George Hill
Member
The Cougar is now safe and sound here at home. At the gun shop where I had it transferred through, I inspected the little pistol while the clerk handled the paperwork. I had the initial impression that I had made a huge mistake.
This Cougar was the worse feeling Beretta I had ever encountered. I shook my head, but took the gun home. Once home I immediately stripped the gun down. Inside, the gun was not just bone dry, but fouled with carbon like the inside of an M-16’s bolt carrier. No wonder it felt like crap.
Once I got the gunk scraped out, (I think it was like dried orange juice or something) cleaned, inspected and lubed properly with FP-10, the gun felt like a real honest to goodness Beretta. The barrel was absolutely filthy inside. I don’t think this Cougar has ever been cleaned. Ever.
The previous owner of this unit was rough on her, abused and neglected her. The owner must have been a rough cop or just a filthy slob. She needed some love. Luckily she cleaned up real nice. There are some scars… I can’t do anything about that. We all have our scars. The overall package is very nice.
She’s a hot little Italian, curvy and sexy. Feels good in the hands. Handles very well for the subcompact frame. Points naturally. I’ve yet to shoot it. I don’t have time to do so today, dang it! Maybe tomorrow morning.
The gun is an odd unit thanks to the rotating barrel and a closed slide... but the gun is all Beretta inside and out. Many things are very similar to the 92 series and I instantly felt right at home with it. The controls are all easily reached and well placed. I don't see any problems that way. Some say the Beretta 92 series is just too big. I disagree. I don't think many people that slam the 92 for that would say anything about the Cougar. I don't think it's too big at all.
The muzzle end is monolithic, brutal, and unyielding in it's appearance... but that's the business end of it. From the operators perspective the gun looks dead sexy. The sights are functional, but nothing special. I am thinking of getting some Express 24-7 sights for it... and some wood grips would be nice too. The factory plastics are too cheap for such a fine Italian... Like vinyl seats in your Ferrari.
I'm packing the Cougar in my ten dollar belt slide holster I got 6 to 8 years ago, and it fits perfectly in it. Not only that, but it conceals very well too. I'll have to look for a real hoster after I blow through plenty of ammo... fiscal priorities and all that. I think many people have the impression that Berettas are more bulky than they really are. The guns thickness isn't really a problem at all, and thanks to the Mini Cougar's short grip, printing is not a concern at all. I'll review this gun more after I spend some more quality time with her.
For those wondering about the ammo, I picked up a box of CCI Blazers when I paid for the transfer fee. The Blazers are not reloadable and for that reason some people scoff at it. However during some ammunition testing, Blazers were found to be the most consistent ammunition shot per shot. It might be cheap, but it's excellent quality. Not only that, but it has very good energy levels. I have some other ammunition I will test with it... some 230gr JHPs from a couple different makers, Triton, Federal, some reloads... But this 3.6 inch barrel is making me think about using 200 grain loads instead.
This Cougar was the worse feeling Beretta I had ever encountered. I shook my head, but took the gun home. Once home I immediately stripped the gun down. Inside, the gun was not just bone dry, but fouled with carbon like the inside of an M-16’s bolt carrier. No wonder it felt like crap.
Once I got the gunk scraped out, (I think it was like dried orange juice or something) cleaned, inspected and lubed properly with FP-10, the gun felt like a real honest to goodness Beretta. The barrel was absolutely filthy inside. I don’t think this Cougar has ever been cleaned. Ever.
The previous owner of this unit was rough on her, abused and neglected her. The owner must have been a rough cop or just a filthy slob. She needed some love. Luckily she cleaned up real nice. There are some scars… I can’t do anything about that. We all have our scars. The overall package is very nice.
She’s a hot little Italian, curvy and sexy. Feels good in the hands. Handles very well for the subcompact frame. Points naturally. I’ve yet to shoot it. I don’t have time to do so today, dang it! Maybe tomorrow morning.
The gun is an odd unit thanks to the rotating barrel and a closed slide... but the gun is all Beretta inside and out. Many things are very similar to the 92 series and I instantly felt right at home with it. The controls are all easily reached and well placed. I don't see any problems that way. Some say the Beretta 92 series is just too big. I disagree. I don't think many people that slam the 92 for that would say anything about the Cougar. I don't think it's too big at all.
The muzzle end is monolithic, brutal, and unyielding in it's appearance... but that's the business end of it. From the operators perspective the gun looks dead sexy. The sights are functional, but nothing special. I am thinking of getting some Express 24-7 sights for it... and some wood grips would be nice too. The factory plastics are too cheap for such a fine Italian... Like vinyl seats in your Ferrari.
I'm packing the Cougar in my ten dollar belt slide holster I got 6 to 8 years ago, and it fits perfectly in it. Not only that, but it conceals very well too. I'll have to look for a real hoster after I blow through plenty of ammo... fiscal priorities and all that. I think many people have the impression that Berettas are more bulky than they really are. The guns thickness isn't really a problem at all, and thanks to the Mini Cougar's short grip, printing is not a concern at all. I'll review this gun more after I spend some more quality time with her.
For those wondering about the ammo, I picked up a box of CCI Blazers when I paid for the transfer fee. The Blazers are not reloadable and for that reason some people scoff at it. However during some ammunition testing, Blazers were found to be the most consistent ammunition shot per shot. It might be cheap, but it's excellent quality. Not only that, but it has very good energy levels. I have some other ammunition I will test with it... some 230gr JHPs from a couple different makers, Triton, Federal, some reloads... But this 3.6 inch barrel is making me think about using 200 grain loads instead.