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Eagles

5258 Views 13 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  Mad Ogre
[IMG=left]http://www.madogre.com/images/DoubleEagles.JPG[/IMG]

When I asked to review a compact Baby Eagle for Concealed Carry Magazine, they pretty much just said "which ones". They offered me the buffet. Whatever I wanted. After thinking about it a bit, I decided on a compact and a sub compact with the polymer frames and both in 9MM for an easier comparison. I figured these would be the best choices for CCW work considering they are half the weight of the normal Baby Eagle pistols.
They both arrived along with a nice letter stating that they would like them back within 60 days. Whoa. 60? I had to read that again. Yup, sixty days. Sweeet. They hooked me up properly and promptly and have been awesome to work with. I hope the guns are as good as the people are.
The guns themselves are impressive pieces. They radiate ruggedness and competency. But most people would have to get over the slide mounted safety thing. The poly frames themselves have a slot molded in for a frame mounted safety... it is filled with a drop in plug that I didnt notice initially. A frame mounted safety would have been favorable, but the system it has now is just fine. Triggers could be better of course... Good sights. Good ergonomics. The only real downside are the Clinton Magazines. It looks to be that the Sub Compact should be able to hold at least 12 rounds, if not 14 and the Compact mags should be able to hold 15 to 18. Instead, all the mags hold only 10 rounds. Such a waste.
These guns are typical of all CZ-75 clones... meaning they are very good. I like CZ's the best but as far as clones go... I must confess that the Jerichos and these Eagles are my favorites. I love the way the muzzle end is beveled. Looks sharp. I dont perticularly care for the polymer frames to be honest. But I can see where this would be an advantage if you are packing one of these things 14 hours a day or longer. They are a lot lighter than the standard versions.

Update:

Just got back from my range. I emptied out my loose ammo bucket and counted that I had 83 rounds of 9MM. All different kinds, all different bullet types... from target to +P+ and a few rounds that I remembered was "SMG" ammo from Germany. I didn't try to sort them... I just grabed them and loaded them into my mags. Some of these rounds were as old as 6 years by my best guess. These are the rounds that used to collect when I had a box of ammo that only had a few rounds left, I'd just dump them in this bucket. Kinda like a loose change jar.
Well all 85 rounds ran through the Sub-Compact without a single failure of any sort. My initial impression that these guns are good shooters has at least been verified in the Sub-Compact Baby Eagle. It is a dang good shooter! Accurate too. My shot groups did have some verticle stringing but that is from all the different velocities going on. Had I used all the same lot of ammo, I am sure it would have been nice and tight. I had five of the same rounds loaded together in the first mag and all those shots went right into the same little tiny area that could have been covered by a quarter.
This was not a test of accuracy... I just wanted to get it out and do some banging.
Even the hottest rounds felt good... felt easy... Like from a full sized HK USP or Beretta. And this was from the Sub-Compact.

Update:

I've just run another 200 rounds through the Sub-Compact and 200 rounds though the Compact.
Thank you Walmart's for your cheap WWB ammo!
All the rounds went very very near right where I was wanting them to go. I was bouncing Mt Dew empties with boring regularity... I'm impressed with the accuracy.

Not a single malfunction of any sort. These guns just flat like to shoot. Very comfortable for long range sessions... but the Sub Compact's mags are tough to get round #10 loaded up. The good sights are spot on and easy to see and to shoot with... the trigger is wide and serated like a S&W target gun... making it easy to control the pull all the way to the bang.
The trigger pull in DA mode is extremely horrible. One of the worst I've ever felt. Seriously... the Compact's trigger make an AMT DAO Backup's trigger a work of art and the CZ-100's trigger an absolute DREAM! The pull is off the scale... it's gotta be like 18 - 20 pounds or something, with the roughness only appreciated by someone who has ever had to scrape barnicles of the bottom of a tug boat. Made me want to sing some sea chanties.

However the pull in SA mode is different. It's... well... stacking and squishy at the same time, and the break is something like a green twig. But you can get used to it and then it aint bad. If you put forth the effort to learn it, it's useable. If I was to carry one of these guns regularly, I'd loaded it up, chamber a round, decock it, then take the safety back off... and practice thumb cocking with the non firing hand. After that first shot, these guns come into thier own. They become serious shooting machines.

Overall impression is favorable. I like them. Not sure which one I like the most yet. For CCW work the sub compact is certainly the better choice, while for duty or range shooting work, the compact would be better... that thing shoots like Lincoln Navigator.
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Ogre:

Thanks for the report.

I've had a Baby Eagle .40 S&W Compact for several years now, and love to shoot it. It's the all steel version, and a bit on the heavy side for carry, but that weight absorbs the recoil just fine. It is a very accurate pistol, especially for one with a shorter barrel.

