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Post by jimjenk on Jan 9, 2017 21:27:12 GMT
Well, I do not have one yet, but I have eagerly been saving up and getting ready for the last year. Well the time has come. I have enough saved up to purchase one. But now the only thing I know is that I want to buy one but Dont know which caliber and type. Do I get the? | 44 Mag | 50 AE | 357 Mag | Cheaper Ammo Good power level easy to find used
Lower Recoil | More Expensive Ammo High power Level common to find
Most Recoil | Cheapest Ammo Lower power level Harder to find
Lowest Recoil |
I made this table to kind of compare. I initially leaned towards getting the 50 ae because why not, but then, i started thinking about the cost to feed it a diet of ammo. Then I thought about the 44 mag because its more common and easy to get ammo for and recoil will be lower and more pleasurable. I just dont want to regret my desicion. I have thought on the 357, but hear of a fair amount of issues from them with loads that are not high enough power. So I guess, I am just looking for what everyones preferred caliber is and why? Best finish? I am not affraid to buy a used one, a mark 7. But what generation? |
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Post by paj2000 on Jan 9, 2017 21:54:26 GMT
My personal opinion, is to get a burnt bronze 44 magnum. Finish is better than the black oxide. with a 44 mag, dont need to worry about too heavy of recoil, also it is easy to purchase a 50 ae barrel to switch out and shoot 50 ae to your hearts content, when you get more money. But the 44 mag is probably the most level choice. I like the idea of a 357 mag, but with hot loads in 10mm. It seems hard to justify the extra expense for a desert eagle when you could buy a glock 20 or 40 for 1/3 price. of some of the desert eagles. 50 ae is alot of fun but, unless you want to reload, ammo can get expensive real quick. So in closing, just choose what tickles your fancy and enjoy it. Its a gun not a house with a 30 year mortgage.
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Post by techiej on Jan 9, 2017 23:18:31 GMT
Went through the same exercise before buying mine a few years ago. Ended up with a satin chrome 44.
I hand load for all of my center fire guns and the DE in 44 handles very nicely and reliably with my loads. Prior to buying I did rent a 50 and while the recoil wasn't bad I knew that I could reload 44 for a lot less.
Right now if I could "justify" it I would get a barrel, bolt & mag for 357 just so that I could shoot more -- in 44 I'm pretty beat by about 60-70 rounds. Just hard to justify to myself the additional cost vs. buying another gun altogether (not a DE) for about the same $$$.
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Post by garrettj on Jan 11, 2017 3:45:56 GMT
You don't say what your intended use is. That may influence which caliber is "best" for you. If it's primarily going to be a range toy, personal preference will be the driving factor.
Do you need the more powerful cartridges because you intend to hunt with it? Or for competition, like IHMSA? I use mine for bowling pin shoots, where the .357 is the best choice. When I use the .44 barrel, the time between shots is slower, and it tends to tear up the pins. The smaller .357 has no problem taking pins off the table. And the recoil is mild. You can shoot it all day.
I bought the .50 barrel last, as there was nothing I really "need" it for. I don't think it does anything that the .44 isn't capable of doing. But it is fun to shoot.
Or do like others have suggested and get both a .44 and .50 barrel. Again, it gets back to what you want to do with it.
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Post by jimjenk on Jan 11, 2017 16:26:45 GMT
I guess my biggest use would be for fun/hunting.I am not planning on doing any competition with it. Just shooting for some good old fun and maybe intended for hogs or white tail deer or other critter getter. I agree the 44 mag does quite a bit of what the 50 ae can do. As of now I am leaning towards getting the 44 mag version I think you tend to get best of both worlds.
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Post by American Deagle on Jan 12, 2017 4:10:46 GMT
Anything we recommend may have some bias, but I used to own a 44 mag and got rid of it years ago. My current desert eagle is a 50 ae. I got it because it always eluded me and I just went with it because I wanted it. Does it do that much more than a 44 mag, maybe, but not likely. 44 mag has lots of different loadings, and there is some definite overlapping in the energy levels between the two.In the end the 44 mag is in my mind more ideal for those that intend to shoot alot and dont reload. To an extent the 357 is perfect for this but limited in hunting capacity. The 357 is capable and has taken deer and other game before but 44 mag is the perfect fit for most people.If I only could get one the 44 mag would be the clear choice to me. It really is up to you in the end.
