The IMI Desert Eagle is a semi-automatic handgun notable for chambering the largest centerfire cartridge of any magazine fed, self-loading pistol. It has a unique design with a triangular barrel and large muzzle. Magnum Research Inc. (MRI) designed and developed the Desert Eagle. Since 2009, the Desert Eagle pistol has been produced in the United States at MRI's Pillager, MN facility.[1] The pistol is primarily used for hunting, target shooting, and silhouette shooting.[1][2]
Often renamed for copyright reasons, the firearm has been represented in a number of James Bond video games, including The World Is Not Enough (2000), Nightfire (2002), GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004), and Everything or Nothing (2004). It has been named alternatively the "Raptor Magnum" and the "Jackal .357" and is typically one of the more powerful handguns that the player can use during the game.
Background[]
The pistol is fired by a single action hammer, and has a manual safety switch on the slide. The ambidextrous safety switch rotates a drum mechanism which sits over the firing pin, causing the firing pin to lock in, which prevents it from moving forward and reduces the possibility of the gun discharging accidentally. With the safety off, pulling the trigger releases the hammer to fall downward, hitting the firing pin and causing the chambered round to discharge. The Desert Eagle uses a gas-operated mechanism normally found in rifle, as opposed to the short recoil or blow-back designs most commonly seen in semi-automatic pistols. The advantage of the gas operation is that it allows the use of far more powerful cartridges than traditional semi-automatic pistol designs. Thus it allows the Desert Eagle to compete in an area that had previously been dominated by magnum revolvers. Downsides of the gas-operated mechanism are the large size of the Desert Eagle, and the fact that it discourages the use of unjacketed lead bullets, as lead particles sheared off during firing could clog the gas release tap, preventing proper function.[2]The Desert Eagle is fed with a detachable magazine. Magazine capacity is 9 rounds in .357 Magnum, 8 rounds in .44 Magnum, and 7 rounds in .50 Action Express. The Desert Eagle's barrel features polygonal rifling.
History[]
The World is Not Enough[]
"Raptor Magnum" in The World is Not Enough (2000)
The Desert Eagle is first introduced in Electronic Arts' 2000 video-game, The World Is Not Enough. Renamed the "Raptor Magnum", the firearm is a stainless steel Desert Eagle Mk XIX (noted by the barrel-mounted rails), chambered in .50 Action Express (noted by the non-fluted barrel), with the teardrop safety of the Mark I variant, and is fitted with a frame-mounted laser sight. Because of its heavy-calibre rounds, the Magnum holds less ammunition (with a clip size of 8 rounds) than a standard firearm such as the "Wolfram P2K" (the game's renamed Walther P99). In alternate fire mode, it is even more accurate, though slightly slower to reload. It is the most powerful pistol in the game.[3]
Nightfire[]
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"Raptor Magnum" in Nightfire (2002, PC variant)
The Desert Eagle also appears in 007: Nightfire as the "Raptor Magnum". A heavy calibre handgun, it is the most powerful handgun, aside from the Golden Gun. It comes in .50 AE and .357 magnum. The clip size on both is low but the .357 model (distinguishable by its two-tone pattern) is equipped with a laser sight which when activated increases accuracy, but at the cost of a slightly slower rate of fire. Unlike the console version, the computer adaptation of Nightfire only has the .357 magnum variant of the weapon.[4]
GoldenEye: Rogue Agent[]
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"Jackal .357" in GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004)
The Desert Eagle appears frequently in Rogue Agent as the "Jackal .357". With heavy firepower in a small package, the Jackal .357 is the most popular pistol in the underworld.[5] It is extremely accurate and more powerful than GoldenEye's "SPEC-9" sidearm that he begins each level with. The weapon has a clip size of 8 rounds and the player can carry up to a maximum of 48 rounds in addition to the active clip.[6] However, it is outclassed by many other heavier weapons, especially at close range. The Jackal .357 can be wielded akimbo without any effect on accuracy.
Everything or Nothing[]
It appears as the Desert Eagle, and is one of the few handguns in the game. It is powerful and accurate, though ammo for it is typically quite limited.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Desert Eagle has been featured in roughly 500 motion pictures and TV films, along with several video games (especially the Resident Evil series, Counter-Strike series, Grand Theft Auto series, Tomb Raider series, Far Cry series, Left 4 Dead series, and Call of Duty series), making it well known in popular culture.[7]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Taffin, John (2005). "The Desert Eagle of Magnum Research". Guns Magazine 30 (8). Retrieved on 3 January 2010.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hartink, A.E. (2002). The Complete Encyclopedia of Pistols and Revolvers. Edison, New Jersey: Chartwell Books, Inc, 165–167. ISBN 978-0-7858-1519-8.
- ↑ The World is Not Enough: Official Strategy Guide (Prima's Official Strategy Guides), Prima Games, 30 Nov 2000, p.6
- ↑ (2002) Nightfire: Instruction Booklet (Gamecube). Electronic Arts, p.15.
- ↑ (2004) GoldenEye: Rogue Agent Instruction Booklet. Electronic Arts, p.9.
- ↑ Goldeneye: Rogue Agent: Official Strategy Guide (Prima's Official Strategy Guides), Prima Games, 26 November 2004, p.157
- ↑ Rees, Clair (1998). Multiple Threat Magnum. American Handgunner. Retrieved on 2010-04-15.