Gun Review: Beretta 8040 Pistol
The pistol I tested jammed once or twice every couple of magazines. It also shot several inches low. I had to raise the front sight noticeably above the rear sight notch to get the Cougar to fire straight. The recoil was pretty stout in my opinion. It seems as though the .40 S&W round puts more stress on pistols than the 9mm and .45 loadings.
The trigger guard has sharp edges and is uncomfortable rubbing against the shooting finger during firing. This experience may be unique to the particular size of my hands though. The grip is comfortable, more so than the full size Beretta 92fs for me anyway.
There are Cougars made for loadings in 9mm, .357 Sig, .40S&W, and .45 acp. The 8040 .40 cal model tested has an 11 round magazine. The barrel length is 3.6 inches. The overall weight is about 900 grams.
I can not say for certain why the pistol was unreliable even under proper cleaning and lubrication. Some would say that the rotating barrel system is not as reliable as the browning action. The pistol I was using was brand new and could have used some breaking in but one would expect a pistol to be more reliable than this out of the box. It could be that the tolerances of the pistol were tighter than they should be or it could just be that the model tested was a lemon. All of these factors could have played a role also.
It was tested with 3 different types of ammunition and the performance was the same. When the pistol was functioning and if the front sight was raised enough it was accurate with follow up shots. The .40 S&W round recoils differently than a 9mm or a .45. The .40 recoil in this pistol especially has a throttling effect whereas the 9mm is more of a pop and the .45 is a push. These are my experiences and may be different for each user.
Takedown of the pistol was not too much different than other pistol designs. However, the rotating barrel system may require extra care and cleaning to maintain proper functioning. The rotating action of the barrel in controlled by an insert on the recoil spring guide rod. In my opinion the 1911 type action is less susceptible to debris jamming the system.
The Cougars are relatively expensive for what they offer. The designs are also a little dated as they were introduced in 1994. This is not to say that dated models are obsolete by any means but one may want to look toward more modern designs such as the XD, Smith & Wesson M&P, or recent edition Glocks if you are looking for the more modern designs.
If your range has a Cougar then give it a try. You may have better luck than I did. If you can find a reliable one on the cheap that shoots where you point it then it may be a suitable choice for you. If on the other hand you have similar negative experiences then you will see why Beretta is not touting these designs like they used to.
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11 Comments
Post a Commentbought a .40 Cougar new 12 yrs. ago. jammed once, maybe twice in first few mags., has never since jammed after countless rounds run thru it. overall beautifully built. tames .40 extremely well. double action is too heavy, but smooth. single has too much take-up, but not too heavy & again, smooth. thumb safeties mounted a little high and out of reach for me, and i have what people call 'longish' fingers. In any case, excellent overall pistol in terms of perfomance, and good looking, well made.
1. Lowering the sights below the level plane to correct a group is never the right answer
2. buying a gun based on it being "modern" ???
3. saying the 8040 is unreliable???
i mean really?
Agree that this reviewer is a nut job and must be a couch shooter. This gun shoots perfect.
I have carried the Baretta Cougar 8040 dependably since it was intriduced. During quaterly qualification and eight field-use situations it has always performed beyond what I need to stay alive as well as maintain a 10/10 combat rating. This armchair expert truly has no idea what he's talking about. I have, do and will continue to carry this weapon as my weapon of choise as it is a flawless life saver and, if need be, criminal life taker.
This so called reveiw writer is a nut job. He would have to be a mechanically inferior moron to list the particular problems he did. My bet is that he doesn't like Beretta or just this gun so he made up a bunch of crap (lies) about it. I'm no brand loyalist but I do own a cougar 8040 and while it may not be THE BEST gun it has never mis-fired or had any other problem at all. By the way (dumbass) you would in effect lower the front sight if the gun was shooting low, but in this case I would suggest that it is only your competence that is shooting low.
This review could not be more different than my own experience with the 8040. My 8040 is my primary cc gun, and I never leave home without it. The .40 S&W is my favorite round, and I won several .40s, and none handle quite like my 8040. It is small enough to conceal comfortably without compromising for a lower caliber. I've put about 1000 rounds through mine and have only had a handful of misfeeds, always in conjunction with a new magazine. I get nice groupings out to 25 yards with the factory sights.
With that said, I bet my life on this gun everyday, even with other pistols in the safe.
the first pistol i purchased was the 8040 cougar i bought it used it was a retired service gun. i havent had a problem yet at 30 yards i shot a group that would touch a quarter if you set it in the middle. it is less accurate if you are using cheap ammunition like blazer but i use Winchester fmj and hp and it loves them.
AALLOOTT
Own Cougar 8040 and have never had one problem. Had it for 6 years now and thousands of rounds fired. All brands, cheap, expensive, all runs right through it!! Keep it super clean. I clean after every single outing. It's a fantastic midsize with .40 punch.
Have shot several "cougar" models including the new Stoeger in .40 S&W with no hiccups at all. You may have a lemon or are simply limp wristing.(Though I have tried to limp wrist and still could not produce failure of any sort) Did you clean out the factory packing oil? Typically Berettas come dripping wet and reccommend you field strip them and wipe them down and re-lube them before doing any firing. Not only does this make sense but it is unsafe not to do so. Maybe you should not write a review unless you have shot more than one example of the model.