Stoeger Cougar - What's Your Opinion?

Cougar feeding problems?

I asked a manager of a local gun store today about the cougar and he said that it is not on the list for California and that the ones he has seen have significant failures to feed problems.
I am wondering if (what he said is true) it could be from the poor replacement magazine quality because of CA's 10rd mag rule? Or could it be that he was trying to get me to buy a storm instead (higher comission for him).

My brother bought one. It's a superb gun, and an amazing value. It's what I would recommend to anyone in the market for an inexpensive centerfire pistol.

My friend had one. It resembles the PX4 very well. BUT, the grip is as big as a tree trunk. A reason I'd never consider one. He had his for a short while but it was accurate and reliable.

My friend had one. It resembles the PX4 very well. BUT, the grip is as big as a tree trunk. A reason I'd never consider one. He had his for a short while but it was accurate and reliable.

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I have a Beretta MiniCougar and have handled the Stoeger version and they are the same gun. However, I think there's only a passing family resemblance to the PX4 (which is butt ugly IMO) and the grip is smaller than the one on my M9, about average for a metal framed double stack 9mm.

I have a Stoeger Cougar, it is a great gun! I have never had a feeding issue with mine. It has been absolutely reliable, feeds anything and everything and goes bang every time. I highly recommend them, they are the best bargain on the market at this time. They aren't just a copy of the Beretta, they are made on the same tooling as the Beretta, Beretta just shipped everything to Turkey. All the parts are interchangeable, they are the same gun. Whoever told you that they aren't any good doesn't know what he is talking about.

Have both 9mm & .40 S&W. Absolutely great guns. No issues. Eat everything. No malfunctions, easy to clean. More pistols should be made like these. Wish they made a .45 ACP.

Cougar Report

I bought one a couple of months ago at Academy and absolutely love it . I bought the 8040, but am now thinking of buying an 8000 to plink with, since 9mm ammo is about 30% cheaper than .40.

Out of the box, it shot circles around every thing else, I can't believe how accurate it is and only a 3.25" barrel! It has almost no barrel flip, stays on target better than the Browning action auto's and the .40 kicks less than any of my 9's. Everyone I let shoot it, just walks away with a big Some even try to put it in their pockets LOL.

It is soooo easy to field strip to clean and reassembly is a breeze. Mine came with the metal guide rod, which I think is an update on earlier versions. The DA trigger is over 10 pounds, but is so smooth that I don't mind it at all, I barely pull any first shots low/left right handed or low/right left handed, then the SA trigger is terrific, crisp, about 4#. All the safety features are a plus also. I don't think you can find a better, well-built pistol for less than $500, and this one is $400, which buys a lot of ammo to practice with.

Happy, safe shooting,
Mike B.

We have had ours for a few months now it is an amazingly accurate shooter. Shoots much softer than the wife's Bersa .380. So much so t is hard for the wife to resist the temptation to only shoot it during practice. Even though it is all metal it is not noticeably heavier than the XD. After waiting four months K&D holster decided that they could no longer make holsters for it despite the fact that his website says he does . More importantly he had given us his word. Finding it is fairly common for K&D to not to keep their word but that is another thread. Except that part of the reason we bought the gun, was because K&D assured us we could get a holster for it. Anyone know who makes a quality holster for the Stoeger let us know. Someone who is honest.
That is the one down fall. After market parts sights etc are difficult to come by. For now it is my wife's night stand gun. She likes the safeties on it. I prefer the passive safeties of the XD. Looks like they are gaining in popularity just saw one for $600 plus at Cabalas about $200 more than we paid

The Cougars rotating barrel is NOT a bad thing!

It does a great job of taming recoil, and Is no less reliable of a system than browning style short-recoil.

My Beretta 8040D has proven itself completely reliable. Based on my experience the rumors of rotating barrels being picky about lubrication are myth. Mine runs just fine dry or soaked.

I have one in 40S&W and Love it. And you cant beat the price.

I wouldn't mind having one, but jeez, I don't know when it would find its way into my rotation

Apparently there was a write up done on these because there seems to be a lot of people asking about them around town here. I had one of the ones before they became Stoegers and started making them in Turkey. It was a solid reliable gun. From what I have heard they still are Turkey or not.

I own a Stoeger in .40:

100% reliable to this point
I hate the trigger
Has more recoil than a .40 XD(m)
Solid construction, mostly metal
Feels great in the hand
Pointable

LongRider
The holsters are difficult.
I got a Bianchi #13H which is labeled Beretta 92F. The holster was originally too tight over the Cougar take-down button. After working the Cougar in and out quite a bit the holster formed to the Cougar and it fits very well now (you may want to get advice from a good leather worker).

I don't use the snap closure straps so I cut mine off and had a leather worker re-stitch the top edge of the holster.

The Cougar thread that wouldn't die. 32 months and counting!

I bought my Stoeger Cougar 8000 F new last January. Have since put 2,300 rounds through it. This gun is sweeeet! For CCW, I carry it all the time, and consider it the best nine that I've ever shot.

I just recently bought a PX4 (.45) and these two are definitely my two favorite semiautos. (Yes, I love the rotating barrel system that these guns employ!)

CP

I for one dont think they are nearly as nice as the beretta but the good news is you can find a like new beretta for not much more than the new stoager. I paid 500 for a preowned but never fired one with 8 new factory mags about 18 months ago.

I bought a Beretta slide, barrel and recoil spring for a 40S&W recently. The seller had used it to convert a 9mm Beretta Cougar to 40S&W. I have not tried firing the new slide on my 9mm Stoeger Cougar yet but it fits and it looks as though it should work fine.

That makes two guns, a 9mm and a 40S&W, with a spare 40S&W slide. Mix and match.

I've had one for about 18 months. Very good handgun, sort of large to carry but shoots great. I've put about 5000 rounds through mine with not one failure. I handload the .40 fairly warm and this gun is heavy enough to be able to shoot all day.

I have owned a few cougars made by beretta and have really liked them. I am sure the news ones are just fine also. currently own a cougar in 45acp and I do like it alot. Still miss the one in 357 sig.

Bump to the top...yes, keeping this thread alive.

LongRider said:

Anyone know who makes a quality holster for the Stoeger let us know.

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Check out High Noon, they have both the Beretta Cougar and the Stoeger Cougar listed.

http://www.highnoonholsters.com/

ETA: the DeSantis page appears to carry holsters for the Beretta Cougar...would imagine they'd fit the Stoeger Cougar as well, from what I've been reading.

Link -- may need to refresh/reload when you get there to load the page correctly.

Good heavy pistol and near 100 % reliable-- I tried one out at the local range, and almost got one at Academy, but it is a little heavy for CC..BUT it is a great pistol- -those Turks are as good as what Spain used to be gun wise....

I bought a Beretta slide, barrel and recoil spring for a 40S&W recently. The seller had used it to convert a 9mm Beretta Cougar to 40S&W. I have not tried firing the new slide on my 9mm Stoeger Cougar yet but it fits and it looks as though it should work fine.

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That should work fine. The Cougar was actually designed for 40, and then later adapted to 9mm, instead of the reverse. As a result, the 9mm versions are a bit over-built.

Bump back up -- anyone know where to source mags? Or will a mag from another model Beretta fit this? Thanks...

I've bought all of my mags direct from Beretta, they had them on sale for $19.95 for a long time but I haven't checked recently. Other Beretta mags will not work without modification.

If anybody is lookiing for Cougar holsters, I have a couple listed in the classified section - http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=488533