BIG-BORE TEST  | Beautiful

MAGNUM RESEARCH DESERT EAGLE MARK XIX

¤ To handleBRUTE higher- : .44 Magnum pressure rounds, the ’s Desert Eagle uses a BARREL: 6 inches multi-lugged rotating dressed-up Desert Eagle OA LENGTH: 10.75 inches similar to an AR- 15’s with matching combines first-in-class WEIGHT: 4.41 pounds (empty) cutouts at the back of the 6-inch barrel. power and looks GRIPS: Walnut, Hogue rubber SIGHTS: Fixed BY DENIS PRISBREY : SA FINISH: Casehardened he old saying “Beauty is in the eye of APACITY: 8+1 the beholder” is pretty much rule No. 1 MSRP: $2,278 in the case of .44 Magnum autopistols. A can be trimmed down quite a bit to shoot the .44 Magnum—if you’re Tsufficiently resistant to pain and have access to a good carpal tunnel surgeon—but there’s no way to hold back on either size or weight in a reliable .44 Magnum pistol, and regardless of the maker,

usually you’ve got to be a hardcore admirer to find While production has been moved back .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum and .50 a 6-inch barrel; a 3-inch on any beauty in what has to be a big and chunky steel and forth between the U.S. and Israel, Action Express barrels. The Mark XIX top; a long slide release on the left side; blaster. There’s no room for plastic in this particular the gun that has nearly 500 large- and comes in a wide range of finishes that a sizable ambidextrous thumb safety; a small-screen credits has achieved run from stainless through black oxide, relatively small release on the section of the gun world, and svelte does not apply. legendary status, and it’s currently being tiger striped, burnt bronze, titanium gold, left side; a serrated gold-plated trigger; a Over the years, there have been a few attempts made back in the U.S. at the Magnum chrome, satin nickel, polished nickel serrated hammer spur; a long beavertail; to produce .44 Magnum semi-autos for what is Research facility in Minnesota. and 24-karat gold. And now there’s a an 8-round steel magazine; fixed, all-black, There have been three major itera- color-casehardened Desert Eagle. steel sights; and walnut grip panels. Along with undeniably a very niche market, but the Magnum tions of the Desert Eagle: the Mark I in If you’ve never seen one in person, go beautiful case- Research Desert Eagle is the only one in (mostly) .357 and .44 Magnum in 1983; the Mark THE PLATFORM back to that 4.41-pound line. The gun is hardening, the VII in 1989 with slight redesigns; and This particular .44 Magnum Desert Eagle huge. The first time I shot a .44 Magnum Desert Eagle boasts a continuous production since its introduction over rail for optics and a non- the current Mark XIX developed in the Mark XIX is a gas-operated, 4.41-pound Desert Eagle was 20 years ago, and the serrated ramp front sight. 30 years ago, and it’s arguably the most famous. 1990s to allow users to switch between assembly of CNC-machined steel with experience hasn’t changed. I own .44

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Magnum , and they’re pretty three bullet weights bucked and The slide release is a large paddle simple affairs, but the Desert Eagle’s blasted at my end, and made very nice within easy reach on the left side, slide is a beefy chunk of steel, and five-shot groups on paper at the other and the slide is fitted with an when you touch a round off, it slams end, right at the point of aim. ambidextrous safety. back and forth while the gun recoils Winchester’s “White Box” 240- sharply in the middle of whatever blast grain JSPs started the show as a and flash your load creates. As you lower-priced mid-range performer can see, it’s a whole other situation if in the “classic” .44 Magnum bullet you’re used to wheelguns. weight, and Black Hills followed with In terms of finishes, you can go its 240-grain JHPs to up the ante. from very subdued to extremely Both surprised me with what they eye-grabbing on these Desert Eagles printed, and so did the Winchester depending on your tastes and wallet, 250-grain Platinum Tip HPs that put but the new casehardened model us up into a higher-performance bullet splits the difference between basic bracket. All three held under 2 inches, black and gaudy gold, giving you the and considering the all-black sights on chance to impress your buddies with the pistol that no longer work well with some nice “Hey, look what I got!” my eyes, I had no gripes at all. bling without being accused of going The Desert Eagle unexpectedly that indicated they weren’t cycling the group was over 3 inches wide. too far in the ego spectrum. choked on the premium 225-grain the slide fully. Apparently there just The first three loads would make These colors are quite well done, Barnes VOR-TX XPB rounds. But isn’t enough steam in these round fine choices for a good range of and while they’re produced with these light bullets, while light on to cycle the gun’s gas system. This scenarios, whether you need a modern chemical process, as recoil, created feed-ramp stoppages load’s accuracy was also OK, though deeper penetration with a soft point or opposed to the older bone-charcoal method of true casehardening, they’re close enough to sell the idea and jus- “this…standout choice… tify the hefty $2,278 price tag. Blues goes well beyond its and browns dominate, at least on my sample, and sunlight really helps them pretty colors at the range pop. Coverage extends over 100 percent of the slide and frame, with and on the hunt.” other small parts done in a dark oxide. Nosing it around here and there brought a universal response—“Beau- tiful!”—and it certainly is. The fixed, all-black sights are made of steel. CAN IT SHOOT? Also note the extended Let’s be honest here. In my hands— beavertail and serrated much more used to working with hammer spur. polymer-framed pistols nowadays than it used to be—the Desert Eagle feels very awkward. The grip is just a hair on the side of too big for true comfort, and, not surprisingly, it’s very muzzle heavy. It won’t ever be a boot gun, so to speak, or a serious carry contender. But it is undeniably a serious shooter. During testing at an indoor range, firing at my usual black bullseyes at 25 yards off a rest, the new pistol stood up and got my attention with every shot fired—at both ends of the bullet path. Four jacketed loads (naked lead is verboten in the Desert Eagle’s gas operating system) in

