Why does the US military prefer an M9 over a desert eagle?

OIFV79

Wow, can not believe some of the other answers. Correct answer is because the 9mm round is a NATO round and we use it so we can have interchangable ammo in a multi national war. And no the US does not like that round. The reason we have kept it is because the pistol is a self defense weapon and never a primary weapon. In Iraq I saw no one that used there pistol, other than because they just wanted to say that they did. And we would not right that off on the reports. Oh yea, Usually Master Seargents and Majors would shoot the clearing barrals on the fobs. We call them fobbits. They never left the wire. And on the rare occasiont they did, they forgot to clear there weapon.

Eagle1 Fox2

Because the Desert Eagle is a POS. It is too big, too heavy, too bulky, too unreliable, too prone to jamming, too complicated, too much recoil, too expensive, ammo is too much, holds too few rounds, and is not really good for anything other than beating people with it.

In contrast, the M9 uses a common (NATO) round, has acceptale recoil, has plenty of spare parts, is simple to operate and maintain, is not very prone to jamming, holds double the rounds of the Desert Eagle, costs a lot less, fits the military's specifications, and is a lot lighter in weight.

It cracks me up every time people sit there and say what a marvel the Desert Eagle is and how wonderful a firearm it is. Those that advocate carrying it as a sidearm seriously need to rethink their choice on weapons. The only thing it has going for it are its looks as it is an intimidating looking weapon, but other than that it is not practical.

scouse

the desert eagle is a novelty weapon with very limited applications in real combat.
military sidearms require a trade off between size/weight, power, accuracy, magazine size, reliability etc.
although the eagle is powerful and fairly accurate, it is unreliable, complicated, has a limited magazine and is huge and very heavy for a pistol.
that is not what pistols are designed for.
the 9x19mm from the M9 has been quite adequate for military purposes until fairly recent innovations in body armour have meant that it has been reduced in effectiveness. for a military organisation there is no contest, high capacity 9mm any day over an oversized daft thing like the desert eagle.

ranger_co_1_75

The military puts out specifications for the hand gun they want. Interested companies manufacture a hand gun to meet the specifications.

The military then test the prototypes from each company to see if they meet the specifications. The ones meeting the specifications bid on who can produce the weapon for the lowest price. The company with the lowest cost wins.

So, either Desert Eagle wasn't interested in producing a weapon to meet military specs, or their prototype failed the test, or they were too expensive.

Somebody

A Deagle weighs so much more than a M9. Thats why alot of spec ops use M1911 its a .45

CaptainPopsicle

the DE is way to big and has to much recoil to even be worth taking into combat. you would have to stop and reaim nearly ever time u shot it which isn't what u'll want in a combat situation. Just do some basic research and you will learn that the DE is a novelty gun rather than a practical combat weapon

SGT. D

The D.E is a great weapon, however, it is BIG and BULKY and weighs a ton. A combat Soldier has enough weight to carry without having to hump that thing around. Pound for Pound, I'd rather have the M9 and a few more rounds for the M4 or a couple extra grenades than the D.E

nonldsinutah

We don't. We want the .45 back!

smsmith500

You have to remember the Eagle is a higher priced weapon and has a strong recoil. Not all soldiers can handle it.

Thankful3

I have no idea... I hated the M9 and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

To add just a little bit more to my opinion... I think Glock would be a great way to go...very low failure rate even during the dirtiest of times, and very very simple to use... The only problem is that some people wouldn't do well or act safely without the external safety. I love the military and all military men and women....BUT, some people are scary when dealing with loaded weapons lol.. I have seen some crazy things on the firing line! I was hoping to see more answers on this... I like the M9 debate!

Lt Col USAFR

very heavy and it does not use .45 or 9mm cartridges. It uses:

.357 Magnum
.41 Magnum
.44 Magnum
.440 Cor-bon
.50 Action Express

Zach

Part of the answer has already been stated. It's heavy, bulky, expensive, ammo's expensive, small magazine size, louder than your average sidearm, and isn't practical. The M9 does have multiple advantages over the Desert Eagle (assuming you're speaking of a .50 AE). The M9 has a rapid trigger, meaning you can fire two shots with a fast twitch of your finger in the time it would take to fire one of the Desert Eagle. Alot of law enforcement officers and Special Forces members will say that they prefer a weapon that has fast trigger response because it allows them to neutralize a target by sending two bullets quickly into the leg, or the chest. Also, the bullet capacity is larger, it's cheaper and easier to make, and 9mm ammunition is cheaper.

forgivebutdonotforget911

The US MILITARY wanted to stay with the 1911 and the 45 ACP as that was a proven gun with proven stopping power. But due to a NATO treaty, when the US MILITARY finally had to go with a new gun, it had to go with the 9mm as that is what all the other NATO nations use. So they had a contest and the M9 won.

Like with the M16, politics won over the desires and needs of the military. End of story.

CaliforniaKnight007

Yeah the recoil on the Deagle is killer man better off shooting with the M9

Z-Train

Ranger C is right on the spot with his answer. Less expensive and meets the mil specs directed in the original contact.

stephen

You want to use the deagle go play cod4 or css.

John L

I'm guessing lower recoil?

bowchikabowwow

well u know how the army claimes it has the best stuff? like body armor but it can only take 15 shots from an ak-47?
well yeah they think they have the best stuff but no
and they r stuburn!@

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