Father's Day Desert Eagle 1911G

[Joe L]

I had a Desert Eagle 1911G and a Ruger SR1911 coming this way. The Desert Eagle got here on Friday, so that is what I would up with for my first and only 1911. Field stripped, oiled, safety checked, and went to the range on Friday in the 110F heat, shot 150 rounds through it. Went home, took it apart, smoothed the grip safety area and the trigger with a Dremel, went back and shot it 200 times on Sunday morning. Wow, what a sweet shooting gun! Very repeatable, nice .45. Here are some photos...
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-FpW3BnV/0/M/i-FpW3BnV-M.jpg
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-f66JRKV/0/M/i-f66JRKV-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-GBXNrNR/0/M/i-GBXNrNR-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-xBbV2MK/0/M/i-xBbV2MK-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-SVXc7Vm/0/M/i-SVXc7Vm-M.jpg

Obviously, the firearm needs some cleaning! Can't believe I got to shoot it this much this weekend. IDPA targets, paper plates, and steel silhouettes. This is fun.

Joe

[Bawanna]

Very very nice. Heard good things about them and sounds like yours is a keeper too. You got a Ruger inbound too? Kind of a 1911 hog ain't ya?

I haven't seen the Ruger in person yet but I sure would like too.

[mrsig239]

Very nice! Watch out for that 1911 bug. I went from none at all to three before I caught myself..Waiting for pics on the new Ruger too.

[Joe L]

Thanks, gentlemen. I've put 400 rounds through the gun so far. I have eliminated the grip/safety pin flange bite by smoothing out the pieces a little more than shown above, and I have shot the gun enough without much wind at steel silhouettes to see how much more accurately I can shoot this gun than the service and carry guns I have. I am becoming a real 1911 fan now, I'm afraid. This pistol is a fantastic shooter! I can't shoot it very quickly, but it will hit POA every time, nothing much more I could ask for at all. Makes me want to go put a fitted barrel and a trigger job on my P226 9mm.

[jlottmc]

I'm jealous. Nice work.

[Joe L]

I am going to turn down the Ruger SR1911. It can't be any better than this one.
Joe

[Joe L]

I now have about 600 rounds through this pistol. The only problem I had I contributed to myself. I had 1 or 2 premature slide locks due to bullets bumping the slide lock lever, so I filed down the original mim part a little. This eliminated the round bump but I took too much off so the ACT magazines would miss the ledge sometimes. McCormick mags still worked fine all the time. I ordered a Wilson Combat Bullet Proof slide lock lever and installed it straight from the wrapper and all problems solved.

I also changed out the sights to Meprolight night sights to match my SIG 3 dot sights. Also added Hogue finger grips like I have on my other pistols, works well with my long fingers.

Now the gun is perfect! No more changes, just more rounds! ...Well maybe some trigger work...

Joe

[Joe L]

And here is why I will keep this pistol and probably turn down the Ruger SR1911...last night at the range at 25 yards, no support, standing, two handed grip with a shoulder that is going in for surgery this morning...5 shots in the circles are from the Desert Eagle 1911. The slashed ones are P226 SIG same distance.
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-6mzmKSJ/0/M/i-6mzmKSJ-M.jpg

I should be able to control that flier at 8 oclock after the shoulder is fixed. I gotta be honest, I couldn't duplicate this grouping again, but I'm working on it.
Joe

[TucsonMTB]

And here is why I will keep this pistol and probably turn down the Ruger SR1911...last night at the range at 25 yards, no support, standing, two handed grip with a shoulder that is going in for surgery this morning...5 shots in the circles are from the Desert Eagle 1911.
Looks like a winner! Even though the two pistols you are considering are very similar, I'll bet you won't stop with just the one. Many of us find that 1911's are a little like potato chips. :rolleyes:

[knkali]

I understand you completely. 1911's are just great guns.

[Joe L]

Update--I had left shoulder surgery 3 weeks ago. I've been shooting this Desert Eagle single handed over that time period. Shooting single handed will bring out every tendency toward flinching or poor trigger movement! But I am happy to say I can hit a 10" plate pretty darn well with all my pistols now at 25 yards. But the DE is still the smallest group. An absolute joy to shoot. Still. I have over a 1000 rounds through this pistol. It's going to take a P226 X-5 Competition at 3x the price to match it accuracy wise.
Joe

[TheTman]

25 yards off hand? Man, I can't even see that far anymore, great shooting, even with the flyer. Without a sandbag I doubt if I could get them all in the scoring area, if I even hit the paper.

[Bawanna]

Good deal Joe. I'm a firm believer in don't mess with success and it surely looks like you've found it.

A 226 would just be a box filler. Ok, go ahead and get one but I suspect you won't be putting that DE down anytime soon.

Hope the shoulders healing good for ya.

