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Posted: 11/8/2001 6:40:50 PM EDT
Last wednsday I bought a NIB polished chrome Desert Eagle 44 magnum for $1195.00. When I got home I fired 3 clips through it. (24 rds) It jammed about 3 times per mag. So I field stripped it and gave it a good cleaning and oiled it. I thought maybe some packing grease was the reason for the malfunction. After cleaning I put another 24 rds through it. It still kept jamming. It would eject the spent brass then it wouldn't close all the way on a new round. It seems to me the recoil spring is weak. I can cock the hammer and pull the slide back about an inch using 2 fingers with no effort. I've never shot one before so I don't know much about them. But I looked at one before at a gun shop and I remember having to pull the slide back with alot more effort than this one.

Does anyone have any idea's? Has anyone here shot one in 44 mag? If so is the slide real stiff to pull back? This slide is weaker than any 9mm I've owned.

I called IMI and they are sending me new springs to try.

Maybe the recoil spring isn't the problem. I have no clue. I would appriciate and info or advise. Thanks.
Link Posted: 11/8/2001 6:42:52 PM EDT
[#1]
Maybe it just needs to be broken in. I remeber reading somewhere that it takes 200 - 300 rounds for a gun to be broken in.
Link Posted: 11/8/2001 7:26:55 PM EDT
[#2]
I would have thought that too is the recoil spring was too tight. But it has closed on a round but the slide sometimes remains a 1/4 inch from closing. Kinda like its not closing with enough force.

I even thought it might be the ammo but I've tried 2 different kinds already.

Maybe when the new springs get here it'll help. I've always heard that the Desert Eagle was an excellent pistol. I have heard about trouble with the 357 mags not cycling back all the way due to heavy recoil springs. Put it could be fixed by shooting a hotter load. But I've heard the 44 mags never had any trouble with that.

It blows back fine, it just seems like it doesn't close the slide with enough force.

I also thought the feed ramp might have a bur on it but its smooth as a baby bottom.

Anyone else have any thoughts that might cause this problem?

Or has anyone fired a Desert Eagle with no problems or had problems?
Link Posted: 11/8/2001 7:32:59 PM EDT
[#3]
Are you palming the mag in your left hand?
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 3:05:26 AM EDT
[#4]
Is it a Mark I or a Mark 7??  Mark I's were plagued with Jamming problems, but the Mark 7 is reported to operate fine.

Benjamin
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 4:39:06 AM EDT
[#5]
To be honest with you, YOu got ripped off on price, should have ony paid around $950 max! And also those guns are crap. We had one to use in the rental counter at our gun range and it broke every 7th to 10th person. If you want a .44mag with more than six shots, get a winchester or marlin "trapper" gun, for half the money!
-Chuck
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 4:46:06 AM EDT
[#6]

Quoted:
NightHawk,

No flame intended, but, are you limp wristing it?



AILapua brings up a very good point.  My FIRST inclination is to want to see your recoil management, because this is a very common problem amongst many shooters.  When your wrist cocks back during recoil, it can dampen the recoil enough to not let the slide push all the way to the back.  I would venture to say that 75% of most stovepipes are caused by this (my opinion).

Most people don't realize that they have poor recoil control, especially a lot of 9mm and weaker load shooters...because the recoil is not so significant that their wrist cocks back (it's easy to manage this recoil).  When it comes to light most often is when going to a heavier load, shooting a ported pistol, or shooting practical scenarios.  At IDPA tourneys I've seen shooters stovepipe numerous 9mm pisols because of limp-wristing...they are thinking more about the scenario, movement, etc. than their shooting technique.

Make sure you keep your wrist tight.  Good isometric tension will definitely help.
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 4:48:55 AM EDT
[#7]
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 5:53:50 AM EDT
[#8]
I love the hell out of my DE. It's 44 mag.

Only malfunctions I've had were with some light reloads my brother had for his revolver.

