Coonan 357

[Stinger22]

I found this brand the quality is 2nd to none. It also can be built with a compensator that reduces recoil by roughly 40% making it a joy to shoot at range, anybody have any experience with this brand? Coonan 357 semi auto.
Jim

 

[Bob O]

Sure would be cool to have one.

https://youtu.be/yWnKh0nekPY

 

[sodacan]

I've fired one. Pretty snappy. The grip is pretty long, front to back and a little large for my hands. They seem to made pretty well. I can't comment on the accuracy because my exposure was limited. The owner of the one I fired liked his, but not enough to keep it. He sold it and bought one of my Les Baer 1911's.

 

[S&WIowegan]

I own one of the early guns made in the 1990s but I don't really shoot it as much as I should.

I took a shooting class with a lad who was supplying some parts to Coonan. He was shooting a Coonan with a compensator and very hot loads of 158 gr bullets. The muzzle actually did not rise at all when fired. We watched very closely as the muzzle actually forced downward from the firing position by the gas pressure. Quite a show.

 

[getoff]

i want one, but don't want to pay the price for semi auto that doesn't do it any better than my 586. i guess theres a commander size out now as well. buddy had one years ago and the grip was thin, but LOOOONG front to back. i have good size hands and it was a struggle for me. older ones were a bit unreliable but all iv'e heard about the new versions is positive. holsters are non-exsistant, mags spendy, and no grip options. that said, yes, i want one!

 

[DFrame]

I wanted one real bad back in the day. Not so much anymore. I prefer the flexibility offered by my revolvers.

 

[hardluk1]

Stinger22 One heavy pistol to hump around even in the compact forum when compared to the average steel pistol . Local lgs has 3 in stock in the 1500 dollar range but never seen one at the range . Guess in a cross chest rig it would no worse to carry than a mid size revolver in the woods .

I grew up in Naples and then spent 19 years living in the blocks near Porky's took a good number of hog off what was called the 4 mile marker and a few at bear island with a 357 but a DW 8" revolver many a years ago. From around 1970 up until the park service took over and when the 4 mile area and south blocks are some what closed off to use , then moved .

 

[RILEY31]

I had one a few years ago.The grip was just to wide for me but the gun was flawless.

 

[BigSteveEM]

Yes, I loves my Coonan ......handles the 357 magnum rounds nicely !

 

[inspcalahan]

I just fired about 50 rounds of various weights/velocities through a friends brand new gun last week. What a Beast! He put a few boxes through as well and it ran 100%. It was very accurate as well. It is long front to back in the grip, but was ok with my large hands. Small hands will not like it. Overall I was pretty impressed.

 

[mosquito]

I have 2 of them. I have a Classic (full size) and I have one of the first 5 compacts made. These guns are NOT SNAPPY at all. They are so heavy that only full blown .357 magnum ammo will cycle the slide. Virtually no recoil and very accurate. The grip is longer front to back to accommodate the magazine that houses the very long (compared to a .45 ACP round) .357 magnum round. About 85% of the gun is standard 1911 parts, the rest are specific to that gun. Quality is excellent and, last time I spoke to Dan Coonan, he told me that they are going to be making a standard size 1911 in .45 ACP with the pivoting trigger and other special "Coonan" enhancements that are on the .357 guns. Of course, I am on the list for one of the first one's off the line.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

There are few semi-automatic handguns that I would like to add to my collection. This is one.

 

[BigSteveEM]

I prefer shooting my Coonan over my 4" Model 28 S&W .

 

[Double-O-Dave]

I fired one once at a local indoor range. As I recall, it was accurate, and it was LOUD! It jammed on me about every other shot, and the owner said he thought I was "limp wristing" it. Very likely as I have an old injury to my right wrist.

Regards,

Dave

 

[dave1918a2]

I had a classic for a few years and loved it. Too heavy to be snappy. Found a barrel at a gun show and took it to My 1911 gunsmith( also a tool and die maker) and put a 22 barrel in it and chambered it for the 22 Jet. What a combination. Most accurate jet I have owned. Then I let somebody talk Me out of it and have regretted it ever since.

 

[Sevens]

Mags are pricey but extremely well made. My four have collectively run 3,000+ rounds and they are 100% perfect.

Holsters certainly are available, my choice is Zlogonje, and I would recommend them for ANY handgun you own, but definitely for a Coonan.
http://www.zlogonje.com

There are also grip options -- Coonan offers three styles, one wood and two aluminum. Sarge also offers some very cool different grip options for the Coonan.

In my experience, the Coonan will malfunction if it doesn't like the way some people hold it. Me... I never (ever) have feed, extract or eject failures of any manner. But I know of at least a couple different folks who will experience issues. It demands a firm hold.

I run mine a LOT with the included, accessory 10-lb spring and hot .38 Special loads. I have to simply due to the rules for the steel plates at my club. But in other places, I run it with the full-bore .357 loads (typically a 158gr JSP over a charge of 2400) and too much is never enough, it's easily one of the most fun guns that I own.

 

[derek45auto]

I love the 1911

I love the .357magnum round.

....I just don't want them in the same package


the rimmed 357 isn't really designed to feed from a magazine.

Friend of mine sold his Coonan because it wasn't 100% reliable.

.

 

[OldK22]

Have owned and shot two. Really get some strange looks when shooting at indoor ranges as they are very loud. Never had problems with either of them but they went down the road for something else that I wanted more at the time.

 

[Sevens]

I love the 1911

I love the .357magnum round.

....I just don't want them in the same package


the rimmed 357 isn't really designed to feed from a magazine.

Friend of mine sold his Coonan because it wasn't 100% reliable.

Hahaha...
Dan Coonan has often told the story of how the pistol came to be. The short version is that he and his buddy were out shooting their favorite guns together. The buddy was running a 1911 and Coonan was blasting with his .357 Magnum revolver. The friend told him he would have more fun with a semi-auto and the friendly and fast reload of a magazine. Coonan told him that he loved the power of his revolver. That gave him the idea to build a .357 Magnum in a semi-auto pistol.

He sat down and designed the magazine for a project in college. He had built the magazine to his satisfaction and earned the college credit -- but had no gun to stick it into. He then built a gun around the magazine and got equal and additional credit for that build. The company spawned from that.

As I said... 3,135 through mine and it only gives malfunctions (of ANY manner) when it's in the hands of someone who doesn't hold it the way it prefers to be held. In my hands, the pistol runs all of the time.

 

[surfgun]

I believe that the Coonan frame would be perfect for a revival of the 10mm Magnum (not the regular 10mm Auto) cartridge. Plus instead of seven rounds it could be able to handle 9 rounds.