Desert Eagle

Updated 2 November 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

The Desert Eagle is a heavy semi-automatic handgun that the player can use only in GTA San Andreas. It holds seven rounds, goes on sale for $1,200 once Black Project is complete, and kills most unarmoured people in one shot once CJ's skill improves. In Vice City it appears only as a prop in cutscenes.

What is the Desert Eagle in GTA?

The Desert Eagle is the strongest pistol in San Andreas. It shares the handgun slot with the ordinary 9mm and the silenced pistol, so picking it up replaces whichever of those CJ was carrying. It hits much harder than either but holds fewer rounds. GTA Wiki notes that, like shotguns and rifles, it can take a target's head off with one shot. Slots and shops in general are covered on the weapons in GTA page.

Is the Desert Eagle in Vice City?

Only on screen, not in the player's hands. GTA Wiki lists three Vice City cutscenes where it appears: Ricardo Diaz holds one in Supply & Demand, Lance Vance carries one in Rub Out, and Phil Cassidy fires a pair in The Shootist before lending one to Tommy, who still uses a normal pistol in the contest. The San Andreas model is an updated version of that prop.

How do you unlock the Desert Eagle in San Andreas?

Ammu-Nation adds it to stock after Black Project, the Area 69 break-in for Mike Toreno. It then costs $1,200 at every branch, or $1,440 in Las Venturas, where guns are 20% dearer. Before that point the only ways to get one are free pickups or taking it from someone carrying it.

Where can you find a free Desert Eagle?

GTA Wiki lists five fixed pickups, one in each part of the state:

It also spawns on some pedestrians. Once all 100 tags are sprayed, Grove Street Families recruits carry it too, according to GTA Wiki.

How does weapon skill change the Desert Eagle?

San Andreas raises CJ's skill with each gun as he uses it. GTA Wiki describes three stages for the Desert Eagle. At Poor, it is slow to fire and needs two body hits. At Gangster, accuracy, range and fire rate all improve, unarmoured enemies fall in one shot and armoured ones in two. At Hitman, lock-on works across its full range and it fires as fast crouched as standing. Unlike the 9mm, it cannot be dual wielded.

Trivia

GTA Wiki points out that the in-game gun is modelled on a version first sold in 1995, so it is out of place in both the 1980s Vice City and the early-1990s San Andreas. It also records a known trick in which crouching between shots lets the player fire faster than normal.