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Post by glenr on Jan 12, 2017 11:11:05 GMT
All of the advice above is good,I'm [partial to the .50 cal guns. I reload and since I use the for punching holes in paper,I use lighter velocity loads staring loads that are easier on the arm and hands. Being 67 I can run thru around 70/90 loads a session. What gets to me more is stuffing the mags. I have a black .50 with built in muzzle brake. I have no experience with the others you mentioned. You have to take into account what you can afford to feed it, use and the frequency you what to use it,If I didn't get the .50 I wouldn't have purchased a DE in another cal. As been said there are way cheaper ways of inhaling gun smoke and range time. As to finish that is more of a personal thing like Beer, Nascar drivers, women and trucks!
Two things for which ever one you get is keep it clean, and don't do the hollywood magazine slap when inserting the mag. you will keep problems with FTL/FTF to a minimum.
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Post by ramrod on Feb 19, 2017 18:14:35 GMT
IMO, find a used 44mag. I bought mine about six years ago for $800 with two OEM mags and wrap around grip. It was missing the front sight blade but I took care of that. One of the best deals I've ever made. It always makes me smile......whether I'm shooting it.....or just taking it out of the safe to look at.
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Post by mrblackcat on Feb 19, 2017 20:53:52 GMT
Until recently, I would have said to buy a .50AE Mk. XIX in your desired finish, as you (in theory) could convert to .44 or .357 with only a barrel kit, or barrel, bolt, magazine (for .357)... but after my recent experience I can't recommend this.
In short, I bought a new Mk. VII .50AE in 1993 which has been excellent and extremely reliable for at least 4000 rounds with only cleaning and tuneups. BUT, I recently bought new .44 Magnum and .50AE barrel kits... the .44 runs perfectly as my original .50AE barrel always has. The new .50AE barrel is almost a single shot, as it is seldom able to load the next round from the magazine. Magnum Research is unable to resolve this without taking my whole firearm back, not just their barrel. Because $500 boat anchors are not something I enjoy, I can't say with certainty barrel/caliber changes are a reliable option, so you might want to choose your most desired caliber as the first purchase.
Is this a typical experience? I don't have a way to quantify that, but it is something to consider.
I think when you buy a "whole" firearm, it has been tested as a unit to some extent and will likely be fine, or be fixable... but it seems with changing barrels, there isn't a guarantee of functionality.
As you (jimjenk) stated the potential hunting use, you might want to go with the 10" barrel also... but that too is still preference in my opinion as .50AE or .44Mag are very capable hunting rounds from even a 6" barrel.
Good luck, and please do post your choice and experience with your first Desert Eagle. I am curious.
MrBlackCat
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Post by iceman808 on Feb 19, 2017 21:49:09 GMT
I own the Burnt Bronze DE in 44 Mag and can say it is pretty hard wearing. It is a baked on Cerakote.
I like the Black Oxide, but had heard they had changed the coating from the earlier models.
Ice
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Post by garrettj on Feb 20, 2017 0:58:48 GMT
So is "all of the above" a valid option? My gun started with a 10" .44 barrel. I had it chopped and threaded at 7.5" to install a big .45 subgun silencer I had laying around. It also works with a muzzle brake that was designed to use the same thread mounts. Apparently MRI thought this was a good idea, as they came out with their first (and better looking) brake a year or so later. Afterward I got a .357 barrel. It's a pleasure to shoot, with very little recoil. I use this for bowling pin competitions. It has plenty of power and not much recoil. I've used the .44, but it tends to tear up the pins. I held off on getting a .50 barrel for a long time. I don't there is anything I would need it to do that the .44 couldn't do, with much less expensive ammo. But I eventually saw a deal and picked one of those up as well. It's fun just to pull out and blast with once in a while. I had to weld up the front sight to make it taller so it wouldn't hit a mile high. But I recently put a Leupold 2X scope on it, which seems to do well. I want to like the L5. But so far I have a difficult time getting through a single magazine without a malfunction. MRI tells me they have made some changes since mine was built, so I'm waiting for return authorization to send it back for them to look at.  |
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