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  #1  
Old 09-24-2016, 6:33 PM
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Default The Answer to the Question That Nobody Asked (Desert Eagle .357) ... but it's fun!

Picked up this 1983-1984 vintage Mk I .357 (date according to Magnum Research's best guess, I understand that records from that period at IMI were destroyed) last weekend from the local Cabela's Gun Library. They had all firearms marked down, making it a bargain I couldn't pass up. It ain't practical, but it's fun! The holster is an equally vintage Blackhawk that I have had absolutely no use for... until now.



Tested it in the trap at work over the week, just to be sure it operated correctly. Shooting into the trap is like kissing your cousin, though... not terribly exciting. Got it out today and tested several .357 loads and one .38 +P+, just to see what it would do:



All of the .357 158 gr. loads functioned flawlessly, but the pistol seemed to function best on the American Eagle load. As expected, the Federal Premium .38 +P+ partially extracted, but did not fully cycle, therefore I did not bother to try the Winchester +P+ (a relic of my earlier days in law enforcement when we all used revolvers!).

Here is the first group tried, using the PMC. I was still getting used to the trigger and huge grip frame; subsequent groups were more on center for windage. This group was fired at 25 yards, offhand; POA was the bottom center of the orange. I found later that the elevation was right on for this load at approximately 75 yards.



This was the American Eagle, fired as rapidly as I could recover sight picture (which wasn't that quickly as my wrists were tired from holding this porky autoloader up by that time!), at the same 25 yard distance. The low flyer is my fault, I jerked that shot. I think that while not my first choice for carry guns, this Desert Eagle would do nicely for defensive purposes if needed.

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Old 09-24-2016, 8:13 PM
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Man, that looks really cool. I have lusted over one of those since I was a teenager. Still on my list if I can ever save up enough to get one!

Nice score and good shooting!
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Old 09-24-2016, 8:19 PM
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Does your DE .357 have a rifled barrel?
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  #4  
Old 09-25-2016, 12:40 AM
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It has polygonal rifling. If what I read is correct, only the first thousand or so pistols had land and groove rifling. Mine is serial 55XX.
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Old 09-25-2016, 4:47 AM
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I remember when those started getting popular: "The world's first crew-served handgun." I'm guessing with all that weight and gas operation, the .357s were fairly mild, recoil wise?

75 yards is actually a good zero for a .357, it gives you a minute-of-deer (or perp, whatever) point-blank range out to about 125 yards or so, depending on the load of course.


Ah, yes, the .38 +P+ days. I had a t-shirt that had a pic of a SWC .38 round with an atomic symbol on it. "+P+Uranium. Support the use of low-yield nuclear devices by local law enforcement." Nice conversation starter, fun with the lefties.

- So, shooting people isn't enough, you want to poison them with uranium too?
- Naw, I was thinking of an actual device. You know, just a leetle mushroom cloud, like 6' high. Probably have to fence off about a 20' circle for a few hundred years.
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Old 09-25-2016, 5:24 AM
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I had one just like it back in the early 90s. I was young, stupid and had a few alcohol induced comas. 158 grain JSP shot reliably and my accuracy load was 140 grain JHP which also shot reliably. Tried to shoot just about all types of 357 mag loads trough it including hardcast. That's when problems started with the DEagle. I was stationed in Maine and I was sold on revolvers for reliability, accuracy, ruggedness and simplicity. 6 rounds in the chamber always went bang even at the coldest temperature I dared to venture out into the dense woods.

I wish I never sold that DEagle, but I have one again in 44 magnum.
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Old 09-25-2016, 5:56 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpyoldretiredcop View Post
It has polygonal rifling. If what I read is correct, only the first thousand or so pistols had land and groove rifling. Mine is serial 55XX.

I just checked mine is just under 5000. It has riflings

Have never been able to find any information on the rifled Mark 1 series

the .357 is more fun to shoot then the .44 version

Hope you enjoy
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Old 09-25-2016, 6:33 AM
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Very cool, thanks for sharing!
Back in the day, I really wanted one, especially the set with the 14 inch barrel.
I rented one a Target Master's West and it was heavy and I could barely rack the slide so I didn't buy one.
Nowadays I see the .44's all the time but I still want the .357.
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Old 09-25-2016, 6:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Hardwarejunkie View Post
Very cool, thanks for sharing!
Back in the day, I really wanted one, especially the set with the 14 inch barrel.
I rented one a Target Master's West and it was heavy and I could barely rack the slide so I didn't buy one.
Nowadays I see the .44's all the time but I still want the .357.
You can still buy the barrel and bolt for the .44 version that is sold in CA

The older Mark 1 is .357 only and can not be converted

The .357 is a hoot to shoot
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"While it may come as a surprise to the authors of the legislation, most semi-automatic pistols do in fact come with a pistol grip"
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  #10  
Old 09-25-2016, 6:12 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malthusian View Post
I just checked mine is just under 5000. It has riflings

