Stoeger Cougar - AR15.COM

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Posted: 4/26/2017 7:47:24 AM EDT

Organizing the safe a few days ago and came across my Stoeger Cougar in .45 that i bought a few years ago.

Purchased it at Bass Pro-- $399.00 with 4 mags. Plus they knocked 5% off for a small blemish on rail.

Shot a few mags at the time, haven't had it out since.

Any one own/shot one?
Thoughts on rotating barrel?

Posted: 4/26/2017 9:45:17 AM EDT

[#1]

Had one in 9mm. Bought used (dirt cheap) on a whim. Nice pistol. Worked well, decently accurate. Sold it to thin the herd.

Posted: 4/26/2017 10:44:11 AM EDT

[#2]

Never owned one, but I shot a friends a few years ago. Was totally reliable at the range and pretty accurate to boot. Decent ergos but little chunky for my tastes.

Posted: 4/26/2017 12:47:56 PM EDT

[#3]

First, I wish if I cleared my safe I would find something I forgot about. That is like Christmas.

. I had one years ago and they are a great pistol. The barrel/action for me was smooth and easier to shoot compared to other pistols in the same caliber.

Posted: 4/26/2017 3:03:33 PM EDT

[#4]

Ive onmy heard good things from those that had them.

Posted: 4/26/2017 4:09:12 PM EDT

[#5]

Even though i haven't shot much through it, i do recall little recoil. Might have to take it out next range trip.

Posted: 4/26/2017 4:12:14 PM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:
Ive onmy heard good things from those that had them.

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Sold quite a few in my one year at Academy. Had some good feedback, never any bad.

Posted: 4/26/2017 5:14:36 PM EDT

[#7]

Excellent pistols. Stoger is owned by Beretta and these are made on Beretta tooling. The rotating barrel reduces felt recoil. I really like them. That being said for the money I think the concept is better executed in Berettas PX4 series of guns. The lighter polymer frames make the the design better IMO.

Posted: 4/26/2017 8:37:49 PM EDT

[#8]

I have wanted a Beretta 8045 ever since reading Rainbow Six. Haven't ever shot one though.

Posted: 4/26/2017 10:14:54 PM EDT

[#9]

Had one in 40 as my first handgun. Sold it due to a family disaster.

Been seriously thinking of getting one in 9. The three things stopping me are a pending sale of another handgun, the current insanity in Turkey. Although that would be alleviated if I could find a used one for sale and the fact that I don't really need another handgun.

Still I think about it. So much so that the main character in my latest novel has one as his primary sidearm.

Posted: 4/27/2017 3:55:49 PM EDT

[#10]

It's not a bad gun by any means. I'd just opt for the Beretta PX4 Compact since it's essentially the same gun except lighter and with a light rail.

Posted: 4/28/2017 8:54:07 PM EDT

[#11]

The only bad thing about them, finding replacement recoil springs. I have 6 or 7 magazines I picked up from CDNN when they were cheap. The Cougars are great guns. Use a little grease to lube and you are good to go.

Posted: 4/29/2017 2:36:45 PM EDT

[#12]

Have an Italian Beretta 8040. Very accurate, nice shooter. Cougars are very nice pistols and very under rated. My full size carry with 11 rounds of .40 goodness.

If I found a mint Stoeger 9mm for cheap, I would probably FO. Same capacity and so much more compact than the humongous 92FS. Sold my 92FS and kept my cougar.

I believe production was recently discontinued. The PX4 is the same, only plastic fantastic frame instead of the alloy frame on the Cougar.

Posted: 5/3/2017 10:03:10 PM EDT

[#13]

I have a used Stoeger 8000 on the way.

Posted: 5/5/2017 8:31:38 PM EDT

[#14]

Damned fine handgun for a ridiculously low price.

Heavy and a bit bulky, but for a service pistol, it's hard to beat. Rotating barrel requires more oil than standard tilting barrel, and makes suppression difficult, but it works just fine. Easy to switch from safety to decock-only. Hard to find holsters.

It's one of the best kept secrets in regards to metal-framed 9mm handguns. They're the predecessor to the PX4, but are superior, save for weight.

Posted: 5/7/2017 9:16:34 PM EDT

[#15]

Great handguns but between the 92, PX4, Cougar, and now the APX. The fact that nothing is magazine compatible is laughable with Beretta.

Posted: 5/7/2017 10:57:54 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:
Great handguns but between the 92, PX4, Cougar, and now the APX. The fact that nothing is magazine compatible is laughable with Beretta.

View Quote

Yeah that is something that Beretta really messed up on. I can understand the APX because of the design limitations of the modular frame but there was no excuse for the PX4 or Cougar models to have different magazines. I love Beretta, but Beretta does a lot of derppy things. It only took them 15 years to really start marketing the PX4 and make it successful. They have guns like the ARX100 and CX4 that are really good guns but they are just not pushed in the market place. Beretta has done a ton of innovating and creating in the past 15 years. 92 Vertec, 92A1, M9A1, M9A1 compact, M9A3, PX4, PX4C, PX4SC, BU9 Nano, Pico, APX, ARX100, ARX160, CX4, 1301, and those are just the ones I can think of. I am sure I am missing others. Now if they would just market better and look at ways to connect their line up. Kind of like they did with the PX4 series and the CX4. They even took it a step further by releasing a CX4 that uses 92 series mags, plus an adapater that allows the user to switch between the two types of mags. They need to look at ways to innovate like that moving forward.

Posted: 5/13/2017 6:20:39 AM EDT

[#17]

Picked up a Stoeger 8040 last year and shot it once. Reliable albeit a bit chunky. Mags are a bit hard to find for the 40. If I had to do it again I would look harder at the PX series. At 299 the stoegers are a good deal.

