Stoeger Cougar Opinions

[Johnny Polite]

I have a friend that is considering getting a CHL. He has always liked the look of Berrettas and he went to Academy and handled the Stoeger Cougar in .40s&w and liked the way it felt in his hand. I don't know much about it other than it is a rebranded Beretta.

Any thoughts on this model and any other input would be greatly appreciated.

Also, are there any other guns that would be similar to this one as far as similar controls and price point.

Thank you very much for your input.

[zbordas]

A friend of mine bought a Cougar 9mm and I helped him with the initial cleaning. Once we took it to the range he seemed very happy with it. I also shot 15 rounds with it and appeared to be just as accurate as my Bersa 9mm and it was easy to shoot, no harsh recoil.

It was easy to disassemble and re-assemble, easy to clean and looked good quality.

The only thing I did not like that the de-cocker / safety works backwards (clockwise). So if I’d own one I would carry it with safety off (ready) and put safety on while putting it in or out of the holster.

Hope it helps a bit. I don't know anything about its reliability.

[RECIT]

They have a good reputation as a re-branded Beretta like you stated. I would also look at the CZ75 and the CZ75 compact. They are similar size with better ergonomics in my opinion. The SP101 and SP06 models have a rail that makes them feel really fat to me.

[aaronspuler]

I have a Stoeger Cougar 8040 and really enjoy the gun. Very accurate, and well balanced. A fun shooter.

[Rex B]

I've had two. My son would up with the 2nd one

Very neat guns. The recoil feel is a bit different due to the rotating barrel.

I'll probably end up with another sometime soon if they keep running them on sale.
Notice how few used ones are advertised?

[cougartex]

I have the Stoeger Cougar 8000. Stoeger Industries is a subsidiary of Beretta. The Stoeger Cougars are made in Turkey using the same machinery that Beretta used to make the original Cougars. It is every bit the quality of the Beretta. The Stoeger 8000 in 9mm is identical to the Beretta Cougar L Type P (Cougar L slide, lighter barrel and beveled slide, but with a full-length magazine). The Cougar is a great gun for the money.

The Stoeger Cougars come in 9mm, .40cal, .45cal.

[age_ranger]

Great pistols for the money, for sure. However, they tend to be a tad on the heavy side for carry. At least, for me. If you want a pistol that's similar in function and controls, the PX4 series is essentially the polymer version with some enhancements. The Stoegars are made in Turkey on Beretta tooling. The PX4 is made in Italy and imported to the US. Besides the weight reduction, you'll find that the PX4 has an accessory rail and is available in F, G, C and D configurations as well as some limited releases such as the OD Green, and SD models and a subcompact model which has a tilt barrel instead of the rotary barrel if it's larger brothers.

I've carried a PX4G and recently the PX4SD with no issues. Holsters are readily available, but honestly, it's my opinion that Beretta (in general) does not make great carry guns. When I think of a carry gun, I think slim, med. capacity with carry options like de-horning, reduced grip, ect.......Beretta simply doesn't cut it for me so I carry a CW9 and P238 in the summer allot.

Don't get me wrong, I've placed in the Tx. Regional IDPA matches with the PX4 and do carry it, there's just too much out now to not consider other firearms.

[Johnny Polite]

Thank you for the replies so far. Are there any comparable guns that he should look at before making his decision?

[shipwreck]

I want one in 45 soon. What is nice is that you can use a few parts from a Beretta 92 to customize the Cougar. You can get a skeletonized hammer, replace the hammer with a D spring to lower the trigger weight.

And, it is my understanding that SOME (not all) of the extended mag releases can interchange with the 92FS.

I owned one in 9mm in the 1990s when they first came out. WIsh I would have kept it.

Also, when SToeger first released them, they were just over $300. They've gone up a bit since then. But, a good gun!