Beretta Cougar Review: The PX4’s Hot Mom
If you’re a dude, you had at least one friend with a hot mom. Well, this is kinda like that. Only your friend is the Beretta PX4… and his mom…
Is a sexy Italian Cougar.
And by that, I mean the Beretta Model 8000 Cougar, made from 1994 to 2004.
Total BILF
Yeah, she’s been in and out of a few holsters in her day. But man, she’s still got the curves. And the look. Plus, she can rotate that barrel like nobody’s business—turning recoil into a seductively smooth sensation that lures you into a state of tactical infatuation.
And after a fling with this ballistic bella…
You might never see your home-boy, the PX4, in quite the same way.
RAAAWRRR.
What makes the Beretta Cougar HipTac worthy?
The Cougar pioneered Beretta’s ultra-smooth rotating action, now found in the PX4—yet this heavy-metal mama offers a feistier feel compared to her polymer-framed successor.
I think the Beretta PX4—in any variant—is the best handgun on the market in 2026. Full stop. If you’re NOT familiar with the PX4, check out my review on it from 2022.
Long Story Short: The PX4’s rotating-barrel system delivers a distinctively smooth—and uniquely communicative—shooting experience that makes accuracy effortless. Plus, it’s tough, it’s reliable and it feels great in the hand.
Well, the Cougar was doing allllll of that waaaay back in the 1990s. Because, as I said…
The Cougar is the PX4’s mom.
A fine family
In fact, the Cougar is fundamentally a metal-framed PX4. Though I suppose it’s more apropos to say the PX4 is a polymer-framed Cougar (since the Cougar came first). Aside from some slight differences in the locking lugs, both pistols use pretty much the same rotating-barrel mechanism, with nearly identical feeding/cycling characteristics.
There’s even a video where a dude put a Cougar slide on a PX4 frame. And it worked. Sweet.
#luglife
And just so we’re clear…
Everything in this review also applies to the Stoeger Cougar. Which was produced in Turkey, from 2006 to 2017ish. Same guns, bro. To make room for PX4 production, Beretta shipped the Cougar tooling to Istanbul and kept making the guns at a lower cost. Beretta owns Stoeger.
Also, I think it makes sense to review the Cougar as a comparison to the PX4. Because, in 2026, I think PX4 fans (and there are more of us than the internet would have you think) constitute the primary audience for the Cougar.
Bottom Line: If you’re a fan of the PX4’s uniquely excellent shooting dynamics…
You gotta try a Cougar, dude.
Why?
Well, for starters, the thing is just…
Intangibly Enticing
From its buxom silhouette to its robust presence in the hand, the Cougar exudes a palpable gravitas that’s just appealing. It’s heavy. It’s hand-filling. As soon as you enrobe your fingers around its curvaceous metal frame, you begin to feel…
Curious.
BANG!
The recoil flows like a ripple through silk. Gentle. Subdued. Yet it still conveys a sense of excitement. If not… passion. A sensual energy that reverberates through its gracefully sculpted contours, through your hands and into your heart, unlocking your deepest tactical desires.
Ay, girl
Anyway…
Before we dig into the practical realities behind all that half-baked innuendo, let’s talk about rotating barrels. And why they’re dope.
A Unique Spin
Beretta’s rotating action transforms recoil energy.
Instead of tilting and crashing down into the frame (like a Browning-style action), the barrel rotates as it travels rearward, disengaging the barrel lugs from the slide.
It’s less jerky. It’s less abrupt. It bleeds off more kinetic energy as it turns.
It also gives the recoil a sense of a substance. The rotation cycle slows down the entire transaction. That gives it a softer sensation, yes. But it also gives your senses more time to feeeel what’s going on with the shot you’re taking. Every shot becomes more tangible. More predictable. More consistent.
Net: You shoot better. It’s as simple as that.
Moreover, the rotating action is extremely tough. It can handle power. It can handle high round counts. Ernest Langdon put ~50,000 rounds through a PX4 Compact in 2016. And you when you look at the historical context surrounding the Cougar…
You realize this ole’ gal was built for more than just 115gr forepl@y.
Hot & Heavy
Picture this:
.40 vs. 9mm
That’s a .40 S&W cartridge, boys. And that’s what the Cougar was originally designed to chamber. Same with the SIG P229 and the Heckler & Koch USP.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the first inklings of the Cougar began as some engineer’s lurid 10mm fantasy. That’s how HK’s USP project started. Then it got reprioritized to .40, when the FBI ditched 10mm.
But yeah, we all know .40 can be kinda snappy compared to 9mm. So, it makes sense that Beretta wanted to drive a competitive advantage with a softer-shooting .40 cal platform. And while I’ve never shot a Cougar in .40, I have shot a Cougar in .45 ACP.
The rotating action—combined with the stout alloy frame—translates the hefty thump of a 230gr slug into something that’s distinctively…
Sexy.
So, you can only imagine what that means for a paltry 9mm.
