At the beginning of the year, Magnum Research released its combo caliber package for the Desert Eagle, which lets users quickly swap out a .44 Magnum caliber barrel and magazine for a .50 AE barrel and accompanying magazine, should he or she suddenly feel the urge to launch .50 AE rounds downrange.

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The combo caliber package includes a Desert Eagle Mark XIX with a .44 Magnum caliber six-inch barrel; OA length of 10.75 inches; a slide width of 1.25 inches and a height of 6.25 inches. The steel-framed pistol has a black oxide finish and a combat-type fixed sight. Also included here is the .50 AE caliber barrel, which also sports a black finish, as well as the .50 AE magazine. The suggested retail price for this three-piece package, which marks the first time Magnum Research has offered the .44 magnum and .50 AE calibers in one gun case, is $1949.

With this in mind, we had Athlon Outdoors Contributor Mike Detty test out the Magnum Research combo caliber package. Here’s what he had to say about it:

“Shooting a Desert Eagle is one hell of an experience! The wrist-wrenching recoil, the huge ball of flame and the ample muzzle blast are enough to induce flinching in even the most experienced shooter. But I discovered it really isn’t a painful gun to fire, and the more I shot it, the less bothered I was by the muzzle lift and blast. With some practice, I was able to double-tap steel targets at 15 yards. Don’t believe me? Hit play and see for yourself.”

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Far be it for us to argue with Mr. Detty. Follow his advice and watch the video below. See his full review in the September/October issue of “Combat Handguns.” To order a copy of that magazine, visit outdoorgroupstore.com.