|
|
Post by mrblackcat on Feb 24, 2017 3:04:53 GMT
Since the dawn of the Desert Eagle line of guns, I remembered reading of the new .50AE Desert Eagle that was supposedly to be added to the line soon! Soon turned out to be later really, but it was worth the wait in my opinion. I believe the "fame" of having a fifty caliber handgun was major fuel behind the longevity and success of the Desert Eagles pistols.
After the .50AE hit the market, I bought (and still have) many of the magazines of the time that featured this gun on the cover... but the guns weren't turning up at any gun shows. It was a really long time (year plus I think) before that happened... and I bought the first one I ever saw.
So to my point... as time went on, I would see all four calibers of the time at shows and occasionally at local gun shops. I remember reading about the .440 CorBon barrel and this REALLY drove home the idea of "what next?" I hated to see the .41 and the .440 CorBon drop away because I always wanted to see the line grow.
Why didn't it grow? Economics most likely, so I ask you, what if?
What calibers would be practical for this platform? Even if not practical, what calibers would you have liked to see, if any.
I know the gun is heavy and needs substantial rounds to function... but what about say 10MM? Too close to .41 mag?
While I am happy with the current lineup, I would have rather seen it expand than contract.
Any thoughts on this?
MrBlackCat
|
|
|
|
Post by ramrod on Feb 24, 2017 3:12:14 GMT
7.62x39 Well? Got to admit......9mm would sound kinda lame right? Not sure that would even operate the action.  |
|
|
|
Post by mrblackcat on Feb 24, 2017 14:25:41 GMT
Hahaha... this reminds me of a photoshopped Desert Eagle I saw once where they stretched the handle area to like twice as long.  Well? Got to admit......9mm would sound kinda lame right? Not sure that would even operate the action. Probably... but what if they do a 9MM Magnum or something. Then it could work maybe. I am no expert on all the rounds made. I love looking through the ammo vendors rows of ammo at gun shows and seeing all those calibers I don't have or really know much about. Always something new to know about. ( I'm going to see if I can find that image, its hilarious) MrBlackCat edit: Found it... this could really add some range to potential rounds for the Desert Eagle guns. (this is not my image, just something I found on the internet)  |
|
|
|
Post by American Deagle on Feb 24, 2017 14:30:57 GMT
Anything that is a similar case length could be made to work hypothetically in a desert eagle. Going shorter cases like 9mm and 40 sw wouldnt probably have enough power to cycle one. Although a 460 rowland is short but could function in gun nicely. I actually always hoped that magnum research would make a real baby desert eagle, that is downsized in every dimension, but chambered in 460 rowland or 10mm, or some other like sized calibers for a more compact but still high power gun. But thats neither here nor there.
The overall case length of the 44 mag is 1.61 in so most calibers under this threshold will fit frame but would need to be chambered for barrel.
So a 480 ruger, 45 colt would both fit well. A 45 colt more so for rim size. I would actually enjoy 45 colt in a desert eagle, lots of flexibility from softer more 357 recoil up to more 44 mag recoil. 480 is similar to 50 ae ballistically but uses .475 bullets.
5.7 x 28 would fit but would be hard to make work reliably, may be possible if slide is made from aluminum, but thats a big guess.
I thing a .22 Remington Jet or 22 hornet or even 17 wsm would be cool, old caliber not super strong but would add the desert eagle into varmit gun territory.
Sucks about 440 corbon and 41 mag tho, even if they were only made with barrels to convert too, and not a whole gun, it would give people something to shoot differently.
|
|
|
|
Post by ramrod on Feb 25, 2017 17:26:19 GMT
LOL! That's a pretty sick pic mrblackcat. That would kind of balance the muzzle weight though.
|
|
|
|
Post by mrblackcat on Aug 23, 2017 1:53:13 GMT
I have decided to go with 10MM... will it work? I think it will. If the .357 Magnum can cycle the slide reliably down into the 1200fps range with 158gr projectiles, I think a 10MM can do it. Worst Case I lower the recoil spring tension for it. On paper I don't need to though.
(Some time in the next year...)
I will re-bore and re-chamber a .357 Magnum barrel for this. The tooling will cost a good bit, so I will take this slow. I enjoy unique challenges like this. After considering all the steps for the past few months, reading about the challenges presented by production in a "home shop", I believe I can resolve each issue now.
