[goColt]

I have heard that the Double Eagle is pretty much a POS. I was wondering if that is true or not. If it is that bad, why? Is the trigger pull or reliability or just a bad gun? Anyway, let me know whatch think. Also, I'd appreciate only info from people who have acutally had one or at least shot one. Please no, "My brother's wife's father's next door neighbor had one and . . . " /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Thanks in advance.

 

[Blokey]

I have a 9mm Double Eagle that I do actually shoot. Yes, the trigger is long and heavy so I can certainly understand why it's considered a POS. I bought it because I wanted a durable, DA pistol (preferably a Colt) for defense and happened to find this 9mm amongst the dozens of .45 chambered DEs available at the time; it was unusual. I would say its accuracy is OK but I'm sure its "neither here nor there" range performance is partially due to my skills (or lack thereof).

From my experience, I say get a DE because it's a curiosity. For defense, there are honestly much better choices but I have my reasons for sticking with the DE. I wouldn't get one for target shooting as I think you'll probably find it frustrating.

The DE is one of Colt's finest curios in recent memory. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[ShootCraps]

It is definitely not a POS. I just bought a DE 10MM. Because of the action and the way the frame is made it sits a little higher in the hand, so that takes some getting used to. Other than that it is a sweet shooting gun. The DA trigger pull is not bad at all.

 

[GlenJ]

I saw two DEs at the gun show in Hampton VA this weekend. One was a 10mm and the other a .40 and the guy was asking about $600 for them is this a decent price?? They were like new.

 

[SWIowegan]

In my opinion, the Colt Double Eagle was a pretty good gun. I bt. a DE Officer's Model which had the full-length grip frame. It was remarkably accurate and functioned reliably. I sold it to a friend in a weak moment and have never seen another.

It is an "orphan" since Colt dropped the line a long time ago and gunsmiths never really worked on them much. IIRC, Massad Ayoob found a problem with an early DE and it was corrected. I don't remember what the problem was.

In summary, the only thing wrong with DEs was the Colt company. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[JudgeColt]

The problem Ayoob found was that a spring would pop free when the stock panel (left I think it was) was removed. The Double Eagle II was the fix.

The Double Eagle was Colt's attempt to field a double action pistol when the market demanded it. I had urged Colt to buy the rights to the Seecamp double-action conversion in the 1970s, along with the Para-Ordnance double stack frame configuration, but, of course, that suggestion was ignored. The Double Eagle was some sort of non-patent infringement solution to field a DA pistol. Unfortunately, it also turned out VERY ugly. By the time the DE got on the market, there were so many competing designs that the DE got left in the dust. Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes to the bone. Someday, the DE will be a valuable collector's item as a relatively rare variation of the Government Model.