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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

So I Bought A Desert Eagle


Dr.Hess

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Bought a Desert Eagle off of gunbroker. Had it shipped to a local pawn shop to do the FFL stuff. They charged me $20 for the transfer. I got the DEXIX6 I was looking for. It's the complete set of 50AE, 44MAG and 357MAG barrels, the 357MAG bolt, 3 mags, tools and a locking hard case. $2500 plus the $20 transfer, brand new. I have no use for it at all, like, I suppose all my guns but maybe 3 or 4. It is big. Really big. The 50AE round has the same muzzle energy as a 12 GA shotgun. The cartridge dwarfs a 357MAG. That was my first online gun purchase. I'll have to say it went smooth. Local pawn shop had not problem giving me a copy of the FFL to fax to the seller. The people I bought it from were prompt with communication and shipping. They had thousands of positive feedbacks.

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WAY TO GO DOC!!

 

I'm anxiously awaiting the range report. Also curious how well your wrist does with the 50's. 2500 for the entire set-up, not a bad price at all. Looks new and unfired. If the bank account has any spare change left, time to accumulate ammo, reloading tools and components. My guess is 2400 or H-110 will be the go-to powders. If you want to accumulate brass watch Starline. When they make a run of 50's grab'em as it might be another year or more before they make more. 357 and 44's might be a bit hard to find but its out there.

 

Just curious in case you might know. Will the Desert Eagle run with 38 and 44 Specials in their magnum cousin's barrels??

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This guy is in your neck of the woods I believe. He's a bit slow but turns out a good cast slug. If the pointy, gas check slug will feed it will likely drop anything in the Western Hemisphere. If you decide to use it, it will probably take a custom seating stem to avoid flattening the tip. I had Lee make me two for 44 and 357. Internet chatter claims the spire point slugs at magnum velocities will defeat Kevlar but I've never seen proof. The same internet rumors claim ATF leaned on Lyman to discontinue the molds.<br /><br />http://www.mattsbullets.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66

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Az is right the price is not bad if you figure that what you have is 3 hand guns and the Izzys have the reputation of making very good guns indeed.

Now, this is old and things may well have changed but I see to recall a fellow making 44 mag cases from cut down 308 brass.

Let us know how it shoots ....and how you got it pass the wife! : )

karl

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Yes, the 50AE has the same case head as a 44MAG, so it uses the same bolt, different magazine. The pawn shop happen to have some 50AE ammo, which isn't exactly a wally world item. It was a little higher priced than I could have bought it for online, but I threw them a few bucks for the whole smooth process. Two bucks a pop. Even loading it myself from scratch would put it at around a buck and a half a pop, if I recall from my spreadsheet. Definitely going to have to figure some way to make sure I catch all the brass.

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From what I've read, I don't think so on the 38/44 specials. They might not work the action. The destruction manual clearly states that to shoot it, you need to lock your elbow out with your main arm and hold your other hand on the gun in a Weaver stance/grip pulling back. Otherwise you can get failures to feed or extract or something. Also a big no-no on the cast boolits. The rifling in the barrel is that same kind the Glocks use and they lead up real bad with non-jacketed bullets. Polygonal or something. And being gas operated, you don't want lead gumming that up either.

 

Karl, I think those were the 44 Auto Mag from the 308's, not 44 Remington Magnum. Different Dirty Harry movies.

 

I've run the numbers on the ammo. Definitely need some dies and brass. These powders will work in all 3 magnums: H110, H4227, N110, AA#9. Having to shoot jacketed bullets instead of home brew boolits is expensive, and the brass is a bit expensive too. Looks like the best thing is to buy factory ammo for the brass, then reload it, as the total cost of buying new brass and all the other components is just under buying factory ammo today. Man, times change. Can't really find any once fired, and if you do, Starline is cheaper new.

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Oh, also, this gun is made in some place called "OOOSA," or "USA" or something. Minnesota. They took production back to better control quality, etc., according to the web page.

I saw something about that on one of the Sportsman's Channel shooting programs. The Israeli manufacture I believe sold off or licensed it along with moving the tooling to a USA manufacture in Minnesota. Think I DVR'd a program on the 50AE. I'll look for the title and see if it is on Youtube. Best I recall the 50 AE is bad ass.

