Advise from Desert Eagle Owners Only!!!!!

[birch]

I just picked up a brand spanking new Israeli made Desert Eagle XIX in 44mag.

I have not shot the gun yet, and need to know some information from actual owners. I have done a lot of research, and some say that they have put thousands of rounds of cast boolits through theirs with zero problems. Others say absolutly not. I think that "Castboolit" members happen to be the most informed shooters in the world. I will use these comments as my deciding factors.

This is for those who have had ACTUAL experience with reloading cast boolits in their Desert Eagles.

Have you shot lead, and if so what is the best method?

I know some may be tempted to give advise without owning the gun. Please refrain. If this is a jacketed only gun, I need to know. If however there is at least one person out there who shoots their Eagles regularly with cast, I would love to hear from them.

I remember only a few short years ago that noone shot cast out of their AR platform rifles. Now it is a mainstay.

[shorty500M]

hard alloy, hard lube, gascheck, clean burning powders and regularly flood gasport with cleaning agents capable of removing any vaporized lead from port

[NoZombies]

Well, I don't own one currently, but I did, will that work?

I didn't see the need for the GC myself, but make sure the bases of your bullets are good and square, and the alloy is at least medium hard. I found that .001" over groove was better than .002 or .003. I'm not sure exactly why, and that's not saying yours will be the same, but that's what worked best for me.

I put about 500 rounds through the one that I owned before I sold it to a friend who just 'had to' have it. I believe he's still shooting cast through it. When I sold it to him, it wasn't having any issues, and hadn't yet required anything beyond standard cleaning. AFAIK he hasn't had any problems related to cast bullets either.

I admit, I wasn't sad to see it go, chasing cheap brass that drops near my right foot is bad enough, chasing expensive brass that was flung into the county behind me someplace was getting pretty old. I only shot book loads through it (who would hot rod one?) but I found that the loads at the lower end were more pleasant and kept the brass in the same county, instead of 2 counties over.

[birch]

Thanks everyone.

I think I am going to try it out. It is very hard to find any .44 ammo and I have some cast loads ready to go. If anyone has any favorite loads, I would love to hear them. I'll keep this thread up to date as I experiment as there is not alot of cast threads anywhere on the net.

[reed1911]

I have one in .357 Mag and had to return it to the company to have the ports cleaned due to lead.
It took about 500 rounds before it began short cycle, I only shoot plated or jacketed through it now.

[ebner glocken]

Several years ago I bought a .41 mag at a stellar price, the gas system was loaded up terribly. A zip lock bag full of Kroil works wonders (takes about 2 weeks soak), so does an ultrasonic cleaner. As noted above: hard lubes, hard alloy if you go conventional route clean every time you shoot.

I have recently started powder coating boolets and plan on applying them to my desert eagles and a ported dan wesson. Too many projects, too little time but I will get to it. I would like to shoot some PC .41, .44, and 50AEs in things that are supposed to be "jacket required". Btw, the wesson was also bought cheap, the barrel was damn near welded on with lead fouling. It took a combination of weeks in a bag of Kroil, dry ice in the barrel/boiling water over the shroud, probably an hour in an ultrasonic cleaner. Patience prevailed.

Ebner

[OuchHot!]

I did manage to get mine (44m) to short stroke but it took a lot of rounds....maybe 750. These were GC hard cast, slightly over sized. The accuracy was very good (desert eagles are very accurate in my experience) with a hard boolit. I soaked the gas system with atf and repeatedly blew it out and function returned. I got the impression that it was lube, not so much leading, that had wadded up just inside the gas port. My gun still shoots fine but mostly j-types now.

[Groo]

Groo here
I have an early one with both 357 and 44 "kits"
After shooting some factory loads that were rnfmj but had lead bases "old stuff" and needing the tool to hog out the lead from the gass system, I have stayed with Jackets and plated.
I MAY try some Bayou bullets this summer as they use a dry coating.
Ps, Some people have problems with the pistol but I have found that as long as you follow the manual or user fullup loads all is well.