Should I buy the Desert Eagle?

[islandchanel]

I work with this guy and he has the desert eagle in 44 and the 50cal conversion he wants to sell. He told me to make him an offer and im not sure how much to tell him. What do you guys think? Also is there any common problem areas on these guns that i should look for?

[ohsmily]

As long as you are getting it as a novelty, big, fun gun and not as a serious shooter or training gun.

Assuming the Eagle is in excellent condition or better, I would offer him 1000-1100 for the gun and the conversion (which runs 400 bucks by itself). That would be a very good, but fair price between acquaintances. If you really want to lowball him (not sure how bad he wants to get rid of it) you can try under 1000.

You "work with this guy at your work"? That works.

[PanzerAce]

.50AE, not BMG

[fendter]

I got one in 44 Magnum. It is a novelty gun, but definitely fun. I paid new for mine around $1,300 including all the taxes and fees. How many rounds does he have through it? Probably not that many, bc the 50 DE ammo is expensive. If you get it for $1,000-1,100 including both barrels you are doing good. I have seen beat up Desert Eagles VII model sell on gunbroker for $700 and more. The eagle you are interested in is an XIX model where the barrels can be interchanged.

check out the Desert Eagle Forum at: http://p088.ezboard.com/fthedeserteaglefrm1

[AS45-70]

I got one way back and paid $650 new. I was a fool to sell it yet i did.

Id say get it if you can for $1000, if i had the $ i would get other.

as4570

[colossians323]

Obviously there is no handgun hunters here. The only novelty is if you want to use it like the movies, otherwise, it is an excellent pistol for hunting.

[ohsmily]

Obviously there is no handgun hunters here. The only novelty is if you want to use it like the movies, otherwise, it is an excellent pistol for hunting.

Until it malfunctions when you need a followup shot...if you use it for hunting....make sure you use some heavy loads to ensure that it cycles properly.

(I prefer revolvers for hunting myself)

[ohsmily]

There isn't a military or police in the world that carries them, the 50 bmg round is expensive, every cheeseball in every movie carries one, and yet I still would like one

HELL YEAH, 50BMG DUDE!!! YA! YA! YA!

bang

[colossians323]

Until it malfunctions when you need a followup shot...if you use it for hunting....make sure you use some heavy loads to ensure that it cycles properly.

(I prefer revolvers for hunting myself)

YOu are right about the heavy loads, I have yet to have a malfunction. Thats not to say that its a perfect platform, but it is a good one.

[saki302]

I used to own one just like the one you;'re looking at- 50AE with 44 kit. The 44 kit only likes heavy (I mean +P or +P+) loads. The 50AE worked well with any commercial ammo I fed through it.

All in all it was an accurate (quite so, really) firearm, which was a bit too heavy and large even for my big hands. It's also very easy to shoot given how much power it puts out. I'd have no problem taking my old one hunting as I never had any failures to feed with 50AE rounds, though the slide failed to lock back once in awhile (poor magazine design).

Revolvers are much more size-efficient in magnum calibers. If you want a more utility-friendly gun, ger a ported .454 ruger, or a shorter barreled .500 S&W even- they'll eb about the same weight as the DE (or maybe less in the case of the ruger). Less 'Schwarzenegger' factor though.

-Dave

[grammaton76]

Personally, I really like the DE for practice purposes. If you start sneaking in a flinch on 45s or something, light off a mag or two of 44 magnums or 50AE's, and then you suddenly stop caring about the 45...

[Crazed_SS]

Is the DE .50 ceritified in CA.. I cant find it on the pistol list?

[s281c]

Is the DE .50 ceritified in CA.. I cant find it on the pistol list?

technically not, the only one certified is the matte .44mag, then you buy the .50ae conversion kit.

[grammaton76]

technically not, the only one certified is the matte .44mag, then you buy the .50ae conversion kit.

Correct, although you can PPT it in the 50cal configuration all you want.

I believe pretty much everyone with a DE in CA, unless they got theirs before the 44 got listed, bought the conversion.

BTW - there's this popular non-Desert-Eagle-owner myth that if you buy a 44 and convert it to 50, it's not "really" a 50. This is not true - you're buying the chassis with the 44 magnum barrel on it, and the only two parts that're different are the 50cal barrel and 50cal mag. Other than that, all the parts are the same; there's no difference whatsoever between a "converted" 50cal and one that was bought in that configuration.

[50 Freak]

50AE, not BMG

I'll hold out for the 50 bmg Desert Eagle. Everything else is just a 22 in my book.