The Dahiyeh is a combination of the World War II German blitzkrieg and Sherman’s “scorched earth” campaign during the American Civil War, where enemy infrastructure and buildings are immediately targeted and destroyed regardless of civilian casualties.
The survival mentality of the Israeli military is also evident in their weapons. Always reliable and nearly indestructible, Israeli guns are always in demand worldwide. For instance, the legendary Uzi was distributed to more than 90 countries and more were sold to military, law enforcement, and other security concerns than any other submachine gun ever made.
Which brings us to the Baby Desert Eagle, a cousin to the much larger Desert Eagle of Hollywood “big gun” fame. The Baby Desert Eagle 9mm is much smaller, but is achieving a high degree of popularity on its own merit.
Like its predecessor, the Baby Desert Eagle is manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries and distributed by Magnum Research. The Baby Desert Eagle is constructed entirely of steel and is based on the tried and tested CZ 75 design, which has the unique attribute of having the slide rails inside the frame.
While the original CZ 75 safety system allowed the gun to be carried “cocked and locked,” the Baby Desert Eagle has more safeguards in place, as author Scott W. Wagner describes in his article “IWI Magnum Research 9mm Baby Desert Eagle Steel-Framed Pistol” at USConcealedCarry.com:
“Instead, it features a Beretta-92-style decocker/safety lever located in the same location as that of the Beretta 92 series of pistols and which operates in the exact same fashion: Lever up is safety off, lever down is safety on.” (Read more at USConcealedCarry.com)
The grip on the Baby Desert Eagle features the well-known Magnum Research ergonomic design that easily accommodates a wide variety of hand sizes and shapes. There is also raised and textured checkering on the rear that provides additional traction in wet conditions. At the muzzle end, accessories such as lights or lasers can easily be attached to the built-in rail.
At the range, the Baby Desert Eagle performed very well. Sighting is done using the standard 3-dot, with Novak-style at the rear. As part of the safety regimen, the first round requires a twelve pound trigger pull. After that, it’s much easier at 5 pounds.
The Baby Desert Eagle cycled without a hitch during testing and at 30 feet, groupings of about 4 inches were the norm. At 100 yards, all rounds found their way into the silhouette target. The hefty weight of the IWI/Magnum Research Baby Desert Eagle kept recoil to a minimum.
Although the Baby Desert Eagle may be a little on the heavy side for concealed carry, it makes a great addition to any home defense system. MSRP for this durable 9mm handgun is $646.