I've never paid any attention to Desert Eagles, but my local shop has a few and they caught my eye. Is there any practical use for one? (deer hunting possible?)

If so what caliber would you get and polished stainless or gold?

Currently in stock, but I can order any model:

DE44BN - Desert Eagle Mark XIX Pistol, .44 Magnum, Bright Nickel
DE44GO - Desert Eagle Mark XIX Pistol, .44 Magnum, 24K Gold
Also a DE50SN in satin nickel, .50

I had one in .41 magnum.
Not the least bit missed.

Buy AR uppers, and 80% lowers instead.

Not no. But fuck no. Ex 44 mag owner here

Thanks guys! I'll move on and get something else.

What is your definition of practical? I've never shot a deer with mine, but I've knocked a bunch of bowling pins over in competition. That's practical for my purposes.

I'm sure there are many on this site who don't do much more with their AR15s than pose with them in front of the mirror while fantasizing about unrealistic SHTF scenarios.  Perhaps they take their rifles to the range maybe once a year and poke holes in paper (poorly).  Is this practical? Maybe not. But they're getting some kind of satisfaction out of a product.

Is the satisfaction you think you'll get from a Desert Eagle worth the $1600+ you would pay for one of the models a fancy finish? Only you can answer that.

To me, a really shiny gun that might alert game to your presence would be less practical than a plain black model. But that's just me.

As for caliber, again that would be up to you. Do you have any caliber restrictions where you hunt? Personally, I would pick the .44 for deer. The .357 barrel is certainly adequate, but the larger caliber gives you a little more leeway for a marginal shot. The .50 packs even more punch, but at the cost of excessive blast and muzzle flip. Ammo for .44 and .357 are easier to find locally, and are much less costly. These factors combine to mean most people shoot (practice with) the smaller two calibers more often, and become more proficient.

If you later decide you want a .50, it's a simple barrel & mag swap from the .44 model.

Again, it's ultimately up to you to decide what you want.

Not worth the asking price. Maybe at $500. Maybe. Even then, it's wasted, because its just not practical. It's one of those guns that you buy because of its "coolness" factor, shoot 20 times, and then sell it in a week.

I've had one for probably over 15 years now  (two tone stainless version) and have shot deer and antelope with it. Its fun but heavy. I've always like .44's and currently own a couple. I always wanted a .44 Automag and this was the closet I could come to it. Is it practical, not really, but I also want a Broomhandle and a Luger. To each their own.

Here it is with the 14" barrel that I have for it and a scope that I was testing out (didn't care for that scope). I usually shoot it with the 6" barrel.
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Practical? No.

Nice to havs?  Yes


After years of wanting one, I picked up a 44.  Do I shoot it a lot? Nope.  Then again, I bought it as a cool part of my collection and a range toy.  

Think of DEs as "want" guns, like Browning HiPowers (Beverly Hills Cop) or Tec9s (Big Trouble in Little China)

Yep.
Mine is currently black, but I'm going to have it coated in the American flag motif.  Hardest part is choosing between OD green, or full on red, white, and blue.

I keep seeing the term "practical" being thrown around, but without people defining what they mean by that. The thing is, "practical" can mean different things to different people. It all depends on what the intended purpose of the gun is, and how well suited it is to that purpose.

The DE is probably not a very practical concealed carry gun for a swimming pool party, for example.

The OP indicated he was thinking about a DE with "deer hunting possible".  In my mind, he DE is a very practical deer hunting handgun (just not with a shiny finish, as I indicated above). It can be carried hands-free easily (holster). It lends itself well to mounting an optic. It is very accurate - probably more so than any production revolver I've ever shot.

In my mind, it is also practical for certain types of competition such as bowling pins or metallic silhouette.

Here is a sampling of handguns, all chambered in the same caliber. All are "practical" in one way or another, but not necessarily for the same purposes.



I think some people's comments might be better interpreted as "not practical for a first / only handgun". I would probably agree with that. There is also the impractical side of things where "wants" can be just as legitimate of a reason for owning a gun as any other.

