Desert Eagle: Guns in the Media

April 13, 2022 | 0 Comments

The Most Iconic Gun in the Movies

What would you say is the most firearm to be featured in the media? Glock? Beretta? Well, you’d be wrong. The firearm to be featured in over SIX HUNDRED movies, TV shows, and video games is none other than the Magnum Research Desert Eagle. Playfully coined the “Deagle”, this handgun is perhaps one of the most well-known, most popular, and most easily identified firearms out there. But it’s not just a movie prop. The MRI Desert Eagle is a full-fledged, American-made handgun that you can add to your collection today. GrabAGun is proud to offer the Desert Eagle in our lineup along with other incredible handguns like the Glock 43, the Sig P365 XL, the FN High-Power, and many, many more. Start saving today with unbeatable online gun store prices on the Desert Eagle for sale at GrabAGun.

History of the Deagle

Magnum Research Inc (MRI) has been highly successful, long before its purchase by Kahr Firearms Group in 2010. They claim this is due to their loyal customers, suppliers, dedicated employees, and highly experienced leadership. And honestly, we’d have to agree.

Founders Jim Skildum and John Risdall have been involved with the company since 1979. Both men oversaw the rise of the Desert Eagle Pistol (often referred to as the Deagle) from a concept on paper to a pop culture icon. Over the past 40 years, MRI has continued to improve and expand the Desert Eagle pistol series. Many think this is an Israeli gun, which is just a big misconception.

MRI and IMI

While Magnum Research began manufacturing firearms in Israel, the original Deagle was founded right here in the states–in Minnesota, to be exact by Bernard White. In fact, work on the large-framed semi-auto icon went back as far as the 1970s. Nearly 13 years later, White filed a 14-page patent for the design of a gas-operated pistol with a rotating bolt and twin recoil springs. A short-stroke piston in a gas cylinder under the fixed barrel drives the slide to the rear.

White, unfortunately, lacked the manufacturing capabilities to bring such a firearm to life. So, the design was shopped around with Israel Military Industries (IMI). IMI developed a contract with the American company, Magnum Research Inc (MRI) to finish the handgun and put it into production for the commercial market.

When the original Desert Eagle Mark I first hit the market in 1984, it was advertised as “invented, patented, and marketed” by Magnum Research and “manufactured and developed” by IMI. Available with a 10+1 capacity and chambered in .357 Magnum, this beefy pistol had a 6-inch barrel. It was marketed for hunting, self-defense, silhouette shooting, and general target practice.

In 1995, Magnum Research switched contracts to Saco Defense in Saco, Maine. Only three years later, they would go back to IMI for manufacturing before being placed under IMI’s (then) latest small arms branch, Israel Weapon Industries. Since December 2009, the Desert Eagle has been produced in the US at MRI’s Pillager, Minnesota facility. In 2010, MRI was acquired by Kahr Arms after which, they began to step up the number of US-made guns while reducing their imports. It wasn’t until 2018 that MRI could say that all Desert Eagle pistols were 100% American-made.

The Deagle in the Media

By 1985, just one year after the Mark I was introduced, the new gun–with its dominating profile–hit the movies and a thriving career began. That career would span several decades as well as hundreds of appearances on screens small, medium, and large (over SIX HUNDRED). In its inaugural year, the “Deagle” was used by big-gun aficionado Tackleberry in the “Police Academy” franchise, Mickey Rourke in Michael Cimino’s “Year of the Dragon”, and the Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle “Commando”.

Big things were happening for the Mark I, but it went the way of the dinosaur in 1987 only to be replaced by the Mark VII. (What happened to the Marks II through VI? No idea! No one knows!) The Mark VII included .41 Magnum variants with 10 or 14-inch barrel lengths. That extended length was attributed as making the handgun capable of 300-yard shots. In 1991, .50 AE guns came out. Eventually, the Mark VII was replaced by the Mark XIX which is still the standard today.

Why is the Desert Eagle so popular?

In many ways, the Deagle is pretty much the ideal handgun. It’s featured in countless video games and is probably the first thing many of you think of when someone says the word “pistol.” Why is it so popular, though? Well, it’s partially due to the unusually sleek design. Most handguns use a short-recoil or blow-back system, which can make it difficult for newbies to aim. The Desert Eagle, however, uses a gas-operated mechanism that significantly reduces that kick that occurs when firing. The trade-off is the fact that this is a HUGE firearm. Seriously. Try concealing one of these bad boys on your waistband. Dare we say it’s impossible? Just about! The Desert Eagle is very large for a handgun which can also make it a little unwieldy in the hands of someone less adept. That aside, it’s a smooth and fun handgun to play around with at the range.

