I've always wanted one since I was 10 years old and on a semi-whim started my GB search early last week. Late in the week she arrived and the Deagle is everything I've ever wanted/dreamed of. I chose .44Maggie because I already have a M629-5 Mountain Back-Packer (dedicated woods revolver) and a semi-auto Ruger 18.5" Carbine M44 as my dedicated "Brush-Gun" for deer, boar, "Sasquatch-Perhaps", etc... living in the deep south where greater than 100Yard unobstructed shots are few and far in-between. The Deagle has much less recoil than our Beloved and Aforementioned 3" barreled Smith M29-3 LHS and M629-5 MBP...

I wish I had gotten one of these Magnum Research Deagle-Puppies many years ago now. I ordered 4 more (8 round OEM Checkmates) last night to make practical range-time and for sure to come woods time secondary carry more fun. Now for the Pics...

The Deagle




Aforementioned "Woods-Carbine/Hunting and Ruger Hunting Rig!"


And the much beloved M29-3 LHS...


And the M629-5 MBP...


All will play well together have will have dedicated rolls to support each-other in both mine and the wife's "Favorite Caliber!" I can see a .50AE conversion and mags in the future as well just because!

Congrats on a good choice. I had the opportunity to score one at a pawn shop for 800.00 for a black 50AE. I had always wanted the tiger stripe one but would probably not find one in a pawnshop at a price I was willing to pay. Still haven't shot it yet. I actually just found rounds for it and don't want to use them up lol.

That is a fantastic deal. I'm half embarrassed to say what I paid for mine but it was in line with GB's current sales.

Ammo of choice to break her in was/is Privi-Partizans's 300gr Soft Jacketed Flat Points. They certainly make full-power so full slide cycling and lock back on last round was present every magazine. I believe Checkmate makes the OEM mags so the other 4 that are due any day should perform similarly. They were all stamped 07/08 just like the OEM magazine that came with this newly manufactured Mk XIX.

Next ammo choice is Blazer Aluminum Cased 240 grain SJHP's (also full power) unless anyone has anything negative first hand about this ammo. I've used it in .45ACP, .40, 9mm, .38Special, .44Special and .44Magnum positively etc... and in everything from blow-back Scorpions & MAC's, 1911's, M&P's, and Revolvers so I see no reason this rotating bolt DE wouldn't like it. I'll report back!

I'm mildly interested in the NY compliant light frame .357 Mag models.  One of those in .38+P night be the ideal Mexican carry gun, if you could actually get a permit.

That might not be the ideal case material in a high pressure semi-auto.

Only 240 grain, jacketed full house loads through it.
I have one of the first .44 mag ones, it was my backpacking/hiking sidearm in the mountains of southern CA and AZ, when Glock came out with their 10mm it was an instant switch.
I liked the gun but that was one heavy sucker!

Of course!  Feeding, ejecting, and cycling?

Good fun.  I have more rounds through my .50 AE Desert Eagle than most I would bet.  96 rounds lol.  Not that much really, but people see $2.00 a round and the recoil combine to curb their enthusiasm.

Actually ammo was almost bearable during the peak of the pandemic.

I step up!  :D  I have around 4200 rounds of 50AE Brass... through a single 50AE I got in 92... When I bought the gun, 20 rounds was $15 to $18 at gun shows.  Just Speer Lawman (Blue Box back then) and Samson were available for it.  No telling how much brass I lost, so I really don't know how much has been through it.  The original gas piston is fine, and the throat is still in excellent condition.

When Armscor and others started doing the bulk thing for 50 AE, I really bought in heavy at 88 to 90 cents a round... that is about half of what mine has seen as far as ammo type.  I do have 14 different factory loadings for 50 AE though.

Some day I will reload all this brass and finish wearing out the gun... or finish wearing out myself, not sure. :D

I will keep saying this... even after 30 years of ownership and many thousands of rounds through multiple Desert Eagles in all calibers, I literally smile every time I pull the trigger*... and the 429DE out of a 10" barrel makes me actually LOL.  :D


*(except when a case gets flat ejected over the slide into my head)

MrBlackCat

Mmmmmmmm, maybe... But I've been shooting this stuff for almost 30 years. Never have I ever had a problem with it. The hot as hell for caliber 200grain flying ashtrays in .44Special have never show signs of over-pressure, popped primers, and has always ejected smooth out of the M24 and M629's. But, not a semi-auto like you said...