Mickeys right about the ammo.  You should only use jacketed ammo with gas checks.  The lead with vaporize and condense in the gas system and it's impossible to clean out (well not impossible but damn difficult).  I have a list of approved ammo from IMI. If you want I'll transcribe it to an email.

Also if you palm the magazine you push it up higher than the catch holds it.  This will impede the the slide going forward.  This should be spelled out in the instruction book.
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 5:56:57 AM EDT
[#9]
Hey guys thanks for the advise. No I haven't been palming the mag. The way it hangs a little lower than the grip I figured it shouldn't be pushed up into the magwell.

I'm not offended by the limp wrist advise guys. I appreciate any advise on shooting techniques. I don't believe that is the problem though. I've shot the pistol both one handed and two handed and it jams both ways. Also I'm use to shooting my Smith and Wesson 629 44mag. The recoil isn't a problem and I always shoot with a stiff wrist.

Hopefully the new springs will come in today and I'll try them out. The gunsmith I talked to at IMI said that they had some trouble with some old stock captured springs that were on the shelf for a couple years getting weak from sitting there compressed. I hope thats the problem. He also said if that didn't fix it I could send it in at no cost to me and he would either fix it or send me a new one that he would try out himself before he shipped it.  

Oh yeah, to answer another question, its a Mark VII pistol.

As far as price is concerned, I could have bought a new plain black pistol for $729.00 but I prefer the polished chrome. Plus I have more than enough money to pay the price for my toys. To me they are worth it. Plus it looks really good it my growing collection.

I'll give an update after the new springs come in.
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 6:04:16 AM EDT
[#10]

Quoted:
I love the hell out of my DE. It's 44 mag.

Only malfunctions I've had were with some light reloads my brother had for his revolver.

Mickeys right about the ammo.  You should only use jacketed ammo with gas checks.  The lead with vaporize and condense in the gas system and it's impossible to clean out (well not impossible but damn difficult).  I have a list of approved ammo from IMI. If you want I'll transcribe it to an email.

Also if you palm the magazine you push it up higher than the catch holds it.  This will impede the the slide going forward.  This should be spelled out in the instruction book.



I tried PMC and Winchester but both were hollowpoint. I'll try the full metal jackets and see how it goes. So what do you mean by "gas checks"? Just curious. And yes Please send me an e-mail on the ammo list.  Thanks alot.
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 6:52:36 AM EDT
[#11]
Check the feed ramp AND THE BREECH FACE. Both need to be smooth with no roughness to properly feed.

I had a 45 that did this once, after I polished out the breech face the gun worked perfectly.
Link Posted: 11/9/2001 8:10:48 AM EDT
[#12]
You can use hollow points.  It's the base of the bullet (the side in contact with the powder)that has to be covered.
 
Gas checks are copper disks that cover the base of the bullet.

You've got mail (or will have in 20 mins. or so).
Link Posted: 11/10/2001 12:12:14 PM EDT
[#13]
I've got one of the XIX series in the .50ae... mine always wants to have failure to feeds on the last round out in the mag...  You have to "palm the magwell" on your second to last shot to get the last shot into battery....

From what I've been able to find, this is a common ailment of the .50's.  Perhaps DE has a design flaw they just have allowed out the door for years.
Link Posted: 11/10/2001 12:39:48 PM EDT
[#14]
Perhaps the reason is that you are using a gas-operated pistol.  I own a .50 AE Desert Eagle that has never been completely reliable.  It's finicky about ammuntion, gets dirty a lot faster than a recoil-operated weapon, and even with ammo it likes can't go more than a 100 rounds without jamming.  

If the springs really felt like they were lighter than a 9mm it could be that the pistol is cycling too fast for the mag spring to get another round up in time to feed.

All that said, even when the DE is tuned and broken in it is never going to be a reliable handgun.  Lots of fun, but not something to stake your life on.





"Do what you will,
just don't expect reliability out of a gas-operated pistol."
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