Baby Eagle

[Josh]

I have no experience with Desert Eagle and I know someone who is selling a Baby Eagle for $500. Is that worth price and what do you think about Desert Eagles? Thanks Josh

 

[Uralguy]

I have a Full size Baby in 9. I have had it for a couple of years. It's basically a CZ 75. I have had six CZs and I am addicted to them. It's a little heavy and not real comfortable to carry. Works flawless. The Poly rifling is a joy to clean. I would not hesitate to answer the door with at night. You can always beat the zombies with it, If you run out of ammo. I like mine. Bought it used for $300 at a gun shop. Some CZ mags work in it some don't. That's my 2 cents worth.

 

[shooter521]

Man, the original post has been up for a whole hour... Savage's Baby Eagle pager must be broken.

 

[melensdad]

Man, the original post has been up for a whole hour... Savage's Baby Eagle pager must be broken.

 

[ARdysfunction]

I have the all steel semi compact in .40. Too heavy for a carry gun in my opinion and the narrow slide makes it difficult to quickly chamber a new round. I had some feeding issues when it was brand new. They were worked out by polishing the feed ramp. And the rear sight wanted to drift over on its own after every few hundred rounds. That was fixed with red lock tight.

Other than that I like the pistol, it shoots well, it's accurate and the grip fits my hand really well. I fired several thousand rounds through mine and its held up well.

I belive I paid arround 400 or 425 nib nine or so years ago.

 

[Walt_Jabsco]

I think it should be noted that, beside the name, there's actually no relation between the baby eagle and the Desert Eagle. The mechanisms are completely different. Magnum Research just bought the Jericho 941 design, decided it looked vaguely like the real Desert Eagle and slapped the Baby Eagle name on it.

 

[homeless]

I think it should be noted that, beside the name, there's actually no relation between the baby eagle and the Desert Eagle. The mechanisms are completely different. Magnum Research just bought the Jericho 941 design, decided it looked vaguely like the real Desert Eagle and slapped the Baby Eagle name on it.

Not quite right, but close. The Jericho 941 was the long time IDF side arm. And is extremely badass and a much better pistol than any CZ I have handled. The Deasert Eagle is was comission by Magnum Research so they could have a gun to put into movies. And being as IWI likes to make money and build guns they said yes. Magnum Research are the import point for Baby Eagles currently thus why they are baby eagles and not Jerichos.

Interesting note is that I have never seen a 941 in a movie that wasn't being held by a bad guy, so if you own one I must assume that eventually some cheesey action hero will eventually kick your ass.

 

[shooter521]

Magnum Research are the import point for Baby Eagles currently thus why they are baby eagles and not Jerichos.

That is about to change... Charles Daly Defense will be importing the Jericho line starting later this year.

 

[homeless]

That is about to change... Charles Daly Defense will be importing the Jericho line starting later this year.

I hate you, that means that I will end up spending more money. On the other hand that aught to make it easier to find mags for my buddies .45 while he is playing in the sandbox.

On a side note do you know if they will be offering the 9mm/41ae combo? I have always wanted to try it even though it is pretty much obsolete due to 40s&w.

 

[shooter521]

On a side note do you know if they will be offering the 9mm/41ae combo?

No plans that I'm aware of. .41AE is dead.

Here's what Michael Kassnar, president of KBI, had to say in introducing the project:
_______________

Are any of you familiar with the Jericho that KBI sold back in the early '90's? I'm going to tell you a story that I hope does not bore you and put you to sleep...

Around 1989, through an intermediary, I was introduced to IMI with the intention of KBI entering into a project with the Israelis, to import a new CZ type double action pistol into the US. I was very interested in the idea, the gun was very well made, the multi-caliber concept was unique at that time and I was excited to be working with the world renowned IMI, manufacturer of the famous UZI sub-machinegun, among other products. One of the most fascinating features of this pistol to me is that its grip design is so ergonomic that it naturally fits almost all shooters hands, no matter what size they are. Large or small, fat or skinny, the Jericho feels comfortable to all. There is only one other pistol in the world that is so comfortable to so many people, and that is the Browning Hi-Power.

