First time Pistol purchase?

Question

I'm in the purchase of a pistol(s). There are two pistols that have caught my eye...the Desert Eagle .50AE and the Taurus 24/7 OSS. .45 caliber. I really like both hand guns so much I'm really looking into buying both. Why is there so much price difference between both hand guns? Realyzing the obvious of caliber size. Is it much like buying a 8 cylinder exotic car and a 12 cylinder exotic? the same as a .45 and .50 and or will i be paying for the name "Desert Eagle .50"?

I live in LA. if there are any gun shops that you would recommend that will also be appreciated.

First time buyer but not first time user....

Answer 1

Redbull,

Just what do you want to do with this new pistol?

They are two entirely different types of animal!

The Desert Eagle .50 AE is a hunting gun, nothing else. It is much too big and too heavy for effective use as a concealed carry weapon, and the ammo is overly powerful for home defense use. (You'd shoot through your walls and probably through at least two walls in your neighbor's house.)

The Taurus 24/7 is chambered for .45 ACP, and is much less powerful. It is a very good defensive cartridge, but as a hunting round, it lacks power to be reliable.

The Desert Eagle is made in Israel and is a very complicated mechanism. It is gas operated, meaning you must use jacketed bullets exclusively. It is very large, and very heavy. The fact that Israeli wages are high, pretty comparable to American wages, adds to the cost of the weapon.

The Taurus 24/7 is made in Brazil, where wages and standard of living are far below American standards. The pistol is recoil operated and thus less complicated and easier to manufacture. That is part of the reason it is less expensive than the Desert Eagle.

And as you suspect, part of the cost is in the Desert Eagle name. Since it's introduction in the early 1980's, the name has been synonymous with high quality. Taurus on the other hand started out making cheap revolvers, and has at times had a reputation for spotty quality control. Many folks still consider Taurus to be a maker of cheap shoddy revolvers rather than the producers of high quality, innovative firearms that it is today.

Just be aware that neither of these pistols are what I would consider an all around handgun. One is a hunting handgun, the other a defensive/concealed carry gun. If you want one handgun to be an all around handgun, you need to consider a revolver. An S&W M-629 Mountain Gun would come close to filling that role, though a bit on the large side. With a .44 RemMag revolver, you can load heavy hunting ammunition for hunting and woods roaming, and you can load mid-range .44 Remmag or .44 S&W SPL ammo for defensive use or concealed carry use in the city.

Doc

Answer 2

I would first have to say think twice before even forking out cash for a Desert Eagle. The DE always jams and ejects casings back towards the shooters head. Along with being heavy to carry and ammo being a pain (50 AE) the pistol is better off to be overlooked for something else.
Taurus on the other hand is a pistol that I hear and see mixed reviews about. I hear some shooters love them but then at the same time I see other shooters bring them back. Either the pistol was broke or they wanted something better.
For calibers the .45 auto is a nice round that leave a nice size hole in the target, and the cost I had been buying rounds for was about the same for .40 S&W. 9mm is a fun round for a beginer to get used to a handgun without breaking the bank sort of speak. Alot of manufacturers also make nice pistols to shoot them too.

Answer 3

I would not buy the .50AE. It really serves no purpose, big and bulky, and pricey. The recoil is much more than you would see Laura Croft have or any other move star character.

If you like .45ACP go with that and try a 9mm or something else other than the .50. If you want something that is more purpose full and packs a punch go with the smith and wesson .460 or .500. They are around the same price as the Eagle and can be used to hunt and have that power you seem to want.

I would stay away from the desert eagle as it really serves no purpose and is ridiculous in recoil, and price. Only in Hollywood.

As for why the prices are so different: The same reason why a Cadillac is more than a Ford Taurus. Different manufacture, different parts for different calibers, etc. Outside of that answer, maybe one of the other guys here will be able to give more detail.

Good luck and shoot safe.

Answer 4

For first time pistol buying, it's best to buy something like a .22 LR pistol ( revolver or semi-auto, your choice) because you can buy a lot of ammo for a little bit of money (usually less than $20 for 500 rounds). Not to mention that .22 LR pistols are usually very cheap (in the neighborhood of $200-$500 depending on make, model, and type). You should really consider purchasing a .22 LR pistol because it's one of those calibers that's fun to shoot and doesn't cost an arm or a leg in the long run. Some good options are the Walther P22, Browning Buckmark, Ruger MK III or 22/45, Ruger Single Six Revolver, Heritage .22 Single Action Revolvers, Smith and Wesson 22A, and the Taurus 94 Revolver.

Answer 5

The best two (2)* choices for your purpose is a 357 magnum revolver made by Smith & Wesson 4" barrel, because you can also shoot 38 caliber ammo in it also.* You get two (2)* handguns for the price of one (1)*.. Or buy a Colt Combat Commander Pistol in 45 acp.* Both are proven to be true man stoppers and for Target.* Or buy both of them.* Forget about the 50 caliber.* I have both the Colt & Smith & Wesson.*

Answer 6

Other than a 22LR the 9mm pistol is the most cost effective way to shoot your pistol on a regular basis without breaking the bank. Don't let the caliber discussion fool you the 9mm wouldn't have been around for 100 years if it didn't work and with the new modern ammunition it works every well indeed.
I feed mine the Speer Gold Dots for self-defense and feel very secure using this round.

Answer 7

Neither of the pistols you mention are on the California Department of Justice "Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale". Therefore you will not be able to buy one from a dealer. Your only legal option would be to purchase them from a private party and accomplish a "private party transfer" through a dealer. Sorry that I can't recommend a Los Angeles area dealer (I live in Northern California) but you need to find one you can talk to about all the intricacies of buying firearms in the state. You should also check out the DOJ website for information. Good Luck! You're probably going to need it.

Answer 8

The Desert Eagle is too bulky, and way too powerful for defense and carry purposes. I would recommend that you choose something else.