Desert Eagle & Cast Boolits?

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I know that there are countless webpages saying not to do it, but as far as I can tell they are all repeating hearsay and the typical factory warning against handloads in general.

I have dreams of eventually owning one in 50AE (duhhh) however I was disappointed to hear that supposedly cast boolits are bad for them do to their gas system. I would like to hear from people who have actually loaded a DE with cast boolits.

Also I hear that the gas system is so hard to clean that they have to go back to the factory. Is this true?

My thought is if you can shoot cast through a gas rifle why not a gas pistol?

[mike in co]

I know that there are countless webpages saying not to do it, but as far as I can tell they are all repeating hearsay and the typical factory warning against handloads in general.

I have dreams of eventually owning one in 50AE (duhhh) however I was disappointed to hear that supposedly cast boolits are bad for them do to their gas system. I would like to hear from people who have actually loaded a DE with cast boolits.

Also I hear that the gas system is so hard to clean that they have to go back to the factory. Is this true?

My thought is if you can shoot cast through a gas rifle why not a gas pistol?


cause the gas system is next to impossible to clean.......that what magnum research said originally.

[MtGun44]

If the gas system is hard/impossible to clean, I'd stay away from lead boolits, too.
Bummer design "feature".

Bill

[2ndAmendmentNut]

But that is my question. Is the gas system really that hard to clean? There must be a way to do it.

The gas powered rifles and shotguns I own can be a little tricky, but I would not call them impossible. Once you know the trick it’s no big deal to clean them on occasion.

[Buckshot]

.............When these handguns first came out, one of the reviews talked about cast lead being a no-no and had a cut away or phantom drawing that showed the gas actuating system. The reason was explained, referencing the drawing for evidence. It sure made sense to me that you'd NOT want to be shooting lead in that thing.

It REALLY wasn't one of those manufacturer sidesteps such as not recommending you shoot reloaded ammo.

..............Buckshot

[fredj338]

I believe it uses a gas piston. Lead blow by builds up on the piston & obviously reliability suffer. I had one in 44mag. I only shot jacketed bullets out of it.

[Lloyd Smale]

my buddy shot thousands of cast bullets out of his 50ae and it shot them accurately and never caused a lick of trouble. he sold it to another buddy who is still shooting them.

[44man]

Use HARD cast and I don't see a problem. I would also use a hard lube.

[mtgrs737]

If you did plug the small gas passage way could you use something to desolve the lead build up? I have heard that Mercury will desolve lead, but maybe one of those foul out machines that outers sells would do the same thing without Mercury. I have heard that a battery charger can be rigged up to do the same.

[NSP64]

I had one in .357 back in '86 and it would stop functioning when I used lead. I was using store bought boolits. The gas intake point on it was in the forcing cone area(where it transisions from chamber to rifling). the gas then went forward in a gas channel under the barrel. then it turned 180* to push the piston rearward. It looked like it took a lot of machining to make. The gas port in the chamber area would fill with lead (piece of safetywire and pick it out) I haven't looked at the newer pistols to see if the are made different. Maybe if I had been casting my own then, it wouldn't have leaded:-D

[leadeye]

I have one of the first .357s, bought in the early 80s. Never fired cast in it but it ate very powerful handloads without a burp. I still have it nearly 30 years later and it is still a strong shooter.:-D