My Review of the Desert Eagle Mark XIX

Specs
Make: Magnum Research Inc.
Model: Desert Eagle Mark XIX
Caliber: .50 Action Express
Weight: 4lbs unloaded
Trigger: 2 stage adjustable, mine feels like it's about 7lbs, single action only
Finish: Bright Nickel with 24K Gold Appointments
Price: $1200 V.Good condition used, ~$2000 new

This originally appeared on my old website, ForrestTheMarksman

First, this is the first "magnum" handgun I've fired since I was ten so keep this in mind. Having said that, I want to address recoil second. It seems no matter where one goes, there are people talking about how hard the Desert Eagle in .50AE kicks. I'm here to tell you that it's not that bad. Granted, it's much harder than say a .45ACP in a 1911 frame, but its nothing to be scared of. The gas operating system and sheer weight of the pistol take care of much of the recoil. Now, it still has a fair amount of recoil, but it's fairly easy to shoot. The people around the shooter actually suffer the most. This is because of the extreme muzzle blast. Hearing protection is always recommended when shooting firearms, but I'd say it's requisite with this one. It literally shakes the ground. And with good reason! Factory loads from Speer launch a 325gr bullet over 1400fps with around 1400 ft/lb of energy. Ballistically its the same thing as my .50 cal muzzle loader with 80gr of pyrodex only this measurement was taken from a 6" barrel and my muzzle loader's barrel is 20".

While we're on the topic of shooting, let me address some of the points of shooting a Desert Eagle. First, a solid stance is very important with magnum handgun cartridges. I would recommend using a modified weaver stance where you push forward on the grips with your trigger hand and pull back with your support hand; effectively balancing the handgun. "Limp wristing" a Desert Eagle in .50AE could have you wind up like this poor lady: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFJjaj7pXsA . Lock your elbows and lean into the shot so your shoulders take the recoil and not your wrists. If you aren't firmly (but comfortably) holding the pistol, it will "roll back" and in all probability put a searing hot brass into your forehead. Letting the pistol "roll back" will also impact the effectiveness of the pistol's timing mechanizim and will probably cause a jam. Using cheap .50 AE cartridges will also cause jamming. To use a terrible metaphore, this gun is that high maintenance hot girl you dated back in college. Unlike her, you won't be trading out any time soon as these pistols are incredible shooters once you've figured them out.

Here's a video of me shooting the Desert Eagle I'm reviewing:

As for accuracy, I'm told it can shoot under 6" at 100yds and some can shoot the gun at 400yds, but I have not shot it past 25 yards. At 25 yards, I was able to shatter an 8" cinder block into roughly thirds and then shoot the thirds into fine dust, in four shots. I haven't shot it on paper yet, but at the rate it's going, the Desert Eagle outshoots my Beretta Px4 hands down. You'll want to get into reloading though. Good ammunition will run a hair under $40/box of twenty. You can reload quality .50AE at $0.30/round. Magnum Research recommends not doing this, but reloading is the only way you'll afford to shoot this monster.

Now, for a few words on maintenance. It's good practice to clean a firearm after every trip to the shooting range, but it is imperative with the Desert Eagle. I clean mine as often as I clean my competition service rifle which is every range trip regardless if I shot 1 round or 100. At the MINIMUM you'll want to clean it every 50 shots, but you'll probably start experiencing jams due to fouling after twenty or so shots. Magnum Research sells a cleaning kid for the Desert Eagle that works well for me (the 5 in 1 tool makes life easier in the take down). As for solvents, I use Hoppes No.9. DO NOT use WD-40 while cleaning the pistol; I'm told it can corrode the finish and since it evaporates, vapors can get into the gas operating system (remember this is one of those weird pistols that operates more like a rifle) and cause an expolosion when a round is fired. Disassembly and reassembly is easy and is made easier with the 5 in 1 tool availible from Magnum Research. I would also recommend replacing the factory plastic grips with some fingered grips by Hogue. They run about $50 and install in under two minutes. This will make shooting noticibly easier if you're sensitive to recoil.

In conclusion, this is not a pistol for everybody. It requires lots of maintenance and patience on the part of the shooter. Going for an average of $1500 in excellent used condition makes them one of the more expensive pistols on the market and with good ammunition going for $40/box of twenty, reloading will become necessary if one wants to do any volume of shooting with this gun (and trust me, you'll want to). Still, if you're up to the challenge of maintaining and learning to shoot a Desert Eagle, you'll be rewarded with great accuracy and a real attention getter at the range (or in my case, laughter for having a "pimp gun").