So with that said, there's nothing wrong with wanting a gold-plaited, tiger-striped DE. They will definitely get people's attention. And if the OP wants one for no other reason than that, I can't say that's not what he should do either.

I probably have a few guns simply "because I can" or because they looked fun, and for no other reason. And as long as I can pay my bills and my kids aren't starving, I'm good with that.

While I have carried mine a bit, it isn't the best weapon to conceal, or draw from a holster.
As a hunter, I could see it being semi practical.

I love my .50, but you couldn't give me a .44 barrel for it.

As a side note, has anyone done any video recorded testing of .50ae out of a desert eagle, against 3A soft panels?

The soft armor may stop it but the blunt force trauma is going to be a bitch.

YouTube currently has about a dozen videos of 50AE against soft body armor testing.  "YouTube is your friend".

I actually picked mine up (outside of the cool factor) to deer hunt with this winter.  From what I understand, its accurate and you can put a scope on it.

I'll let you know how mine works out!

If I were you, I'd slide over to Gunbroker and see what they've got.  I got my 50ae, 300rds of ammo, brass, dies, bullets and all for 1600. Granted mine is black, but still.

Bah! Don't listen to those guys, you know you want one...


Dooo eett...

I must be in the minority here. I have one in .357mag & love it. 8rds of .357mag with quick reloads is nothing to sneeze at. The .357 is the perfect mag caliber for a DE, IMO, as the recoil is much more manageable for follow-up shots than the .44 or .50AE. Ammo costs are a bit better in .357 as well.

I don't regret buying mine for one second, for the record. I'd do it over again as well. I want to add I bought mine used to save serious $$ over new. OP might wish to give that one a thought. There's plenty for sale out there on the used market, sadly.

My .o2

I don't own one, but through a friend have been able to shoot the 50, 44, and 357 variants over the last few weeks. The 50 was fun to shoot a few times and the sound of it firing is awesome. After 3 or 4 shots you can feel it in your wrists and shoulders and I passed it back to the owner. The 44 was more manageable and enjoyable and pretty accurate. The 357 with a red dot sight was just plain fun to shoot and not harsh at all due to the weight. I could see myself owning a 357 version but would have to come across a really good deal.

I just bought a stainless mk xix with muzzle brake. Part of my #MAGA celebration. .50ae. Should be here today, might not be able to pickup until tomorrow.

Will mainly be a collection piece and come out for some fun.

Bought a G19 to go with it.

I just got a deal on a lightweight L5.

How is the .357?

Actually they're both .357s.

I wrote the following about it on another board:

I wasn't planning on getting one, but I just stumbled on a new lightweight L5 at a great price, and decided I needed one.

Wow! First impression is that the new DE is not as heavy as a brick. It's still a good sized gun, but in comparison it's almost... like a normal sized handgun. Sort of.

Someone on another forum made a comment about the cost, where the lightweight gun retails for $600-$800 more than a standard model. It appears the frame was machined from a solid bar of aluminum, rather than made from a forging or casting (not sure which) like the steel frame. Does that account for the $600-$800 premium? Maybe not, but it's probably a good chunk of it.

Some initial impressions:

- It makes the MK-XIX seem really heavy.
- I don't like the safety levers. They are sharp, and can get uncomfortable when pulling the slide back. I may have to swap them out for the "hook" style like on the bigger gun.
- Not only are the barrel and slide shorter, the frame is as well. Also, the locking lugs on the barrel are different. You won't be able to buy a lightweight slide & barrel and install on your heavy frame.
- The recoil spring assembly has been modified a little, making reassembly easier.
- The piston is attached to the slide with a roll pin. The MK-I / VII guns were like this. Not sure why they unattached the gas piston on the MK-XIX.
- They fixed the mag well, so it appears you can't over-insert the mag. I'll have to try holding it in tight and see if I can induce a malfunction when shooting like it will with the older guns. Hopefully not.
- I like the Hogue grips. I had avoided getting them for the other gun, as they appear to make an already bulky grip even bulkier. However, this does not seem to be the case, at least when handling the two guns. I'll try shooting them together first, but I believe a new set of grips will be getting ordered for the old gun soon.

