New to me .44

I stopped by my LGS looking for 30 carbine ammo and a horse pistol followed me home....

Picked up an IMI-made chrome .44 Desert Eagle - would that be a Model 7? One piece grips?

Nice condition, though bone dry. Also picked up a set of dies and a box of brass, I have plated 240s coming, and I'm looking for more brass.

I have a couple of questions maybe you folks can help me with:

1) at 6'4" 240lbs I generally don't have trouble with the slide on a pistol. This thing is STIFF, even after clean/lube. It's about all I can do to fully retract the slide.
Is that usual?

2) a quick internet search turned up zilch for replacements for the standard sights, which are black on black. Before I hit the front with a little white paint, does anyone make fiber optic replacement sights?

John

Await a response from Mr. Blackcat, he's our go to person for all things Desert Eagle.

I'm also a little surprised that nobody makes a pistol brace adapter for the DE. I would have thought it was a natural. Maybe something like the one they used to make for the 1911 that mounted under the grip maybe?

John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by onebigelf

I stopped by my LGS looking for 30 carbine ammo and a horse pistol followed me home....

Picked up an IMI-made chrome .44 Desert Eagle - would that be a Model 7? One piece grips?

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The model...
The quick reference for the difference between MK XIX and the MK I & MK VII, would be the width of the top of the barrel... the MK XIX has a Picatinny compatible rail/mount on top of the barrel. The barrel of earlier models (I&VII) have a narrow top that looks almost like the old dovetail mount... for which there are Picatinny adapters for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by onebigelf

I have a couple of questions maybe you folks can help me with:

1) at 6'4" 240lbs I generally don't have trouble with the slide on a pistol. This thing is STIFF, even after clean/lube. It's about all I can do to fully retract the slide.
Is that usual?

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Not sure... but the Desert Eagle does have a really heavy spring compared to most handguns.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by onebigelf

2) a quick internet search turned up zilch for replacements for the standard sights, which are black on black. Before I hit the front with a little white paint, does anyone make fiber optic replacement sights?

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If it is a MK I or VII, then I don't know anything about front sights for these guns. MK XIX's have several options.

Glad you got yourself a Desert Eagle... they are their own "thing" in many ways, and not for everyone, I would say... but I enjoy mine a great deal.

MrBlackCat

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by onebigelf

I stopped by my LGS looking for 30 carbine ammo and a horse pistol followed me home....

Picked up an IMI-made chrome .44 Desert Eagle - would that be a Model 7? One piece grips?

Nice condition, though bone dry. Also picked up a set of dies and a box of brass, I have plated 240s coming, and I'm looking for more brass.

I have a couple of questions maybe you folks can help me with:

1) at 6'4" 240lbs I generally don't have trouble with the slide on a pistol. This thing is STIFF, even after clean/lube. It's about all I can do to fully retract the slide.
Is that usual?

2) a quick internet search turned up zilch for replacements for the standard sights, which are black on black. Before I hit the front with a little white paint, does anyone make fiber optic replacement sights?

John

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I have Williams Firesights on my .50AE, but the front sight they provided was too short. I had to order a front sight from Dawson Precision. It is a fiber optic, too. It's been my experience with the 3 Desert Eagles I've had, that they all shoot very high. The Williams rear sight is adjustable, and has fiber optic insert, as does their front sight.

The pistol is a Mark VII, no cross-slots and a 3 serrations on the slide take-down lever.

I haven't had the pistol to the range yet, but cannot retract the slide far enough to engage the slide stop (1/4 - 3/8" short). I'm not sure it will even chamber a round, but I'm not going to try it until I can get to the range due to the amount of force required. I'm concerned about a hand slip while trying to operate the slide.

I'm wondering if the previous owner may have changed a part and used the wrong one? Is there a difference in the recoil springs of the Mk XIX?
Is there a particular orientation of the gas piston when assembling the pistol that is maybe not right?

Something has to be... off.

John

Have you tried retracting the slide without the magazine in the pistol? I can't believe a gun shop would sell you a gun with problems. Can you disassemble the gun?

Figured it out just a few minutes ago. Downloaded the manual (didn't come with one) and paid close attention to what went where as I put it together. The little projection on the collar at the end of the recoil spring assembly was dropping behind the slide block instead of through the hole to engage the gas piston. After 3 tries I put the spring in place on the slide, then maneuvered the upside down frame onto it. Seems weird and not exactly an intuitive way to do the assembly, but it got the parts into their proper positions.

If it's stupid and it works....


Thanks,
John

Glad you got it figured out. You are gonna love that gun. They are lots of fun.

Yeah, baby. 138lb boar Sunday, a running shot at 110ft- right through the ear-hole! He never felt a thing.

Having said that, despite that I have really big paws the grip on this is right at the limit of what I can comfortably grasp and I understand the complaint others have made that it's like trying to hang onto a 2x4.

I was thinking about a re-design alla the old Hammerli Olympic match pistols. What if they re-designed the frame, slimmed the grip way down and moved it back as far as possible, and moved the magazine forward of the trigger. Keep the bolt and action design the same, don't even change the mags. Minor re-design of the fcg to accommodate the change in geometry....

John

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