[Joe L]

Well, an update. I now have a new SIG X-5 AllRound in 9mm and it is an excellent shooter. But the DE 1911G is still easier to shoot good groups at distance with! The Desert Eagle is a great gun. I asked my range officer buddy to swap with me long enough to shoot his Wilson Combat while he shot my DE. He couldn't believe the gun was that nice, and shot that well. He assumed I had already done a trigger job on the DE. Nope.

[OldLincoln]

I'm glad you posted Joe. I have a Colt Commander 1911 and of course have a couple idiot marks from reinstalling the slide lock. I found instructions for a simple mod which I did and the problem is gone. My question is do the DE's have an issue with that?

[Joe L]

Old Lincoln--I was warned about the idiot marks before I got my 1911 so I have been very careful to avoid creating one. The DE is just like your Colt in that area. Sorry for the late response.
Joe

[Bawanna]

I'm glad you posted too Joe. I have a 1911G on order and your positive comments are making the excruciating wait much less painful.
JohnH has one also and speaks highly of it also.

Old Lincoln, once your aware of the idiot mark issue it's not difficult to avoid with a little caution. There are several little gimicky deals to help. A small piece of plastic film or cut part of the frame off an old slide and the film part provides just enough protection for the frame while allowing you to insert the stop.

I've seen where they actually machined a little notch in the stop to line up without the rotation and that's pretty neat too but the film is cheaper and easier and caution is even easier yet.

[Joe L]

Bawanna--can't wait to hear what you think of yours when you get it. I've received some Wilson Combat parts to use in this gun but haven't put them in yet. I did an IDPA classifier a couple of weeks ago with the Desert Eagle and made Marksman in CDP so I may actually shoot it in some club matches. I just received but have not yet installed a mag well, sear, hammer, sear spring, and some Wolff hammer and recoil springs to experiment with.

If I were to leave the gun alone, it would be fine. The trigger is just a little too touchy for me after shooting the SIG P226's all the time. But I'll keep all the stock parts bagged up and ready to put back in the gun once I am through playing with it. If I ever get through playing with it, that is.

This is fun.

Joe

[Bawanna]

Rumor has it, it should arrive any time now. I'm anxious and impatient. I tried to just put it out of my mind and forget it but how do you do that with a 1911. I don't think it's possible.

I'm sure my keyboard will be burning up once I get to hold it. Soon, I hope.

[Joe L]

Old Lincoln--One of my friends has a Colt Commander 80 series pistol. It shot OK but the trigger was heavy with a lot of creep, so I couldn't shoot it very well at first. I put an EGW sear, hammer, disconnector, and sear spring in it after final fitting of the sear surfaces and got the trigger very close to the Desert Eagle. The gun is much easier to shoot accurately now with a lighter trigger with less travel.

The new parts have made his gun more of a range gun than a self defense gun, however, and I have removed some of safety factor that the factory includes with a service gun. The owner loves it.

Joe

[Joe L]

Bawanna--Installed all the Wilson Combat parts last night. Everything fit perfectly, just as if the DE were a Colt. Will shoot it tonight, I hope. Hope you get yours soon. I kept all my DE parts so I can put them back in when I get tired of playing amateur gunsmith. Nothing wrong with the stock parts at all.

Joe

[Bawanna]

Bawanna--Installed all the Wilson Combat parts last night. Everything fit perfectly, just as if the DE were a Colt. Will shoot it tonight, I hope. Hope you get yours soon. I kept all my DE parts so I can put them back in when I get tired of playing amateur gunsmith. Nothing wrong with the stock parts at all.

Joe

Did you mention replacing the slide stop lever originally? Seems like there was someone with the DE that did that and I don't recall why.
I'm still in waiting myself. I'm kind of numb from all the wait but I think perhaps I'll appreciate it even more when if shows up. I hope so anyhow.

I just hope it shoots half as good as you say yours does.

[wickersham]

I just got a DE 1911 and wanted to change out the sights too.

Did you have any problems finding the correct sights? Did you use the Kimber version? Any problems with the install (dovetail dimensions, have to modify shape, do a bunch of filing to make them fit, etc.?)

Thanks all.

[Joe L]

Wickersham--yes, the Kimber II sights fit, I had to do a little filing, not bad.
Bawana--yes, I replaced the slide stop after taking too much off to eliminate a bullet rub when I first got the gun. I put a Wilson Combat Bullet Proof stop in. Yours may be fine, if not, go slow.

It took a couple of tries but I finally got the trigger feel the way I want it. I can shoot this gun a little more comfortably now because the trigger feel is closer to the SIG single action feel. My stock Desert Eagle sear has a very narrow primary cut and the hammer hooks are at 0.017 or so. I set the Wilson Combat hooks at a little less than 0.020 and widened the primary on the sear. Now I have a 4 lb trigger with no creep but just the right amount of travel for me.
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-fNPxKKZ/0/M/i-fNPxKKZ-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-W8pjDts/0/M/i-W8pjDts-M.jpg
Joe

[Bawanna]

I'm still in a holding pattern on mine but told it's suppose to be soon. If it don't get here soon I'm gonna need more meds.

