This came up in anther one of my threads I watch some videos and read some articles but they never have enough info I am most interested that they shoot 38 and 357 ammo but what I am worried about is that they look giant the over all length is 8.3 in. I shoot a 36-1 3" nickle and a colt trooper 4" and this just seems giant. any help?

I've had two of the early Coonans. Never kept either one very long. One would function with magnums but wouldn't stay on the paper at 50 feet. It did shoot .38's pretty well, but you had to load them singly. The other shot well with magnums but wouldn't function reliably.

They came in two lengths... the shorter of the two were called "Cadet".

Both of the guns I worked with nearly 20 years ago were full sized, later, improved Model "B" s.

I owned a full size ran fine with 357s, didn't try 38s that I remember. they are long in the grip front to back. They are unique and fun.

[QUOTE=Sebago Son;136211828] It did shoot .38's pretty well, but you had to load them singly.



Do you mean that you have to load each individually and shoot one at a time?

there are new ones being marketed now. supposed to have all the old problems fixed.

I had a Sgt. carry a Model B in about 1988 or '89. It only functioned with magnums and was partial to 158gr sp's. He had to keep the slide greased with a white grease and the magazine lips would open up after about 30 or so rounds. Coonan was really great with the customer service at the time I remember that they replaced his magazines several times and paid for shipping both ways. I wanted one but could not afford the $750 price tag. It was a hoot to shoot and very accurate out to 50 yrds. He had to make his own holster and mag pouches.

These are my Coonans; an original Model B (full-size) and Cadet (call it a Commander size).



I bought them earlier this year; from a collector who had never shot them. With their boxes, papers, magazine loading tools, etc. they were $2,000.

Regarding the reliability issues reported with original Coonans: original magazines are/were finickey; issues with the feed lips were some of the issues encountered. According to the owner's manual for the Model B, after breaking the gun in (200 rounds) .38 Special rounds could be shot but a weaker recoil spring and a spacer in the magazine was required. Liberal application of white lithium grease was recommended back then; but according to Kurmudgeon on the 1911forum (who built Coonans and now builds quality magazines) Mobil 1 synthetic oil is a good substitute.

I've put about 50 rounds through each of my Coonans with only 2 failures (in the Cadet) when the round failed to chamber fully. A gentle push on the slide fixed that.

I intend to buy some of the new magazines and recoil springs after I break the pistols in so I can shoot .38 Special without using spacers.

All this info helps me. From what I can tell they are reproducing these guns but at a high cost I have been looking in to getting an older one and that is why I am asking about quality and other issues but from what I have heard it seems like the Cadet has more issues than the full size and it can not shoot 38s either can anyone confirm this to make sure I got it right and other story with the guns Good or Bad would be great

I have never owned a Coonan but always found them intriguing. Once in a blue moon I bump into them in the shops for sale and they always have a pretty penny attached to them in cost. Once I saw a couple at a Gander mountain for sale but unfortunately these guys knew what they had this time and had them priced accordingly. This thread made me go back through my old articles I have been saving on them that were written in the 80's when these things were new. Interesting reading, the pistol was developed for the sportsman in it's original intention. One of the articles, all written in a time when 9mm hi caps were like the 92f Beretta, Glock and SIG were all the new rage they go question if the .357 magnum would be enough firepower! I kinda laughed on that one. It goes to show gun writing and thinking kinda reflects the times they were done in.

The new guns are pretty reasonably priced all things considered and the old ones aren't selling too for too much less. The new guns will shoot both .38s and .357s with only a recoil spring change. I've never heard of any more issues with the Cadets than the full size guns but Cadets are pretty rare so you don't hear too much of anything about them. They're also pricey, you'll pay much more for a Cadet than a brand new full size Coonan.

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