Thoughts on Desert Eagle .50AE?

[Roo]

I am pretty sure I am going to be picking up a .50AE this weekend but wanted to ask your opinions first. I know it isn't a practical gun for home defense or anything but I have just always liked them and trying to find one in CA is not an easy task. How are they reliability wise? Maintenance? The gun I am looking at is a 93 model built in Israel and I am sure it has thousands of rounds fired through it so how long to barrels last? Anything you wanna add or say would be great, thanks!

Jamie

[ts]

the de .50 is kind of like love in a way... it has nothing to do with the mind, illogical, and expensive - but it sure as hell puts a smile on your face.

[jwj]

If money is no object, it's a lot of fun. I ended up going for the 44, because I wanted to shoot it more frequently than my budget would have allowed me to shoot the 50. It turned out to be a good decision---I am shooting the DE more accurately than most other pistols I have, so I like to shoot it a lot, and that would become quite painful (both financially, and in the wrist) in 50AE.

You might want to check the differences among the various models if you haven't already. The Mk XIX is, I think, the current one, and AFAIK it came out after 1993.

Good luck,

-- j

[DrjonesUSA]

I am pretty sure I am going to be picking up a .50AE this weekend but wanted to ask your opinions first. I know it isn't a practical gun for home defense or anything but I have just always liked them and trying to find one in CA is not an easy task. How are they reliability wise? Maintenance? The gun I am looking at is a 93 model built in Israel and I am sure it has thousands of rounds fired through it so how long to barrels last? Anything you wanna add or say would be great, thanks!

Jamie

No offense, but there are several very recent/current threads on DE's - don't you look at the forums?

Anyway, I have a DE in .44 and it is an awesome gun. Impractical as all hell, powerful, accurate and totally fun to shoot.

Someday I will upgrade it to a .50.....

Anyway, if you want one, BUY IT! Several things you should know:

- The .50 AE ammo is pretty expensive....not sure of exact prices, but it is NOT cheap.

- If you buy one made in 1993, chances are it is NOT a MK XIX model which means that you will NOT be able to swap barrels/bolts to change calibers.

- They are reliable as long as you follow these several rules:

a) keep it absolutely clean and well-maintained.

b) Do not limp-wrist - hold it tight.

c) Use full-power or hot loaded factory ammo.

d) ONLY use fully jacketed ammo, otherwise any exposed lead will clog the gas port.


Have fun & enjoy!!!

[Roo]

I searched and read eve thread, but most of those threads were about how to get .50AE or if they are legal. I found nothing about a 93 model which is what I wanted to know.

[proraptor]

I used to be into them until I shot a s&w 500 magnum...

[CWM4A1]

If you are going to buy one new, your only option is to go with the XIX .44 Mag, and buy additional .50AE barrel/magazine so you have both guns. On the plus side, if you are low on fund but still want to take it out and have some fun, you have .44MAG as alternative option. Only .44Mag DE is on CA approved roster right now.

I personally won't buy it as I have no use of it; but it's your money and if you want one bad, I'd say just go for it. Treat it as a collection instead. The action of DE is very similar Mini-14 but gas tube inside the barrel is too easy to clog up by powder residues. Worst case: spend another $400 to buy a new barrel to correct the cycling reliability issues.

Special Note: Never come to a gun forum and ask "should I buy it". The answer will always be "YES", unless you are talking about some crappy Saturday night special like Raven or Jennings.

[FatKatMatt]

I shot one in .44 Mag once, the semi auto action really softened the recoil, it was more of a gentle push than a quick snap. It was more enjoyable to fire than my .45; I suggest you buy it. Might as well get one in .44 though; cheaper and more abundant ammo. A whole lot of revolvers are chambered in .44 too, so that's always a plus.

[jwj]

Special Note: Never come to a gun forum and ask "should I buy it". The answer will always be "YES",

That's a good general advice, but perhaps this case is slightly different.

For a 1993 DE, unless there is something really special about that particular gun, is most likely a budget choice. If that's the case, 50AE may not be a very wise choice of caliber, unless one is prepared to pay a high premium for the bragging rights. But even a DE44 gets you envious looks and some conversation at the range, and you get to shoot it a whole lot more.

So in this rare instance, my sense is that maybe the answer is "NO", unless there are exceptional circumstances that the OP has not mentioned.

-- j

[Guns R Tools]

Some sources of info on DE.

http://p088.ezboard.com/bthedeserteagle

http://zvis.com/dep/dep.shtml

http://www.billnkc.com/images/Dreamweaver/DesertEagleFacts.cfm

[Pokey]

Generally speaking the Israeli made guns are better than the US made ones. Check the model too, the year you are talking about may be a VII and have less interchangability than the XIX. Look into it. They are a lot of fun.

[mike452]

I have no idea what the 93 model is, but .50AE is only XIX. It's an attention getter! Takes 5 seconds to change the barrel and magazine.




Very solid.. Maintenance is low... I haven't clean it since I have only 75 rounds through both barrels.

[Grouch]

Generally speaking the Israeli made guns are better than the US made ones. Check the model too, the year you are talking about may be a VII and have less interchangability than the XIX. Look into it. They are a lot of fun.

Have they ever been made in America? Their website says they are still made in Israel.

[jwj]

I have no idea what the 93 model is, but .50AE is only XIX.

According to this page, there is a Mk VII in 50AE. I also seem to remember that the 50AE had been around before the Mk XIX came out---because I believe that one of the key novelties of the newer model was the interchangeability between 50AE and the rest of the lineup.

-- j

PS: Actually, I think you are right---this page explains it as follows: "What happen was when we first produced the .50AE pistols we called them the Mark VII series, but as we changed the .357 and .44 to share the same slide assembly as the .50AE we decided to call this series the Mark XIX."
sorry for the confusion.

[mike452]

i c... sorry.. they did have .50AE for the VII.. I didn't read their FAQ to the end. The VII just can not switch barrels like the XIX can.

http://www.magnumresearch.com/FAQ_deserteagle.asp