My New Desert Eagle


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Jun 19, 2008
Amarillo, Texas
Ever since I first discovered them back in the late '80's, I have been just in love with the Desert Eagle Pistols. I actually got to shoot a .44 shortly thereafter, and I was hooked! (Mind you, this was well before all the movie and video game hype with the DE's, as well as the gang member association). For one reason or another, I made choices in my life that kept me financially from being able to purchase one. Well, then in the '90's, the .50AE's came out. Oh wow, now I was really going crazy. Then I got to fire one, and I was doomed. I finally settled down, got married, finished college, and got my current job. I started to build my gun collection back up, with the essentials taking priority. Mine and my wife's primary handguns (both 9mm's), our primary rifles (both .223's), and her secondary handgun. Now it was my turn. Last month, I took the plunge and ordered my dream gun. A Desert Eagle .50 AE in Brushed Chrome with the Hogue Fingergroove grips and Trijicon 3-dot sights. It took a couple of days to come in, which seemed impossibly long. Once it came in, I was in heaven.
Here it is:




This has got to be one of the most magnificent firearms that I've ever seen, let alone had the privilege to own.

I ordered 4 different types of ammo for it from Ammo2go.

Magnum Research/Hornday 300gr XTP-JHP's
Speer 300gr Gold Dot HP's
Speer 325gr Gold Dot HP's
Magnum Research/CCI/Speer 350gr JSP's

So, when I finally got it to the range the following week ........

Wow. Just wow. What a magnificent weapon. It has been 10 years since I last fired one of these. It was much better than I remember. Mrs. Thumper and I packed up our pistols and headed for the range. The fare for the day: my Beretta 92FS, my Desert Eagle .50 AE (obviously), her Baby Eagle (9mm), and her Walther P22. We got on the line just after a cease fire, so we had to wait about 20 minutes through a cycle of fire before we could shoot. The line was a mixed variety of shooters. There was a couple of younger guys who looked to be trying to set a world's record for blowing through ammo. They both had new Tupperware handguns that they had just purchased, one was 9mm the other a .45, and they were just pumping through box after box of ammo. Mostly firing just about as fast as they could, but every once and awhile they would slow down a little and really concentrate on accuracy. A couple of lanes down was a man and his wife. He was teaching her to shoot, and this was her very first time. He was teaching her on a Ruger 9mm, and while she was quite nervous, he had obviously been working with her at home prior to actually hitting the range as she had good safe habits. Trigger discipline was good, no barrel sweeps, muzzle downrange all the time, dropped the mag and cleared the breach at a cease fire without being reminded to do so. She came a long way in the time she was there. Her husband was quite patient and very thorough. There was also a younger couple that came to do the same thing, only she was a bit of a princess and got a bit frustrated after the accuracy and recoil was not what it was portrayed in the movies. Her husband wasn't as patient, but she wasn't a good student. (Sad to say, but I don't give that marriage another 2 years). There was a couple of other young guys that showed up when we did, and while they were setting up, their dad rolled up on a very nice HD and strolled up to the line with a blued 1911 that obviously had seen some trigger time, and looked to be a cherish friend. (Which was undeniably confirmed when the old man started shooting it. IMPRESSIVE groups, and he handled the weapon with a deft grace). There was one guy at one end that was sighting in an tacticooled SKS @25 yards. The 2 lanes on the very end (the ones that my wife and I wanted) didn't have target stands setup, but did have the brackets in place to hold them. I walked down to the range master and asked if at the next cease fire we could get a couple of stands setup on those brackets as the lanes were starting to fill up and we wanted to be on the end. I told him that I was going to be shooting a Desert Eagle and the I didn't want to scare the bajeezus out of anyone, plus I wanted to collect my cases. (There was brass everywhere except at the end lanes that we wanted. There was an excessive amount of .45 cases that I thought would make it harder to differentiate from my .50 cases. Boy was I waaaay off on that one). I went back to where we had our stuff at (on the tables in front of our desired lanes) and starting filling up mags with the ammo de jour. At the cease fire, the range master on duty, a local LEO and former marine, came down and set us up a couple of target frames. As he was helping other shooters staple up their targets (I had orange peel targets, so mine were self adhesive), he rolled past my table and saw the open case with my Desert Eagle in it. He just stood there with his mouth open. He looked at me and said "Now I know why you asked for the end lanes. I thought you had the .44. Good Lord that's a big round!" I smiled and told him to come back down once the line was hot again and I would let him shoot it. He got this huge smile on his face and said he would take me up on it. Mrs. Thumper and I stepped up to the line and worked the 9mm's in real good, putting about 45 rounds through each to warm up. She hadn't loaded any mags for the Walther, so she sat down on the benches behind the line to load up a few. It was time.