Allow me to elaborate.
A Softer Edge
BANG!
A sense of tactile wonder pervades your senses. There’s a softness. Gentle. Plush. Compliant. Yet still, somehow, there’s…
An edge.
BANG! BANG!
Something incisive. Something pointed and purposeful. Something that transmits more of the shot’s raw, primal energy into your bones.
Something you don’t entirely experience in the PX4.
BANG!
50 @ 10
Don’t get me wrong: Both guns share a similar feel, thanks to the rotating action. The recoil seems to flow from shot to shot, eschewing the abrupt, jarring character of a tilt-barrel action.
The shots just roooolllll out of the action: BANGBANGBANGBANG!
But…
Whereas the PX4’s recoil feels immaculately clean—almost timeless—the Cougar seems to preserve certain “kinetic artifacts” of each shot. There’s a bit more character. A bit more texture. A bit more…
RAWWWR.
BANGBANG!
As with the PX4, the Cougar’s recoil impulse becomes a conduit: for rich context that keeps you connected to the shooting experience. But the Cougar’s extra attitude makes the whole experience just a little more… k!nky?
BANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!
The Cougar riiiipps through rounds, bro. The thing exhibits practically ZERO push, snap or flip under recoil. It stays very planted—even more so than the PX4 Compact. It’s seriously has CZ Shadow 2 level stability, in a gun that’s NOT 50 ounces.
Nevertheless, as strange as it sounds…
I’d still describe the Cougar’s recoil as “sharper” than my PX4C’s. Even though the PX4C is lighter and smaller.
Why?
Power Chords, Mosh Pits and Wine
To succinctly answer that question: Metal.
A metal frame resonates. Thus, it preserves and transmits more character—and more feel—from recoil energy. Moreover, the Cougar’s slide is actually a bit longer than PX4C’s, so there’s a bit more reciprocating mass… which you do feel.
Heavy Metal vs. House Techno
And to be clear…
By “sharper” I don’t mean harder, harsher or unpleasant. The energy just manifests with more of a texture. More of a grain. If the PX4 is a merlot, the Cougar is a cabernet. They’re both red. They’re both good. It just depends on your mood.
Speaking of mood…
Let’s wind down and get a little more intimate—with the Cougar’s elegantly erogenous ergonomics.
Cue the Barry White.
Ergo-Luptuous
In case you’re not picking on the central theme, here…
Beretta’s rotating action makes the Cougar and the PX4 shoot like ballistic s3x. Both guns are smooth and dreamy at the range, because of how they work. But when you get your hands around the Cougar, you realize there’s more to the equation than just the mechanics.
The curves. The contours. The close-connected feel.
Both the Cougar and the PX4 have a deep “cleft” under the rear tang. The web of your hand nestles in, close and tight. Moreover, the backstrap is fairly straight on both guns. There’s no hump. No curve. Nothing that feels like it’s pushing your hand away from the trigger.
Net: With BOTH pistols, you feel like you’re gripping into the gun—not on top of it. Which I dig.
But, compared to the PX4, the Cougar’s wider, rounder grip fills the hand more completely. The slightly convex profile of the factory grip panels (plastic and wood) nests snugly in the palm of your strong hand—better than the flat sides of the PX4’s grip. Plus, the wider berth gives your support hand more “meat” to push against, for lateral stability.
Curves that could k!ll
Or, as they say in some jurisdictions, “more cushion for the push!n.”
And get this: The trigger each is even shorter on the Cougar than it is on the PX4.
That’s partly because the backstrap is slightly straighter on the Cougar. Just a little. Plus, the trigger shoe itself sits a bit further back, compared the PX4. So, the Cougar is a great option if you’re cursed with teeny weeny wittle hands. Like mine. The only service pistols that might have a shorter trigger reach, are the Walther P5 and the Daewoo DP51C.
But, regardless of your hand size, it’s a gun that just feels _uck!n great to hold.
BANG!
And something about the trigger feels…
Familiar.
Notes of 92
Long story short, the Cougar’s trigger feels more like a Beretta 92 trigger than a PX4 trigger.
And that’s not a huge surprise, because the Cougar and the 92 use the same hammer, sear and trigger shoe. In fact, I converted my Cougar from DAO to DA/SA, using 92 fire-control parts. Though the Cougar’s trigger bar is proprietary.
In single action…
The Cougar gives you that signature metallic “thwack” that the makes the 92’s SA trigger so superbly satisfying. I’m not sure it has any practical advantage in terms of shot placement, but man it feels great.
In double action…
In my hands, Berettas tend to “bounce” when the hammer falls in DA—which I think is mainly due to overtravel. Beretta’s lockwork relinquishes the hammer earlier in the stroke, when your hand muscles are fully flexed. So, the premature release (huh, huh) can cause you to lose control of the gun for a split second.
Of course, a good old-fashioned death grip generally mitigates this.
