Beretta 8045

J

Joe Klug

New member
Hello everyone,

Just joined the forum tonight. Been lurking here for a while and thought it was time to join in. I'm one of the refugees from the now defunct Firearms Forum on Compuserve (moment of silence). I've noticed a few familiar names here though I don't know all the handles. :)

Went to the local gun show yesterday and did my part to support the manufacturers that filed the lawsuit against those that would force the S&W agreement on everyone. I decided on a Beretta Cougar 8045. I've been looking at these for a little while now and figured I'd get one some day but decided it was important to show support now. I made sure to tell the dealer why I was making this purchase and will write a letter to Beretta to include with the warranty registration card to let them know why I made the purchase. It's my opinion that we need to support the companies that are supporting us. 'Nuff said.

The 8045 I got was one of the limited edition "Cat Pack" deals with a nice metal case in addition to the standard plastic case, a set of wood grips to replace the plastic grips if I want to dress it up and even a lapel pin. I think I got a good deal as I got this package for about $50 less than I had seen it going for elsewhere.

I hope to take it out the range Saturday (if I can wait that long) and try it out. I'm hoping that I'm as happy with this one as I am with the HK USP 45 I got last month.

Anyone else here got one of these .45s? If so, what is your opinion of it?

Joe/Ga
 
Congrats! I have one also. I've had it for about 2 months. I love it. Great gun, reliable, eats everything, accurate, and fun to shoot. It is now my concealed carry piece. I carry Triton 165 gr. + P ammo. I think you will find it very enjoyable. I also pruchased it to show support for Beretta. Good luck and good shooting! :cool:
 
Joe, I too have the 8045 Cat Pak. My father has the Cougar in 9mm and I have had the oppty to handle both. The rotating barrel thing does the job in dampening recoil and coupled with the size of the Cougar makes it an excellent choice in my opinion for concealed weapon carry as well as a joy to fire. I think you made a good choice. Enjoy your new Cougar.........Dan in GA
 
OTISZ,

Thanks for the reply. Sounds like the Cougar is a keeper. Using it as your carry weapon certainly tells me you think it's reliable. Maybe I'll have to find a good IWB holster for it and leave the Kel-Tec at home. Well, maybe -after- I try it out. :)

Joe/Ga
 
Dan,

Thanks for your thoughts. I was considering the 9mm version but I already have enough 9mm pistols (for now). Besides, in 9mm version it really -should- have a 15 round mag. :)

Speaking of magazines.....the dealer I got mine from stated that he has heard that MecGar may soon be selling a 10 round magazine for the 8045. Would be something I'd be interested in.

I've heard that the rotating barrel on the Beretta works as good as the HK USP buffer system in reducing felt recoil. Granted, recoil isn't that bad on a .45 auto anyway, but less is always better for keeping on target.

By the way, have you heard anything about a Georgia TFL get together later this month? Wolf Creek indoor range is not far from me though Advanced Bullets outdoor range is closer and a good deal cheaper.

Joe/Ga
 
Hello Joe and welcome to TFL. Congrats on the Cat Pak. I have one also but have as a collector. Probably will not shoot it. I do have the 8040 which I do shoot and carry as my carry piece. IMHO These are great guns and good shooters. Have had no problems with mine what so ever. For what its worth my 2cents worth. :)


Happy Shooting :)

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We preserve our freedoms by using four boxes: soap,ballot,jury, and cartridge.
Anonymous
 
Joe,

I hadn't heard about the Wolf Creek get-together. Wolf Creek is about 40 minutes from me and I might try to make it. I belong to the RiverBend Gun Club which is where I usually shoot. Let me know the date and time and I'll try to make it if I can.....Dan in GA
 
loknload,

Thanks for the welcome. :)

I thought (briefly) about saving this one as a collector's item and keeping it unfired but I just can't bring myself to do that. To me, pistols are for shooting. I might be losing out on a good investment by not keeping it NIB but I can live with that.

Glad to see that you, too, have had a good experience with the Cougar line. Looks like I may have made a good choice.

Joe/Ga
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Mark Ritchie:
Is Beretta considering a stainless (inox) version of this? Anyone know?

