Magnum Research IWI “Classic” Desert Eagle
Since 2009 all Desert Eagles have been produced in Magnum Research's Pillager, Minn. facility. Magnum Research / Kahr will be selling a limited edition of the Desert Eagle featuring original ("classic") parts made by IWI in Israel. These pistols will have the original two-piece barrel and claw-type safety.
From the press release ...
Both models are gas-operated, rotating bolt semiautomatic pistols constructed from a high quality carbon steel barrel, frame and slide. Both have a 6” barrel length and 10.75” overall length with 6.25” height and 1.25” slide width. These pistols have a trigger reach of 2.75” and approximately a 4lb. trigger pull with fixed combat type sights and an 8.5” sight radius. The .50 AE model, the DE50W, has a .495” bore diameter, polygonal rifling with 1:19 right hand twist and 7 round magazine capacity. The .44 Magnum model, the DE44W, has a .492” bore diameter, polygonal rifling with 1:18 right hand twist and 8 round magazine capacity. Barrels between the .44 Magnum and .50AE are interchangeable.
Mark XIX Desert Eagle Pistols and parts produced in the USA and Israel are completely interchangeable on either gun.
My guess: someone at IWI found a crate of spare parts and shipped them to Kahr 
@howlingcoyote, I agree. Semi-auto pistols should be chambered in semi-auto pistol cartridges. As huge a fan as I am of the .44 magnum I would buy a .45 Winmag DE over a .44 mag. No issues with designing mags around a rimmed cartridge.
But the fact remains, the .357 and .44 mag are easy to buy at gun stores due to being successful and around for decades. .45 Winmag and .475 Wildey is not easy to find at all. Perhaps a small run per year in .45 Winmag might not be out of the question. Maybe 50-100 pistols. I’d be down for one.
But if anyone offers a semi-auto magnum like the .475 Wildey or the .44 AMP they need to nail down someone to offer up some loads. A pistol that requires you to load your own and you can probably count on one hand how many people will buy it. At least with .45 Winmag you can coax your local gunshop to order you some. There aren’t a ton of options but there are some at least.
What do these cost? $1500 or so?
How about chambering them in 475 Wildey and 45 Win. Mag.?
And really, Magnum Research come out with a RIFLE version! This would be a great deer, hog, antelope gun!
@drewogatory
To quote the great Elmer Keith, “You don’t need a barrage of lead from a 44 like you do with the pipsqeak 38′s.”
@don dallas
Amen.
Steve,
Why is it that the nominal caliber of a weapon is almost never the specific bore or dimension of the ammunition? As in this case, the .50 is actually .492 and the .44 is actually .429?
It is more of a general question that about this actual gun. The more I have gotten to learn about weapons, the more I have come to realize that I don’t know this answer. Why-when-where did we start rounding off calibers?
Sid, mostly marketing, sometime the bullet caliber is different from the bore or the cartridge dimensions.
@drewogatory
To quote the great Elmer Keith, “You don’t need a barrage of lead from the 44 like you do with the pipsqueak 38′s”
I hope that’s a typo and the (normally .429″) .44 Magnum bore is not in fact .492″. Talk about poor accuracy!
I want rails under the barrel on the frame, that’s what I’m waiting for before buying one of these (that and the cash to actually do it)
@J.W.D. The original .50 AE started with the rails. It was less obnoxious. I didn’t mind it but yeah, the MK VII’s were my favorite.
But even more preferable would be the re-introduction of the LAR Grizzly. With a rail this time. 56 ounces and a thumb safety where it’s supposed to be.
Isn’t a .492″ bore diameter a little large for a .44 Mag?
Methinks it’s a typo.
I dunno, everytime I see the Desert Eagle price tag, I always think I can get a S&W model 27/29s for so much less…. not to mention avoid the gaudiness of the ‘Deagle’ too. (A revolver is a revolver, but a Desert Eagle always screams mall ninja to me)
P.S. This has always been on the back of my head about Desert eagles: various manufacturers have been marketing the crap out of carbine conversions and SBR kits for 1911s and glocks, but I feel like putting a stock, and maybe extending the barrel to 16″ for a desert eagle would make it a pretty hard hitter, kinda like a toned down .50 Beowulf. I mean, it gas system practically makes it a chopped down rifle
Plus of course the Agents Division from the Matrix will doubtless buy some. :p
Feral hog hunting, maybe?
sorry misspelled
totally agree with u Andy. DE arent really arent good looking with rails
drewogatory
Also maybe DE can be a good dangerous game sidearm…when one misses the charging cape buffalo from .600NE double rifle 
))
I agree with you ! It has less practical usefulness ! But it still looks nice (just the exterior design). Sounds funny, but I think this monster is a plinker rather than any other use
Rails are on the barrel , not on frame as written, aren’t they?
Hrachya, you are correct. My mistake.
Ugh! The new rail and flutes are the thing I hate MOST about the new DE.
Why can’t they introduce the MK VII. Now that’s a helluva lot more “classic” than this thing.
At least it’s black. Can someone who works at a gunstore tell me who the hell buys these things? I’m just not sure I see any advantages (in function OR fun factor) to self loaders in these calibers (although, I am small statured and know from experience I can’t keep a .50 DE on target through any kind of rapid fire), especially with rimmed cartridges like the .44. Plus, no way would I trust my life to a Deagle in grizzly country, none. I guess I’ll just add this to the “toys that aren’t really all that fun” list along with sit-down watercraft,three wheel streetbikes and Segeways.