The trigger pull originally, in both SA and DA, left something to be desired, but since the pistol cost $300 NIB, the trigger job expense from The Action Works was a no-brainer. I also had difficulties getting the 10th round in the magazines, but Magnum Research replaced them at no charge with some that were a lot better. (Seems they knew there was a problem with the originals.) Since then, I have found some 12-rd EAA Witness/Jericho magazines that work just fine.

I had some doubts about choosing the model with the slide mounted safety/decocker vs. the frame mounted safety, but I'm pretty used to it now.

I don't know where the Baby Eagles are priced these days, but I thought at the time I bought mine it was a bargain. Still do!

Harvey
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Harvey,

What was turn-around time from The Action Works? And how long ago was that? I've corresponded with Don a few times via email and the FNHIPower forum and he seems like a great guy. His HP's are beautiful also.

Ed
Ed:

Don is a good guy to do business with, and he'll give you an estimate on turnaround time that is usually accurate. Normally, it runs 2-6 weeks, IIRC. He turned the Baby Eagle in about 2 weeks, but he's a 1-man shop, so there are "peaks and valleys". The last pistol he did for me was a Manurhin PP in .380, and that was a few months ago. I wanted it done earlier, but he told me it would be at least 6 weeks because of his load at the time, so I held off until he told me to send it in. I think it was a little over 2 weeks door-to-door on that one. Obviously, a lot depends on what work needs to be done.

He's done good work for me over the years -- High Powers, numerous 1911s, a couple of Seecamp conversions, the PP, a 1006, the Baby Eagle a Makarov, and Lord knows what else. I've been real happy with his work.

Harvey
Sounds like a great gunsmith... what's his contact information? I keep a roster of good and recommended 'smiths.

http://www.madogre.com/Gunsmith%20Directory.htm

I'm quite smitten with the little eagles, but I'm not so sure I'd spend money on the poly framed gun, even if it is half the weight.
Ogre:

Don Williams at http://www.theactionworks.com

The all steel Baby Eagles are heavier than their polymer kin. My .40S&W Compact (full size frame, 3.7" barrel) weighs in at about 34-35 ounces empty, but it's a real shooter.

Harvey
Harvey, thanks for the reply. I knew Don worked on 1911's and HP's but I did not realize he "did it all" so to speak.

Ed
Ed:

Well, he did draw the line on my KelTec P-11, IIRC. :D

He does more work on BHPs and 1911s (no surprise), but I have no complaints about his work on the others I have sent him.

You might ask him about the RIA 1911 you are interested in, too.

Harvey
The slides do not look very tall, wide...not sure which to use (from top to bottom). I had a beretta 9000 like this it the slide was too small to get a good grip on and thus hard to rack. Are these guns like that?
My Baby Eagle is not the easiest pistol with which to rack the slide. The slide mounted decocker/safety doesn't help, as it is mounted close to the short slide serrations.

Harvey
harvey said:
Ed:

<Snip>
You might ask him about the RIA 1911 you are interested in, too.

Harvey
Don said he had no experience with RIA but "You get what you pay for" so he advised against them.

I took a step back and realized I was suffering from "Anothergun Fever!"

I have a perfectly good Ruger 512k with which to practice cheaply, a great S&W M586 that I got used for a great price, a Browning HP MKIII that I got used for a good price and a beater FEG that I got new for a good price!

I need to practice more with what I have before I spend more for another gun. I think I have my handgun bases covered for now... or at least until I can afford what I want.

I'm sure a nice "pre-owned" Colt Commander or something similar will come along at just the right time, financially speaking, if I'm patient.

Ed
One good thing about these guns (and most CZ's too) is that they don't have the bloody Novak style rear sight. They have a nice blade style rear that allows you to jack the slide with speed and precision by just hooking it onto your belt or holster. Not an idea method for plinking at the range... but should you be forced to shoot one handed or weak handed - it's a life saver. You can also use it with your non-firing hand to cycle the slide by blading your hand across the front of the sight and then grabbing the top of the slide while jacking it to the rear. It takes practice... doesn't have that nice big fat slide to grip on like a SIG or 1911, but it's perfectly serviceable when you get used to it.
"Don said he had no experience with RIA but "You get what you pay for" so he advised against them."


Ed:

That is true more times than not, but I'll have to remind Don of the Norinco 1911s. :wink: Other than the Argie Sistema 27s, the Norincos were probably the best bargain 1911s to come along.

"Anothergun Fever" hits us all, and I know of no antidote other than sheer will power. Patience helps.

Harvey
Totally Irrisponsible Foolishness to follow:
[IMG=left]http://www.madogre.com/images/Eagles/SkunkyVisigoth.JPG[/IMG]
When I get a pair of guns that are alike... sometimes the temptation of shooting John Woo Style just gets the best of me.

Chow Yun Fat was not harmed in the taking of this photo.

In all seriousness I have dumped about all the money I have into ammo for feeding these things... and they have fired every single round right to point of aim. These guns are like a mutant hybrid of a Beretta and an HK.... they are shooting machines. I'm impressed with them.
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