Desert Eagle
| Desert Eagle | |
|---|---|
 Mark XIX Desert Eagle | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | IMI |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | |
| Length | 260 mm (10.25 in) with 6 in barrel |
| Barrel length | 6 in (152 mm), 10 in (254 mm) and 14 in (356 mm) |
| Cartridge | .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .440 Cor-bon, .50 Action Express |
| Action | direct impingement gas-operated |
| Feed system | Magazine:
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The Desert Eagle is a large caliber gas-operated semi-automatic pistol manufactured in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries) for Magnum Research, Inc.
Magnum Research, based in the USA, developed and patented the original Desert Eagle design and this design was further refined by IMI. Manufacturing was moved to Saco Defense in the state of Maine from 1995 to 2000, but shifted back to Israel when Saco was acquired by General Dynamics.
The Desert Eagle is unusual in that it uses a gas-operated mechanism normally found in rifles, as opposed to the short recoil or blow-back designs most commonly seen in semi-automatic pistols. In fact, the rotating bolt and locking mechanism bear a strong resemblance to that of the M16 series of rifles. The advantage of the gas-operation is that it allows the use of far more powerful cartridges than traditional semi-automatic pistol designs, and it allows the Desert Eagle to compete in an area that had previously been dominated by magnum revolvers.
Due to, and in no small measure contributing to, its notoriety as a powerful firearm, the Desert Eagle has made frequent appearances in the action-adventure genres of books, movies, songs, TV shows, and video games.
Variants
There are three variants to the Desert Eagle.
Mark I and VII
The Mark I, no longer produced, was offered with a steel, stainless steel or aluminum alloy frame and differs primarily in the size and shape of the safety levers and slide catch. The Mark VII includes an adjustable trigger (retrofittable to Mark I pistols). The Mark I and VII are both available in .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum; the Mark VII was also chambered for .41 Magnum. The barrels had a 3/8" dovetail, to which an accessory mount could be attached. Later Mark VII models were offered in .50 Action Express with a 7/8" Weaver-pattern rail on the barrel; the .50 Mark VII would later become the Mark XIX platform. Barrel lengths were 6, 8, 10 and 14 inches.
Mark XIX
The most recent model, the Mark XIX, is available in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .50 Action Express (or .50 AE). Magnum Research also showed some models in .440 Cor-bon caliber, a .50 AE derived case, but no .440 Cor-Bon components are listed in their catalog and the .440 seems to have gone the way of the .41 Magnum. Mark XIX barrels are available in 6 and 10 inch lengths only.
Design
Switching a Desert Eagle to another chambering requires only that the correct barrel, bolt assembly, and magazine be installed. Thus, a conversion to shoot the other cartridges can be quickly accomplished in the field. The most popular barrel length is 6 in (152 mm), although 8, 10 and 14 in (202, 254 and 356 mm) barrels have been available but are uncommon. The Mark XIX barrels are machined with integral scope mounting bases, making adding a pistol scope a simple operation.
The Desert Eagle is fed with a detachable box magazine, just as with any other semi-auto pistol. Magazine capacity is nine rounds in .357 Magnum, 8 rounds in .44 Magnum, and 7 rounds in .50 AE. The Desert Eagle's barrel features polygonal rifling. The pistol is mainly used for sport, target shooting, and hunting. The weapon remains constrained to this area due to its unwieldy size and weight, extreme muzzle flash, thunderous sound, and high price tag.
Jericho / Baby Eagle
While IMI makes a cosmetically similar pistol, originally called the Jericho 941 and now marketed by Magnum Research as the "Baby Eagle", the guns bear no functional equivalence—the Jericho/Baby Eagle design is a standard double action, short recoil design. The one functional similarity is in the IMI developed cartridges. The .41 Action Express (or .41 AE) developed for the Jericho 941 used a rebated rim, so that the pistol could switch between 9 mm Luger and .41 AE with just the change of a barrel. This is because the .41 AE was based on a shortened .41 Magnum case with the rim and extractor groove cut to the same dimensions of the 9 mm Luger. This allowed the same extractor and ejector to work with both cartridges. The .50 AE has a similar rebated rim, cut to the same dimensions as the .44 Magnum. This is what allows caliber changes between .44 Magnum and .50 AE with just the change of the barrel and magazine.
