Stoeger Cougar .40, anyone has experience?

[flatovercrest]

Hi
Looking to add another semi in larger caliber to my guns and am intrigued by the Stoeger Cougar .40.
http://www.stoegerindustries.com/firearms/cougar8000.tpl

Very interesting price indeed and good looking guns..
Anyone here has experience with that brand/ quality/customer service etc?
Thanks in advance.

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Gp100 4" Crimson Traced
G19

[Magicmanmb]

It was made by Beretta at about twice the price before Stoeger. I had the Beretta and had numerous problems FTE jamming and numerous other problems. Stoeger does have better customer service. There is a thread on here about others having problems with the Beretta version do a quick search. I sold mine at a large loss to a fellow that needed springs and a mag release. I here the stoeger has a better rep though

[flatovercrest]

Thanks MagicM. I think I'll stay away from them.

[whogasak47]

I have 1 cougar 8000 40 S&W Love it. It is same size as my S&w model 39 9mm. So I can use all holsters that I have used 20 years. You can change Right to Left Mag. release in 2 minutes. For lefties. Shoots great with No malfunctions in 2 years. I have another one on order right now. Perfect for carry on Motorcycle. Just one man's opinion.

Good Luck and Ride Safe

[cmbf117]

When I was making my decision as to what handgun I was going to buy, it was between the Cougar and a G19. I ultimately chose the G19. In my personal opinion, the grip on the Cougar was still too large and 92-ish, even though it's supposed to be a compact. Then again, I guess I have small hands compared to others.

[crazymoose]

I owned a Beretta Cougar in .40 and currently own a Stoeger in 9mm. The Stoeger is the better of the two. This is one of those designs that's better in one caliber than another. Get the 9mm if you want one.

[JayAK]

The Cougar looks very thick in the grip.....

I passed on it when getting a gun for my girl because of this...

[hardonem]

The Stoeger I purchased in OCT 07 was very good. Originially for my wife, she liked the size of the grips and all. I shot the heck out of it until I traded it for an M9. I would buy another without any hesitation. Had no need for customer service so, sorry on that point. Accuracy? If you can see the point of aim, the round is going to hit it!

IMHO

[Zombie Steve]

I had the Beretta 8040 Cougar at one point. I sold it in an attempt to simplify my arsenal (mostly .45acp) - that plan was later shot to hell, but that's another story.

I had no problems whatsoever with my .40 Cougar. I thought it felt great albeit a bit snappy (it is a .40...). This was at a time before I carried concealed, so no comments there...

Good luck.

[pblanc]

I have a Beretta 8040 mini Cougar which has the same barrel and slide as the full-size Cougar but a frame with a shorter grip. I have found that the pistol needs to be kept well-lubricated. The rotating barrel design means that there are sizable bushing surfaces built into the inside of the slide upon which the barrel rotates and slides, which makes for a lot of metal-on-metal contact.

Some feel that the rotating barrel design absorbs some of the recoil of the .40cal round. I find the recoil from this pistol to be a bit "snappy" but very managable. I have found the pistol to be be perfectly reliable if kept clean and lubricated.

[GolfRomeoVictor]

my Beretta Cougar 8040 is amazing! Snapiness is noticeable but after a few months it no longer is a problem. ZERO feeding problems! As for Stoeger, I don't know. I just saw "Cougar" and got excited.