Desert Eagle (DE) 50 AE...GO or NO GO

One Wire · Oct 29, 2013

The fine state of MD has limited my/our purchasing power. So now I'm thinking about buying a DE .50 AE 7 rounds so i gotta ask the forum is this a blast to shoot or just beast to manage. I know... I know... I know... $100 for 50 rounds and 72.4oz of cold hard steel make this not only a economical choice but the prefect CCW. But if Murphy can fire one in full auto and save Detroit its gotta be a true American Icon. Yes I've fired all the standard cal but this 50 cal got me wondering. GO buy it or NO, GO save your money

50 cal shooters insight needed

wt71 · Oct 29, 2013

One Wire said:
The fine state of MD has limited my/our purchasing power. So now I'm thinking about buying a DE .50 AE 7 rounds so i gotta ask the forum is this a blast to shoot or just beast to manage. I know... I know... I know... $100 for 50 rounds and 72.4oz of cold hard steel make this not only a economical choice but the prefect CCW. But if Murphy can fire one in full auto and save Detroit its gotta be a true American Icon. Yes I've fired all the standard cal but this 50 cal got me wondering. GO buy it or NO, GO save your money

50 cal shooters insight needed

Good TV gun but not practical in real world. Just my opinion and I know everyone has one of those.

zombiehunter · Oct 29, 2013

I've shot one, I did not like it. I've shot a .44mag DE as well and I loved it. The recoil on the .50AE is abusive and the ammo is $1.50-$2 a round. That said, they're gorgeous guns. I'd say go for it, get the "kit" that has all three calibers that way you can shoot .357mag, .44mag and .50AE as time, money and inclination allow. Go big or go home, buy once cry once, yada yada

Raylon Rules · Oct 29, 2013

It doesn't kick that hard. Go shoot the rental at Freestate if you're concerned. It is so heavy that recoil isn't much worse than a .45. Very loud and massive muzzle flash are bonuses. Very accurate and pointable if your hands aren't too small to get a decent grip.

ohen cepel · Oct 29, 2013

I would get the .44, ammo for that is much, much easier to find. Plus, the .44 will do anything I need a handgun to do since I don't see me going to Africa anytime soon for dangerous game.

alucard0822 · Oct 29, 2013

The 44 is way more practical, recoil is manageable, ammo is more available, cheaper, and still has plenty of power, obviously the grip is huge though. Thing is it is a massive pistol with limited practicality to begin with, so IMO you need at least a 50 barrel and mag to swap to, 357 has a reputation for poor reliability, and kinda defeats the purpouse. I have shot a few, almost bought one a couple times, it's a well made and accurate pistol, but the cost is steep, and there have always been other handguns that I would rather have. If I wanted a massive big bore, I would probably pick a 460 or 500 S&W revolver more power, easier to shoot if you don't have giant hands, unless I got a screaming deal on a DE with both 44 and 50 barrels, I would probably keep passing it up.

-Z/28- · Oct 29, 2013

Buy the .44mag version. Its pleasant to shoot and ammo is "affordable".

Wiseguy59 · Oct 29, 2013

I've had a .357 Desert Eagle since '87, and I like it. I think the cost of the .50 DE ammo might take some of the fun out of owning that gun.

A1Uni · Oct 29, 2013

The 50 AE is not all that bad, here is a video of my son shooting mine.

What you will see is a FTF caused by not holding on tightly enough. If you "girl hand" these, no offense intended ladies, they can fail to cycle.

Click on image to view video; it may take a moment to buffer.

240 towles · Oct 29, 2013

get it in .22, that would be ironic!

covertpanda · Oct 29, 2013

To the OP; I agree with some of the other members that the .44 & .357 conversions are certainly fun. However, in this panda's opinion your money would be better spent on something else. A new SBR, KRISS pistol, or just buy more ammo.

jimbobborg · Oct 29, 2013

If you have the money to blow on this, why not? I suggest you invest in reloading equipment if you plan to keep shooting it, though.

Mooseman · Oct 29, 2013

I have shot them. They are fun and not abusive at all. They are fairly tame. It is nothing that I would buy, but they are fun.

pittsaero · Oct 29, 2013

I have one & everyone that has shot it comes away grinning from ear to ear. Not an everyday gun, but worth having.

erwos · Oct 29, 2013

covertpanda said:
However, in this panda's opinion your money would be better spent on something else. A new SBR, KRISS pistol, or just buy more ammo.

If he can get a used .44 DE at the $900-$1000 range, it's really not the worst possible buy I could imagine. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's still 75c a pull for a gun with no practical use, but I've paid more for toys in the past (my 22lr AR-15 SBR comes to mind). That said, I don't know what the OP's current collection looks like to know where he should spend his money.

kingfish · Oct 29, 2013

Its an awesome handgun. I have one with a 44mag and 50ae barrel. I havnt shot the 50ae yet because I need to take it outdoors and I have enough rifles that need sighting in. As for the 44 mag, the recoil is much easier than you would think. About equal to a 9mm or so. This pistol is HEAVY and takes up a lot of recoil. This is not a practical gun so dont expect it to be. Its a FUN gun that is a blast to shoot. Everyone who's shot mine (in 44) has loved it.

Deep Creek Rock · Oct 29, 2013

Ive shot one in 50AE - the recoil is not as bad as people claim it to be. The pistol is gas assisted with a rotating bolt (similar to an AR) which dampens the recoil.

I love the DE in 50AE, but the price of ammo & components to reload it, kinda steers me away from owning one. Also they use polygonal rifling which means it should use jacketed bullets only. Im an avid bullet caster, so thats a strike for me against it.

I believe you can convert a 50AE into a 44 mag. You need to swap out the barrel & mag but you use the same frame & slide.

As far as practicality, you can hunt with it, and it would make a great silhoutte handgun as well. But they are just plain fun to shoot!

Here is a video of me firing one. As you can see the recoil is not that hateful at all.

davsco · Oct 30, 2013

probably the least favorite semi i have ever fired. ergos suck (grip way too big for me) and frankly i wasn't impressed at all with the quality or trigger. and the 50ae just about recoiled to my head. as you noted, mag capacity pretty low also. i also fired s&w 460/454/44. i loved that thing. comp ate a lot of the recoil, grip is way more manageable, and quality was top notch. something to consider.

Mildot · Oct 30, 2013

If you have the funds, get the DE50, it is fun and accurate to shoot. The cost per round is more than a 45 of course but I only shoot about 1/3 the rounds when I shoot the 50, same amount of fun though. If i had to choose between the DE50 and the SW460 I get more enjoyment from the 460 and its a lot easier to clean. With the 460 I pretty much just shoot 460 rounds anymore.

BradMacc82 · Oct 30, 2013

Fun gun, not for everyone.

It's your life, your money - if your happy with the price, then why the hell not, live a little.

Not everything has to be justified and practical (my .50 Beowulf comes to mind), some things are just for pure enjoyment.

Desert Eagle (DE) 50 AE...GO or NO GO

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