 

As to your comments about holding it stiff really applies to most semi pistols but likely more important with the cushioning effect from the gas system. I've seen women limp wrist GI 45's causing jams. I forgot all about the gas system and lead slugs.

 

Despite the naysayers claiming lead wont shoot properly in polygonal rifling. I've had success using super hard cast slugs in a poly rifled 9MM Mak chambered pistol. Not personally but I've read numerous posts with handloaders claiming to use cast slugs in poly rifled Glocks. I've also seen posts claiming a lead build-up in Glock barrels causing a few to go kaboom. I'm not to worried about my $85 commie pistol but wouldn't push my luck in a $2500 Desert Eagle.

 

Just thinking off the top of my head. I wonder if it is possible to make 50 cal slugs similar to the way bullet swagers make jacketed 45 cal slugs using 40 S&W brass. From what I've read on the net (so it has to be true!!) the home brewed brass jackets are supposed to be as good and some claiming better the copper. Just A thought. One would have to shoot plenty of 50 cal slugs to recoup the initial investment of swaging tools.

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The most powerful pistol I have shot was a Ruger .44 Mag revolver.

As I recall the recoil was not too bad BUT that ruger was a very big pistol and had a big older red dot sight on it to give it even more mass.

That .50 should be very interesting. : )

karl

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A friend brought over a Desert Eagle 50 AE a few years ago and asked me if I wanted to shoot it.

Of course, being younger and stupider, I said yes.

The torque of the bullet going down the barrel will twist your wrist.

I found out after I shot it that he hadn't shot it yet and was kinda scared of it.

Now, do you think I could sucker him into test firing my 458 Lott?

I guess some people get smarter as they get older. I had to shoot it myself.

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Range Report:

 

I bought some Winchester 357 and 44 mag ammo at wally world. The 357 was 110gr, "personal defense." The 44 Mag was "deer and bear." At least on the box. Plus I had the Hornady 50AE box of 20 I bought from the pawn shop.

 

The 357 mag was like a pea shooter. That load was not enough to cycle the action. I had to cycle it manually. It would eject, but not enough umph to push the slide back far enough to pick up the next round. I'll have to look for some kind of super hot 357 ammo for that. Shot accurate, though, to point of aim at my test range of maybe 8 yards. I think that Magnum Research also makes a lighter recoil spring specifically for the 357 mag. I may get one of those.

 

The 44 mag shot real nice. Action functioned perfectly. Recoil was not bad at all. I've shot a 44 mag once before, when I was about 13 or 14 at a gun range in a Ruger Super Blackhawk. I seem to recall that one having a lot more recoil, but then a single action army style revolver is meant to recoil up. This was not bad shooting at all. Like, if you had the money, you could put a lot of 44mag ammo through that at one time.

 

I don't think I have enough ass for the 50AE. Recoil compared to the 44 was substantially more. I think the muzzle energy is half again over the 44, and I would say the recoil was too. I don't think my wrists are strong enough to hold the gun tight enough to give it something to recoil against. I had failure to feeds, and a loaded round popped out the port on me once. I was holding it as tight as I could with two hands. Now, when my step son shot it, it functioned perfectly for him. He is a bit stouter than I am. At two bucks a pop, that's an expensive experiment, but I'll have to try some more with it. Really big holes in the target.

 

I'm also getting proficient at stripping it down to the slide and swapping out the bolt. You can tell it isn't a military arm. You really need a little tool (included) to strip it down. Military arms can always be stripped down without tools besides a bullet.

 

So, overall, still learning what's best to feed it, but it is fun. Like I said, totally useless, but that's the point. This is my only 44 mag. I think I'll have to get some dies and start loading that.

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Doc before you spend the bucks on a spring try a heavier slug in 357. The 110gr 357 was designed for the light S&W J-frame and the Colt Detective Special with an aluminum frame. A 158 gr slug might generate enough oomph to cycle the slide. To get the maximum appreciation out of the 44 and 50. Save some one gallon milk jugs, fill them with water and have somebody video the explosion.

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