Where did you learn you're gun iding skills?
 

Where is it that you guys learned to tell the difference between guns that look exactly the same? or even guns that are completely identical on the outside but are something else on the inside? Like for example a Norinco type 56 and an AKM? or a HK 416 and a M4 SOPMOD?

Because I own a Type 56. That certainly helps. :D

Same with Beretta 92Fs vs. Taurus PT92s. Nobody on this site knew the difference between the two guns before I came here (some still don't); I do because I used to own a Taurus.

Other than that, I learned by simply going on the 'net and visiting lots of gun sites. IMFDB itself has certainly educated me, as I'm sure it's educated everyone else. I even had trouble telling Remingtons apart from Mossbergs and Winchesters before I came here.

I learned from this site.

Use to an AK was an AK to me. The only way I can tell the Type 56 from an AKM is the sights. Type 56 hooded, AKM is not and has slant muzzle brake. But what sucks is they put AKM muzzles brakes on Type 56's sometimes which makes id'ing them more difficult. M16 variants forget it, I don't even try.

The 92FS and PT92 has got me a few times because of not paying attention if it had the slide or frame mounted safety.

Before I joined this site I didn't know about Star Model B doubling for M1911A1 in older films because of the reliability with blanks. Kind of ruins it for you sometimes, bit still good to know.

Speaking of which, I seriously had no idea how to tell the difference between a Desert Eagle Mark I and a Mark VII before you photographed your own Mark I and posted it here.

Then again, I'm not sure very many other people did, either. There are very few good pictures of the Mark I on the Internet, and some of the ones that are available have been mis-labeled as Mark VIIs (if you go to World Guns, for example, they have a picture of a Mark I but call it a Mark VII).

Unless you can the see the safety, there's no way to tell. Or if it has rail notches you know it's a Mark XIX. The Mark I's aren't as popular because you have to change the slide also if you want to change calibers. I'd like to find a complete .44 upper.

At world guns they also have a stainless Mark VII mislabeled as Mark XIX, doesn't have the rail notches.

One thing I don't understand why some label them as IMI Desert Eagle and others Magnum Research Desert Eagle. When it's really both.

I used to learn from all sorts of sites, like wiki, Worldgun.com and this site. And usually asking people who know a lot about guns like my Marines buddies, friends in the police departments, etc

Usually, the safety is visible in a lot of movies. I just didn't know what to look for. Once I saw your picture and compared it to the Mark VII pictures that MPM took, it was pretty clear, once and for all.

Also, does this mean you're keeping your Eagle and not selling? I realize that one gun shop wasn't giving you a good price, but is it still on the market?

I dunno, I always figured whoever manufactures it should carry the name. But then, it seems like most people on this site just say "Desert Eagle" without even specifying the model (the page itself just says "Desert Eagle", and some day, I need to re-organize it by variant).

I could check other gun shops, but would probably get about the same offers from them. They got to make a profit off it. I would be better off selling to an individual. So for now I'll just keep it. The gun shop that has the SIG P220 I was interested in has a layaway plan. So I could always do that.

Well Magnum Research designed it and IMI makes them. But IMI is now IWI. There was a period there, I think it was during Mark VII production where they made in the USA I guess by Magnum Research.

You do make a good point about breaking it down by the models. I mean the 1911 page is broke down M1911, M1911A1, series 70 and series 80.

Even though imfdb is not gun encyclopedia, it pretty much turns out that way because of the different model break down this site does.

I do gun research whenever I have free time, it's my hobby. I'm also pretty good at noticing subtle variations in things, so that plus me liking guns sort of manifested this.

I can tell a Taurus from a Beretta pretty easily (it's hard to miss safety placement) but sometimes screenshots or pictures aren't clear so I slip up from time to time. I never knew there was a Mark 1 Desert Eagle before predator20 posted his though, I just saw the world.guns page and assumed the VII and XIX were the only models. Hell I just learned about the barrel cuts in .357 and .44 Models. I guess my attention isn't paid to guns that are popular and not practical heheheh.

All the same if I were a millionaire I'd like to have a .357 MKI in Stainless steel for cool points.

I could tell the difference between an M4 and an HK416 easily for as long as the HK416 has ever existed. Though I'm an AR aficionado, which really helps in that department.

