$350 to spend for 9mm - Stoeger Cougar? FNP-9? What?

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indie

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Columbia, South Carolina
what i want:

9mm
reliable
ambidextrous as possible (im a lefty)
prefer decocker da/sa but will consider dao
simple takedown and cleaning
12+ capacity



Right now, I am looking for a stoeger cougar or fnp9, but i want to ask here first to see if there are any other suggestions.

and if anyone knows a source for a cougar 9mm in my price range please let me know.
 
That Stoeger is a great gun. Most gun shops should have them at a descent price. Mine was $329, but I'm in Texas. I sold my Cougar, but I can't say anything bad about it. It just wasn't a 1911.
 
The Stoeger's are supposed to be good pistols. Can't speak from personal experience though.

However, I do have experience with the CZ's and they are great pistols. A used CZ75 can be had in that range. In fact, there is one in the Pistol's for Sale section, or at least there was earlier.
 
I'd second the CZ suggestion. They hold up very well under use and you can often find used guns in your price range. As a southpaw I find them pleasant to shoot. (provided you get the right model).
 
I also second the CZ suggestion, because they are my most-represented manufacturer and I love them, plus the 85 is an ambidextrous model (might even be totally ambi).

However, I have an FNP9-m that I just bought, and I really like it. The machining and even slide profile reminds me very much of a USP, and the decocker is ambidextrous. As far as the slide release, I personally never use it, so if I were lefty than it wouldn't affect me one bit. If you do use it, I guess you would have to use your left fingers. I like slingshot though. I got mine from CDNN for $389.
 
The CZ is fine if you have big hands, but the reach to the trigger was borderline ridiculous for me. I have the cougar and it shoots great--one thing to remember though, if you buy it new, there is a break in period. You might experience real bad accuracy until you shoot a few hundred rounds through it. Mine was 10 times better after breaking it in.
 
i did start considering looking into CZ as well today actually.

the 75's seem a bit "long" how do they conceal?

i have very large hands, but my wife has small hands, but i want something that she can pick up and shoot as well
 
W German

Ck out W German Sig 6 (225) on used market. Great deals in your price range.
 
I have the Stoeger Cougar and it is a fine gun. If you like the Beretta 92 trigger and safety, the Cougar will be like an old friend. But it uses the rotating barrel and I believe that softens the "perceived" recoil. It just doesn't whip the muzzle up as much, as it seems to just push back in the hand and recover on target faster. Of course, YMMV.

And I got mine for about $360 with tax included. Suchadeal!

The choice for best fit in your hand is up to you. The Cougar doesn't have any extra grip pieces to change the shape. What you hold is what you got. Does the FNP have any grip adjustments?

Bart Noir
 
The Stoeger is a nice gun. The rotating barrel seems to allow it to cycle with a lot less effort than a conventional locking block gun. Some loads I worked up for the Cougar wouldn't come close to cycling my SW99.

The only downside I can think of to the Cougar is the thickness. It's a full-size gun in length, and a fairly thick grip, though comfortable. The CZ-75 compacts are a really nice gun, though you'll probably pay for it.
 
I was eager to try out the FN last year when I was shopping and didnt like the trigger at all. It felt 'crunchy' and almost too delicate inside. Maybe it just needed work.
 
I looked at both these guns. I actually owned the Cougar for a while. Here are my observations.

The Stoeger is a solid gun with impeccable machining, nice SA trigger, and a good "fit." It was reasonably accurate.

I'm not convinced the rotating barrel is an improvement in accuracy or recoil (didn't observe anything stellar) and I wonder if it actually might make the Cougar more prone to FTF's (had a few.) The feed ramp is compromised a bit by the design and the barrel doesn't tilt back to meet the magazine. I also didn't care for the slide mounted decocker. It digs into the hand and don't care for a decocker combined with a safety. When the gun is decocked one shouldn't have to move the decocker back to allow DA firing, IMHO...redundant.

The FNP had some early issues with the trigger group tilting...creating high efforts and even cracked parts. Some have commented that the design isn't very robust even if it is made to tighter tolerances. Long term durability information isn't available. On the ones I sampled the trigger seemed OK...but the grip was a bit fat, with little contours or serrations for getting a decent purchase on it. Reminded me of the similarly blocky Ruger P95.