Have never been able to find any information on the rifled Mark 1 series

the .357 is more fun to shoot then the .44 version

Hope you enjoy
I've found a little info, pretty much all third (or worse) hand. Example from an older Desert Eagle forum: http://thedeserteagle.yuku.com/reply...rs#reply-27208

Quote:
History is hard to find, but what I've gleaned from various sources.
1978 to 1985, working prototype (.357 eagle), patent applied for.
Early 1985, production prototype, serial #3001-4001, looks like Mk I, but will not interchange with later Mk I, bore is traditional land and groove rifling.
Mid 1985, .357 Mk I begins production at IMI. Mk I uses same frame/lower as all later Desert Eagles.
1987, Mk I .44 Magnum introduced using larger slide and barrel, as well as different recoil spring assembly. Changing between .357 and .44 involves swapping entire upper.
1989, Mk VII introduced. Safety levers changed from tear drop to hook shape, slide release lever changed from single step to three step, trigger changed from non adjustable to two stage adjustable trigger.
1990ish, 41 Magnum introduced using .44 slide and barrel blanks. Changing from .44 to .41 involves changing bolt, barrel and magazine. Slide marked .41/.44 caliber
1990 .50AE developed
1994, Mk VII .50AE Desert Eagle introduced. This gun is dimensionally Identical to the later Mk XIX and will inter change with all other Mk XIX models , but is marked .50AE caliber on the slide.
1995 Mk XIX introduced, though Mk VII continues production for a few years. .41 Magnum dropped, .44 and .357 Magnum scaled up to .50AE slide and barrel blank, requiring bolt barrel and mag change for .357 and only a barrel and mag change for .50AE
1995, production moved to SAKO Defense in Maine, USA.
IMI reorganizes into IWI
1998, production moves back to IWI, in Israel.
1999, .440 CorBon is indroduced. 100 guns are built before problems lead to production being halted. Production never resumes, making a true .440 Desert Eagle the rarest of production DEs. a larger number of .440 barrels were built
2008, IWI production slows down, .357 is temporarily dropped from the catalog , the majority of Magnum Research production is moved to Pillager, MN. The Mk XIX V2 is introduced, featuring a one piece barrel design, nine slotted weaver rail and tear drop safety levers.
2010 Khar Arms buys Magnum Research.
2013 New production V2 .357 is introduced with redesigned chamber and bolt. Older Mk XIX .357s are not interchangeable with the new barrel and/or bolt design.

That's the gist of what I've been able to figure out. I don't claim that it's 100% accurate, but I think it's pretty close.
Here's another, from: http://world.guns.ru/handguns/hg/isr...t-eagle-e.html

Quote:
After research that included thousands of rounds of test-firing, a fully functional .357 Magnum production model was produced in an edition of just over 1,000 pistols. These pistols, collector's items today, have traditional land-and-grove rifling, and they will not accept extended barrels or caliber conversion kits. The serial numbers for these pistols start at #3001.
I have the feeling that not even IMI/IWI, never mind Magnum Research or nowadays, Kahr Arms, really knows how many conventionally rifled pistols were made, how many were produced and how many were imported, especially as IMI's early records were destroyed. If your pistol's barrel is truly original to the pistol, it certainly gives the lie to the statements above.

BTW, by my understanding, the frame of the Mk I is identical to the Mk VII, for which caliber conversion kits were available. If one were to find an orphaned Mk VII slide, bolt and barrel, they should work. Of course, for the price of those parts, you could probably just buy a Mk VII, or maybe even a current production pistol! My fondest hope is to find those parts in some garage sale (you can buy guns at a garage sale in my neck of the woods, and it's not unusual to see guns or parts) or maybe in the tiny gun shows in the local area. Gives me a reason to go garage saleing...
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Last edited by Grumpyoldretiredcop; 09-25-2016 at 6:23 PM..
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  #11  
Old 09-25-2016, 6:15 PM
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Nice! What does that thing weigh with a full mag in it?
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  #12  
Old 09-25-2016, 6:26 PM
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I haven't weighed it. A Mk VII, pretty much identical, supposedly weighs about 3.9 lbs empty. It's doggone heavy, that much I know!

On the other hand, there's not nearly as much recoil as you'd expect, even though you're firing full-house 158 gr. loads. I had no problem firing one handed.
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Old 09-25-2016, 8:19 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Malthusian View Post
You can still buy the barrel and bolt for the .44 version that is sold in CA

The older Mark 1 is .357 only and can not be converted

The .357 is a hoot to shoot

Any leads on the barrel and bolt for a MkVII? I reached out to Magnum Research about getting the .357 conversion parts for my .44, never heard back. Been looking around for used parts too, without success...
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