Case Hardened Desert Eagle

[mm6mm6]

I used to think the Desert Eagle in .50 AE was neat but had no real practical application, at least not for me. The giant handgun is a cult icon in fictional novels, tv, movies, and video games.

Then I shot one at the SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range and I was impressed with how well I could hit with it on steel. I was hitting a smaller than human size hunk of steel at 100 yards from a standing two-hand position. I have big hands and I chalked it up to that and bright sunlight on big, easy to see sights.

The .50 AE ammo is expensive and not easily purchased at big box stores. But.......hmmmmmm. The .44 Magnum is a cartridge I already shoot and it's available fairly easily.

Then the Desert Eagle started being made here in the USA, which I like. And the new models have the rail up top to mount a red dot. That would be neat for wild boar hunting.... Hmmmmmmm again.

Then Magnum Research added to their gold tiger striped versions by having Bobby Tyler of www.TylerGunWorks.com case harden the entire pistol. And Magnum Research added fancy dark walnut stocks to match the multiple colored hues of Tyler's amazing case hardening process.

I was in! After many months, I finally have my Deagle along with a 'Cuda holster from Rob Leahy at Simply Rugged Holsters (www.simplyrugged.com). He's a super nice guy who makes really terrific holsters!



















The Desert Eagle goes well with the Iroquois Tomahawk I already had from Tyler! (By the way, he's the only man on earth who knows how to properly case harden stainless steel! That axe is stainless!)



I'm ready for a hog hunt!



-Steve

 

[Bakebfr480]

Very nice!

 

[Shark Bait]

That's different, but I like it.

 

[sodacan]

Very colorful gun.

 

[colt_saa]

Very nice

I like Color Case hardened firearms and that one is done just right. The Tomahawk is a great touch

I have had my Desert Eagles since the late 1980s. All of mine were built by IMI

I have founds all of the DEs that I have ever shot to be fantastically accurate. I also note that when fired the sound is more of a throaty KaBOOM than the typical BANG of the same cartridge being fired in a revolver.

Even though most of the frames could have caliber swaps I kept my DEs all seperate.

My first DE was a 44 Magnum (the 50AE cartridge had not been invented yet). It shot great and always drew lots of attention at the range. Everyone wanted to shoot the 44 Magnum auto loader that made the throaty KaBOOM

My second DE was chambered for the 50 Action Express not too long after it was introduced. Back then (1990) there was no ammunition to be found. Fortunately this is a very easy cartridge to hand load for, if you can find projectiles. Remember no cast lead projectiles in a gas operated firearm. so I had to find jacketed components. Thank God I found the US Distributor for IMI components. I had my supply of 300 grain JHPs

A few years later I converted an AR to fire the 50AE and it traveled with me as a trunk gun. I can not find that picture. I am going to have to pull it out and re-shoot it

My third Desert Eagle was the coolest. It was a 41 Magnum and it shipped in a box with the 6" barrel mounted and a 10" barrel that could be swapped onto it. You can see it in the lower left of this old 41 Magnum group photo. It is wearing the 10" barrel with the 6" pictured right above it.

Most people do not know, but these early DEs were offered in steal or alloy frame. The alloy guns never sold well. I wish I could have afforded to buy one of each, but back them cash was scarce

Somewhere in the early 2000s I think, I acquired one of the Magnum Research factory shoulder holsters for the Desert Eagle. I think I only wore it once

I still own the 41 Magnum and 50AE Desert Eagles. The 44 Magnum was in my gear bag in the back of a plane (Cessna O-2) that fell 8000 feet crashing in Vero Beach Florida back in 1995. It was locked up solid when I tried to cycle the action. I sent it back to Magnum Research, but it was un-repairable. However, the Hk PSP that was in the same gear bag is still going strong today

 

[mm6mm6]

You sir have an amazing collection! Thanks for sharing! Looking forward to shooting this one since it's my first and probably my only!

Very nice

I like Color Case hardened firearms and that one is done just right. The Tomahawk is a great touch

I have had my Desert Eagles since the late 1980s. All of mine were built by IMI

I have founds all of the DEs that I have ever shot to be fantastically accurate. I also note that when fired the sound is more of a throaty KaBOOM than the typical BANG of the same cartridge being fired in a revolver.

Even though most of the frames could have caliber swaps I kept my DEs all seperate.