Some other guns you might look at in this price class are the Ruger P95 ($300) which (like the FNP has a blocky grip and slide mounted decocker) but has a well established reliability history, and the Steyr MA1 ($340) which fits like a glove, shoots well, but has different sights and some have trigger binding issues that require some honing work.
 
You may want to look at the CZ75 Compact, slightly smaller in barrel length and grip. They are gaining in popularity, so finding one could prove to be difficult.
Click to expand...

The PCR and P01 and the Compact all take the same grips and magazines, and have the same length barrel, so if you can't find one, the other two are out there. I have a PCR and love it. Swapped out for a lighter mainspring and CZ Coco Bolos and it looks great, trigger is much lighter now, as a result it feels less gritty, and it is a superb carry gun, because it doesn't have much *bulk*, if you know what I mean.
 
have both 9mm & .40 S&W Stoeger Cougars. Both were excellent choices
 
I have a Ruger P 95 great gun for HD a little too big for CCW.Easy takedown,shoots great 2 15 round mags.Not jams at about 600 rounds.

321 w/ stainless slide
300 blued

I got mine thru budsgunshop.com
 
Stoeger Cougar and CZ P-06

I have a Cougar and it shoots very well with everything I throw at it. I carry a Beretta 96 CCW and with the S.O. and use the Cougar as a BUG. Same grip angle, virtually same controls and positions, Even have a Beretta Elite II extended mag release in my Cougar. See the write up in the American Rifleman "Dope Bag" on the Cougar this month. Great gun. I also have a CZ P-06 that is an excellent weapon. I am just not quite comfortable with the mag extension style floorplate. Makes the grip just as long as the Cougar. The trigger was absolutely horrendous to start with but evened out after 500 or so rounds (or I got used to it?). It is a little more pricey than the Cougar. You might also look into a Police trade-in Beretta 96 Centurion DAO. They shoot very well and have a great DA which is where the "D" spring came from. As to a source for the weapon, try Clyde Armory in Athens, GA on line @ policeguns.com. Great folks and amazing customer service.
 
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JMOfartO:

CDNN is selling 3rd generation S&W pistols for $399.99 NIB, with one 15 round magazine and a LIFETIME warranty.

They are also selling the same pistol, police trade-in's for $339.00 rated excellent to like new.. Don't know if those carry the same warranty.

I just bought one of the last compact 6906's last month, also for $399.99, also NIB w/Lifetime warranty. It came as advertised and I'm so pleased with it I'm saving my pennies (I'm an old retired fart) to buy a NIB 5906.

General consensus is that these 3rd generation S&W's are excellent pistols, and if you "google" or use the search function on any of the various firearm forums you will find these pistols have a fantastic history as a police sidearm.

As far as I can see these 5906's fit all the requirements you mentioned. I'm a lefty too, and the ambi-safeties are pretty handy for those of us "wronghanders"... Capacity is 15+1, and I see CDNN has 17+1 magazines for the 5906.

These 3rd gen S&W's have a reputation for absolute reliability and my 3913 has NEVER (so far, over 13 years) failed once.

I bought my 3913 NIB in 1995 and it is an excellent firearm. I've had many other brands over the years as I have a bad habit of wanting the "flavor" of the month firearm, but OVERALL, imo, none have been any better than my 3913.

I don't know how much a good warranty is worth to you, but in my experience (they just replaced a defective Walther PPS with a new one for me) S&W has as good a Customer Service/Warranty Repair reputation as any firearms manufacturer in the business.

Just another option.

Best Wishes,

Jesse

P.S. Here's the 6906 I bought from CDNN earlier this month.

100_9675.jpg
 
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I don't know where you CZ buyers go, but I have never seen one for under $500. He is looking for a $350 9mm.
 
Both are great guns, at a reasonable price...
COUGAR is all metal and has that 'heavy-gun feel.' Durable, very accurate, fits the hand well.
FNP-9 is a 'poly-gun' with a 'big-gun' feel... Great shoot, very accurate, great feel, easy breakdown.
Get a chance to hold 'em and shoot 'em BOTH... Then, take your pick... you won't go wrong with either!

8000vsFNP9.gif
 
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