Desert Eagle

The Desert Eagle is a handgun in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
"Semi-automatic with high power. Effective at close range."

- Sidearm description

Singleplayer
The Desert Eagle appears as one of the four sidearms available in game, being the most powerful (and most uncommon) one. The only single player level in which the Desert Eagle is available is "Crew Expendable." The Desert Eagle can only be obtained during the campaign if the player runs ahead of the other S.A.S. members in the first cargo hold of Crew Expendable, at which point an Ultranationalist leaps out of a storage container, screaming, armed with two Desert Eagles. It is also seen being given to Khaled Al-Asad by Imran Zakhaev to execute President Al-Fulani in The Coup, and is again seen being wielded by Imran Zakhaev during Game Over. It can also be obtained by using the "give all" console command on PC during the levels "Safehouse" and "Game Over".

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the Desert Eagle remains a very powerful pistol; it can kill in two hits at close range. Although the other pistols can do the same, the Desert Eagle is very unique in that it does not require Stopping Power to achieve two-hit kills, making it a popular sidearm for players using Perks other than Stopping Power. The Desert Eagle has the highest hip-fire accuracy of any weapon in the game. Unlike other pistols, it cannot be fitted with a suppressor. The Desert Eagle is unlocked at Level 43.

The Desert Eagle is popular because of its sheer power. However, some people choose not to use it due to its low magazine capacity of 7 rounds (with a reserve of 21). It is also one of the loudest weapons in the game, and has high visual recoil.

Single Player
The Desert Eagle is more common in the campaign than it was in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, appearing as the first sidearm used in the game, in the level "S.S.D.D." It is sometimes used in the hands of the Brazilian Militia. It can also be found in the makeshift hospital in "Of Their Own Accord", right next to Cpl. Keating's computer, and in one of the rooms with the resting soldiers on a small table next to one of the beds, in "Just Like Old Times", in the control room just before Shepherd destroys it, in the armory in "Loose Ends," and Akimbo Desert Eagles can be found twice in the level, "Takedown". Its rate of fire seems to have been slowed down compared to the rate of fire in the previous game, and accuracy seems to suffer if fired repeatedly, making it almost useless unless using Akimbo.

Multiplayer
The Desert Eagle is unlocked at level 62. In multiplayer it appears alongside another very powerful handgun: the .44 Magnum. Since the .44 Magnum is unlocked before the Desert Eagle, has more minimum damage and has less recoil, it is much more popular. Although the Desert Eagle's minimum damage is slightly lower than the .44 Magnum, if the player combines it with Stopping Power both guns will kill in the same amount of shots. The .44 Magnum does, however, have a six round capacity as opposed to the Desert Eagle's seven rounds. The Desert Eagle also has a faster reload time than the .44 Magnum.

The Desert Eagle, with its high power, significant visual recoil, and distinctive report, retains similarities to the one from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. One new addition is that it now accepts attachments. However, its recoil has been increased considerably, both by increasing the kick (and making it arc to the right) and reducing the speed at which it re-centers. The weapon now sports a darker finish than it had in the original Modern Warfare. The Desert Eagle is now seen with tactical rails on both the top of the weapon and the underside of the barrel, and it also has a tactical laser mounted underneath. However, this is purely aesthetic, as the Desert Eagle cannot equip any attachments on the rails and players cannot utilize the laser. Another new feature is the addition of a white three-dot-sight setup, for which the front post is slightly off-center, this does affect the accuracy, as shots do not land at the tip of the front sight. It is interesting to note that, while using the Tactical Knife attachment, the Desert Eagle's sights become centered. It is one of the two handguns in game that cannot accept a Suppressor.

The Desert Eagle goes fairly unused online due to its high unlock level and high recoil. However, players that take the time to unlock the Akimbo attachment are rewarded with a powerful and easy-to-use close quarters weapon. Some players prefer a single Desert Eagle over Akimbo, however, as the single Desert Eagle's hipfire accuracy is higher when only using one.

In Hardcore, despite the Desert Eagle's ability to kill in one shot at any range, it is usually passed over for other, more accurate secondaries with the same ability, such as the M93 Raffica.

thumb|300px|right|Desert Eagle attachment guide

Weapon Attachments

 * FMJ
 * Akimbo
 * Tactical Knife

Gold Desert Eagle
"Gold plated semi-automatic with high power. Effective at close range."

- Sidearm description

Gold Camouflage can be used in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare upon reaching level 55, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 via modding. The gold Desert Eagle has exactly the same stats as the normal Desert Eagle, with the only difference being the color and the removed TacLight in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The golden color makes the Gold Desert Eagle generally preferred over the regular Desert Eagle by players. The Gold Desert Eagle is the only golden weapon which does not require any expert challenges to be completed.

The files for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 contain all the data for the Gold Desert Eagle, though it is normally inaccessible in game. Its implementation is almost entirely complete, and it can be used normally in game with a hack such as a Class Editor. This near-complete implementation suggests it was going to be a last-level reward like it was in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, but it was displaced by the AK-47 fairly late in development.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

 * On Infinity Ward's website, the Desert Eagle was voted favorite handgun of the game.
 * The ammo name for the Desert Eagle in the game files is .357 Magnum.
 * Contrary to popular belief, SSgt. Griggs does not use a Desert Eagle while saving Soap in the last mission Game Over, but a nickel-plated M1911 .45.
 * Should the player prestige in Call of Duty 4, when the last decision about prestiging is made and the player goes to prestige, a firing sound of the Desert Eagle is heard.
 * It is the only pistol to have a custom finish.
 * In the mission "Crew Expendable" it's possible to pick up two Desert Eagles and use them interchangeably without sharing ammo between them.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * The Desert Eagle and .44 Magnum are the only two pistols that have only three attachments (FMJ, Akimbo, Tactical Knife).
 * The Desert Eagle's sights are misaligned. It actually fires to the upper right corner of where the player is aiming at, but with the Tactical Knife Attachment, the Iron Sights are positioned correctly.
 * The Desert Eagle appears in the side holster of one of the U.S Army Ranger's player models.
 * When Shepherd betrays and shoots Roach and Ghost, his first shot uses the sound file of the Desert Eagle, even though he uses a .44 Magnum; this is most likely for dramatic effect.
 * In the mission S.S.D.D., Dunn holsters the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare version of the Desert Eagle.
 * In Exodus, a Call of Duty 4 modeled Desert Eagle can be found next to the dead High Value Individual, but it cannot be picked up.
 * A black Desert Eagle is used by Rojas' Assistant at the start of Takedown.
 * When Rojas' Assistant fires at the player in the start of Takedown, he fires more shots with the Desert Eagle than it can hold for each magazine.

Miscellaneous

 * The Desert Eagle's firing sound is often used during cinematic moments when a different handgun is actually fired, due to its louder and more dramatic report. For example, when Khaled Al-Asad is executed by Captain Price with an M1911, Desert Eagle's firing sound is used.
 * The Desert Eagle is often referred as the "Deagle" in many gaming communities.
 * During the empty reload animation, the top of the magazine can be seen dropping out through the open chamber with the slide back.
 * As with all handguns, when the player sprints with the Desert Eagle they will hold the gun with two hands in first-person while in third-person the player only holds it with one hand.