Posted: 10/6/2024 11:26:12 AM EDT
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So I understand the frames on the various generations are supposed to be the same (excluding the L5 frame). To the extent that the original .50AE was a "MK-VII" with a beefier barrel & slide, and the MK-XIX came about when the smaller calibers were made using the same beefier top-end dimensions. But no changes were made to the frame. I also understand that you may not get perfect compatibility with the early guns. I have experienced this. I used to have an early MK-I and I could not get a 2009-vintage MK-XIX slide or barrel to quite fit. I sold the MK-I some time ago, and I don't recall if the issue was in getting the slide on the frame or getting the barrel to latch in. In either event, they didn't quite go together. Fast forward to today. I found a bolt/barrel/mag chambered in .41 mag for sale and jumped on it. I own three Desert Eagle pistols, but none that this barrel is compatible with. I knew that when I bought the barrel. My thought was to start looking for a reasonably priced MK-VII in .44 Mag to buy and then I'd have a 2-caliber MK-VII. I think I'll stay away from a MK-I. I don't think there would be a compatibility issue, but with an early gun you never know for sure. But then looking around, I see the MK-VII slide assembly come up for sale from time to time. I'm half tempted to buy just the slide and then with the .41 barrel I would have a complete top end which "should" fit on one of my MK-XIX frames. But what is the likelihood that there would be fitup issues between the MK-VII slide/barrel and the MK-XIX frame? Would I still be better off just shopping around for a complete MK-VII pistol? (ok, another complete gun is always the right answer, but just the slide would cost half as much or less). So how many of you with multiple generations of DE have tried swapping parts around and making a mixmaster gun? And did it work? |
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I'm guessing all yours are Mk XIX's? If I remember correctly, 41 was dropped long before they went to the Mk XIX. I have a MkI made in 1988, a Mk VII 50AE made in 1999, and a Mk XIX made in 2001. If I can get a little free time this afternoon I will see if the slides/barrels will swap around. I can not remember if I ever tried. If you were to buy a complete gun, I would get a Mk VII and not a Mk I, for no other reason than the trigger. The trigger on my Mk I sucked badly. The two stage trigger on my Mk VII and XIX are MUCH better. It was so bad, I ended up finding a complete trigger group on ebay from a Mk VII and swapped it out. It is so much better now. Naturally, I vote complete gun. I started out with the barrel and bolt in 357 and got tired of swapping the bolt when I wanted to shoot. So I bought another gun to keep dedicated to 357. A complete top end is not as bad as swapping the bolt, but you might still get tired of it. |
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Yeah - I've got a pair of XIX guns and an L5. When I started looking a couple weeks ago, there were two different listings on ebay for .41/.44 MK-VII slides. One with a "buy it now" price and the other with a bunch of other parts. I foolishly threw a bid on the one with the extras and someone else got the BIN listing. And as with most things ebay, another bid appeared about a half-second before the listing was up, and I missed that slide as well. I'm watching for slides and complete guns now. Seems like you see the MK-I / MK-VII guns go for fairly low prices from time to time. Currently, I see a number of them on gunbroker that I could get in the $1200-1300 range. But I'm not in a hurry here. I'll just keep watching there and local listings as well. And yes, I did the bolt/barrel swap at first. Then I found a spare MK-XIX slide and do a full top-end swap on my black gun to go between .357 and the larger calibers. But yeah, a complete gun would be better. Not that it would get me out of the bolt swap, since the .41 has its own bolt as well. And yes, I'd be interested to hear what you find swapping top ends around. As noted, when I had a MK-I, it didn't like the MK-XIX parts. I figured it would be safest to look for one of the MK-VII guns that's marked ".41/.44". |
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Took my Mk VII 50AE and removed the top end. Mk I 357 barrel/slide fit and function normally. Mk I 44 barrel/slide fit and function normally. The Mk VII 50AE barrel/slide fit the Mk I frame and functioned normally. The XIX, all barrels and slides from the Mk I and VII fit fine, and the XIX slide/barrel fit the Mk I and VII frames. So everything I have seems to fit and function normally on everything. I could not find a combo that did not work. Now all this was simply hand cycling the slide. I did not fire any of them, but I do not see any reason they would not. I will add this: If all you want is a top end, if you find a complete gun, I might be interested in buying the frame. I would use it to make the extra Mk I upper I have into a complete gun. |
