"New" old Cougar...

[Cyanide971]

The more things change, the more they stay the same! I forgot just how smooth the Beretta DAO triggers were, until I started messing around with every one I could find at the various Cabela's and Gander Mountain's I stop at throughout the country. Wondering why the heck it took me so long to finally pull the trigger on another one?

Seems like DAO .40 Beretta Cougar D's (and PX4 D's) are easy to find all day long. The 9mm's are more difficult; this was only one of a small handful that was decently priced, and I have been looking for a while. This one makes up for the ol' 96D Centurion (my first bought & carried pistol back in '94) and then the later acquired Stoeger Cougar that I had to get rid of years ago because of d*mn ex-wives.....

Anyway, can't wait to get back home in another 3 weeks or so and pick it up. There will be lots of rounds going through it, my RAMI, and a couple others! I'll also post better pics after I have it in my possession.

[BarryLee]

I’ve been considering one of the Cougars. I almost purchased one of the Berettas in .45 and have always regretted not making the buy. Just curious how the quality of the new Stoegers compares to the Berettas?

[AustinTX]

Very nice! Congrats! The Cougars are terrific guns.

[AustinTX]

Just curious how the quality of the new Stoegers compares to the Berettas?

The Stoegers are excellent guns -- easily the best value in a full-size, service pistol-caliber semi-auto today, in my opinion, as it's not hard to find them new under $350 (I've seen them as low as $325 new on Gunbroker). Stoeger is a subsidiary of Beretta, and the Cougars are produced on Beretta tooling. They give up a little bit in finish/refinement to the old Beretta Cougars, but not in any way that affects function.

[Cyanide971]

Thanks y'all! The Stoeger I previously had was equal to my Berettas. No worries should you decide to get one. I just prefer the Beretta since I can have it in true DAO.

[dwhite]

I bought a Stoeger Cougar this past Tuesday.

Have not shot it yet but overall fit and workmanship is impressive
for the cost of the gun. Trigger is smooth. Best fitting pistol I've ever
had. Grip is perfect.

$360 + tax at Colts Guns in Greenville NC. Found them on Gunbroker.

Drove out and picked it up myself. Service at Colt's was great. Will visit them again.

All the Best,
D. White

[LockedBreech]

I just picked up a 90% or so condition Cougar 8040 G-Type from Gunbroker earlier this month. I've always wanted one of the Beretta-branded ones even though the Stoeger ones are just as good aside from finish quality. I got lucky and paid $425 for mine. The stock grips were kinda rough so I threw some Hogue Extreme aluminum grips on it.

I took it out for the first time last week. I didn't even have time to clean it, and it was notably dusty and dirty (sat in the back of someone's garage for a while, I think). All I had time to do was put a few drops of oil on the rails and barrel lug.

It ran through 250 flawless 165-grain rounds, including four magazines of Federal HST (the rest was Federal American Eagle FMJ), and thus joins my 92 and PX4 in my Beretta collection. None of them have ever bobbled a single round.

I was engaging a dueling tree at 20 and 25 yards and was swinging them around no problem.

You could definitely say I'm a fan.

I was using the old, very rough condition 10-round ban-era magazines, and it still ran perfectly. I have a pair of factory-new 11-rounders on backorder from Midway.

[Cyanide971]

That's awesome LockedBreech! I can honestly say that I never had an issue out of ANY Beretta I had, be it issued or personal (including my Stoeger).

I know a lot of people don't like Beretta, but I do, and it's been far too long w/o one in the stable. Would love to find a DAO Mini-Cougar, but thinking next up will be a 9mm PX4 Type D. I actually got a chance to play around with a PX4 Type C and it wasn't bad, but I just like a true DAO, self-cocking trigger. I know, call me crazy!

[Grunt96]

Looks great! A Beretta Cougar is high on my want list. Love Beretta!

[AustinTX]

Congrats on your new 8040, LB!

[LockedBreech]

Thanks, y'all!

Honestly, I think Beretta is a victim of the "not the newest, not the coolest" phenomenon. Suddenly, nothing but striker polymers were serious enough for operators, so the Beretta was suddenly "clunky" and "too big for the caliber"

I take a different view. I think Beretta makes guns that are easy to shoot, reliable, and accurate. I don't need them to be high speed, low drag. They work, and they're good-looking. Give me a Beretta over the latest and greatest, any day.

