I`m thinking about buying a Desert Eagle and I need to know if it is worth it. My main concern is accuracy and reliability.

What do you want to use it for?

To me they are like the Bigfoot Monster Trucks, they look cool when you are 13 years old, but are they really practical for running to get a quart of milk?

I prefer a S&W .44mag for deer hunting.

For home defence, they are about the worse thing you could choose.

It will mainly be for fun at the range and maybe hunting. My caliber of choice will be the .44.  It won`t be for home defense, but who doesn`t want a gun thats accurate and reliable?
 

Myself and 2 other friend's have Killed deer with DE' .44 every year for as long as I can remember....people who say there too big can't afford one

In my humble opinion, they are not worth the cost.  There is a shooter that brings one to our IDPA matches (for fun) and it jams constantly.

The other down-sides of the Desert Eagle are:

- Cost:  you pay much more for it than a comparable revolver.

- Ammo selection:  Desert Eagles can't be shot with cast bullets and will not function with lower pressure, jacket bullet loads.

You can buy a Ruger Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Super Blackhawk or S&W 629 for a fraction of the cost.  Spend the rest of the money on ammo and use it to practice.

Quoted: In my humble opinion, they are not worth the cost.  There is a shooter that brings one to our IDPA matches (for fun) and it jams constantly. The other down-sides of the Desert Eagle are: - Cost:  you pay much more for it than a comparable revolver. - Ammo selection:  Desert Eagles can't be shot with cast bullets and will not function with lower pressure, jacket bullet loads. You can buy a Ruger Redhawk, Super Redhawk, Super Blackhawk or S&W 629 for a fraction of the cost.  Spend the rest of the money on ammo and use it to practice.

Ditto except add the Blackhawk. I like single actions.

Buddy of mine has one. Says it's neat but huge and nearly impractical.

Everybody's got "range guns"

If I had $1000 to drop on a pistol, I would not get one of those beasts. Cool yes, but man, they're heavy, not too comfy to me, and most of them are pretty darn expensive to shoot!
P.S. Go revolver!

... I have one and it's purely Bling -Bling.

... Very well engineered but impractical. Funny thing though, chicks and noobs always want to shoot it first. They glaze over my nice hardware like kids do over spinach and gravitate to the "chrome cannon".

... Oh well, it makes me laugh. There are many, many pistols and revolvers that fill the bill of almost any mission; the formidable 50AE round on a DE platform does as well; for effect baby, for effect!

Quoted: ... I have one and it's purely Bling -Bling. ... Oh well, it makes me laugh. There are many, many pistols and revolvers that fill the bill of almost any mission; the formidable 50AE round on a DE platform does as well; for effect baby, for effect!

lol. the pocket cannon i call it. the only upside i can see to it is it carries the added "I just crapped in my pants" factor when you pull it out. that and it's what, 11.75" long? but for home defense it sucks, unless your trying to shoot someone in your house, and across the street, and in you neighbors backyard with the same bullet.

but i'll still buy one 'cause damn if don't look cool in the collection!

For about the same amount of money or less, I'd get the Mateba revolver in .44 mag.

The Desert Eagle is one of the few guns I've owned and sold.  It is the only gun a I regret selling.  The gun was ammo critical, cumbersome and clumsy.  However, the girth and huge slide dampen the recoil more than any comparable revolver.  Friends were astonished by the gun's ability to hold tight groups during lengthy rapid fire sessions.  My Desert Eagle was chambered in .357 Mag.  It was an oversized .357, much like my Taurus 608 (which I also sold but don't regret). I found the right ammo for the gun, and it was pretty reliable. It's a fun gun that allows you to shoot magnum cartridges comfortably.  I may buy another one...in .44 Mag.