The Jericho 941 was named so for the two cartridges it chambered with the conversion kit.
Practicality
 | This article possibly contains original research. |
The Desert Eagle is often falsely represented as a sort of "Ultimate Handgun" in films and video games, which often exaggerate about the weapon and place it as either better than a rifle or shotgun, or as the best gun in the game. Also it is often shown oversized in most games in order to make it look impressive. However, the gun is widely observed as more for looks rather than as a combat handgun. Among many handgun owners the pistol is seen as something of a novelty due to its large size, tendency to stovepipe (empty cartridge cases not ejecting fully) or otherwise malfunction at any time when being fired, its high price tag, and high ammunition price. The power of the .50AE round and the extremely loud report limit the number of venues where the gun may be fired. Many indoor ranges have adequate backstops for high-powered handgun rounds, but firing such guns in an enclosed room requires heavy-duty hearing protection that not all shooters at the range will have. For this reason, some indoor ranges will not allow high-power cartridges such as the .50AE or .454 Casull. It is also the reason why the gun is not widely used during battle, it is dangerously loud, damaging the user's hearing unless ear protection is worn.
The Desert Eagle is also known for being exceptionally accurate, but only when the user is highly skilled and used to firing the weapon. The high accuracy is due in no small part to its fixed barrel design, and the fact that optical sights mount directly to the barrel. Additionally, the polygonal rifling of the bore causes minimal bullet distortion.
Size
Due to its large size, the weapon is not practical for concealed carry or most self defense situations. The size of the magazine needed to accommodate .50AE cartridges also necessitates a very large grip, which makes it difficult or impossible to grip (let alone fire) properly for people with smaller hands.
Cartridges
The Desert Eagle in .50AE is a powerful cartridge, but the heavy recoil makes it difficult to control compared to smaller pistols chambered for more conventional cartridges. Additionally, the .50 AE cartridge is simply deemed by many to be unnecessarily powerful for self-defense or military purposes. Its primary intended market—big game pistol hunters—is flooded by similar products such as the S&W 500, among other heavy frame revolvers. Thus, the weapon does not enjoy popularity with many shooters in the .50AE caliber. The .357 Magnum and .44 Magnum versions are more popular, especially with Metallic Silhouette shooters in Australia. This is because of the handgun laws prohibiting any handgun over .45 caliber for sporting purposes. Despite the drawbacks, the Desert Eagle does have some advantages over other large-bore handguns (usually revolvers) and thus retains a strong following.
Due to its gas operated design, only jacketed bullets can be used in the Desert Eagle. Lead deposits from cast bullets will clog the gas system.
Recoil
The Desert Eagle .50 AE produces heavy recoil, but it is still manageable by most shooters. The heavier weight and gas operation of the Desert Eagle reduce the perceived recoil, making it feel less severe than a lighter revolver of the same caliber. The .44 and .357 Magnum versions, with their lighter bullets, produce significantly less recoil, with the .357 version producing less felt recoil than many lightweight 9 mm handguns.
Balance
The Desert Eagle is fairly heavy compared to other pistols, weighing at 4-1/2 pounds and is very muzzle heavy when unloaded. The weapon is better balanced when holding a full magazine with a cartridge in the firing chamber. The smaller calibers of the Desert Eagle can be fired one handed by average sized men, and above average sized women. However, the .50AE version of the weapon produces far too much recoil to be effectively fired one handed by even an above average sized man.
Price
The high price tag of the Desert Eagle tends to deter many shooters, especially when compared with less expensive revolvers or single shot handguns chambered for similar cartridges. Typical cost for a black model is about $1,050-$1,200 USD, depending on locale. Custom finishes add $200-$1500, also depending on locale. Additionally, there is some evidence that Eagles chambered for .357 and .44 rounds are less expensive than ones chambered for .50AE, and they are easier to fire than the .50AE model.
See also
References
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