Desert Eagle in the Movies

As mentioned, the Desert Eagle has been featured in over 600 movies, TV shows, and video games. It’s got the looks and the power to back it all up. The first time I ever saw a Deagle in action was in The Matrix. It’s probably one of the most prolific uses of the handgun to date, followed closely by the toilet scene in Boondock Saints (Or was that just me? It’s probably just me). Honestly, the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s were a fantastic time for action moves as well as the Desert Eagle. Plenty of iconic and cult-classic favorites featured this handgun. Even if it was just one scene, that was enough to drive popularity and sales.

Commando

Crank: High Voltage

Boondock Saints

Universal Solider

RoboCop

Snatch

The Matrix

Get Smart

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Find the Desert Eagle for Sale at GrabAGun

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to live out my action-hero-fantasy at the range! No other gun does it like the Desert Eagle. I mean, think about it–in almost no time at all, this handgun became an integral feature of Hollywood movies. While we can’t guarantee that you’ll turn into Arnie with one of these, we can guarantee you’ll find some great Desert Eagles at GrabAGun. Don’t stop there. Shop our semi-automatic handgun deals on Glock, Ruger, Beretta, and more! Pick up a Desert Eagle for sale at GrabAGun today and start saving with the prices at our online gun store. You won’t want to shop anywhere else!

–Kellie Krevosky

The Infamous History of The “Tommy Gun”

March 2, 2022 | 0 Comments

A Thompson Tommy Gun for Everyone

Anyone who has watched an old movie or browsed through a book on World War II will quickly recognize the familiar outline of the Thompson submachine gun or, better known as the “Tommy gun”. Museums, news outlets, and iconic movies have shown these guns to be a key staple to the “Roaring Twenties” theme. Long before the AR 15, these guns had an exciting run in the Chicago gang scene before being used to help bring victory in WWII. As you can imagine, we are history buffs, especially when it comes to firearms. We carry everything you need from bulk 9mm ammo to a Glock 43. We even carry the .45 caliber Tommy Gun here at GrabAGun and you can pick one up for yourself as well! If you are interested in learning more about this iconic firearm, keep on reading.

A Brief History

This famous gun was made by John Taliaferro Thompson, a distinguished and retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Army Ordnance Department. When the Thompson Submachine Gun was first developed, it was built to end trench warfare tactics during World War I. Unfortunately, the guns first made an appearance on the day the war ended. By 1919, Thompson directed the newly formed Auto-Ordnance to modify the gun for non-military use–a move that would be lucrative in civilian markets.

As the Thompson Submachine gun gained popularity around America in law enforcement circles, it gained a special type of popularity with Chicago’s gangs. It has had many “unofficial” names over the years such as “The Annihilator”, “The Trench Broom”, “The Chopper”, or “The Chicago Typewriter”. Many media outlets coined these names for the gun specifically because of the enormous amount of firepower this gun could do on the Chicago streets.

The Tommy Gun in Organized Crime

In the early twenties, organized crime and gangsters began to appear in Chicago, the stomping grounds of many gangs and gang wars. If you’ve watched any amount of gangster films, then you’ll know they didn’t start with AR15 rifles or even Glock handguns. The seemingly popular choice for gangsters back then was the Thompson submachine gun. From what we know, the gangster who introduced Tommy guns to the gang scene was Frank McErlane. A Prohibition-era Irish American gangster that led the Saltis-McErlane Gang, allied with the Johnny Torrio-Al Capone gang, McErlane used the guns against rival bootleggers called the Southside O’Donnell Brothers. The Tommy Gun’s reputation preceded it and left a lasting impression.

So why the Thompson submachine gun? Why not one of the other more popular guns for sale at the time? Well, the Tommy Gun was a submachine firearm. The sole reason it was built was to end trench warfare. However, gangsters realized quickly that it could wreak havoc with little effort on their part. That said, the Tommy Gun was actually not hugely popular with most gangs. In fact, only a few hundred–out of the thousands made–were even used by gangs. Still, the spray of bullets from a firearm like this made the gun seem so much bigger than it really was.

Concealing such a large firearm, with an even larger drum magazine, was essentially impossible though. Naturally, it’s much easier to conceal a handgun like a Beretta or even a modern-day Ruger LCP for sale, but we’re not talking about handguns; we’re talking about a submachine gun. How do you effectively conceal such a large weapon? At first, many tried to hide them in violin or cello cases. The iconic image is one that we see in movies, but the public (the cops) caught on quickly and attempts to conceal the Tommy Gun lost traction.

