

If you are having trouble figuring out which variant appears in a particular movie or TV show, always feel free to ask us. Use this page as a guide to familiarize yourself with the differences between the three major variants of the Desert Eagle.

Please note that IMFDB prefers users to identify Desert Eagles by the specific variant, not simply as a "Desert Eagle". While it is not the first self-loading pistol capable of firing such powerful rounds (see AutoMag), it is undoubtedly the most well known, and perhaps one of the most famous models of any pistol to appear on screen. Designed as a self-loading pistol that can shoot powerful magnum rounds, to this end it was designed with a gas-operated rotating bolt mechanism more akin to self-loading rifles rather than pistols. The Desert Eagle is a self-loading pistol that has been produced since 1983 by Israeli Military Industries, in collaboration with Magnum Research Inc.