My first DE was a 44 Magnum (the 50AE cartridge had not been invented yet). It shot great and always drew lots of attention at the range. Everyone wanted to shoot the 44 Magnum auto loader that made the throaty KaBOOM

My second DE was chambered for the 50 Action Express not too long after it was introduced. Back then (1990) there was no ammunition to be found. Fortunately this is a very easy cartridge to hand load for, if you can find projectiles. Remember no cast lead projectiles in a gas operated firearm. so I had to find jacketed components. Thank God I found the US Distributor for IMI components. I had my supply of 300 grain JHPs

A few years later I converted an AR to fire the 50AE and it traveled with me as a trunk gun. I can not find that picture. I am going to have to pull it out and re-shoot it

My third Desert Eagle was the coolest. It was a 41 Magnum and it shipped in a box with the 6" barrel mounted and a 10" barrel that could be swapped onto it. You can see it in the lower left of this old 41 Magnum group photo. It is wearing the 10" barrel with the 6" pictured right above it.

Most people do not know, but these early DEs were offered in steal or alloy frame. The alloy guns never sold well. I wish I could have afforded to buy one of each, but back them cash was scarce

Somewhere in the early 2000s I think, I acquired one of the Magnum Research factory shoulder holsters for the Desert Eagle. I think I only wore it once

I still own the 41 Magnum and 50AE Desert Eagles. The 44 Magnum was in my gear bag in the back of a plane (Cessna O-2) that fell 8000 feet crashing in Vero Beach Florida back in 1995. It was locked up solid when I tried to cycle the action. I sent it back to Magnum Research, but it was un-repairable. However, the Hk PSP that was in the same gear bag is still going strong today

 

[Laketime]

Welcome to the Desert Eagle club ! I had been a die hard Smith & Wesson revolver and semi custom 1911 fan for most of my shooting life .In 2003 I was heavily into 1911’s mainly ,but missed that magnum power out of my guns.I had been eyeing an LAR Grizzly in 50 AE , but didn’t like that fact that no spare parts were available since LAR went out of business.One Saturday a few of my LGS good customers had been invited to try out the new S&W 500 at the LGS shooting range. We all took turns shooting the big revolvers which were bone jarring to the wrist , with only one guy placing an order for one.The surprise of the day was that our dealer just became a Desert Eagle supplier and had 20 of Big Birds on hand back at the shop.Now I know the 500 has more enegery but that 50 AE was more impressive to shoot. In remember almost laughing after touching off the first round at how easy it was to send that kind of power down range without being painful. The Sampson ammo also sent a ring of fire down range like a hoola hoop.Even the debris on the ground moved away away from you from the percussion .I left that day buying two IMI 50 cal’s,one in polished nickel for my collection and one in black for my new range toy.About a month later I added another in 44 magnum in brushed chrome. The recoil was like a 45 acp from a 1911 , just total fun.What impressed me so much with the DE’s was how extremely well made they are.DE are all factory sighted in at 100 yards. Your gun is very impressive and if you ever add a 50 AE barrel to it I would go with the master blued one which is done by Ford’s. I think that combo would look great together.Sorry for the long winded post but what can I say these guns are Iconic for a reason.

 

[mm6mm6]

Welcome to the Desert Eagle club ! I had been a die hard Smith & Wesson revolver and semi custom 1911 fan for most of my shooting life .In 2003 I was heavily into 1911’s mainly ,but missed that magnum power out of my guns.I had been eyeing an LAR Grizzly in 50 AE , but didn’t like that fact that no spare parts were available since LAR went out of business.One Saturday a few of my LGS good customers had been invited to try out the new S&W 500 at the LGS shooting range. We all took turns shooting the big revolvers which were bone jarring to the wrist , with only one guy placing an order for one.The surprise of the day was that our dealer just became a Desert Eagle supplier and had 20 of Big Birds on hand back at the shop.Now I know the 500 has more enegery but that 50 AE was more impressive to shoot. In remember almost laughing after touching off the first round at how easy it was to send that kind of power down range without being painful. The Sampson ammo also sent a ring of fire down range like a hoola hoop.Even the debris on the ground moved away away from you from the percussion .I left that day buying two IMI 50 cal’s,one in polished nickel for my collection and one in black for my new range toy.About a month later I added another in 44 magnum in brushed chrome. The recoil was like a 45 acp from a 1911 , just total fun.What impressed me so much with the DE’s was how extremely well made they are.DE are all factory sighted in at 100 yards. Your gun is very impressive and if you ever add a 50 AE barrel to it I would go with the master blued one which is done by Ford’s. I think that combo would look great together.Sorry for the long winded post but what can I say these guns are Iconic for a reason.

No problem on the long wind, great info!

 

[daglockman]

Still not sold on the DE. It has it's place, just not in my safe. That case hardened finish with those grips is nice though. It has to be the nicest looking DE I have ever seen.

 

[shouldazagged]

I hefted one in .50AE once at a gun store/range. It looked and felt as if it should have been mounted in a turret, on a tracked vehicle. But the guy who owned it swore he carried one in .44 Magnum every day, concealed.

He wasn't that big a guy. I didn't bother asking how he managed it, and why that four-pound gun plus leather didn't make list 30º to port.

The color case hardening on that one looks good.