Desert Eagle 50AE pitches the shells at our heads

[Harkrader]

We are lucky to have adult children who are avid shooters, and two of three daughters-in-law as well. We're working on the third one.

So we were not in the least surprised when one of the DILs bought a 50AE Desert Eagle. We, of course, insisted - - well, OK, BEGGED - she bring it by for the rest of us to shoot, after her husband had a round. He says she bought it for him. Uh huh. Guess who shoots it more.

She demonstrated that the shells flew over her right shoulder, close to her head. When each of us men, five of us (one a guest cop), fired it, the shells bonked us on the forehead five out of seven times. I assure you, none of us is a "limp-wrist" shooter, nor do we suffer from some of the other shooter-induced errors. Oldest son, husband to the .50AE/DE DIL, is professional military (transitioning to the Guard), the youngest is a cop. Middle son, though not a shooting professional, has, like his brothers, been shooting since the age of five. He's a gun snob, sniffing at my plebeian 1911s while flaunting his Wilson.

Anyway, it's embarrassing to be bleeding and running for ice for our burns while the DIL says she doesn't understand our "problems".

Anybody else have this issue and know a way to get those shells to fling more to the side?

 

[forrestinmathews]

That sucks. The one I shot flung them into the air and either conked you on the head from above or connected loudly with the hearing protection deafening the shooter. Maybe a lighter recoil spring set to allow the slide speed to increase?

 

[gonerydin]

Look on YouTube and you will find that is a "feature" of this weapon. [emoji3]


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[Cal44]

Maybe shoot sideways like a gangster?

 

[Arik]

I owned a DE .50 back in 2001/02. I remember having the same issue. Shells didn't always bounced off my forehead but that was the direction they flew.

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[Watchdog]

I have a Colt 1911 that will ping a spent case off my forehead every now and then. It seems to hit the exact same spot every time. Which might mean I'm really consistent with my shooting stance...and that's a good thing, I reckon.

First time it happened, it was a bit disconcerting. It didn't hurt, though.

Now, it doesn't even faze me. I just keep shootin'. Someone said it's the extractor, and any gunsmith could fix it. Well, the gun isn't "broken", you know? Shoots just fine. I just put it down as a quirk of that particular pistol.

 

[tlay]

With other semi autos when this happens it is due to a too light recoil spring. I am not familiar with this round or gun but I would find a heavier spring and try it.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

There are basically 2 brands of ammo, Sampson and Speer, try the other! I used mostly Sampson 300 grain with one or two boxes of 350's The Speer seemed weak compared to the Sampson. All of my ammo was from 1992 (I bought seventeen or eighteen hundred rounds when I bought the gun!) I sold the gun 3 years ago and the last 500 two years ago. I have a few boxes of ammo left and a pile of empty brass I've been trying to come up with a use for!

Ivan

 

[Harkrader]

Ivan the Butcher: I will try an ammo change to see what happens. That's such an obvious test I'm embarrassed I forgot it.
I did email Magnum Research. They said this is a result of allowing the gun to "torque" in our hands. I don't argue, but that isn't what I'd think we were doing, since we all have a lot of experience with powerful calibers. My 500 Linebaugh torques like a 396 Chevy off the line, but it is a revolver, so no issues.

In any case, next range session we'll plan to watch for that torque. With different ammo. I'll be handloading for it in a few months.