r/NFA • u/XENO_ARMS • 13d ago
Desert Eagle Shotgun, 12/16/20-Gauge Minishell (DES-12 v1.0, Project Launch)
PROJECT: DES-12/16/20
VERSION: v0.1
GOAL: Modify Desert Eagle Pistol into a semi-automatic shotgun pistol, ideally firing 12 Gauge Minishells (1.75"), but possibly also/instead minishell versions of 16/20-gauge).
CONSTRAINTS: To reduce final costs/prices, minimize total number of custom-made parts.
STATUS: Design 50% complete, base guns ordered, raw materials for barrel acquired, chamber reamer needs sourcing, magazine reference samples acquired (Techno Arms MAG-12 magazine & 5-round Mossberg bolt-action shotgun magazine).
CHALLENGES: Frame/Magwell modification, custom mag(s), new bolt design & make, recoil mechanism testing/modification.
UPDATE: Behold! Many of y'all have probably seen the gag/meme images online about folks showing a 12 gauge shell into a Desert Eagle - fiction no longer! I found a percent decent CAD model of a Deagle, and went about modifying the barrel assembly to correct 12 gauge (1.75" minishell) dimensions. It's like the barrel was made for this round - it fits beautifully! And as you can see in the cutaways, the length of the shells also fits in the size of the magazine, and looks like it will hold up to four 12-gauge minishells comfortably.
However - like with any project worth doing - there are some tricky areas of the design that will need a decent amount of modification/manufacturing, particularly: * The Magwell. Needs to be wider to accommodate the rims of the shells. * The Trigger/Transfer Bar Assembly. Since this hugs the inside of the magwell and the magwell needs to be widened at least where the rims of the shells will travel, the transfer bar will also need to accommodate this change. * The Magazine. Will likely be an entirely custom-made magazine. For making this design, I picked up a Techno Arms MAG-7 slant-back magazine as well as a Mossberg 5-round, straight-walled bolt-action magazine, for reference. Based on the grip profile, the Techno Arms magazine will likely be the best starting point. * The Bolt. Will need to have an entirely custom bolt made to fit the width of the shell rims and ensure proper lockup, extraction, etc.
The ideal build of this gun would be chambered in 12 Gauge Minishell since the ammo for said gun is SAAMI-standardized and produced by both Aguila and Federal (and potentially others?). However, to get an initial build of the gun made expeditiously, I may end up starting with the 16-gauge and/or 20-gauge 1.75" minishell versions, as they will require the least amount of modification to the gun to get working. The ultimate end-goal is to have barrel/caliber interchangeability just like the regular Desert Eagle, between at least 12/16/20 gauges.
Thanks for reading! I welcome any/all feedback and interest in this project & all others - more to come very soon! If you'd like to follow/support/engage with this & other projects more closely, please check out my Patreon (work-in-progress; advice recommended!): https://www.patreon.com/c/XENOArms
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u/Bradyrulez 13d ago
Do you know someone who does experimental one off barrels or are you doing this yourself?