the extent its able to rotate.  Im getting worried that either the frame or slide is out of spec.  Thanks in advance to anyone willing to offer some help.

I will help you resolve this issue... got to work right now, but I will get back to you today or tomorrow.  We can figure it out, I just have to get some information and have you test a couple of things.  I have seen two different issues cause the slide to stick and neither are difficult to correct.

I will get back with you later.

MrBlackCat

Ok... its later now. :D

One thing that causes this to happen sometimes is the Bolt Stabilizer Pin is sticking.  That can be caused by debris or is it possible for it to bend... remember it is mostly hollow because of the hollow for the spring.  Verify that this is clean, and if you are one to tinker with firearms, polish it and the cylinder it rides in.  These are factory ground to shape, AND you can even buy them unground, so you can set this timing or point of rotation to suit yourself.

If you notice, the bolt is actually pretty "slack" in the slide cylinder, so generally they are pretty forgiving as far as binding going in... by going in, I mean passing through the bolt-lug-face.

First, are you saying that this happens when the gun is completely closed or when it is closing, like as the bolt lugs pass through the bolt-face-lugs?
And...
Does it bind like this with both barrel calibers?

MrBlackCat

If it was sent back...shouldn't they have fixed it?

At least a couple of problems with Desert Eagles can be intermittent and might not have surfaced in a short test at Magnum Research...  Magnum Research, in my opinion, has a bit too much reliance on their statement "99% of the issues with Desert Eagles is operator error.".

Because it has been returned and not repaired, I was going to lean toward problems that might have intermittent characteristic.

I have experienced unrepaired/uncorrected returns from Magnum Research as well.

MrBlackCat

So maybe try to isolate the issue to either a frame issue or barrel , is this problem present when shooting both caliber configurations ?

It is happening while the slide is closing.  The bolt stabilizer pin moves freely.  Without much pressure at all I'm able to push it back into its channel with my thumb and manipulate the bolt.  It also feels like it moves in out very smoothly without much friction at all, both the bolt and the stabilizer in the slide.  So far I've experienced this with the 44 magnum barrel as it is what I can casually shoot.  Today I'm going to take out a whole 20 rounds ( I know it's not many lol) of 50AE and 100 Federal 240gr 44 magnum and see how she does.

I had a similar problem with my XIX in 44 mag this week.

The pistol would not cycle properly, all of a sudden.  First shot out that day and the next four.  It locked almost shut on the last round.  Had to pound it open with a nylon tipped punch when I got home.

Careful inspection of the pistol showed the gas piston shaft was bent, and the recoil spring plate was damaged.

I asked the parts tech at M.E. what could cause this.  He is said overheating, and carbon buildup in the pocket the piston rides in.  I guess that's why they give you that cleaning tool that everbody loses.

My pistol has perhaps 800 rounds thru it and I have never cleaned that port.

It might also be that the propellant you are using is not optimal, or the load too light to consume all of the propellant, causing the port to get dirty.

I use a full tilt load of W296 for 240 grain bullets.  Winchester warns not to reduce loads, to use that single one.

I tried dropping down a grain or more anyway, and the brass started hitting me in the forehead!  Back to full loads.