My first experience with the .40 S&W; round was through the use of a Beretta 8040 pistol. The 8040 Cougar is a relatively compact .40 caliber pistol which uses a rotating barrel locking system. Instead of the barrel tilting like in a traditional 1911 pistol the barrel keeps its line of axis while rotating through the slide action. The manufacturer states that this is intended to reduce recoil.
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.
