Pros and Cons of a Desert Eagle .50 cal???

[Dave Doehrman]

For the past few weeks I have been seriously debating purchasing a Desert Eagle .50 cal pistol. I would like any advise both the pros and cons on this gun. Thanks

Pros: 1. The Wow factor
2. If you run out of ammo you can use it for a war club

Cons: 1 The cost and availability of .50 AE ammo
2 Weight and hard to conceal

I have the SS model as well as (2) 460 S&Ws and a 500 S&W. The Desert Eagle is fun to shoot, but my biggest problem with the weapon is the fact that about 1 out of 10 ejected casings comes back and smacks me right in the middle of the forehead. I've had blood dripping off my nose more than once after a trip to the range. Can you say "FLINCH" ?

The pistol is accurate and fun to shoot every once in a while, but I probably haven't shot mine for over a year. I'll keep mine just to have it in the collection, but I wouldn't buy another. The .460s and the .500 S&W are fun to shoot, do everything the Desert Eagle will do and the casings don't attack me.

 

[paperboy]

Cool factor +10......Practical purpose -10....

 

[superjoe76]

I heard 50 DE's turn into 9mm Beretta's if you are on a TV show. Be careful filming yourself while at the range.

 

[sgreen3]

I heard 50 DE's turn into 9mm Beretta's if you are on a TV show. Be careful filming yourself while at the range.

^^^^ Now thats funny ^^^^

 

[teddy12b]

I used to have a DE 44mag. When I was young and just out of basic I just had to have the big bad semi auto 44mag. Many years later with a new bride who didn't understand credit cards it had to go.

There is a place for the desert eagle magnums. I hunted in the U.P. of Michigan a couple of times and carried it in a drop leg holster because that gun is so big that's about the easiest way to carry it in the field. On the first day of hunting I fell asleep in the blind and woke up to the sound of a pack of wild dogs with just enough daylight to walk out of the woods. The wild dogs were close and I was hunting with a single shot rifle, so the added warm fuzzy feeling of the DE 44 mag on my leg made me feel A LOT better about that wild pack of dogs.

The guns were originally made for target shooting and are pretty darn accurate. Personally I think the 44mag is as big as you'd ever need to go and anything bigger doesn't make anything deader.

 

[vork08]

At your size, you would have no prob carrying a DE.
Pro- 1. Accurate
2. Will stop anything you're shooting at
3. If you miss, the concussion will scare the bejesus out of 'em
Con- 1. Ammo pricey
2.Recoil makes it harder to regain sight point for multiple hits
3. To help with #2 you'll need more range time-See #1
And cool factor trumps all cons!!

 

[wintram]

F I am a good sized fella at 6'4" and nearly 300 pounds with large hands. So the weight and overall size of the gun I feel wont be an issue.

At this size, carrying a 50 DE that is a perfect reason for criminals not to try and rob you.

 

[DFM914]

Would this be a good full-time carry weapon?
I have read that the muzzle flash is very large and it is not recommended for close quarters combat, or in a dark room. The muzzle flash can cause temporary blindness of the shooter. Is this true?

Not a carry gun at all, even using it as a range gun would be outrageous.

 

[cbhausen]

An oldie but a goodie (watch that muzzle flip!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjMADPkivxM

She's immortal!

 

[Fordtough25]

I shot one once, that's one big mother of a handgun!

 

[EvilBlackGun]

You are limp-wristing it, getting hot brass up the nose.

I use cheap latex gloves to get a better hand-weld -- DON'T let the gun twist. I have also shot with other Eagle owners, and one guy uses the "interrogator-detective" lead-shot in the fingers, both to reduce felt-recoil, and to hold on tighter. At any range I've visited, the 1st Eagle shot causes silence all up and down the firing-line. Definite WOW-factor.

Pros: 1. The Wow factor
2. If you run out of ammo you can use it for a war club

Cons: 1 The cost and availability of .50 AE ammo
2 Weight and hard to conceal

I have the SS model as well as (2) 460 S&Ws and a 500 S&W. The Desert Eagle is fun to shoot, but my biggest problem with the weapon is the fact that about 1 out of 10 ejected casings comes back and smacks me right in the middle of the forehead. I've had blood dripping off my nose more than once after a trip to the range. Can you say "FLINCH" ?

The pistol is accurate and fun to shoot every once in a while, but I probably haven't shot mine for over a year. I'll keep mine just to have it in the collection, but I wouldn't buy another. The .460s and the .500 S&W are fun to shoot, do everything the Desert Eagle will do and the casings don't attack me.

 

[hunter]

I have 50 cal. and it is fun to shoot, it is about 1.50 a shot.

 

[luvall]

I'm 6 foot, 200lbs, and small hands. I love the gun. About 15 rounds at the range is my max. Novelty gun but big bucks.

 

[bud1976]

The desert eagle is fun to shoot but just to big and heavy to carry every day.

 

[luvall]

What about for deer hunting?

 

[ckcollins2003]

Pros:
-Big Bullet
-Heavy Gun
-Awesomeness all around
-Might give you a hard on (Makes the wife happy though, right?)

Cons:
-Expensive ammo (but all ammo is expensive nowadays)
-Won't conceal well (I don't think Godzilla could conceal one properly)
-Might give you a hard on (Not good at the range)

Overall I feel the pros outweigh the cons all day when it comes to a .50.

 

[Mgderf]

I did not think the .50AE was legal for deer in Indiana. I could be wrong though.

 

[sheepdog324]

Don't like them. Expensive to buy/ shoot, big, heavy recoil and weight. Better out there for less.

 

[stoyan79]

Haha. There is only one pro - The Cool Factor.

Cons - everything else.

Would I buy another one. Hell yeah!

 

[luvall]

I did not think the .50AE was legal for deer in Indiana. I could be wrong though.

Does anyone know if it is legal for deer hunting?