Desert Eagle
| Desert Eagle | |
|---|---|
 Mark XIX Desert Eagle in .50 Action Express | |
| Type | Semi-automatic pistol |
| Place of origin |  United States  Israel |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Magnum Research; Israel Weapon Industries (final refinements) |
| Designed | 1979–1982 |
| Manufacturer | Magnum Research
|
| Produced | 1982 |
| Variants | Mark I Mark VII Mark XIX |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Mark VIIMark XIX |
| Length | Mark VII
|
| Barrel length | 6 in (152.4 mm) 10 in (254.0 mm) |
| Cartridge | .357 Magnum .41 Magnum .44 Magnum .440 Cor-bon .50 Action Express |
| Action | Gas-operated |
| Effective firing range | 200 meters (.50 AE) |
| Feed system | Magazine:
|
The Desert Eagle is a large-framed gas-operated semi-automatic pistol designed by Magnum Research in the U.S., and manufactured primarily in Israel by IMI (Israel Military Industries, now Israel Weapon Industries). Manufacturing was moved to Saco Defense in the state of Maine from 1996 to 2000 which carried the XIX designation, but shifted back to Israel when Saco was acquired by General Dynamics.[1]
Magnum Research has marketed various versions of the short recoil Jericho 941 pistol under the Baby Eagle name; these have no functional relationship to the Desert Eagle and bear only a moderate cosmetic resemblance.[2]
Design details
The Desert Eagle was originally designed by Bernard C. White of Magnum Research, who filed a patent on a mechanism for a gas-actuated pistol in January 1983.[3] This established the basic layout of the Desert Eagle. The Desert Eagle was originally designed as a revolver, but was later reshaped into a semi-automatic pistol. A second patent was filed in December 1985, after the basic design had been refined by IMI for production, and this is the form that went into production.[1]
The Desert Eagle 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. Unlike most such pistols, the barrel does not move during firing. When a round is fired, gases are ported out through a small hole in the barrel near the breech. These travel forward through a small tube under the barrel, to a cylinder near the front of the barrel. The separate bolt carrier/slide has a small piston on the front that fits into this cylinder; when the gases reach the cylinder they push the piston rearward. The bolt carrier rides rearward on two rails on either side of the barrel, operating the mechanism. Its rotating bolt strongly resembles that of the M16 series of rifles, while the fixed gas cylinder/moving piston resemble those of the Ruger Mini-14 carbine (the original patent used a captive piston similar to the M14 rifle).[2][4]
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. Downsides of the gas operated mechanism are the large size of the Desert Eagle, and the fact that it discourages the use of unjacketed lead bullets, as lead particles sheared off during firing could clog the gas release tap, preventing proper function.[2]
Switching a Desert Eagle to another chambering requires only that the correct barrel, bolt assembly, and magazine be installed. Thus, a conversion to fire the other cartridges can be quickly accomplished. The most popular barrel length is 6 in (152 mm), although 8, 10 and 14 in (202, 254 and 356 mm) barrels are available. The Mark XIX barrels are machined with integral scope mounting bases, making adding a pistol scope a simple operation. The rim diameter of the .50 AE is the same as the .44 Remington Magnum cartridge for which the pistol was originally chambered, consequently only a barrel and magazine change is required to convert a .44 Desert Eagle to the larger, more powerful .50 AE.[2][4]
The Desert Eagle is fed with a detachable magazine. Magazine capacity is 9 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 hunting, target shooting,silhouette shootingand in the armed forces.[2][4]
Variants
There have been 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.[2] 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 has been 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.[2]
Mark XIX
The most recent model, the Mark XIX, is available in .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .50 Action Express (or .50 AE). This model comes in a variety of different finishes, such as brushed chrome or titanium gold. Magnum Research offered this model in .440 Cor-bon caliber, a .50 AE derived case. Mark XIX barrels are available in 6 and 10 inch lengths only.[2]
The DE44CA is the only XIX that is approved for dealer sales to the public in the State of California; it differs from standard XIXs, in that it has a firing pin block incorporated in its design.[5]
Jericho/Baby Eagle
While IMI makes a cosmetically similar pistol, originally called the Jericho 941 and was 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 derived from the CZ-75. 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.[2] Beginning January 1, 2009, KBI began importation of the Jericho (using its original trade name). KBI Jericho pistols can be distinguished from earlier Jericho models by the addition of an accessory rail just forward the trigger guard. The Jericho 941's name was derived from the two cartridges it chambers, with the conversion kit.[2]
Micro Desert Eagle
Capitalizing on the name of the Desert Eagle, Magnum Research has introduced a pistol called the "Micro Desert Eagle". It bears no resemblance to the Desert Eagle, and does not even share the barrel and ammunition swapping abilities of the Desert Eagle as of yet. The only thing it shares is the gas-assisted BlowBack system. It is a pocket pistol, in the same class of pistols such as the Walther PPK and SIG-Sauer P230/232. It is only available in .380 ACP caliber. It is designed as a DAO (double action only) pistol with no external hammer and it is meant for personal protection in close quarters. It is manufactured in the US by Magnum Research because it weighs 14 oz. The original design is licensed to a Czech company: ZVI and is called the Kevin pistol.[6]
References
- ^ a b US Patent 4,619,184, Gas Actuated Pistol, the second patent filed.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hartink, A.E. (2002). The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc. pp. 165–167. ISBN 9780785815198.
- ^ US Patent 4,563,937, Gas Actuated Pistol, the first patent filed (though not the first assigned).
- ^ a b c Taffin, John (2005). "The Desert Eagle of Magnum Research". Guns Magazine. 30 (8).
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Roster of Handguns Certified For Sale - Firearms Division". CA Dept. of Justice. May 2004. Retrieved 06 December 2009.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=and|year=/|date=mismatch (help) - ^ "Micro Desert Eagle" (Press release). ESPN Outdoors. January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
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