If a 240grain Blazer Aluminum rim rips or chucks during extraction and/or exacerbated by shell swelling from chamber pressure-expansion then I'll report back. Then I'll leave the Blazer Aluminum to the Revolver's because there has never been a problem there.

You "could" Mexi-Carry with the right pair of pants and belt support I suppose especially with the light weight frame. 9+1 of light recoiling full-powered .357Magnum with quick On-Tap reload(s) is a hell of a gun...

.38+P would be too short of an OAL to function reliably unless you loaded/seated the pills in a long seated (to match .357 over all length)... Of which you could just download a .357 Magnum case slightly instead fully seated pill. But these DEP's need full power to cycle has been repeated much here and elsewhere. From what I've read full-power .357Magnum is quite the pleasure to shoot recoil wise. The .44Magnum in 300gr loads feels like a 230grain loaded .45acp from a 5" barreled 1911 to me but recoil like anything is subjective to each individual.

I thought as long as it was standard pressure ammo... loaded to the same standard OAL... semi-jacketed (no soft lead pills "hard-cast-included") was fine out of these Polygonal Barreled DEP's?

If it's not cool to shoot 300grain, standard pressure, jacketed ammo then please elaborate and I won't do this anymore... Thanks in advance!

If factory .38Special+P works in the .357Magnum DEP's then that is really cool!

My .44Special Snap-Caps hand cycle well in my .44Magnum Model I can attest too. That's different than actually shooting/cycling of course but I would be happy if my DEP could/would reliably shoot and cycle both .44Magnums and .44Specials for sure.

Blazer's 200gr Gold-Dot bullet topped ammo would be almost (recoilless) out of the 6" barreled .44Magnum Desert Eagle... (if it would reliably cycle...) I have several hundred rounds of it here... Hmmmm...

I have no information indicating that .38 +P would actually cycle a DE.
-edit- GarrettJ

That is sweet Backbencher! Thank you for the confirmation both verbally and visually with your descriptive pic a well!

So just as I thought it's fine to run standard pressure .44Magnum 300grain ammo thru the .44Magnum chambered DEP as long as it's loaded to the standard OAL... That is why I had no issues with the 300grain Prvi Partizan because it's identical in OAL to other 240grain .44Magnum factory ammo is. The 300grain PPU is advertised as pushing 1280FPS and 1090ft-lbs from a standard 6" Revolver barrel I believe. The DEP might push it faster with the poly rifling and the lack of a cylinder gap/forcing cone in the semi-auto chamber. Either way this PPU Hits Hard as-F!

The new OEM mags came in from the eBay vendor yesterday. 3 out of 4 of said magazines load-up just as nicely as the magazine that came with the DEP. All rounds stack and seat firmly under the feed-lips with no wiggling or nose dives. 1 of the mags had a readily/visually bent/damaged feed lip of which was causing nose dives back down and into the magazine along with a random sticking follower. I fully disassembled the magazine and went slowly with a pair of need-nose pliers re-working the feed lip to the same pitch, angle and width of the original OEM magazine. Slight filing/smoothing of the internal magazine wall and the follower has corrected the random sticking follower problem as well. Rounds load smoothly and chamber nicely now. I've marked it as a Range-Only mag until it proves flawless.

-edit- GarrettJ

-edit- GarrettJ

I still regret not buying one before they got really stupid. A gold 50 is what I really want. I have a 500 so I could use the same bullets for both.

Yeah, that is weird... A glitch on the forum I suppose.

I also didn't post the following quote Originally Posted By jmreagan:

"I have no information indicating that .38 +P would actually cycle a DE." But it sure looks like I did... I now know that was your quote.

Weird...

To whomever did post #14 and the pic I appreciate it just the same however!

@GarrettJ something weird going on here?

Think he meant to reply to my post but hit the edit button accidentally.  Not a big deal, I just don't want anyone thinking I have that kind of reloading expertise.

lol I'm glad the matrix is ok

Thanks man.

