Will be shooting my new Beretta Cougar 8045 (.45acp) for first time tomorrow!

[PJS Buck]

I have rented it several times before and love it. I traded a Springfield Custom Loaded Stainless Steel .45acp for it.

I know the 1911 purists out there are having angina attacks over this but I found mine (which I bought brand new and had 700 rounds in it) to be finicky, pathetically hard to re-assemble after cleaning and not reliable. It also irritated the hell out of me to think I had spent all that money for the Springfield in the first place only to have to send it for further "custom" treatment to make it reliable.

My first gun ate EVERYTHING! (H&K). Even if it (my Springfield 1911) were totally reliable, I would still face the task of having to wrestle the damn thing every time I cleaned it and put it back together. Great shooting, straight shooting gun but there are too many other great/straight shooting guns out today without the hassle or added costs.

I made a mistake trading in my first gun, a brand new H&K USPf .40 for it. Wish I hadn't, but what's done is done.

I'll give a full range report later. I think this gun, the Sig Pro and the Springfield XD have to be the three most under-rated, over looked guns on the market.

Pat

 

[eap]

i came really close to buying a cougar when i was taking my initial chl class. i went with a glock, the rest is history.

been with glock ever since to avoid the problems you had with your springfield.

i'll be waiting for your range report, have fun!

 

[Big Mike]

Ditto what eap said! Range report!

Mike

 

[George Hill]

Hey Pat, where is this range report? Any other 8045 owners?

 

[Boats]

I used to own one. It was utterly reliable and accurate. Best primer strikes I have ever seen on any handgun. My only complaints were the Beretta Trigger, with its enormous pretravel, creep and overtravel. Its relative thickness, and the inefficiency of the magazine space. With a competent follower design, the Cougar could easily be 9 or 10+1, but it is 8+1 instead in a grip almost half again as thick as a 1911. Wasted magazine space.

Oddly enough, I traded mine as most of the price for a Springfield Champion 1911A1 that has been utterly reliable and accurate. C'est la vie.

 

[XLMiguel]

I had one for a while, good gun - thoroughly reliable/ate everything, good trigger, accurate enough, and great ergonomics (for me), except I really didn't like the slide mounted safety/decocker. Fit/finish/workmanship was typical Beretta (that is to say, very good). It was a bit bulky for CCW, so I moved it along for a Kimber Ultra Carry. FWIW, YMMV.

 

[MyRoad]

I had a MINI-Cougar 8045. One of two guns I've ever sold -- and in the end I regretted selling both. I suppose if I were to replace it, and I've thought of it many times, I wouldn't get the mini this time, I'd just get the full size. I loved the grip shape and the way it shot.

I guess I've made almost a dozen gun purchases since I sold it, and I guess I'd have to say that while I liked that gun, the reason that none of those subsequent purchases was another Cougar is that it didn't excell at anything in particular. I guess each time I went to buy another gun, it was for something specific like a carry gun, or a target gun, or a big scary looking gun... and while the Cougar is a great all around gun, something else keeps beating it out for a space in my safe.

Now, as far as 1911's go, I understand your pain. My first was a Kimber, and it gave me nothing but trouble in the beginning. I was totally disappointed... no, scratch that, I was pissed off. But then it smoothed out, and then I learned to love it, and now I have four 1911's. Honestly, my life would be simpler and I'd have a bunch more money in the bank if I just sold the Kimber before it broke in and never looked back. Now I'm doomed. It's like having a beautiful wife who's a total b-tch, and you get to that point where you can't live with her, and you can't live without her.

 

[bigjim]

PJS Buck said:Even if it (my Springfield 1911) were totally reliable, I would still face the task of having to wrestle the damn thing every time I cleaned it and put it back together.

I guess those thousands and thousands of GI's many totally uneducated, unable to even dress themselves without supervision from a NCO must have gotten it done by luck.

 

[Cosmoline]

I had many "round midnight" jams with mine, apparently due to the unusual rotating barrel design. This was right after they came out, though, and it's likely the problems have been fixed. Sounds like they have.

