Shooting Memories: The Magnum Research Desert Eagle .44 Magnum Semi-Automatic Pistol

Long, long, ago at a shooting range fairly far away, I had a chance to borrow and shoot a friend's Israel Military Industries Desert Eagle Mark VII .44 Magnum with my uncle and my brother. Rather than a full review, this article will simply relay my impression of the big gun. Even years later, I can still remember our experience with that big honking pistol.

The Desert Eagle .44 Magnum is truly a very large, semi-automatic, pistol with a 7-round magazine. It was designed by Magnum Research and manufactured by Israel Military Industries back in the 80s and 90s. Today, Magnum Research continues to manufacture and sell the Mk XIX version of the big pistol in conjunction with Israel Weapon Industries. The Desert Eagle Mk VII weighed in at 4 1/2 pounds or so. At gun shows and military equipment exhibitions, I was always a little intimidated by the Desert Eagle. When you pull back the heavy slide, the ejection port is simply huge like the Grand Canyon. While a healthy respect is always in order for the muzzle of any firearm, I had an irrational fear that the slide of the Desert Eagle would somehow close on my finger. It was reinforced when I thumbed the slide release down and the slide slammed closed with serious authority chambering a cartridge. My every move with the Desert Eagle was a deliberate exercise in doing things right and keeping my fingers intact. I can only imagine the intimidation factor of today's .50-caliber Magnum Research Desert Eagle.

Even in my large hands, the Desert Eagle seemed huge. It currently comes in 6-inch and 10-inch barrel configurations. We were shooting a Desert Eagle with a 6-inch barrel. I remember the grips were comfortable and sight picture was good. Of course, if you tried to hold the pistol for too long on the target, it got heavier and heavier and heavier for mere mortals. However, due to the heavy weight of the Magnum Research Desert Eagle, the stout recoil was manageable. The barrel rose considerably with each shot, but shooting a .44 Magnum Desert Eagle was not a painful exercise like shooting a .357 magnum snubby. Unlike a fast shooting 9mm pistol, I felt the Desert Eagle was more of a deliberate brace, shoot, recover, brace, and shoot again sort of pistol. Shooting the Desert Eagle was a real rush. The Magnum Research .44 Magnum Desert Eagle gives shooters a real feeling of power. You feel like a Terminator shooting the Desert Eagle and it's not surprising that this pistol has been featured in over 500 movies.

One of the most memorable aspects of our range time with the .44 Magnum Desert Eagle was watching my younger brother shoot. In his early twenties at the time, my brother was slightly built lad of about 150 pounds and a novice shooter. With each shot, he rocked back on one foot and my uncle and I were concerned that he might not be able to keep the big pistol pointed down range. He finished off his magazine with my hand on his shoulder bracing him like a flying buttress against the big pistol's recoil. My uncle also enjoyed shooting the big pistol and thought it was quite an experience. The Israel Military Industries Desert Eagle had tank-like, indestructible, construction and was an accurate and exciting pistol to shoot. In fact, it was probably the most exciting pistol that I've ever shot.

As we drove away from the range, we were all a bit overwhelmed by the Desert Eagle Mk VII. The Desert Eagle was fun, but clearly not for everyone. Reflecting back on the Desert Eagle, it was certainly too big to conceal, too heavy to carry, and it probably offers too much power, noise, and penetration for home defense. Something like my current Smith & Wesson SW9VE, the Magnum Research Baby Eagle in 9mm or .40 S&W or .45 ACP, or even the new Micro Desert Eagle seems like a more practical alternative. However, the Desert Eagle seems like the perfect gun to take out into the desert for shooting watermelons. The Desert Eagle is also the perfect pistol to rent at a range. You definitely get a different and unique sensation from renting and shooting such a powerful handgun.

As we left the gun club grounds, my uncle summed the Desert Eagle up saying something like, "Some guns are like pornography, a little too much of a good thing." Moderation is simply not the Desert Eagle's virtue. It is an extreme pistol. Quite simply, the Magnum Research Desert Eagle is a nearly overwhelming blast.

Sources:

American Handgunner, 2010 Buyer's Guide, Volume 67, 2010, p. 91.
Desert Eagle, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Eagle
Magnum Research, Inc. Website, http://www.magnumresearch.com