Now, for the fans of larger bore handguns, you will get most of what I describe. Those that are not fan or are unfamiliar with shooting larger bore handguns, you will either probably not get what I'm descibing, or you will be reinforced as to why you don't like these calibers. Nes pa? Onward. Now, as with most of the larger bore handguns, the Desert Eagle .50AE has the harder kicking recoil as do most of the big bores, as well and the massive concusion/muzzleblast, and a legendary muzzle flash. (Car-Wreck-In-A-Can). The recoil on the gas operated Desert Eagles however tames the huge recoil down suprisingly, and the gun itself has some heft to it. It's quite a *****cat compared to my initial expectations (back when I first fired the .50AE). It is not a casual shooter. You must always concentrate on what you're doing. Otherwise, it is not forgiving and your range time will not be as enjoyable. (As with all handguns, accuracy is a science. Precision is an art). To control muzzle-flip (or muzzle-climb) and thus control the gun and afford better follow up shots, a heavier push/pull grip is required. Concentrating on this grip is paramount. It also allows for more precise shots as it really steadies the aim. Part of this grip is stiff wrists. Limp wristing combined with a weaker, less controlled and focused grip (all these factors actually go hand in hand if you will) will for one cause the weapon not to cycle properly and can cause failures to feed. (Berettas, 1911's, and Rugers also have this problem with some shooters. The range master said he's seen Glocks do it, but I personally have never seen it. BTW, he LOVES Glocks, has drank the Kool-Aid, and was carrying one at the range). It can also cause the cases to eject at less than desirable trajectories, sending the VERY hot cases flying at the shooter at high speed. Most shooters who get this often bear the marks: whelps on the forehead or even small cuts. The recoil should be dissapated through the shoulders, not the elbows and never the wrists. Like I said above, for me, the recoil was a *****cat. Especially when compared to the .500 S&W. That puppy will REALLY back up on ya. The Desert Eagle has a very nice bite, but not painfully so. It was quite controllable throughout the day, and I never experienced any degree of discomfort, pain, or fatigue. Myself, I fired over 80 rounds through it in less than 2 hours (I say that time frame as that was about as long as we were there. Actually total time at the range was closer to 2.5, but we were on the line shooting for about 2 hours). I have no soreness or blisters. It was a dream to shoot. The blast is on par with large bore guns, it was easliy felt on your frontal plane, solid, but not uncomfortable. Accuracy is top shelf, and that's right out of the box. Exceptionally accurate; this is gun is far more accurate than I am. The action of the trigger is very agreeable with me, crisp but not stiff, good feed back. It comes from the factory with a 2-stage adjustable trigger (although I have not bothered to adjust mine). Not one failure of any sort. VERY tightly fitted, the Israeli craftsmanship is unmatched. Finest fit and finish of any gun that I have ever seen. IMO, it is nothing short of a work of art, a hallmark of craftsmanship, and a labor of love.

Bird Feed: I had brought the 4 different ammunitions that I had ordered from Ammo2go. Magnum Researh/Hornday's 300gr XTP Hollowpoints, Speer's 300gr Gold Dot Hollowpoints, Speer's 325gr Gold Dot Hollowpoints, and CCI/Speer's 350gr Jacketed Soft Points. The price range of selection averaged about $1.50 per boom.


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Jun 19, 2008
Amarillo, Texas
I slapped in a full mag (7 rounds) of the Magnum Research/Hornady 300gr XTP's, released the slide, snapped off the safety, and levelled that anvil. Grip, Check! Breathing, Check! Steady Sight picture/On Taget, Check. FIRE!!!! Joygasm, Check, check, and check. It was nothing less than awesome. I looked to the left (I could see the entire pistol line by looking left), and was greeted by every face on the line. Most were smiling, the 1911 guy was laughing, and some mouths were just open. I must have had a huge poo-eating-smile on my face becuase a couple of people died laughing when I turned and looked at them. (I do think I startled the older of the 2 novice female shooters as she was only 2 lanes over with no one between us, but her husband was one of the ones laughing).I kept firing slowly until I had emptied the mag. 3 in the very center circle, the other 4 either right on the line of the center or inside the second circle. The next mag was 7 rounds of the 325gr Gold Dot Hollowpoints. The increase in recoil was neglible at best, and was barely discernable. Accuracy was just a smidgen less than the XTP's, taking the group out by almost an inch. After that was a full mag or the 300gr Gold Dot's. Again, about on par with the XTP's, only losing by about .5". The 350gr JSP's were next. Okay, now we're seeing some difference. The muzzle blast was noticably more profound, and the muzzle flip a bit more insistant. Definitely one click up. Accuracy didn't seem to be quite as good as XTP's, but I couldn't tell you if was the ammo or the shooter. (The ammo wasn't biting it's lip trying to stiffle giggling like the shooter was). Still very accurate fare. I fired all rounds using both hands. Aside from macho curiosity (which will happen eventually), I had no desire to one hand it today. I will probably keep the XTP's in the gun most of the time, especially if's it's ever carried. It is the more controllable of the selections, it is the least expensive, and it tested better with varous media sources (different periodicals, chronographed and ballistic gel tested) during T&E sessions. Shooting the 9mm's (even the somewhat "heavier" Beretta) seemed almost surreal. (Heck, just holding them was world apart from holding the Desert Eagle). I couldn't shoot my wife's .22LR with a straight face at all. (Even holding it was a Will Smith moment from Men in Black).