Posted: 5/13/2017 8:13:59 AM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:
Yeah that is something that Beretta really messed up on. I can understand the APX because of the design limitations of the modular frame but there was no excuse for the PX4 or Cougar models to have different magazines. I love Beretta, but Beretta does a lot of derppy things. It only took them 15 years to really start marketing the PX4 and make it successful. They have guns like the ARX100 and CX4 that are really good guns but they are just not pushed in the market place. Beretta has done a ton of innovating and creating in the past 15 years. 92 Vertec, 92A1, M9A1, M9A1 compact, M9A3, PX4, PX4C, PX4SC, BU9 Nano, Pico, APX, ARX100, ARX160, CX4, 1301, and those are just the ones I can think of. I am sure I am missing others. Now if they would just market better and look at ways to connect their line up. Kind of like they did with the PX4 series and the CX4. They even took it a step further by releasing a CX4 that uses 92 series mags, plus an adapater that allows the user to switch between the two types of mags. They need to look at ways to innovate like that moving forward.

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Great handguns but between the 92, PX4, Cougar, and now the APX. The fact that nothing is magazine compatible is laughable with Beretta.

Yeah that is something that Beretta really messed up on. I can understand the APX because of the design limitations of the modular frame but there was no excuse for the PX4 or Cougar models to have different magazines. I love Beretta, but Beretta does a lot of derppy things. It only took them 15 years to really start marketing the PX4 and make it successful. They have guns like the ARX100 and CX4 that are really good guns but they are just not pushed in the market place. Beretta has done a ton of innovating and creating in the past 15 years. 92 Vertec, 92A1, M9A1, M9A1 compact, M9A3, PX4, PX4C, PX4SC, BU9 Nano, Pico, APX, ARX100, ARX160, CX4, 1301, and those are just the ones I can think of. I am sure I am missing others. Now if they would just market better and look at ways to connect their line up. Kind of like they did with the PX4 series and the CX4. They even took it a step further by releasing a CX4 that uses 92 series mags, plus an adapater that allows the user to switch between the two types of mags. They need to look at ways to innovate like that moving forward.

The CX4 works since you can swap out the magazines in the same caliber. But the Cougar line should have run off the 92/96 series first. But if I recall correctly; the mix up happened because Beretta intended the Cougar to replace the 92 series on the civilian/police market and designed it from the ground up in .40 S&W. Then they chambered the 92 in it and made the 96.

The Cougar wasn't a flop but it was more of a lesser known small brother to the highly successful 92 series.

Posted: 5/13/2017 10:25:16 AM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
The CX4 works since you can swap out the magazines in the same caliber. But the Cougar line should have run off the 92/96 series first. But if I recall correctly; the mix up happened because Beretta intended the Cougar to replace the 92 series on the civilian/police market and designed it from the ground up in .40 S&W. Then they chambered the 92 in it and made the 96.

The Cougar wasn't a flop but it was more of a lesser known small brother to the highly successful 92 series.

View Quote

I think a few agency's out in CA used the Cougar but not many did. I don't think the Cougar caught on as well as they had hoped. That and Beretta didn't market hard really. I guess they got so used to selling pistols to the military they didn't feel like they needed to push their guns. In Italy they are THE firearms manufacturer. In the US though they are one of many. I liked the Cougar. I wish they still made it except update the design, add a rail and maybe make a version with a chopped frame.

Posted: 5/13/2017 12:04:08 PM EDT

[#20]

had two beretta cougar compacts. nice guns for .40 which they were designed for.

Posted: 5/14/2017 9:34:08 AM EDT

[#21]

I have a Beretta Cougar 8045, first handgun I ever bought don't shoot it much, but it is fun to shoot, very light recoil for a 45ACP

Posted: 5/14/2017 9:46:19 AM EDT

[#22]

I think the biggest problem with the Cougar was timing. It came out during the AWB, had the same capacity mags as the 92/96 series and the magazines from the 92/96 fit in the mag well, but didn't lock in due to different locations of the mag catch slot. If the Cougar had used 92/96 series magazines without modification it would have been a lot more popular. Who wants an all metal, somewhat chunky 9mm that holds 10+1 when one can have an all metal, somewhat chunky 9mm that holds 15+1?

Posted: 5/14/2017 5:15:42 PM EDT

[#23]

Attached File

Looks like an early Stoeger, possibly made in 2007 if I am reading the serial number right.

Took a day to strip it down as far as my technical ability could permit. The entire inside of the gun was choked with lint. Looks like it was some guys pocket carry gun for many years. Shows no sign of being shot more than a handful of times. Been decocked a few times though and has a few wear marks and scratches.

I really like it, shoots very smooth. Has an unusually long unlocking cycle, think I am gonna have to fork out some serious $$$ for Moar mags. Wherever I can find the damned things.

How To Convert A Beretta PX4 Type F To A Type G [Decocker Only] (HD)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWc6i506oEQ

Can anyone here tell me if this conversion will work for the Cougar as well as it does for the P4?

Posted: 5/14/2017 9:21:53 PM EDT

[#24]

Quote History

Quoted:
https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/383325/image-208427.JPG

Looks like an early Stoeger, possibly made in 2007 if I am reading the serial number right.

Took a day to strip it down as far as my technical ability could permit. The entire inside of the gun was choked with lint. Looks like it was some guys pocket carry gun for many years. Shows no sign of being shot more than a handful of times. Been decocked a few times though and has a few wear marks and scratches.

I really like it, shoots very smooth. Has an unusually long unlocking cycle, think I am gonna have to fork out some serious $$ for Moar mags. Wherever I can find the damned things.