1989 92F + 1994ish 8000F
All that said, this Cougar has the best DA pull of all my Berettas. I have the “D” mainspring in this one, because it started life as a “D” model (i.e., DAO with no decocker). And while the 12lb Wilson Combat mainspring in my PX4 delivers a lighter pull weight, I’d say the Cougar’s DA stroke is smoother and more consistent.
So…
I shoot it well SA. I shoot it well in DA. I shoot it well overall.
But I don’t shoot it “better” than my PX4.
Analog vs. Digital
Cutting to the chase…
The Cougar offers a more visceral feel compared to the PX4. It’s similar, yes. Smooth. Fluid. Communicative. But the Cougar engenders a more organic, more analog experience. In every aspect of how the gun handles and shoots, there’s more texture, more character, more grit and gravitas.
Though, for me, that doesn’t translate to superior performance at the range.
I’ve put up some nice groups with the Cougar. And the thing is a freakin’ buzzsaw when it comes to mag dumps and multi-taps. But I’m still more precise with the PX4 C—I haven’t quite achieved the savant-level groups that I have with the PX4 C. Now, of course I’ve had the PX4 longer. And I went through several months in 2017 where I put ~1,700 rounds through it. So, there’s that.
Regardless…
Everything feels a little more “dialed in” with the PX4. The SA trigger is cleaner, lighter and more predictable. The recoil—while not as satisfying—feels more pure. It gives you the information you need to stay engaged with your point of aim, with no drama, no distractions.
No RAWWWRR.
In some ways, I do like the Cougar better than the PX4. It’s a bit more fun, I guess—like that cool, older girl you meet at a bar, who just wants to have a good time. Plus, you know, killer curves and classic good looks don’t hurt.
But is the Cougar spouse material?
Hmmm.
Old Reliable
As I mentioned, this Cougar is kind of a Frankenstein job.
These days, if you want a legit Beretta-branded, DA/SA Cougar NOT in .40… well… prices can be silly. So, I was able to keep costs down by getting a cheap DAO model and converting it to DA/SA.
The frame came from a DAO Cougar D (the D models are cheap, bro).
The DA/SA slide + barrel came from a GunBusters parts kit.
The fire-control parts are mostly 92 parts, sourced from Numrich and eBay.
Once I had it set up in DA/SA, I sold the DAO upper to recoup some costs.
With all that in mind…
I’ve put 700+ rounds through this Cougar—about half of that with the DAO upper. I’ve used factory ammo and sh!t reman ammo. I’ve used old factory mags and old ProMags (TBH, I’ve never had issues with ProMags). I’ve let the gun sit for a few days after shooting, with carbon-rich sludge congealing in the innards…
…then shot it again.
It’s been nothing but reliable, regardless of configuration.
Cougars were issued to U.S. police agencies in the 1990s, including the LAPD—one of my YouTube viewers told me how much he loved his issued Cougar when he was an officer. A few foreign militaries also used them, according to Wikipedia. I’ve even read that the Cougar is a NATO-certified weapon.
Just like the author of this review.
So, the thing is as tough and reliable as a service pistol gets. From that standpoint, you’d be well-served with a Cougar as a practical defensive firearm.
But…
Tough and beautiful
High Maintenance?
It is, of course, out of production.
For mags, you’ll be sifting through oodles of ProMags and neutered 10-rounders on eBay and Gunbroker. Again, most of the fire-control parts will exchange with a 92, but you’re on your own for the trigger bar. And the recoil-spring assembly is unobtainimum.
And while the Cougar’s extractor looks more or less identical to my PX4’s extractor (from the outside), they’re listed as model-specific parts at online retailers. So, I don’t know if they interchange.
Bottom Line: Buy a PX4 if you don’t have one. Then buy a Cougar if/when you can. Or, if you just wanna embrace the gun-hipster spirit and get a Cougar for your main squeeze…
Who am I to judge? We love who we love.
Especially when she’s a curvy Italian beauty with a touch of atteggiamento.
Conclusione
I promise you. If you get a Cougar, you’ll like it.
You’ll probably love it.
Yeah, the PX4 is more practical. It might be more accurate, honestly. But there’s something about the feel of the Cougar that is simply romantic. Like a sunset over the hills of Gardone Val Trompia, in Northern Lombardy. Where the world’s fiiiinest firearms have been produced, for over 500 years.
Italian sexiness since 1526
There’s something that just connects, every time you pick up a Beretta Cougar. Something that gets you a little excited.
Sometimes… there’s just chemistry. Regardless of age. Regardless of any other “rational” metrics of compatibility. And I’ve yet to hear of anyone who had a fling with a Cougar…
And didn’t come back for more.
RAWWWR.
Thank you so much for reading.
And happy 500th birthday, Beretta. You still got it goin’ on.
#Beretta500
What are your thoughts on the CZ P-01? Experiences? Opinions? Scathing condemnations on my review? Feel free to share below…
#hiptac
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