It's interesting shooting the two models side by side. The MK-XIX seems to roll more under recoil, while the L5 is... snappier. Best comparison is if you have shot a .45 1911, then immediately shot a comped .38 Super. I was shooting Federal 158 gr. JSP through both.

After a couple of mags, the L5 started having a few issues. Failures to feed the next round. One failure to extract. It often would not quite close the slide all the way. It's acting like when the gun is dirty, and also like how it runs with weak ammo. If anything, I would think the lighter slide would make the L5 more tolerant of less powerful ammo. It could just be a matter of break-in, too. I did have one mag full of my reloads, which ran perfectly in the L5, after it started choking on the factory stuff.

I'll have to put a few hundred rounds through it and see if it smooths out some. I do like how it feels. It doesn't recoil any harder than the heavier gun. Only different.

Maybe I'll put a small red dot on the L5 and use them both for bowling pins this winter - One for an Open gun, and one for Limited.

I recommend a stainless or chrome. Just easier to clean and maintain, in my opinion.

I have a .357 magnum version of the gun. While I don't hunt with it, I do keep it as black bear gun when I do go hunting usually small games.

They're very fun guns to have. Very unique, in my opinion, of the design. If you have a ar15, you'll be very familiar with gun's function.

The Desert Eagle is probably the least practical pistol ever made. While it's also the most bad-ass looking pistol ever made, ha! I love shooting them, but the ammo cost is high. I usually just shoot them every once in a while. Fun range toy, but that's about it. It's like the Barrett 50BMG, it's a real show stopper. Everyone is like wow how cool!!! Nobody "needs" a Desert Eagle, but everyone "wants" one

It's far more practical than the Mars.

See my comment above regarding "practical".

Interesting thread.
I ended up with a MkVII .44 and love it.

My favorite handgun is my desert eagle in .44mag 

practical no, fun as hell yes.

you need one in 50 AE, i love mine, started out as a black oxide, now its titanium nitride and cerakote black with fords guns sights, its a stupid amount of fun to shoot

they are awesome, my friends and I are probably closing in on having ten of them.  not every gun has to be ready for the zombie Apocalypse.

would be perfect for deer hunting.

Hopefully OP picked one up in the year since starting the thread, but if not then behold the whorehouse hand cannon! (and the slightly more practical stainless version).





Completely impractical and a bit absurd, but they're still fun as hell to shoot.

I want one just to have. I'll probably only shoot it a few times a year.

I bought an old MKI in .44 magnum for my 44th birthday, and I wish I hadn't sold it. As long as factory mags were used, it was dead-nuts reliable and a lot of fun to shoot. Pro-Mags(or whomever makes the aftermarket ones)ran reliably as long as they were down-loaded by a round.

The question is not do you need a Desert Eagle.

The real question is how have you lived this long without one?

and frankly, go Fiddy or go home

What is it good for? AWESOMENESS! That's what its good for

A big bore handgun made by badass Hebrews

I really enjoy my 50, a lot.  I load 335 JHP with lil gun and enjoy the flames.  Just had it cerakoted, yes I know it's upside down and the photo is from the gunsmith's instagram account.

Got a XIX 50 AE this year, wanted one forever. You only live once and you can’t take it with you.

Zer0t, How do you like the magnaporting on yours?

I needed one just because I didn't have one yet.

I got a .50 just because I could.

Yes it has poor sights, more muzzle flip than any pistol I have shot & it requires a firm grip to make it cycle.

If you want sheer power, get a .500 S&W Magnum revolver, but the Desert Eagle wins on appearance alone.

Would i buy one again... yes just because of the cool factor.
Everyone wants to hold or shoot it... so get a stainless one.

I will admit it is accurate though.

I was in a gun store a few weeks ago when i saw they had a brushed chrome XIX in .50 for a price i could not pass up.

I'm to the point in my gun collection where i can finally justify guns that serve 0 purpose other than just being fun or interesting.

