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I've been looking for a large semi auto pistol. I like the 45win mag, but grizzly is no longer manufacturing and wildey seems, er, iffy, (acquisition and support). Heard great and awful things about D Eagles. Looking mostly at the 50ae. never shot one but checked them out pretty good. ammo seems limited, very, for a handloader, but there are a couple choices, 300 &325. What info, experience does anyone have. Want it for a hunting gun as well as a source of pleasure.
nise
The two Desert Eagles I have see/played with/shot were both extremely accurate, very well made, and heavy enough to moderate their recoil nicely. Both were in .44mag. If you are going to go with a .50AE, go with cast boolits. You can buy from stock or custom order just about any weight or profile boolit you could ever want. There's no need to even consider jacketed bullets when you are talking about putting a 1/2" hole through something. You have the option of barrel/mag swapping for .44mag and (I believe still) barrel/mag/slide for .357mag. I'm not sure what else they may be chambered for now.
I'd love to shoot cast out of a 50, but desert eagle says not to shoot bullets w/ any exposed lead, due to small gas ports which apparently clog w/ lead easily and seems the average that it will jam every couple shots till you clean it spick n span. That to me is the major detractor, few hollow points have minimal lead exposed and lotsa hardball have exposed bases. I'm no expert on the Deagle, just mainly what i've read. I always wanted to romance w/ a 45 win mag, know of any other manufacturers of these cartridges?
Nise-
Way back when, I used to have a DE. Mine was a .357 w/a .44 conversion, this was well before the .50 AE hit the streets. If I had it to do all over again, I would've gotten a wheelgun. That weapon is BIG!!; as in it really ought to have wheels. It doesn't feel too bad when you're handling it, but try and pack one around for a day. You don't mention what you want this for, if it's just for going to a range and punching really big holes in things, more power to you. If, however, you are planning on packing the thing around to ANY extent, I'd pass on the DE. I am one of those people that believes that a handgun ought to be, well handy, and the DE just isn't . Of the other two you mention, you can still find either on the used market, at least up here in AK. I would probably go with the LAR, there's something about cutting down and turning all of that .308 brass that just doesn't thrill me. Either of those would be infinitely more 'packable' than the DE. Just my $0.02, but I think you'd be better served with a wheelgun in .44 Mag or .454 Casull, (yes, I think Smith's new X-frame is too damn big also). I'll get off my soapbox now and go back into my corner:-D.
-Klaus
Cotton swabs with a decent solvent like Rigg clean gas ports quickly and easily of lead fouling, if and when. "They" also say that about Garands, AR's, etc., and it's a load of fertilizer. That doesn't mean not to be aware of it, though. A clean semi is a happy semi.
Klausg makes a really good point about carryability (is that a word?). I think a revolver is much more handy for hunting, too, but whatever floats your boat. the DE's certainly turn heads at the range.
I have seen but not fired a LAR and it looked to be very well made.
FWIW, I fired a new S&W Custom Shop revolver in .50 cal in November and was very impressed. I was ready to get smacked in the face when I touched it off, but compared to what I expected, it was a pussycat. I kept all five shots on the paper at 100yds (probably in part thanks to the good Leupold scope that was on it), including my initial FLINCH. (The owner was amused - he says that everyone who tries it does the same.) More than overkill for any game here, but then there are those around who hunt deer with .458mags. If they're happy, let 'em bang away.
I figured I'd let myself cool down for a bit, make sure I don't get too hasty. Been searching through all the articles I can find on the 50ae deagle, and most people say they liked the Lar best, only concerned about finding parts.
I plan on using it for hunting and 'plinking'. I have a wheel gun now, a ruger in a 4 5/8 in a 41 mag and that will always be my best friend, unbelievable accuracy and range. I like big bores, and thought I'd step up. Not sure what the recovery time on a deagle is, I know I can shoot my single action wheel gun as fast as I probably could shoot a recoiling semi-auto??? maybe? Not many Lars around here anymore. If I were to look at a wheel gun, how is the 500 Smith? Or what other options?
Nise-
If I managed to get your dander up, I apologize; that was definitely not my intention. I just didn't really enjoy trying to pack a DE around, they're really big and really heavy. I've never fired a 50 AE, but I can tell you that between the weight and the gas operation, my DE barely recoiled at all. I also have not fired the new Smith's, but again IMHO that's an awful lot of steel to be packing around. Are you hooked on a fifty? If not what about a .480 Ruger, or possibly that one's big brother, the .475 Linebaugh? I think my problem with the DE or Smith's X-frames is that up here in AK I pack a big bore a LOT, so as to hopefully discourage the bears from thinking I am an a la carte item [smilie=1: . Both of those weapons are just more than I want to have strapped to my chest all day long and I fear that when I really needed a weapon, it would be in the truck instead of on my person.
Again I apologize for any offense I may have given, I just didn't want you plunking down $2k + for a handgun and find out sometime after the honeymoon period that it was a real pain in the teeth to pack around. Take care
-Klaus
I didn't find the S&W to be too large or unweildy. In fact, it was smaller and handier than many long barreled .44mags, especially if they're wearing glass. I used to hunt with a .30-30 SSP, with the big rotary breech and an Aimpoint on top - that was not your easy carrying kind of handgun, but it accounted for its share of varmints. If you're thinking of plunking down that much, check out the S&W Custom Shop's offerings, Freedom Arms creations, or Ruger SRH's.
A really decent gunsmith should be able to fabricate just about any part you may need. We JUST sold a Grizz on Gunbroker. Too bad- it was like new. I recommend a Smith 460XVR- you can shoot .45 LC, .454 Casull or the .460 Hornady ballistic tipped howitzer rounds with it. I have one (8 5/8" barrel), but haven't shot it yet. I also have a KNJ bandoleer holster on the way for it. Should be bad medicine for hogs down here.