.50 Action Express
Historical Notes
The .50 Action Express (.50 AE) was developed in 1988 for the IMI Desert
Eagle semi-auto pistol imported by Magnum Research, Inc. It is another
development by Evan Whildin, then of Action Arms. It was part of a program
to upgrade the performance of the semi-auto pistol through new cartridge
design. The .50 AE has the same rim diameter, case length and overall length
as the .44
Magnum. However, the base diameter is .547 inch, so like the
.41 AE the
.50 AE has a rebated rim. The reason is so the cartridge can be chambered
in the Desert Eagle pistol without making any changes in the basic design.
The pistol is already chambered for the
.44 Magnum,
and by retaining the same rim diameter, the change in caliber to .50 AE will
require only a new barrel. This is a very practical approach.
General Comments
The .50 AE uses a .500 inch diameter bullet weighing 325 grains at a muzzle
velocity of 1400 fps. The 300 grain bullet at 1400 fps delivers 1414 foot
pounds of energy, which makes the .50 AE one of the worlds most powerful
pistol cartridges. It is an excellent field cartridge for deer sized animals
or as a backup when hunting dangerous game.
Source: Cartridges of the World
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