 

[danbh]

I have an 8045. I have been shooting it for three years now. I also have a Glock 21 which I carry. I did carry the cougar before the Glock and still do once and a while.

I try and use both, shooting one then the other on alternate weekends. The trigger on the cougar is very light after the first shot so switching back and forth takes getting used to.

I like the feel of the cougar and have added a hogue slip on rubber grip that makes it fatter but I have large hands.

the cougar shoots well and is true to the sites does have a rise even with the twisting barrel. It's easy to take down and clean. Something really fine wold have to come along for me to trade it in. I have not regretted buying it at all..

I have put probably 3000 to 4000 rounds thru it since purchase and never had any kind of a problem with any ammo.

 

[DualBerettas]

I don't think the XD is overlooked...I am going to buy several Cougars when I can...

DB

 

[LeadPumper]

Couger 8045F...

Ahhh, my first .45... not my last mind you, but I still have that Cougar.

Agree with what's been said so far, excells at nothing, does everything well. Kinda large for a CCW 8 rounder, but grip angle is just right.

Accurate and smooth, recoil is a little muzzle 'flippy'. It's well made and eats anything. Easy to strip and clean (mine likes grease).

I won't be selling it anytime soon.

-LeadPumper

 

[PCRCCW]

Ive shot a couple and found them to be completely different guns. The first was a shooter......great trigger=very atypical for a Beretta, accurate and smooth. The second seemed top heavy, much moreso than the first and WOULD NOT RUN!
All in all, they are a good gun.....but the design is just too different, a new mousetrap if as it were, and I dont think Beretta's cheesy marketing helped out at all with them............"The most accurate 45 ever made" or similar message....
They are a niche gun and a good one at that. Shoot well.

 

[Croyance]

I also have an 8045.
In the hand, it feels like a 92FS. It is large for its capacity, like all Berettas.
I found it to be too wide for easy concealment. That was fine, as it was not bought for such duty.
Points well, and shoots well. If you want a DA/SA .45 ACP, look at the Cougar.

 

[George Hill]

Well, I have an 8045 "Mini" on the way. Looking forward to getting it. The action is different...

But it's not too funky. Just not the usual system, but not totally alien.
I've shot a couple full sized Cougars... a .45 and a .40 and they shot very well... felt like how a Beretta should feel... put the shots where I was aiming them... And you really didn't feel anything that was different, save the thing shot like a pussycat even with stout loads.
Now I wonder who could make me a good contoured pancake hoster for this thing.

 

[DualBerettas]

another underrated gun by Beretta...

Glock put a lot of people in the 'i gotta have tactical plastic' phase...

DB

 

[Lonestar49]

Just got mine today

...

Yep, bought/traded for a beautiful Beretta Cougar 8045 G-model with D-spring and SS guide rod w/night sights, 3 sets of grips.

Have to wait for 10 days for the DOJ dance, but put 50 flawless rounds thru her and she is quite accurate.

I'm quite pleased to say the least, and I agree, these beauties are sleepers, that IF anyone comes across one, get one..

Will have pics in 12 days from today..


Ls

 

[GZOh]

Beretta COUGARs...

When did Beretta stop making the COUGAR Series?... And Why?... I think they're great guns... Just bought a NIB STOEGER Cougar 8000 (9mm) for $325 and love it!... Real good quality and shoots great... a little 'funky' tear-down with the rotary barrel, but that's OK! See they also make a .40 COUGAR, but no .45s.

 

[Flame Red]

I had one and it was very reliable, accurate and best of all ate any kind of ammo - even the crappy ammo that no other 1911 would consume.

Alas I sold it because it was too thick for CCW, and the wasted magazine space. If it would have had more magzine capacity, I might have kept it.

Late in production they made it in INOX. Mine was hard chromed, but INOX is better.

 

[Flopsy]

I CCW my new Stoeger 9mm version. I use a Desantis Thumb Break Scabbard.

It's been said that these are overlooked, but I think that's changing. The prices are jumping over the last 6 months.