Still from the movie, St. Valentine's Day Massacre — Still from the movie *St. Valentine’s Day Massacre*

The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre

The fact that the Thompson featured in a few spectacular front-page crimes did nothing to detract from its image as a deadly weapon. The best known of these is no doubt the notorious “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” of 1929. There’s even a fantastic movie based on the events of this day (and yes, it heavily features the Tommy Gun throughout!) On this day, henchmen of the sinister Al Capone, who was conveniently alibied in Florida, mowed down seven members of the “Bugs” Moran gang in a Chicago garage. This incident resulted in the struggle to control organized crime in the city during Prohibition between Irish North Siders and their Italian rivals.

It was this event that led Auto-Ordnance to halt the manufacture of Tommy guns for public use. That said, gangsters would continue to carry them long after the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. To this day, submachine guns are still illegal in the United States. The gun that Auto-Ordnance replicates these days is a semi-automatic, .45 caliber rifle that you can easily pick up from GrabAGun today!

Despite its notoriety among gangsters, the use of the Thompson submachine gun by criminals is smaller than you might imagine. More often than not, it was actually used by American soldiers and lawmen. The main reason we associate the Thompson with gangsters today has to do with news coverage and Hollywood. During their heyday, bandits loved the notoriety that came with their conquests. They would send press releases to local newspapers to take responsibility for and gain attention for their criminal acts. Naturally, the Depression-weary public ate it up. That news coverage led to several decades worth of some of the best gangster films. Hollywood dramatized the rivalry between the good guys and the bad guys, thus immortalizing the Tommy Gun and its creator, making it one of the most powerful weapons of its time.

The Tommy Gun in the Media

Personally, I knew of Tommy Guns from the movies. Gangster films perpetuated the idea of good guys versus bad guys–and of course, the bad guys always had a big, powerful firearm. Seriously, go back and watch any James Cagney film and you’ll be playing Where’s Waldo, but with Tommy Guns. He wasn’t the only one to wield a Thompson, though. There are plenty of movies that featured this iconic firearm.

The Untouchables (1987). Probably the most prolific use of the Tommy Gun
The God Father, Part I (1972). We won’t do a Corleone impression but just know. We’re doing a Corleone impression.
The Public Enemy (1931). See! James Cagney!
Little Cesar (1931). The gangster, not the pizza.
Ma Barker’s Killer Brood (1960)
Scarface (1932)
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (1967)

The fact of the matter is, Hollywood both romanticized and villanized the Tommy Gun. It was and is a beautiful piece of machinery that has earned its place in history. If you’re looking to add something like this to your own collection, GrabAGun is the only name to rely on. We have incredible deals on the Tommy gun and other guns for sale right now, so don’t wait!

World War II

Regardless of what was shown in the media, the Thompson submachine gun will always be associated with the victories of World War II. Because they missed their window during the first world war, the 40s were the time to shine. With the beginning of World War II, John Thompson was finally able to fulfill his lifelong wish for his Thompson submachine gun to be used to help end a war. The total number of Thompsons bought by the U.S. Army before WWII was less than 400. By the time the war was starting, thousands were being shipped out all over the world to help. Simplified for mass production, this gun was seen as one of the most popular guns among specialized troops and was eagerly sought after. Even today many veterans consider it the best weapon of WWII.

As for General Thompson, he would never see the overwhelming success of his gun as a military weapon. He died in 1940 at the age of 80 years, but he left his mark on the history of military weapons just like he wanted. However, he also left his mark on many people all over the U.S. throughout the 1920s and 30s. With the help of gangsters, lawmen, and the media, this gun is one of the most well-known firearms in the world.

Tommy gun in action — Soldier using the Thompson Tommy Gun

GrabAGun and the Thompson “Tommy Gun”

The Thompson “Tommy Gun” is still a revered firearm. It’s one of the guns we will continue to see thanks to its notoriety in the movies. While you can no longer purchase a submachine gun these days, you can still get a high-quality Tommy Gun replica. A semi-automatic, .45 caliber rifle, this is one that you don’t want to miss out on. To make sure you don’t miss out on any deals, sign up for our email newsletter, The Freedom Team. Follow us on social media for sale updates, the latest blog posts, and so much more. When you are ready to check out, get a Tommy Gun for sale at a price you’ll love, only at GrabAGun.

–Destinee Norman