How Unreliable Are the Baby Eagle Magnum Research
Magnum Research has delivered a winner with its recent Baby Desert Eagle 3 in 9mm. It's a rugged, steel-frame gun that proved both accurate and reliable.
Having previously had an opportunity to put the .xl-caliber polymer-framed version of the Baby Desert Hawkeye through its paces early in 2016, when an all-steel version of this pistol in 9mm showed up unexpectedly, I didn't waste time gathering ammunition and heading to the range. After all, here was a rare opportunity to test two versions of the same pistol, in different calibers, just to see how well they stacked up to one another — and the publicity. What might have been a slow experience the second time around was actually rather revealing.
Magnum Research, endemic past Kahr Artillery, imports the Baby Desert Hawkeye. The gun is no lightweight, hitting the calibration at 38.6 ounces (unloaded). Out of the box, it feels a flake heavy, but it is a stout pistol that gives the firsthand impression that it won't intermission when the going gets tough.
This pistol has a 4.52-inch butt, and it comes with either ii 10- or 15-round magazines, depending upon the jurisdiction. My test slice had the xv-rounders, and both feature steel bodies with vivid red synthetic followers and blackness synthetic floorplates. They can be disassembled easily for cleaning.
The steel frame in this double/single-action pistol features an integral accessory rails alee of the trigger guard. The thin polymer grip panels are held in place with a unmarried screw, and they are textured on the rear for a firm concord. The front strap is grooved to enhance the grip, and the squared trigger guard has grooves and is sized large enough for use while wearing gloves.
The rear of the frame features an aplenty beavertail that some might suggest is a bit long. In my opinion, this absolutely precludes the possibility of the slide biting your gun hand during a bicycle, and anybody who has e'er suffered such a pinch volition appreciate that.
For all intents and purposes, this Baby Desert Eagle version is a "Desert Eagle" in name but. While visually similar to the original legendary pistol, when y'all tear information technology apart, it is a rather conventional semi-auto internally, and it spits out atomic number 82 with the best of them.
Takedown is remarkably uncomplicated. Pair ii pocket-size dots at the rear of the slide and frame, pop out the slide finish/release (right to left) and the slide and butt come forward off the frame. The barrel tin so be removed for a total cleaning. Information technology all goes back together by reversing the steps.
I will say this up front: Be sure to clean the shipping oils from the rail and other surfaces, and add a good lubricant to the rails before shooting. Ditto, add a couple of drops of oil to the full-length recoil spring guide. I had a single malfunction on the 3rd shot that was my fault for simply giving the gun a good surface wipe without making sure the rails and guide rod were properly lubed, simply a drop or two of Outers gun oil had it running like a sports car in curt order with both FMJ and JHP rounds from Black Hills, SIG Sauer and Browning.
Fitted with depression profile three-dot sights dovetailed on the front and rear of the slide, my examination pistol shot a flake low at 10 and 25 yards, merely non so much that I worried about how it might perform in a gunfight. It's worth noting that my before experience with the polymer-framed model also saw information technology shooting a fleck low.
My groups, fired from a sandbag rest, were adequately consistent with the exception of a flyer here and there, regardless of the bullet weight and type. The pistol seemed to similar 124-grain bullets all-time, although I did get some decent results with Browning's heavier practise and street ammunition.
Thank you to its weight, the recoil of the 9mm ammunition was hands manageable. And some of that ammunition was pretty zippy. The hottest load out of this pistol was the 115-grain SIG Sauer FMJ, averaging 1,248 fps, and right backside it was the 124-grain Black Hills JHP crossing the screens at an average of 1,239 fps. The 115-grain SIG JHP moved out at 1,210 fps, and the 124-grain SIG JHP left the cage at 1,178 fps. Browning's 147-grain BPX JHP clocked in at 1,076 fps, while the Browning 147-grain FMJ moved out slightly faster at one,094 fps. That'south going to get anyone's undivided attention.
At 12 yards, all of these rounds grouped within 2½ inches, and while I was shooting, I focused my attending on some chunks of broken clay targets at the 25 yard line, and either bankrupt them smaller or came shut enough to put the hurt on a larger target.
While I found the double-activity trigger squeeze to be a bit of a stretch in my average-sized paw, once the pistol went to single action, it was far more comfy. There was a bit of creep, but one time I got used to it, it really didn't affect marksmanship.
Similar many 9mm pistols that seem to be based on the inside-the-frame CZ 75 blueprint, the Baby Desert Eagle has a slide-mounted decocker/safety that is positioned where the rear cocking serrations are located. This makes for a scrap of an awkward cycling of the slide, but one gets used to it. The pistol functions when the lever is in the "up" position, and it is safe with the lever down.
Though non every bit light as its polymer-framed sibling, the all-steel model in 9mm is a comfy shooter, and for someone looking for a tough, total-size pistol of modern design in that caliber, this 1 might be a good option. It may take some handgunners a fleck of getting used to, but at the end of the day, this import will seem correct at home.
Specifications:
Magnum Inquiry Babe Desert Eagle III
Activeness: Semi-auto, DA/SA
Caliber: 9mm
Barrel: 4.52 in.
Weight: 38.6 oz.
Overall Length: 8.25 in.
Slide: Steel finished in black oxide
Frame: Steel
Safety: Slide-mounted, rubber/decocker
Sights: Low contour three dot fixed
Capacity: 10 or 15 rounds
MSRP: $646.00
Manufacturer: BUL Ltd.
Importer: Magnum Enquiry/Kahr Artillery
Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from the Summer 2017 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.
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Source: https://gundigest.com/gun-reviews/handguns-reviews/review-baby-desert-eagle-9mm