For the experienced and/gunsmiths shaking their head just now... no, I don't believe for a second I can make a Magnum Research quality barrel this way... I believe I can make something unique that works well enough to be fun however. This project could be said to be impractical, but unique and interesting just the same... just like the Desert Eagle itself. But even if I am unable to do it for some reason, I will learn many new things, so it won't be a total loss. It certainly wouldn't be my first incomplete challenge!
If anyone has a .357 magnum barrel with some sort of damage to the bore or chamber, lets make a deal. If not, I will just use a new barrel. I don't expect the first one to work necessarily, but that is ok too. I will do setups and testing for a while on blanks for a while to verify each step carefully.
Happy Shootin!
MrBlackCat
|
|
|
|
Post by farmer3010 on Sept 10, 2017 16:16:34 GMT
 I think a 327 federal magnum would work as well, but being smaller would be a chore to rebuild a barrel from scratch. There are attractive qualities to it for it as well. More rounds in mag as well. Low recoil, and out of a 6 inch barrel should have pretty good ballistics. There should be plenty of gas to run the system. The 327 has some overlap with 357 magnum. But the 357 mag desert eagles sometimes are finicky so not sure of the logistics of this. But it is a round that is fairly young and gaining support in some circles for varmint. and if there is an area the desert eagle is lacking in, it is in a small caliber capable of taking small game. But of course i would like to see a comeback of the 41 magnum. With the growth of 10 mm use, people might start to think why not again. |
|
|
|
Post by American Deagle on Sept 11, 2017 0:47:20 GMT
i could get behind a 327 magnum. As far as making one out of existing parts. It would be hard to do. As you would likely need to start from scratch. If magnum research made a batch I would buy one tho. Now a 10 mm auto. I enjoy 10mm and it meets similar performance wise to the 41 magnum. As far as making one out of existing parts it would be fairly standard, i would assume. For having to bore out a 357 mag to work.
|
|
|
|
Post by mrblackcat on Sept 11, 2017 3:15:24 GMT
For the 327 you could just sleeve it, but the rim catch/retainers are fairly complex in the Desert Eagle, and that would have to be rebuilt by leaving the sleeve extended outside the back of the old chamber area, the cutting it to mach. Not a simple task, but I am sure it could be done. At least with an auto-pistol cartridge like 10mm Auto, all I have to do is heads space it properly. I will most likely sleeve the .357 Mag barrel to make my 10mm. I haven't found a gun maker/smith that will do any part of this so far, so I am just planning on doing it myself. Is going to be slow as I have many other things going on and the cost parts and tooling is about the cost of a new Desert Eagle. I think the sleeve method is necessary in my case because of the equipment necessary for creating new rifling in a barrel this thick and hard. Besides, no home rifling is going to be anything near the precision of a factory Desert Eagle barrel... but a sleeve could be accurate enough. (most guns shoot more accurate than me anyway!) So far I have not committed to either of the two methods. I did get a couple of new .357 barrels to destroy however. Looks like they are sold out everywhere again already though... except at Magnum Research for 420+Shipping each. Wish I could have found some used or worn out barrels to use for this. I am not financially wealthy, and won't ever be with projects like this. Hehehe MrBlackCat |
|
|
|
Post by mrblackcat on Oct 25, 2017 10:10:42 GMT
After looking at several other cartridges, I think the .480 Ruger seems like a possible candidate. Earlier I ruled it out for the most part, based on the higher pressure. The +.030 rim diameter increase is pushing some limits as well. I can always modify a gas piston to reduce pressures on the gas system, so that shouldn't be an issue. Might try it anyway at some point unless someone can point out a good reason not to try this one. MrBlackCat |
|
|
|
Post by boxilar on Nov 1, 2017 6:33:44 GMT
I can think of three canidates that would probably have enough pressure to run the gas system. .30 Carbine has an overall length of 1.650 inches and runs 38,500 psi of case pressure, certainly enough to run the gas system. .38 Super is also a high pressure cartridge at 36,500 psi, but is fairly short at 1.280 inches. Both of these would require either sleeving a .357 barrel and creating a bolt or manufaturing a new barrel from scratch. The third option is 10mm Magnum which is 10mm stretched to an overall length of 1.55 inches and preforms in the same range as .41 Magnum. Double Tap sells loaded ammo. Example loads available are 135gr. @ 1900fps/ 1083 ft/lbs- 6.5" bbl, 200gr. @ 1450fps / 934 ft/lbs- 6.5" bbl, and 230gr. @ 1250fps / 800 ft/lbs- 6.5" bbl. The primary advantage I can see to any of these cartridges are that they are all rimless and could easily be double stacked in a Desert Eagle sized magazine.
|
|