As far as AKs, all that is learned from the great people here at IMFDB, as well as countless hours of staring at MPM's awesome pics on the AK page. :D

I say, get it re-finished in titanium nitride, get some ivory or pearl grips, and then you can be Goldmember. :D

Also, there's a two-tone Mark I that was used by the villain Tempus in an episode of "Lois & Clark". It had a brushed chrome frame and slide, but regular blued barrel and controls, and I thought that was a neat-looking combination. If I owned an Eagle, I think that's the finish I would want.

Wikipedia says that the Desert Eagle was briefly manufactured by Saco Defense between 1996 and 2000, then IMI/IWI resumed manufacture after that.

Yeah, it makes sense to classify them by models. Unfortunately, the Desert Eagle page has become so huge that it would be pretty hard to do at this point. But I should add that to my to-do list...

Barrels cuts for .357/.44 calibers is only on the Mark XIX.

I don't think Magnum Research has ever actually called the Mark I the "Mark I". Or at least, they definitely didn't in any of the old advertising I've seen. I get the impression that "Mark I" is a name that was added in retrospect after the newer generations of Desert Eagle were introduced.

Any reason for the Mark I? Like Brian said, it's harder to swap calibers on the Mark I.

On the other hand, I hate rails on anything, so I wouldn't want a Mark XIX. I think that visually, I like the look of the Mark VII the most.

The only thing I like about the Mark VII over the Mark I is the slide stop. Mine has a single step and it isn't enough.

Even the Mark VII .357 and .44 require the slide to be changed also. The Mark VII .50 is essentially a Mark XIX but without the rail notches.

I could deal with rail notches on the XIX but the fluted barrels are ugly.

Matte hard chrome is about as far as I would go. The factory titanium nitride they use to have didn't look bad. Looked more copper than gold.

I have seen a Mark VII like that a few times. Crank 2 High Voltage and also an episode of The Shield. But I don't think the controls were blued

I very rarely see USA built ones for sale.

Since the models aren't noted on the current list, you could always convert it to the wiki grid list. Then as time goes on the model could be added to note section.

I converted the Beretta 92FS list, it took a while but it couldn't be as long as that.

I've been sick today (head cold, again), and I didn't feel like doing any research, so I took some time to re-organize the Desert Eagle page. It's now organized by variant (Mark I, Mark VII, Mark XIX), and I got most of the movies and TV shows on the page within the right categories. I didn't even try with the video games though, nor did I create the grid.

If I got any of the info wrong about the Desert Eagle variants (since, as you can imagine, I'm no expert), feel free to correct me.

My contact at ISS told me that the ones they re-finished for "Goldmember" kept getting too "foggy" pretty easily, not to mention smudges and fingerprints are highly visible. They kept having to wipe them down after extended usage.

More of ISS's guns, I imagine. They've got a lot of custom Eagles in inventory, that were built for lots of different movies and TV shows (and reused later on others).

I don't think I've ever seen one for sale. I wonder if they even bothered to change the markings? From what I've read, they received a whole bunch of parts that IMI/IWI had already made, and just assembled/finish them.

haha...
i laugh at the thought of this topic.
foolish being. i didnt learn my gun skills
I WAS BORN WITH THEM!
instinct my dear lad

Great work on the page. I'm no expert either. Most of the info I learned had to with caliber swapping.

Yeah I seen one of those gold bastards pop up again on "Chuck" Adam Baldwin used it during the "Arms show" episode.

Don't know if you been watching Chuck. But I loved the last episode when Chuck gave Casey his Sig back as a present.


That may be the reason why few USA marked ones come up for sale, most were assembled from left over IMI parts.

careful, painstaking research through reading numerous books identifying guns. It hasn't seemed to have done me much good however

@ Matt, I know the cuts are only on the XIX models, at the time I didn't think to type the designation since I figured you guys would know what I was talking about without having to retort.

I wouldn't have any desire to swap calibers, I like the .357 Magnum plenty, and besides, finding a Stainless replacement barrel in any caliber would be a challenge. I've only seen the black oxide barrels on the market by themselves. That aside, the only obvious difference I see in the MK I and the MK VII is the safety, and I can take the original one or the fang looking one, though the MK I would fit the kinds of guns I get better (rare, functional, usually earlier variants).

It took me awhile to notice the differences between AR-15 and M16 rifles

I learned here.
Or at least, here is where I find all my reference photos.

Yeah, that was neat. Even if it was a plot device for what happens later. :D

I've been watching "Chuck", but the writing is definitely not as good as it was earlier in the season.