Beretta Cougar in .45 ACP. Opinions?

B

BrokenPaw

New member
Hi, my name is BrokenPaw, and I'm a Beretta lover.

<crowd>"Hi, BrokenPaw!"</crowd>

I know that a lot of people here seem to be more or less unimpressed with Beretta handguns. I can't figure out why, of course, but then, the mother of an ugly baby never knows it either. I own a Beretta 92FS (my first handgun ever) and a 96 Brigadier (my everyday primary carry gun). I also have a KelTec P32 for backup and deep carry (I'd considered the Beretta Tomcat for that purpose, but it was too heavy and -- well, thick -- for that).

I'm looking to buy a semi-auto in .45ACP. I loathe the 1911-type guns for no articulable reason (it's purely a gut-feeling thing -- I've never liked how they feel). I've played with the Sig P220 at gun shows, but never fired one. I've shot a friend's HK USP .45 at the range. I liked the feel of the Sig (except that the decocker was in an annoying place for me), and the HK was a very nice gun (my sister has one in .40). Thus my quandary.

In the one paw, lots and lots of people whose opinions I value don't even mention Beretta as a contender when faced with Sig and HK. In the other paw, since I already own two Berettas, it sort of makes sense to go with another; the manual of arms is similar, the safety is where I expect it to be, and so forth.

Whatever I get, it'll be a full-size, not a compact. I'm a solid, pretty big guy, and I carry the Beretta 96 IWB at 4 o'clock without a problem.

So. Should I feed the monkey on my back, or should I get on the wagon and buy a Sig or HK?

-BP
 
don't go with the beretta 8045 purely for brand loyalty, try one out and you'll be surpised at the gentle recoil (due to the unique rotating barrel design) and it's got the best trigger of any Beretta out there. OTOH: The 220 is a great gun also, likewise with the HK (and it can fire high pressure .45).
 
I had a Cougar 8045, and it was a fine gun. Not nearly as accurate as my old 96 Elite, but it'd do abt 3.5-4" at 25 yds on a good day. Traded it on a Kimber, but it had good ergonomics, was an easy shooter, and never malf'd. Not too bad on the concealment end, either, though if you're carrying 96 IWB I guess that's not a big consideration (have to laugh abt the Tomcat being too thick given the 96 IWB).
 
Thanks for the replies, guys... I'm leaning more and more toward the Beretta 8045.
Not too bad on the concealment end, either, though if you're carrying 96 IWB I guess that's not a big consideration (have to laugh abt the Tomcat being too thick given the 96 IWB).
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Yeah, I know that does sound a bit odd. But. I'm planning on carrying my backup in my boot, where thickness and weight are actually important to me. I don't mind carrying an enormous gun on my hip if it doesn't print, but I imagine that a thick, (relatively)heavy gun in my boot would get to be annoying pretty quick.

Also, for when I can't carry in my boot (on those rare occasions when I have to wear silly footwear like shoes or -- rare as it might be -- no footwear at all) I plan to make a wallet-shaped thingummy for my KelTec. I'd be hard-pressed to fit the Tomcat into a fake wallet.

-BP
 
FWIW

I've owned and shot (a lot) both the Cougar and the SIG220. IMHO, the SIG is far superior. Having said that, I really enjoyed the Cougar and found it to be reliable and accurate. It just seemed that the SIG was a Mercedes and the Beretta was an Audi. How's that for an analogy?
 
I had a .45 Cougar, nice gun. It was accurate enough, absolutely reliable, good ergonomics, soft shooter, etc. I just didn't like the slide mounted safety (I much prefer teh sweep down, frame mounted approach, a la 1911 or H&K USP), wasn't shooting it much, so I moved it along. HTH, YMMV
 
The important thing, I believe, is whether the wallet holster is designed to let the gun fire while inside the holster. Interestingly, there a few of these for sale on gunbroker.com right now. I would not touch one of these with a 10-ft pole.

On the other hand, having a holster that has the appearance of a wallet while in your pocket, or has some kind of fold-over flap to secure the gun, is not a problem as long as it is not designed to allow ther gun to fire while holstered.
 
The only Beretta 8045 I fired had a pin (trigger pin I think) work itself out causing a malfunction after the 5th magazine. I dont know if it was a fluke or a design flaw or what, but we were unable to duplicate the problem after resetting the pin to it's proper position. A year or 2 later I came into possession of an 8040 in trade. Nice, soft shooter like the 8045, but too bulky for my tastes. I ended up trading that one as well but I could find no functional problems with it.
 
The wallet holster that I had envisioned wasn't of a type that would let you fire the gun while it was in the holster. Essentially it's going to be just a leather carrying case for the thing, made of stiff enough leather that the outline of the gun doesn't print on my back pocket. I'd have to remove the gun from the wallet to use it.

If my understanding is correct, this keeps me clear of NFA rules, yes?

I'm not looking for quick-draw capability from this carry option; this is a last-resort method of carrying. Chances of me not having my Beretta .40 on my hip, and not having my KelTec in my boot, are pretty slim. If I'm not carrying in one of those two places, I'm probably in a swimming pool or something, and I usually don't carry then... ;)

-BP
 
I shoot and carry an 8040F mini Cougar every day...

FINE weapon... about 5k rounds, and NOT A GLITCH...

I picked the Mini-Cougar for it's shorter grip... even though I'm a big guy, it is still easier to hide... and 9 rounds of 40 are more than enough...

(and remember, this recomendation comes from a die-hard Smith auto man!)

get it, you'll love it!
 
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