Just to throw my .02 in here, I think the BFR in 45/70 is much LESS practical than a DE!!!  



Just saying....

Don't own one, just have always thought that is an answer in search of a question!!

Doc

Yes, you need one!!! The fun factor alone is worth it. I can't pull the trigger on mine without smiling. I recommend the .50 AE but I'm kind of a .50 cal addict haha. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7N-5TAOGgY I really enjoy mine, but as far as a practical use goes, sometimes you just need a range toy lol. And you definitely need a gold tiger striped one!

Do you really NEED a reason?

I miss my .50 DE.
Totally impractical and rediculous... quite the fruit slaying machine. It was fun as hell.

Love my L5.  It’s one of my all time favorites.

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@bkssniper

The magna porting makes quite a difference.  They claim it’s more effective than the extended factory brake which costs about 350 additional.  The magna porting was a bit over 100 bucks with shipping. Maybe 120 all in—well worth it.

Desert Eagles are amazingly accurate, and a good number of people have used them for deer.   The only argument against that is that the DE is nearly as heavy as a lightweight rifle.  

That being said, no DEs aren't practical guns.  They're just very fun range toys.

I have the DE44 in brushed chrome. Had $1600 in employer bonus money burning a hole in my jeans so said what the hell... 3 years later NO regrets.  The 44 made the most practical sense for me vs the 50AE because prior to purchasing a DE, I already owned a S&W 460 mag. So the 44 filled a nice niche within my handguns. I handload so a DE made more economical sense that someone who doesn't handload as 44 mag ammo is very pricey. DE's are VERY nicely assembled and excellent fit and finish. Mine's an Israeli origin. My DE was very fussy with ammo until I did some extensive load testing and now that I understand what my DE requires for a load, it functions excellent. Very accurate for a semi-auto . There is no sweeter and fun pleasure than slamming my gun club's  steel dueling tree paddles with the DE44 !

Imagine that...a GUN that's FUN!

Now's a good time.

Many shooters get all wrapped up in spending their money on "practical" guns. That's unfortunate as there is a lot of guns out there that simply do nothing but put a HUGE grin on your face every time the trigger is pulled.  My DE44, my vicious 460 mag 'Smith , my Uzi 9mm (shooting subsonic supressed) all offer the "giggle factor" . Life is short, you could get run over by a bus tomorrow, buy yourself an impractical FUN gun and enjoy it for what it is !

I’ve got one never been fired one of the originals in gold. If you intend to shoot it don’t get gold they are plated in the bore as well while it’s fully functional it will destroy any collectability down the road. Only unfired gun I own.

I just thought I would add to this thread as others happen upon it...

Do you need a Desert Eagle?  Very subjective, but to help answer the question I will make a couple of points.
If you have difficulty smiling, then it is very likely it will help.  Firing magnum handguns is like a roller-coaster ride packed into one second with each pull of the trigger basically.
Speaking mostly of the 50AE, the release of that much energy is shocking to the human system... sound, pressure you can feel on the face, legs, top of your feet etc, then visually, the destruction of material object shot etc.  Open your mouth and start breathing in when you fire it and you can feel it to the bottom of your lungs.

But seriously... saying "It has no practical purpose" is just a narrow opinion... do you watch a movie because it is practical?  How much of anything you do in a given week has "a practical purpose?"  It is entertainment.  How many people "need" to hunt these days?  So nothing to do with those firearms, four-wheel-drives, four-wheelers, hunting camps, etc is "practical" either.  Much of what we do is not "practical", so why does this apply to guns?  Sounds like some people only see them as destructive, and not enjoyable... that is the narrow part, in my opinion.

Practical firearms are just a little sad to me... it is unfortunate that they are "needed", but they are and will be for many many generations, if not "forever".  I do have what "socially conditioned people" call practical firearms, but not many.  Most are for enjoyment and not self protection... kind of like types of martial arts are for many.  Martial arts training can help you in some situations, but most people will never use it in combat.

So do you need a Desert Eagle?  About as much as you need a fair ride, but for me, they are just as fun, and "open" year round.  :)

MrBlackCat