Baby Desert Eagle II, anyone?

[TonyS. 12]

So I somehow happened upon seeing Magnum Research's Baby Desert Eagle II and now the drooling doesn't stop.    I love the look and the reviews are mostly positive. The only thing that throws me is the safety/decocking lever placement. At the back on top of the slide grip? Really? Does anyone own one of these and is it a RPITA racking the slide with that in the way?

[ogfarmer 138]

Lous in Raritan has one, I liked it, but not enough to get one.

[T Bill 649]

I guess it's what you like.  I know when you break it completely down for a good cleaning, it is nasty to re-assemble.  Takes more than two hands without special tools.

[A-Tech 8]

So I somehow happened upon seeing Magnum Research's Baby Desert Eagle II and now the drooling doesn't stop. I love the look and the reviews are mostly positive. The only thing that throws me is the safety/decocking lever placement. At the back on top of the slide grip? Really? Does anyone own one of these and is it a RPITA racking the slide with that in the way?

I just got one in July. Here is mine:

 

The safety/decocker actually aids in racking the slide. It makes it easier to "slingshot" as wrapping your hand over the top does yield much grip because of how little slide there is. I love this gun. For me, it shoots incredibly flat and points perfectly. There is no aftermarket for it though. Not even holsters. It actually got me into making holsters like this one:

One of the first things I did when I got it home was start cleaning up the trigger. I highly recommend against doing that as it was a nightmare to reassmble, and I'm no stranger to things like this. All in all, I highly recommend you get the gun if you can.

[Njbanshee 9]

I have it and love it. It's a cz clone. Can't go wrong.

[mustang69 505]

I have the all-steel version in .40s&w.  Overall it's a nice shooter.  Heavy, but that helps a lot with felt recoil in taming the .40s&w rounds.  Easy to shoot, more accurate than I am.  It's one of my frequent range guns but not HD.  I believe it's an update on or knockoff of the Israeli Jericho.

[JT Custom Guns 956]

Guns are like pizza, lots of choices and you may like one that i don't.

That being said, the DE baby II has trapazoidal (not sure if that is an official word)

shaped slide and the safety takes up much of the flat surface that I would want to use

to rack the slide. I find it an annoyance to say the least.

 

O.K. - 9mm isn't hard to rack anyway, but it's just (IMO) poorly placed.

 

As a CZ clone, there are better (EAA Witness, Witness Elite, ect) are just some examples

[AnthonyG 36]

I own it in .45 I love the gun, being that it is a cz clone with some cuts to make it look like a desert eagle. There is slightly less real estate to rack the slide but its manageable and I enjoy the gun over all. I feel for the price the gun is worth it and it is built very well and accurate.

[Michael2013 56]

I have it, 9mm all steel.  Don't have any problems with the slide or whatever.

I have the all-steel version in .40s&w.  Overall it's a nice shooter.  Heavy, but that helps a lot with felt recoil in taming the .40s&w rounds.  Easy to shoot, more accurate than I am.  It's one of my frequent range guns but not HD.  I believe it's an update on or knockoff of the Israeli Jericho.

It is the same Jericho, just under a different name.

[A-Tech 8]

Guns are like pizza, lots of choices and you may like one that i don't.

That being said, the DE baby II has trapazoidal (not sure if that is an official word)

shaped slide and the safety takes up much of the flat surface that I would want to use

to rack the slide. I find it an annoyance to say the least.

 

O.K. - 9mm isn't hard to rack anyway, but it's just (IMO) poorly placed.

 

As a CZ clone, there are better (EAA Witness, Witness Elite, ect) are just some examples

The Witness Elite Tanfoglio was actually on my shopping list when I bought the eagle but at less than half the cost, I love, LOVE, this pistol. Im sure I will one day get the witness because it is certainly a better looking gun.

[raz-0 1,259]

My opinon. Don't buy the polymer frames. I have seen them crack in .40, and they don't ahve the level of beefyness that CZ used when they made their polymer version. I jsut don't think polymer is well suited to the frame rails being outside the slide. 

 

I have an older baby eagle from back when the slide release was the long dog leg design. You can worry about the slide mounted decocker/safeyt all you want. Competing with it it was never dislodged form the position it was supposed to be in without me doing so deliberately. I cannot say the same about the dog leg slide catch/release, which due to having large hands and long fingers, I would accidentally engage fairly often

 

It was definitely accurate and soft shooting. Less picky about mags than the CZ, and had a smoother trigger out of the box. As for the witness pistols being better, tanfoglio makes the baby eagle components for IWI, at least the metal framed version.

 

IMO if you don't want the all metal version, you don't really want this gun and would be better served by other more popular designs. 

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

You guys are a "bad" influence, I handled one of these today after seeing this thread and now I want one...

[A-Tech 8]

You guys are a "bad" influence, I handled one of these today after seeing this thread and now I want one...

Let me know when (because you will) you buy it. I'll set you up with a holster for it.

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

I'll keep that in mind, but I'm always off from another gun purchase, although known where to get a holster does help