[/quote]

Mark,

I honestly don't know. The subject never came up when I was talking to the dealer I bought mine from but then again I don't even look at flashy pistols. Just personal preference.

Joe/Ga
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dan in GA:
Joe,

I hadn't heard about the Wolf Creek get-together. Wolf Creek is about 40 minutes from me and I might try to make it. I belong to the RiverBend Gun Club which is where I usually shoot. Let me know the date and time and I'll try to make it if I can.....Dan in GA[/quote]

Dan,

I read somewhere (in this forum) that the get together was to held at Wolf Creek indoor range in Douglasville on the 20th of this month from 3-6 PM. Hopefully, someone will verify this before the date gets here.

I've heard good things about River Bend Gun Club but have never been there. I used to be a member of South River Gun Club when I lived in Stone Mountain but the membership fees starting getting pretty steep. My new place in west Georgia is only 3 miles or so from a small public outdoor range that only charges $4 an hour to shoot. This was a helping factor in deciding to buy this house. :)

Joe/Ga
 
The Inox Cougar is listed in Beretta's catalog. Infact they have a picture of one in there so they do make them. Having said that, I personally have never seen one. Maybe they do not import that model to the US. They sure do look sweet though. Cheers! :cool:
 
WEBSTERS DICTIONARY:

"Beretta Cougar 8045"--Of Italian origin taken from the Latin for 'quality par excellance'; Extremely comfortable pistol with excellent reliabilty. Minimal recoil and superior instinctive point and shoot accuracy. Principle carry weapon of serious gun owners; concealability an additional benefit beyond shooting qualities.

I'm surprised you didn't find this listing when you looked it up...


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Life is far too short to spend it with an ugly gun...
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gremlin:
WEBSTERS DICTIONARY:


I'm surprised you didn't find this listing when you looked it up...


[/quote]

I obviously need to get an updated version of my dictionary. :)

Joe/Ga
 
Before I start, let me say that I am a Glock Fan. I own two. I was comparing my G30 to my 8045 yesterday. They are basically the samt size. The uppers are almost idintical. The Beretta's grip is about 1" longer that the 30. Both are very nice guns. :) Bottom line though from my perspective, is that the Beretta is beautiful compared to the Glock. It is much more elegant and feels much better in the hand. The advantage of the Glock is 2 more rounds, a smaller grip, and it is lighter. But I think overall the Beretta is the better weapon. Just my $.02!

Don't Flame because I'm beautiful!! :p :cool:
 
OTISZ,

>The advantage of the Glock is 2 more rounds,
>a smaller grip, and it is lighter. But I think
>overall the Beretta is the better weapon. Just my $.02!

Thanks for your thoughts.

The smaller grip would be a disadvantage for me as I've got fairly large hands. I do, however, wish the Beretta held 10 rounds like my USP.

I looked at a couple of Glocks while at the gun show last weekend but none of them really excited me in any way. Guess it just comes down to personal preference. Far be it from me to dump on someone else's choice. I know they are good pistols but they just don't do anything for me if that makes any sense.

Joe/Ga
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joe Klug:
Hello everyone,

Just joined the forum tonight. I'm one of the refugees from the now defunct Firearms Forum on Compuserve (moment of silence). Joe/Ga

[/quote]

Hi Joe,

Glad to see you here with the rest of us displaced FF members!

Congratulations on your new Cougar. Man, that's a long step up from your P11! :)

I'm looking forward to reading your shooting report!

Bill
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill Adair:
Hi Joe,

Glad to see you here with the rest of us displaced FF members!

Congratulations on your new Cougar. Man, that's a long step up from your P11! :)

I'm looking forward to reading your shooting report!

Bill

[/quote]

Bill!

How you doing? I was wondering where you would eventually show up. :)

Yeah, the Cougar is a nice step up from the Kel-Tec but it fits nicely with the HK USP 45 I picked up a month ago. I figured I had enough 9mm pistols and it was time to get a few .45s.

Going to visit the range tomorrow (actually later today) and try it out for the first time. I'll post my impressions here.

