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The Desert Eagle is a pistol known primarily through pop culture, which was designed based on the operating principle of a gas-operated mechanism with a rotating bolt. The weapon was developed in 1982 by the American company Magnum Research, but has also been produced over the years by various manufacturers (Israel Military Industries, Saco Defense).
The weapon impresses mainly due to its size and weight, which is also the reason why it is often used in movies and video games. The Desert Eagle has the following dimensions: Length: 273 mm, Height: 159 mm, Width: 32 mm. The weapon weighs approximately 2 kg when unloaded, depending on the model. It is designed for large calibers and is available in: .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum, and .50 AE.
Due to its size, it is only occasionally used in hunting and sports - however, the weapon is well-suited for the finishing shot on large and tough game. The large calibers lead to comparatively low magazine capacities of 7-9 rounds.
Desert Eagle models have different characteristics depending on whether they are of Israeli or American production: Israeli models are considered more precise due to their polygonal barrels than their American counterparts, but they are more susceptible to rust and therefore require more maintenance. Fingerprints that cannot be cleaned properly can leave brown prints on Israeli Desert Eagles after a short time because the aggressiveness of hand sweat is sufficient to attack the coarse, blued surface structure of the models. Therefore, both American and Israeli-made Desert Eagle models require a lot of care. This applies not only to the surface but also to the interior of the weapon. When firing lead bullets, deposits form in the grip, making it difficult to open the weapon. Therefore, frequent and thorough cleaning is essential in this regard as well.
Due to the heavy calibers, the Desert Eagle was designed based on the principle of a gas-operated mechanism - a mechanism that is otherwise mainly used in semi-automatic, military-grade long guns. The gas pressure generated by the shot is redirected through a channel, which then delays the opening of the bolt. The locking of the bolt occurs similarly to that of bolt-action rifles via a rotating bolt mechanism. This construction is necessary because the Desert Eagle experiences a significantly higher gas pressure than pistols designed based on the Browning or blowback principles.