@GarrettJ ... Thanks again for the confirmation, explanation, and cool pic! That is a really good idea on how you can easily identify the HEavy 300gr pills from the 240's and is just ingenious! Looks like you also get a good bullet seating and a solid to spec crimp with either .44Special or .44Magnum shell cases with either bullet weight as well... You post couldn't have came at a better time.

My brother has inherited a complete progressive Dillon Precision XL 750 with all the accessories/stations. He also was gifted 4 or 5 nice loading manuals, several thousand pieces of .45acp, .44Special, and .44Magnum once and twice fired brass, multiple unopened canisters of H-110, 2400, AA#9, Blue-Dot, etc. and a mother load of large pistol primers. The nice guy that gifted it to him worked for my brother for years and they became great friends... but had terminal cancer as he was 20+ years older than my brother, had no kids, and wanted his stuff to go to a good home. My brother doesn't have the spare extra workspace but I do. So we are going to set up the press and stations here since the wifey signed off on it. Your insight and idea Garrett is priceless!

Those are some nice 44s in your original post.

I used to have an old ruger carbine too. The stock was cracked and the ejector screw holes in the reciever wallowed out and the screws kept backing out so I got rid of it. My 29-3 is a standard 4".

Sounds like you and your brother will be all set to crank out some ammo. I like 2400 and AA9 with xtreme plated bullets for all my desert eagle loads. The lower end published data for those powders are soft shooting and reliably cycle in mine.

@RiverSwine45

Thanks brother!

We are going to start out with a light-medium load using AA9 and some 240 grain FMJ semi-wads little brother also inherited. I figure dialing in this load in our M629's building-up slowly and methodically from there. The Deagle will continue to be broken-in with factory Privi-Partizan 240 and 300 grains until we are comfortable with our 240gr load in the Revolvers... then start using them in the DEP.

I'll try and source a couple hundred of the "Xtreme Plated Pills" today based upon your advice as well to dial a load-up specifically for this DEP.

That is a shame about your Ruger M44... Because That is one sweet shooting Carbine and she's my dedicated deer rifle the last 2 seasons. I have no reason or plans to change. Game Wardens and Fudds look at you real funny carrying less traditional "Black Rifles" into the woods (DUMB) on their part but I don't make the rules. Since I've switched to the Ruger it's all smiles and nods, complements, and "hey, can I see that...", etc which has always been positive and it creates welcomed interest of which is always cool with me... Probably because it looks so close to the Ruger 10/22 until they see the M44 up close...

The best plus is what this Ruger Carbine does to put down the pelt. It's really instantaneous and quick with the aforementioned Underwood's in 305gr hard cast "Keith's"... This combo works better than anything else I've ever used. It's almost video game-like with the 3x18x40 Nikon glass and the animal doesn't suffer as there is No-Chase to date.


When you have a chance RiverSwine I'd really appreciate it if you could PM me your specs for your 240gr load data as it sounds pretty sweet; and if your DEP cycles reliable and likes it then I'm confident mine should too. Thank you in advance sir!

IM sent

https://www.xtremebullets.com/44-240-RNFP-Heavy-Plate-p/xc44-240fphpcb-b0500.htm

Attached File


Edit to add
Something to probably avoid using the DE is open base FMJ bullets with exposed lead bottoms. Possibility exists to get some melty lead down the gas hole.

Thanks for the nice loading data RS-45 as it's much appreciated! That is a lovely set of .44Magnums you have there. I love the Revolver and Semi-Auto shares the same caliber as both platforms have their advantages and takes on what is becoming my favorite handgun and carbine All-Time caliber now. Old-School meets New-School between the two and it's a happy marriage.

I was reading the emboldened about the exposed lead base as being a problem with the gas port especially with the toastier 240's so thanks for mentioning that and reiterating the potential problems. I'll take your advice for sure upon that as well...

Thanks again for the load data and advice... And thanks for the great pic you posted as well. There is so much awesomeness with the Smith and DEP .44Magnum beauties... I look forward to popping Steel Rams at 100 Yards on the Silhouette Circuit with the DEP with your dialed up ammo loads with regular ease and then seeing the smiles from other shooters down the line on future Saturday mornings, Hahaha!

Blazer aluminum case 240gr JHP didn't have enough ooomph to cycle my 44 Mag Desert Eagle.  Slide consistently didn't come back far enough to pick up the next round.