Going to do something different tomorrow also and take a neighbor with me that has never been shooting before. I told him tonight that first we are going to go over safety items before we ever ride over to the range. I want to start him off right. Figure I'll let him use the .22 conversion on the Taurus PT92 first and then let him work up to .38 special or .357 mag in the Ruger GP100 if he's ready. Not sure if I'll let him handle my new baby or not. :)

The guy is a pretty hard core democrat so it surprised me that he asked if he could come with me to learn to shoot. Hopefully I can help him see where his party has been feeding him full of lies in regards to firearms and their owners.

Joe/Ga
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Joe Klug:
Bill!

How you doing? I was wondering where you would eventually show up. :)

Joe/Ga

[/quote]

Joe,

Like you, I've been lurking, and trying several firearms web sites to see if any compare to the old hangout at the Compuserve Firearms Forum (sadly, none are quite as nice).

I didn't know you had a GP100? Mine is a 4" full lug stainless, in .357, and I love it! Bought one, because I tried a range rental one day, and shot superb groups with that well worn, poorly maintained, and dirty, rental gun! :)

I'd love to get into 45 ACP as you did, but have far too many calibers to load already. Until I get a progressive reloading press, I'm sticking with the five I have. :)

Good on you, for taking your neighbor to the range, and exposing him to the joys of shooting. If he doesn't get hooked, it will be very unusual, and we can sure use all the new shooting enthusiasts we can find.

I invited one of my neighbors to go shooting, and found out that he used to shoot and reload many years ago. He brought over his guns to show me, including a pristine Ruger three screw Blackhawk in 357, complete with a beautiful custom cartrige belt and holster, and a reworked lever gun in 219 Zipper, of all things.

He went through a painful divorce a few years ago, and has no desire to take up shooting again, but I'm working on him. :)

I'm waiting for a chronograph to be delivered, before I go to the outdoor range for the first time in years. Ordered a new Pact over a month ago, and it still hasn't arrived. They are on sale, and the manufacturer can't keep up with demand.

Hope you have a really good time at the range today. Let me know what you think of the Cougar!

Bill
 
Bill,

>Like you, I've been lurking, and trying several
>firearms web sites to see if any compare to the old
>hangout at the Compuserve Firearms Forum (sadly,
>none are quite as nice).

I spend most of my time here now. This forum has the most traffic of any I have seen yet and everyone seems to get along for the most part.

>I didn't know you had a GP100? Mine is a 4" full lug
>stainless, in .357, and I love it!

I have the same except mine is blue. It is a nice revolver and is -very- accurate. The single action trigger is nice but the double action pull is terrible. One of these days I plan to take it to a smith to be worked on.

>I'd love to get into 45 ACP as you did, but have far
>too many calibers to load already.

I have pretty much given up on reloading. I just don't have the time and I've been pretty lucky at finding good buys on ammo lately.

>Good on you, for taking your neighbor to the range,
>and exposing him to the joys of shooting. If he
>doesn't get hooked, it will be very unusual,
>and we can sure use all the new shooting enthusiasts
>we can find.

Thanks. He seemed to enjoy himself and asked if he could join me again next time out. I thought I was making good progress until the subject turned to the current hysteria surrounding firearms and he started in with the usual liberal talking points. He might enjoy shooting but I think it will take more time to change his mind on the subjects of importance to most RKBA people. :)

>Hope you have a really good time at the range today.
>Let me know what you think of the Cougar!

I had a -great- time at the range. :) Spent three hours there and burned up over 900 rounds of ammo (not all of it in the .45s). The Cougar is a fantastic pistol! Not a single stopage of any kind and I was able to get groups of about 2.5 inches at 25 feet which is about as good as I get with the USP. My only complaint is that it shoots about 2 to 3 inches low. Everyone I mentioned this to suggested I use 185 grain bullets instead of 230 but I would rather get the pistol accurate with what I plan to use regularly. I guess I can either file down the front sight a bit or (better yet) get some replacement sights to adjust the POA.

Anyway, I am impressed with the Cougar. The rotating barrel does the trick of reducing felt recoil very well and there is hardly any muzzel flip at all. The SA trigger pull is not quite as nice as my USP but that may change as it gets a bit more use. I only ran 200 rounds through it today (tried 4 different brands) but it left me with a very good first impression.

Joe/Ga
 
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