[Joe L]

Here are some photos taken after shooting today but obviously before cleaning the gun...
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-d7kZcMj/0/M/i-d7kZcMj-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-wQN73LX/0/M/i-wQN73LX-M.jpg

I can't believe how darn pretty that magwell is!

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-B9m5mbh/0/M/i-B9m5mbh-M.jpg

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-TGD2JQq/0/M/i-TGD2JQq-M.jpg

Guess I better clean this thing up some time...

http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-k4scCfm/0/M/i-k4scCfm-M.jpg

Joe

[wickersham]

Here are some photos taken after shooting today but obviously before cleaning the gun...
I can't believe how darn pretty that magwell is!


Guess I better clean this thing up some time...


Joe

Magwell looks great!

Was your front sight pinned in? (mine is).

[Joe L]

yes, front sight pinned in, just tap it out and then fit the new sight, leave the pin out.

[Joe L]

This morning's project. Something to shoot at a range without IDPA stands. Equal opportunity consumables for--SIG P226's, Kahr's, 1911.
http://joelynch.smugmug.com/photos/i-bXG5GsT/0/M/i-bXG5GsT-M.jpg
This is fun.
Joe

[wickersham]

Joe,
you mind posting some pics of how the Meps look on the DE? Front and rear?
Thanks,

[Joe L]

Sure, but it will be Sunday. No problem.

[wickersham]

Sure, but it will be Sunday. No problem.

great, thank you.

[Joe L]

Just got home from a weekend in New Mexico. New target stands and new parts in the Desert Eagle 1911 worked great. I will have to narrow the base pads on the ACT magazines that came with the gun to fit the new mag well. No problem. Love this gun.
Joe

[wickersham]

Few pics of my MR 1911 with new night sights installed:

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de1.jpg

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de2.jpg

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de3.jpg

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de4.jpg

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de5.jpg

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/de6.jpg

[MLESa7990]

looks good....what sights are those?

[wickersham]

Kimber Tactical Wedge - made by Meprolight.

[MLESa7990]

Nice! Did they slide right in or did you need to modify them?

[wickersham]

Sent the slide off to XD-HS2000.com - if you buy sights from him he installs for free. I don't have the professional tools to do it myself and didn't want to risk a local Bubba smith to do it.

Got it back in 7 days, including shipping both ways.

He said they were the hardest he has ever done :confused: but they turned out nice.

[Joe L]

Wickersham--nice job on the sights. Sorry I didn't get back with any photos of mine last week. I'm away from the camera again this week.
Joe

[wickersham]

With new grips:

http://www.941forum.com/mypics/desights/degrips.jpg

[Joe L]

I haven't been back to this thread lately. Still love the Desert Eagle and still shoot 20-50 rounds each range trip, usually at steel silhouette targets at 50 and 100 meters. Gun is still very accurate and predictable. No problems at all. Love this 1911.

Joe

[Bawanna]

I've been carrying mine all this week. I put some CT Laser grips on it and you just can't put grips on something and then just put it in the safe.

Still love it also. Great gun.

[Joe L]

Bawanna--this is the only gun I even try shooting out to 100m, admittedly at big steel silhouettes, but this gun is very, very accurate. I've knocked down 5 pigs with 5 shots in a row at 50 meters. On a good day. I haven't even tried that with my IDPA gun. I'm sure I could hit them with it, but there is something about knocking down steel with a 45 that is just a lot of fun compared to shooting them with a 9.

[Bawanna]

I agree, 25 yards is as far as I've shot mine and I rarely shoot anything at 25 yards, just a waste of bullet with me at the controls usually.

But with this thing head shots on a silouhette target are easy. I was shocked to be honest, really shocked.

It's made me rethink sights as well as I think the narrow front sight and wide notch allows me to place the shot better.
Even black on black with no dots, or dot the I or anything. Amazing.

[Joe L]

Just checking back in. Another few hundred rounds through my Desert Eagle over the last month or so, still absolutely perfect. I've let several other people shoot it and more than one are going to buy one.

I still get a kick out of shooting silhouettes at 100 meter with this gun.

Joe

[Joe L]

I thought I would update this 8 year old thread. I still have the DE 1911G but I have added a Kart barrel and a Burris FF3 3 moa red dot on an EGW dovetail mount plate, just this week. I was able to go to the local 100 yard rifle range and shoot it. After zero and one 10 round target to confirm I had the holdover right, I was able to shoot this group. The eight "good" shots are in a 3-1/2" group. I'm STILL happy with this pistol, even though I have pretty much gone to CZ for my bullseye pistols.
16711

[DJK11]

Holy moly Joe at 100yds! Looks like mine at 25yds. I got some work to do.