To try and make this long story a little shorter, in 1989-90, KBI entered into an agreement with IMI whereby KBI would sell the pistol exclusively in the US. Now all it needed was a name!

We needed to create a new brand name for this pistol line, and that is not always so easy, and usually very expensive. Normally, such an endeavor required at least $1,000,000 to get it off the ground! KBI was just getting started in the business and didn't have a lot or money to develop a brand overnight. It became critical that we decide on a name that would become a brand immediately; something that resonated in the consumers mind; something strong, combative, defensive and above all Israeli. Israel was (and still is) known all over the world as one of the greatest producers of firearms in the world. We needed a strong name and we needed it right away.

I was in Israel during this time and we decided to take a day off and do a little sightseeing. (I was with my Hungarian supplier, the man who supplied me with FEG firearms, and there were one or two people from IMI with us as tour guides.) On that day, we went to Jerusalem to tour the old city and then we went on to the Dead Sea. Most of what we did that day is now a blur in the cobwebs of my mind. But one thing I remember very clearly. As we were driving along the highway through the West Bank on our way back to Tel Aviv, I saw an exit sign for the town of Jericho . Immediately I called to the driver to pull off to the side of the road next to the big green Exit sign. I asked everyone to get out of the car. They looked at me like I was crazy. (I think they thought I couldn't wait to use a public toilet so I intended to go along the side of the road. But that wouldn't explain why I asked everyone to get out of the car with me... What must they have been thinking of me? Was this crazy American some sort of exhibitionist that liked an audience when he relieved himself?

As everyone got out of the car, I handed my camera to the driver and I walked over to the sign and stood in front of it. Then I asked him to take a picture of me next to the sign as I pointed to the sign and explained, "this is the name of our new pistol, The JERICHO!"

I knew it as soon as I saw it that Jericho was the name I was looking for. Jericho conveyed a battle (remember the song "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho..., Jericho..., Jericho. Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down"). It was a strong name, a name that could become a brand easily and at a reasonable cost. And it was a name that conveyed a sense of Israel (even though it is in the West Bank). It was a name that I felt Americans would embrace with open arms. It was perfect. I knew it in my heart, and on that day the Jericho pistol was truly born!

Initially it was introduced to the US by our company as the Jericho 941 in a complete kit containing a 9mm pistol, a .41AE (Action Express) conversion kit that included a barrel and recoil spring/guid stem assembly, 4 hi-cap magazines (2 for 9mm and 2 for .41AE), 50 rounds of UZI brand 9mm cartridges, 50 rounds of .41AE and a Rig cleaning rod with bore brushes for both calibers. Meprolight tritium sights were also a standard feature in the package. All of this was packed in a molded plastic carrying case that retailed at the time for about $699.00.

Unfortunately, timing is everything in this world, and the .41AE was DOA (dead on arrival) in the US as the .40S&W was introduced at the same time, the result of a joint venture between Federal and S&W. Even though the .41AE was the better cartridge, with better ballistics than the .40S&W, and it was interchangeable with the 9mm, the .41AE never caught on for two reasons. The first was that KBI and IMI were no match ($$$) for Federal and S&W in the marketing department, and Americans are loathe to support a product that "wasn't invented here" when they perceived an alternative that was invented here was available. None of the major ammo manufacturers would come to produce the .41AE (though CCI did for a short while) while all the major producers could not get their .40S&W cartridges to market fast enough. It was time to discontinue the .41AE...

When the .41AE was dropped from the line, and KBI was forced to sell the Jericho as another CZ type 9mm hi-cap pistol, albeit made in Israel by the famous IMI, it was difficult for KBI to get sales to a level fast enough that was satisfactory for the factory. I will never forget the SHOT Show in 1991 (I think it was '91) when IMI representatives came to our booth to inform us that they were taking the line away from us and giving it to one of our competitors.