76 | COMBAT HANDGUNS | SEPT. • OCT. 2018 personaldefenseworld.com personaldefenseworld.com SEPT. • OCT. 2018 | COMBAT HANDGUNS | 77 BEAUTIFUL BRUTE  | ¤ As a Mark XIX model, the fully casehardened .44 Magnum barrel assembly can be quickly switched PELTOR PROTECTION out for one in another caliber.

Magnum Research includes a set of I’ve flirted tives on the market, but muffs can be, but they ¤ attractive walnut grip panels (shown) with electronic the Bluetooth connec- do have small cutouts as well as Hogue rubber grips that take earmuffs ever tivity is one feature that so you can maintain a things up a notch in terms of handling. since the 1980s, when sets these apart from cheekweld with a . the original Wolf Ears most, and I like that the Sound suppression were new and excit- mics are recessed to cut behind the Desert Eagle wider expansion with a hollow point, ing. I first heard about down on wind noise out- was excellent, and and we’ll just reserve the Barnes Peltor’s new Sport doors. Electronic muffs good ear protection is a ammo for revolvers, which is what Tactical 500 model right have come a long way, critical piece of equip- they’re primarily designed for in the before I received the and the Sport Tactical ment in not just avoiding first place. Also note that the Black Desert Eagle for testing, 500 is quite sophisti- hearing damage, but Hills rounds will light up a good sec- and since I normally cated, with push-button in avoiding flinching. tion of the surrounding countryside at shoot at an indoor activation and internal If your ears bleed on night, if that matters. range, I thought it’d be prompts for functions. every shot, the distrac- The pistol uses a multi-lugged a great chance to test The cups are not quite tion factor is high, and head very similar to these muffs’ capabil- as thin as non-electric that’ll show up on paper. the AR-15’s, with matching locking ities. And it certainly Thankfully, there were cutouts at the back of the barrel, to grips that came on the gun, because was. The .44 Magnum no sound distractions contain .44 Magnum pressures. The they look classier, and in a shadow Desert Eagle’s sound here. The only downside test pistol showed tight machining box on the wall, there’s absolutely no signature matches its is the un-padded head- tolerances, and before hitting the contest. But for field use I’d go with size, and then some, in band that some users range I thoroughly lubed those lugs the Hogue rubber grips that Magnum enclosed spaces. find uncomfortable. My on both the bolt head and barrel, and Research includes. Light checkering Powered by AA head isn’t that sensitive, the frame and slide rails, to give the would be a different ball game, but batteries, the Sport but yours might be. The gun a fair chance. It’s a more compli- those smooth walnut grips tend to Tactical 500 headset Bluetooth function is cated system than your average auto- move around in the palm, and the rub- is designed to sup- simple to pair up with pistol—it needs more attention—and ber grips don’t. The trigger, incidentally, press gunshots with a a cell phone and has as the test session showed, it can was far from target grade and could noise-reduction rating excellent sound qual- be a tad ammo sensitive, even with be much better. The single- action pull of 26 decibels while ity in both directions. the best-quality stuff. But that’s not a weighed more than my 8-pound scale, amplifying background I’m keeping my test comment on either the gun or ammo; with marked travel before the break. sounds. There are sample. (3m.com) just a notation on the realities of life. Apparently Magnum Research wants numerous other alterna- —Denis Prisbrey Do some functional analysis with a you to be very sure you truly want to projected load before fielding it and fire the gun when you put your finger remember to keep the pistol lubed. inside the triggerguard.

At the bench, I used the walnut ¤ TWENTY YEARS LATER The pistol comes with a steel, eight- While manufacturing techniques and round magazine. Also PERFORMANCE design evolution have changed a bit note the gold-plated since my 1998 introduction to the trigger inside the large, MAGNUM RESEARCH Desert Eagle, the basic pistol and squared triggerguard. DESERT EAGLE MARK XIX function are the same. It hasn’t shrunk load accuracy any, and neither has its performance. Magnum Research has done a very The author tested his Barnes 225 VOR-TX XPB 3.25 ¤ nice job on this color-casehardened first .44 Magnum Desert Black Hills 240 JSP 1.38 Eagle in 1998, and his version, and if you’ve been dithering on adding a Desert Eagle to the family, this friend, Kirk Allen, was so Winchester 240 JSP 1.94 impressed with it that he would be a standout choice that goes bought the test sample, Winchester 250 Platinum Tip HP 1.88 well beyond its pretty colors at the which his daughter later used on an elk hunt. Bullet weight measured in grains and accuracy in inches range and on the hunt. For more infor- for best five-shot groups at 25 yards. mation, visit magnumresearch.com.

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