[ftttu]

I purchased and duty-carried a Beretta Cougar 96D when it first came out, but i later sold it to another officer. He still carries it after all of these years because he is still really happy with it.

I only got rid of it because I get bored with a duty weapon after a while since there is such a large selection of handguns out there to experience.

I'm sure you will be happy with it. I was even thinking of asking my buddy if he ever wanted to sell it back to me. He and I are close to the end of our careers so it may happen sooner than later.

[WildBill45]

good buy!

[Cyanide971]

Ftttu, no disrespect intended, there is no such thing as a Couger 96D. Did you have a Cougar, or a 96D? Like I mentioned earlier, I had both and loved them, and they only left my possession due to divorces.

[Nathan]

Huh...not what I expected to see in this thread based on the title, but I can see why she won your heart!

[ftttu]

Sorry Cyanide and everyone else. Thanks for the correction. I was actually referring to my Cougar 8040D. I posted when I was half asleep.

My other Beretta duty weapon was a 96D. I really liked that also, but I started carrying my H&K P2000 .40 more since I was on bike patrol at the time. That 96D was just a little too long and heavy for that duty.

I don't know about everyone else's experience with their purchase of the Cougar when they were released, but I also got a T-shirt with it. I finally got rid of it due to it fading and numerous holes.

I've seen the newer Cougars at Academy, but I have no knowledge about them other than posters on this and other forums. If they are the same in quality, I'm sure the OP and others will be and are happy.

[Cyanide971]

No worries brother, half of my posts are done 3/4 asleep!

[Cyanide971]

Just got a couple of new pictures from the vendor, doesn't look to be in bad shape at all on the outside!

[Cyanide971]

Congrats to all the other Cougar owners as well. If you have no prior experience shooting one or, it's PX4 sibling, you will enjoy it!

[Cyanide971]

Originally Posted by LockedBreech

Honestly, I think Beretta is a victim of the "not the newest, not the coolest" phenomenon. Suddenly, nothing but striker polymers were serious enough for operators, so the Beretta was suddenly "clunky" and "too big for the caliber.

Think about this for a second... Unless I am having a massive brain fart, neither Beretta nor CZ (and until just recently, HK) have a current production Full- and/or Compact-size polymer-frame, striker-fire pistol available whatsoever. Sure, there was the short-lived CZ 100, but otherwise they have stuck to a formula that works for them, building quality hammer-fired, DA/SA pistols (specialty models notwithstanding).

With that being said, doesn't that mean they are supposed to be bankrupt and out of business because they aren't doing like everybody else? Hahahahahahahaha

[LockedBreech]

So true, Cyanide. Until very recently the same could be said for HK. Hammers are definitely my preference, so I'm glad they stick to their guns, pun intended.

By the way, that Cougar you're getting looks flat out minty. Mine was in awesome shape but not that awesome.

[Cyanide971]

Thanks! Once I get home and am able to pick it up I will take better pictures and, as always, I will do comparison shots of it with my other pistols and throw that into the other thread.

[LockedBreech]

Here are a few hasty snaps of my Cougar, some are mine, some are from the auction listing. I haven't cleaned it yet, so there is a good bit of grime/dust on the slide in one of the pics, the finish is not that spotty. It sports Hogue Extreme aluminum grips now, since the stock ones had that gash on them on the right side.

Also, this is not gun related, but Peyton Manning, who I have loved for most of my life, just set the NFL all-time TD record, so I'm a happy camper this evening.

[Cyanide971]

Pics of the Hogue aluminum grips please? That's one thing I've never figured with the Cougar, whether Beretta or Stoeger branded, is the front lower edge of the grip panel extending beyond the frame itself???





Thinking mine will get dremeled, evened, and smoothed unless I go for the Hogue G10's...

[LockedBreech]

Sure! I would have preferred something with a Beretta Trident, but since the model has been out of production for a while, that proved just about impossible to locate. I still might try at some point.

These are the Hogue Extreme Series aluminum grips, black, with Hogue Beretta 92 torx grip screws (same ones as the Cougar uses). They ran me about $75. For the same cost, I could have gotten the Hogue G10. I like G10, but I preferred the aluminum ones by a hair.