Here are some pictures of the gun. It's a Desert Eagle Mark XIX with a Bright Nickle finish and 24K Gold appointments:


Until next time

More Notes on the Desert Eagle: A Correlary to my review.

This can be read as a part two to my previous review on my Desert Eagle Mark XIX in .50AE from last October. These are just a few more things I'd like to add to that review and put down a few rumors and some misinformation I've seen floating around the internet. This will be in itemized format.

1) It seems there are two groups of people. There are those who love (and may be in love with) the desert eagle and those who absolutely hate it. Oddly enough, these two groups have something in common, they've probably never shot one.
a) Those who are in love with it have come up with a contraction for it, "deagle."
i) This got started because many computer games use this contraction when dealing with source files for
the desert eagle. In this sense, I find the phrase acceptable as programming is long enough as it is.
ii) If you use the phrase in conversation or internet communication, please quit reading my site. You are
a cretin. You wouldn't call the baby eagle a "beagle" or a lone eagle a "leagle." So why have you bastardized the the Desert Eagle's name? At least the other two are actual words. Using the "deagle" contraction makes you sound mentally impoverished.

b) Most fans of the Desert Eagle act retarded around the gun or just discussing the gun (refer to deagle).
i) This stems from a lack of experience which wouldn't be a big deal but they all act like experts on
it. It also stems from the glamorized image Hollywood gives the pistol.

c) Those who hate the pistol claim that it's useless, prone to break down, expensive, and inaccurate.
i) The pistol is great for hunting as it can take down anything in North America and a good chunk of
the African species within reason. It's also used as a 400yd target/competition handgun.
Useless? I think not.
ii) The pistol is no more prone to breaking down than any handgun but it does need to be cleaned
every 30-50 shots which is a good idea anyway. I clean mine after every range trip.
iii) The gun can be expensive, but like most things, you get what you pay for. The $1200 I paid for mine
was well worth it. It's a lot of fun to shoot and even more fun since I began hand loading for it.
iv) My Desert Eagle groups ~2" at 50yds but I'm not the world's best pistol shot. Again, some use this
for competition at 400yds- and win. The inaccuracy claim doesn't hold water, either.

2) It is my opinion that some people don't so much hate the gun as they do its fans. I don't blame them for that. I hate most of them myself. Actually, I use my gun as a sort of cretin detector. If someone asks me to bring "my deagle" over, I will correct them. If they do it again, I don't won't talk to them again. If someone gets ridiculously excited over it (not just usual, oh cool, excited but OMGWTFBBQ!!!!11eleven!!!!! excited), I don't speak to them- again. Yes, it is a cool gun because its big, accurate, loud, gas operated, and well, that's enough. It's not cool because Hollywood says it is. Most of the time it gets used in a movie, it's in a role that's unsuitable for it unless it happens to be killing zombies.

3) The Desert Eagle is not a home defense gun. It's too big, noisy, and the muzzleflash would blind the shooter in the dark. There's also the overpenetration factor. Out of a 6" barrel, mine will shoot through 8" of treated wood at 50yds and leave a large, splintered hole where it exits. Yes, it will kill whatever you hit with it, but it might also shoot through a wall or three and hit one of your own family members, too. It's like I tell everyone. When it comes to home defense, stick to your 12ga shotgun and #4 buckshot.

4) The Desert Eagle is not standard issue to the Israel's Army nor does Israel's Army have intentions of adopting it. Like the HK USP, it's just too big and unweildy for troops to carry. Remember, it weighs 4lbs unloaded.

5) The Desert Eagle is a great hunting pistol. I used mine last November year to shoot an average sized deer from 20yds. It only made it a few steps before it succombed to the 300gr Speer GDHP.

6) .50AE is NOT the world's most powerful handgun caliber. Off the top of my head I know that at least .500S&W, .460S&W, and .454 Casull all have more hitting power and velocity.

7) Magnum Research no longer makes .440 Cor-bon Desert Eagles. Sorry, this disappoints me too.

8) You cannot fire .38spc ammunition through a .357mag Desert Eagle. There just isn't enough power there to actuate the gas system.

9) Even though Magnum Research says not to, you can produce your own handloads for your Desert Eagle. I'm currently using a 300gr Speer GDHP bullet powered by 33.7gr of Winchester 296 powder and a Winchester Large Pistol primer. Cost? About $0.38 per round compared to $2 per round at the store.

10) The gold Desert Eagle isn't really gold, it's just gold plating.

11) The Mark VII and Mark XIX Desert Eagles have interchangeable parts. The old Mark I is not compatible with these other two models.

I think that's everything but I might add more later on if I can think of anything.