I'm a littly hazy on the exact sequence of events that followed, but the Jericho was briefly sold by Mossberg as the UZI Eagle, by EAA (even a briefer period than Mossberg) until finally it became the "Baby" Eagle, imported and marketed by Magnum Research Inc. (MRI). The design of the slide was similar to the famous Desert Eagle which was also manufactured by IMI, so it appeared to be a natural fit for IMI to have MRI distribute the pistol alongside the Desert Eagle. There may have been some interruptions in MRI's selling the pistol over the years, but for the most part, MRI has continued to sell the Baby Eagle in the US and Canada up until this day while the factory has always sold the Jericho brand throughout the rest of the world and to Israeli police and security services in their home market.

Over the years the Jericho (and Baby Eagle) has turned into a complete line of pistols available in 9mm, .40S&W and more recently .45ACP. It is available in polymer and steel frames and comes in 3 different sizes. This past year the Jericho II (or Baby Eagle II) was introduced and added the more modern and more desireable features of an improved "Novak" style rear sight and a picatinny light/laser rail. During all these years, MRI has sold the version of the pistol with a slide mounted safety/decocker lever while IMI (later to become IWI, but that is another story for another day) sold a version more like the original CZ-75, with a frame mounted safety with no decocker.

So you must be wondering why I am bringing up this story and asking about your feelings towards the Jericho pistol, sold all these years in the US as the MRI Bably Eagle and now the Baby Eagle II. Some of you have probably figured it out already and you are probably right... Fast forward to today and...

KBI is proud to announce it here first, to the loyal members of the Charles Daly Forum, that beginning January 1st of 2009, KBI will be the exclusive importer and distributor of Jericho pistols, manufactured by IWI (formerly IMI), in the United States and Canada! Almost 20 years after KBI first introduced the Jericho pistol to North America, the Jericho has come home to KBI!

Now we need to know what you, our loyal members and guests, think about this pistol and what we should do with it when we come to the market next year. As we did with our AR rifle project, we need your feedback to do this properly and give the market what it wants in this type of pistol.

Should we do the model with a frame mounted safety or should we use the slide mounted safety/decocker? Should we have the picatinny rail on all variations of caliber and size? Would you like to see a "loaded" version with Meprolight tritium sights, picatinny rail, Kydex holster and mag pouch a la what SA does with the XD package? How popular is the polymer frame version do you think? Would a chrome model be interesting?

Obviously, we have a large project on our hands. It won't be under the Charles Daly brand, (or should it be?). Personally I think it stands on its own. "The Jericho from Charles Daly, manufactured by IWI, imported by KBI" is too much I think. I think that "Jericho, manufactured in Israel by IWI" is the way to market this line. What do you think? The importer's name (KBI) must be on the gun per BATF regulations, but as far as marketing is concerned I think that "Jericho, manufactured in Israel by IWI" is it.

 

[shooter521]

More info from Mr. Kassnar, via the CDD web forum:

The first Jericho shipment is in-transit to us now with another one right behind it. We are finalizing the Jericho page on our website and will post the link here as soon as it is up. For now, note that there are 3 sizes (which we call Full Size, Mid-Size and Compact), there are 2 frame materials (polymer and steel) and there are 3 calibers (9mm, .40S&W and .45ACP).

Here are the models that will be going out to our customers in the next two weeks:

* Mid-Size 9mm Steel (15 round)
* Compact 9mm Steel (12 round)
* Compact 9mm Polymer (12 round)
* Compact 9mm Steel (with 10 round mags for Restricted States)
* Mid-Size .40S&W Steel (12 round)
* Mid-Size .40S&W Polymer (12 round)
* Mid-Size .40S&W Polymer (with 10 round mags for Restricted States)
* Mid-Size .45ACP Steel (10 round)


Additional models that should be here by the end of April include:

* Full Size 9mm Steel (15 round)
* Full Size .40S&W Steel (12 round)
* Full Size .45ACP Steel (10 round)
* Compact .40S&W Steel (12 round)


All Jericho pistols come with two magazines, cleaning rod and polymer carrying case.

ETA: All Full Size and Mid-Size feature integral picatinny rail. And all models feature new "Novak Style" rear sights.