After the next cease fire, the range master ended his run down the line at my lane (after checking the weapons on the line and stapling targets). He was smiling big while I was loading up a couple of mags. He said that he had never gotten to shoot the Desert Eagle 50, and that to his knowledge, this was the first one they had had on this range. (I had seen others here before, but I'm pretty sure they were .44's). He shot 3 rounds of each of the different ammunitions with the exception of the 300gr Gold Dots, which he shot 7 of. That dude could shoot! His first 5 rounds with in the center, the 6th on the line, and the 7th just outside in the second circle. He was stoked. He ran through the mag of the 325gr Gold Dots, then we stood there and talked for a while. He related to me about when he was in the service and the .50AE came out. He and his buddies were always swapping gun mags, and that one was the talk of the day when it came out. He admitted a personal fascination with it, and said that I had absolutely made his day by letting him shoot it. He went as far to say that he would have worked today without pay just to be able to shoot that thing. It was cool. He said that he wished he could get a cinderblock and set it up in front of the berm just to see what it would do to it. I looked back at the range house at one point when he was shooting and saw the range master that had been working the counter standing inside the doorway watching him shoot. When he was done, he shook my hand and thanked me again, he wandered off back down the line and went about his duties. He kept jokingly referring to me as the "Rhino Hunter" when we all were in the range house before we left.

After we finished running through about 90% of the total ammo we brought for the day, we policed up the .50AE cases (EASILY spotted), and we headed home, stopping at our favorit mexican food restraunt for a big (late) lunch. Cleaning the Desert Eagle was exceptionally easy. The Brushed Chrome finish that I ordered mine in cleans with no effort. No one seems to sell brushes or swabs for the .50AE, so I had to order them from Magnum Research, which I didn't mind. They haven't arrived yet, so it just got a few patches run through it for now. It fields strips VERY easily and quickly, and cleaning the finer parts was a breeze. There was some heavy carbon build up on the slide around the gas piston that required a mild bit of finess to clean, but certainly not as bad as AR bolts get. Cleaned up easily and well, and doesn't even look like it's been fired.

It was a 90+ degree day with very clear skies, and not a lot of wind (although it is always a little windy here, it's just part of the panhandle). It gave me a chance to give my new Tilley Hat a trial run (which it did exactly what I expected it to), as well as take the Desert Eagle on it's maiden run. It was a dang fine day.

I guess this qualifies as more of a tribute than a review.


A few weeks ago, I ordered a holster for it from Due to the high volume of orders, it takes about 3 weeks for them to ship, so the holster just came in early last week. Easily worth the wait, IMO. I wanted something that I could carry that large chunk of metal around in should I choose to do so, and I wanted something that would allow me to carry it in different configurations should I choose. I got the hip holster with the TechLok. The tension adjustment on the side grips the gun firmly enough that it won't come out unless the user draws it. Once the draw has been initiated, the gun slides smoothly out without obsctructions or snags. It returns easily, and secures with an audible "click". The TechLok is a nice feature, allowing the user to attach the holster to a belt without having to thread the belt through the "loop" (and can even be attached without having to undo or remove the belt, but can be a bit awkward until the user is used to the system). The lock is also adjustable for different heights of belts, so it always maintains a secure and stable fit. The TechLok is also adjustable in its orientation to the holster, so the user has the option of carrying the gun in a standard verticle postion (muzzle straight down), "FBI" cant (muzzle back with the grip slightly forward), or muzzle forward (grip towards the rear, excellent position should a crossdraw carry be desired by the user). The most concealable position for the big iron seems to be the verticle postion. I however currently have mine setup for crossdraw carry. The position is especially nice for travelling and is quite comfortable when driving.

The holsters are available in various colors, as are the matching magazine pouches. I got mine in the "carbon" design (that resembles carbon fiber). Here's a few pics:



A shot of the TechLok


(There's really not blemishes/scratches on the slide in this pic. It's just the way the fill-flash caught the Brushed Chrome finish).





The Mag Pouch arrived yesterday.



I am still waiting on my Beltman gunbelt to arrive.


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May 9, 2008
North Zulch, TX

Thanks for that excellent write up, I rarely read through a post of that length word for word but couldn't stop reading yours. Very well written and jealousy inspiring. Again, thanks.:D


TGT Supporter
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1   0   0
Feb 21, 2008
Austin, TX
Nice gun by the way! As unwieldy as they are, they will always be cool regardless. Anything in .50 cal or a similar large bore is cool. ;)


Active Member
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Jun 27, 2008
Newbie question: Is the Desert Eagle in the same family as the Baby Eagle?
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