Safe .357 ammo for Desert Eagle

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Venom1956

New member
Hey all I know because of the gas system you are supposed to shoot certain ammo with lead exposed so it doesnt clog up.

My current stock pile is this stuff. im not sure if it is ok.

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My father has a bunch of this stuff and an assortment of other stuff.

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I doubt he will shoot it much but i'd just like to be sure because to my surprise this desert eagle while massive is a delight to shoot.

If these aren't recommend if you can recommend some factory ammo I'd very much appreciate it.
 
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Hammerhead

New member
JHP's and JSP's are safe because they have a brass base. Never use any bullet with an exposed lead base like a FMJ or cast lead.
Your Federal 158 JSP's should be perfect, the Rem 125 SJHP are safe to shoot. but my not perform as well as the 158's. My 357 DE was very picky about ammo.
Yup, they are a blast.
 
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Venom1956

New member
Ok that's what I thought. What are the signs of a clogged gas port? I think it was the ammo but had a few failures to go into battery about an eighth of an inch left to go forward. Suspect weak ammo. I honestly was surprised how uneventful it made shootung 357s
 
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Hammerhead

New member
That last 1/4" or so is where the bolt needs to rotate to lock up. Mine ran great for the first 50 to 100 rounds then it would fail like yours. It's a cleaning issue. Because of the rotating bolt and gas system, DEs need to be very clean, especially the 357 version because of the weaker recoil springs. Follow the cleaning instructions fully and only use the lubes and solvents they recommend. There's a special tool for cleaning the gas cylinder, do you have one?
 
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Davelliott

New member
All

The Desert Eagle was designed for the 158 gr bullets. Lighter bullets may give issues if not hand loaded near max velocity.
Yes, NEVER USE LEAD BULLETS!!! Those will clog the gas system! If this happens, there is no cheap way to clear...may be less expensive to replace the barrel...
Also, it was designed to zero at 100 meters.
 
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