I hear you. Of all the guns we've discussed, the Coonan definitely gets the closest, and it is nothing whatsoever like a Desert Eagle in the hands, worn in a holster or running live fire. It isn't cartoonishly large and gangly, the grip dimensions (front strap to back, MSH) is longer, but the whole thing is basically the size of a Government model. And if one were to opt for the Coonan Compact, the gun would be even smaller.