Just picked up my first Deagle, a Mark I in .44mag.  The thing is built like a Panzer and dwarfs my HK USP Tactical.  If there ever was a gun that screams "I have a small penis" its this one, but I wanted one anyway.  I'm comfortable with my sexuality dammit!  

Anyway, what's the reputation of the MK I series, made in Israel, as opposed to the later, "improved" MK VII and MK XIX models?  Anything I should watch out for?  I think I'll try it out tomorrow with the handloads I've developed for my S&W 29.  If anyone else owns one of these beasts, sound off with your experience and opinion.

By the way, this thing fills up nearly my entire scanner bed.  And the XIX models are physically bigger.  Crazy...

If you bought it used then I'd change the recoil springs first thing.

IIRC, this series does not allow the different calber changes to the same frame? Other than that, they have a good rep from what I've heard. Should be a fairly mild shooter because of its weight.

Trying to figure out where to get recoil springs, Wolff springs doesn't make em.  I tried the gun out earlier tonight with the handloads I've developed for my S&W.  This is a 180 grain hollowpoint, as you can see in my scan, and 24.5 grainds of H110 powder.  The gun definitely needs more recoil impulse, it shot like a 9mm and didn't always shoot to slide lock on the last round, I think it was short cycling to a certain extent.  I think the recoil springs might be a bit weak because the gun didn't want to go into battery a couple of times.  A firm shove on the back of the slide put it into battery and away we go.  Ammo might have had ALOT to do with this, the bullet profile is NOT designed for a semi auto (check the pic!) and my casings have already been fired a few times and need to be thrown away, they were rough and discolored.

With the H110 powder, firing at about 8:45pm just after the sun dipped below the horizon, the gun produced an authoritative BOOOM and muzzle flash erupted from it.  Most impressive muzzle flash I've ever seen, it blinded me with every shot, not only did I lose a sight picture, I was literally seeing spots and couldn't even see my arms in front of me for a couple of seconds!  I had another fellow who happened to be at the range touch off a round and saw that the flash extends about 3 FEET past the barrel in a huge cone of fire.  This gun is SO Hollywood.

All the mags fed and functioned fine except one, the only mag with the metal floorplate (again see pics).  The other 3 I have, with the plastic floorplates, ran just fine.  Extraction and ejection were fine, although I had to have help recovering casings, the muzzleflash was so great that I couldn't actually see the gun cycle or see the spent casing come out.  Un-friggin-believeable, I really need to figure out how to capture that muzzle flash on film.

I think I'll call Magnum Research on Monday and ask about the recoil springs.  Oh yeah, the MkI/MkVII series do not allow the caliber changes, but I've shot the .50ae with factory loads and it wasn't a pleasure to shoot.  This setup is actually fun to shoot and very tame, while being potentially the most accurate of the calibers offered.  Optimal for my taste.

Duke, the biggest differences between the Mark 1 and the Mark 7 series was the bigger safety levers and the adjustable trigger pack both on the Mark 7 series. You still could do a caliber converison on the older series pistols only from .357-.41MAG-.44MAG. However, the Mark 19 series allows all caliber changes from the .357 to the 50AE.

Ahh, thanks for the info.  I saw on Magnum Research's webpage that they offer a conversion kit from MkI to Mk VII, but I probably won't bother.  The slide release is different on the Mk VII as well, but the safety and slide release on my example are perfectly serviceable.  The single stage trigger is smooth and fairly light, its not a match 1911 trigger by any standards but I find it to my liking.  So I will leave the MkI as it is.  Know where I can get a set of recoil springs?

Quoted: .....Know where I can get a set of recoil springs?

Magnum Research should have them, also while you at it, get one of those gas piston replacement that is located in the front of the pistol. I've seen them break, and they are something $35 each. If it breaks it will disable your gun until you get a new one, or you want to wait until it actually breaks.

Shot it again yesterday and it ran much better, I used some factory loads instead of my revolver-specific handloads.  It likes a hotter load and a rounder-nosed bullet and it will run fine.  A cool gun and alot of fun to shoot, but I put it up for sale or trade on the EE boards.  I got it as part of a partial trade for my AR15, and I need some more cash more than I need the big Deagle.  I'll clean it today and then probably let it sit for awhile to see if anyone is interested.

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=88&t=174330&w=myTopicPop

I also own an IMI .44 Desert Eagle. What a bohimith.  Fun as hell to shoot and even more fun to record your self shooting it.  If you record your self and watch in slow-mo the "fire cone" is actualy a spinning ring of flame created by the rifling.  worth taking to the range one last time to check out. Its pretty cool.  Although it is a cool gun to shoot it would absolutly suck in combat.