Magnum Research has introduced a new cartridge for their legendary hand cannon – the Desert Eagle pistol. This rebated rim bottleneck cartridge is called .429 DE (Desert Eagle). It is formed by necking down the .50 Action Express case to .44 caliber (.429 diameter bullets).

.429 DE cartridge loaded with a 210-grain Sierra hollow point bullet

According to Magnum Research, this cartridge offers about 25% higher muzzle velocities compared to the .44 Magnum. The advantage over the .44 Magnum in the muzzle energy department is even more significant – 45%. The company claims that “429 DE is the fastest 44 cal. pistol cartridge on the planet“. When fired from a 6” barrel, the .429 DE is capable of pushing the 210-grain and 240-grain projectiles at muzzle velocities of 1,750 fps and 1,625 fps respectively.

The .429 DE cartridge has a 30-degree shoulder angle and it is designed to headspace on the shoulder. The cartridge also has a relatively long neck which allows to reliably grip the bullet and crimp the neck preventing any possible bullet displacement issues caused by the harsh recoil of Desert Eagle pistols.

Below you can find the manufacturer’s description of the compatibility of replacement .429 DE barrels with existing Desert Eagle pistols:

 A 429 DE barrel will drop onto any MK19 USA or Israel Desert Eagle Pistol with a wide .830” rail on top of the barrel and uses a 50AE magazine and bolt.

The .429 DE ammunition will be available loaded with 210-grain Sierra hollow point and 240-grain Sierra soft point bullets. The cases are manufactured by Starline and the cartridges are loaded by HSM Ammunition. Reloading dies will be available from Hornady and Redding. The MSRP per box of 20 cartridges is $42 (same for both loads).

It is interesting to note, that this cartridge is very similar to .440 Cor-Bon – a wildcat cartridge designed in the late ’90s that was also formed by necking down the .50 AE case to .44 caliber.

Images by Magnum Research. Top image by Brett Pikula.