The Baby Desert Eagle Is An Epic CCW

Last updated March 2026 · By Nick Hall, Baby Desert Eagle owner who has carried the BDE concealed

• Caliber: 45 ACP
• Barrel Length: 3 inch
• Overall Length: 6.85 inch
• Weight: 1.75lb
• Capacity: 6+1

The Desert Eagle is an icon, but it just isn’t practical for, well, anything. It’s not really a hunter’s handgun and it turns into a novelty at the range that requires a strip and a clean way too often. But this, this is a different kind of Desert Eagle for sale.

Magnum Research has taken some of the design cues of the iconic gun that has settled more gunfights in the movies than real life, and put them in a package you can use.

It’s a 45 ACP CCW with a 3-inch barrel. The pronounced beavertail and grip safety sit neatly in your hand and will put Glock slide bite firmly in the past.

Glock Size, Then Totally Different

It’s a 1911 that has been shrunk just enough to make it a stylish EDC. It’s 6.85 inches long, so sort of Glock 19 length, but you can forgive the size because it sits so nicely in the hand. It also looks a million bucks and if you like to carry a designer gun to match the watch on your wrist, this will do the job perfectly,

You only get six rounds, which is a limitation, but that’s normally enough for most self-defense situations and this mini 1911 trades capacity for the pure stopping power of the larger 45 ACP round.

9mm vs 45 ACP Auto: That Old Internet War

It’s up to you how you feel about this. Personally I prefer the higher capacity of the Springfield Armory XDMOD2 and the Sig Sauer P365 Nitron. Check out some of the best 9m subcompact carry pistols here.

But if you don’t mind the lower capacity and you’re not prepared to trust your life to 9mm bullets, then this is a solid option. Well this or any of these 45 ACP subcompact handguns.

It’s expensive, it has to be said. But then you can see the craftsmanship in this gun at every turn and it’s one of those that you’ll end up showing to a lot of people. It’s an ornate, good looking gun and I think I could justify it on those grounds alone.

How’s About That New Ammo?

We will probably never see the Desert Eagle Undercover chambered in .429 DE, the new round that could help tame the larger Desert Eagle pistol.

What About the Polymer Baby Desert Eagle?

There’s another option here.

The bigger polymer Baby Desert Eagle is basically a rebranded Jericho.  But there’s nothing wrong with that. It comes with the trademark barrel shape, although it’s a different philosophy and a much lighter caliber.

Have a look for yourself….

And now look here….

If you like a compact 1911 for concealed carry, then look no further. We have a great selection here, as well as bigger 1911s with heftier price tags.

• The best subcompact 1911 pistols. officer size fun
• The best $1000 1911 pistols
• The best 1911s under $2000