.357 Magnum in 1911

[Baljit]

Hello guy's many of you maybe know that i am big fan of 1911.Here is some pictures and a video about 1911, now you can find a 1911 in .357 Mag.it's also shoots .38Spl. as well.

These gun going to hit the Canadian market in couple of months.Can't wait to put my hand on this 1911.These are custom made gun by coonan

http://coonaninc.com/

SPECS:
Coonan Classic .357 Magnum Automatic
Specifications
Caliber .357 Magnum
Barrel Length 5 inches
Construction Stainless Steel
Magazine Capacity 7 rounds + 1
Weight 42.0 oz. empty .48 oz loaded
Length 8.3 inches overall
Height 5.6 inches
Width 1.3 inches
Sights Dovetail Front & Rear, Black, Fixed
Grips Smooth Black Walnut

Here is the pictures of this 1911 baby!!! I Can't wait...



Here is a youtube video.
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Here is overview video.
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Enjoy
Baljit

[Skyman]

It is an automatic pistol?

[Mark]

Well, it is semi-automatic and not fully automatic.

[Grumpy]

and it`s not a revolver either ......

[Skyman]

Isn't the semi auto kinda implied? Most pistols are semi auto aren't they?

If you had to pick, a 1911 in the classic .45 acp or this .357 mag? What do you think the difference in performance will be?

[Mark]

Skyman it depends on the useage. A 357 will shoot a lot faster but the bullets are a lot smaller too. The sizes for a 357 are usually between 110 and 158 grains, and a velocity of 1200-ish feet per second.

Compare that to a 45 which usually is 200-230 grains (230 grain is the standard hardball weight) but at 850-950 feet per second. My pet 45 ACP load used a 200 grain bullet and I was happy to get close to 1000 fps.

For self defense the 45 would get the nod from me at distances under 100 feet, and distances over aren't really self defense as you should be moving in the other direction....

[Grumpy]

The .357 mag is a good self-defence calibre with the right bullet ..... but it has little advantage in real terms over the .45 ACP. It`s benefits in a semi-auto ? Difficult to think of any really. With an 6 or 8 inch barrelled revolver it would have decided advantages ( eg, even greater velocity/muzzle energy, better recoil control with greater weight ) but a 6 or 8 inch barrelled revolver is hardly compact.
I agree with Mark - I also prefer the .45 ACP as a defensive calibre. If I was going handgun hunting however I`d go for the .357 mag .................. although a .41 mag or .44 mag would be better.

[Skyman]

Thanks.Is it true a .357 mag does better at longer ranges than a .45? ( From the same gun, like the 1911 above )

[TC]

Baljit,
Thanks for the post. Its nice to see the Coonan making a comeback. The first Coonan (which incidentally had the same trigger configuration and had a curiously long extension bar that would reveal itself once the left grip was removed) made its appearance in the US sometime in the early or mid 90s. I was quite intrigued by the first test report by American Rifleman. Still have it somewhere in my library. But the pistol was a commercial failure probably because most people can't think of the 1911 in anything but a .45. The new pistol doesn't look too different. Maybe this time more people will accept it.



TC

PS : As far as my memory serves the first Coonan had a smaller, more conventional slide stop, had a shorter barrel, the safety did not have a long finger extension like these new ones and the backsights were certainly not Novak. The most interesting part to me was the magazine follower. It had a hole in the middle through which a rod had to be passed through and used as a lever to depress the strong mag spring. This tiny stainless steel rod came in the box with he Coonan and had a tiny metal silhouette of the pistol attacked to one end of its through a chain.... the whole thing was like a keychain
Thanks Baljit your post brought back memories.

[Vikram]

I wouldn't mind owning and shooting this bad boy. Thanks for posting, Baljit. I wonder how it fits in average sized hands. The pistol grip does look big.

Best-
Vikram

[Grumpy]

Shoot a lighter bullet at higher velocity and it will have a flatter trajectory and might well be more effective at longer ranges. In the case of the .357 mag it definitely will.
I can`t say that this Coonan `does it for me` as although similar looking to a 1911A1 it is plainer and more austere looking ..... and the extended beavertail is too short ! ( Having suffered 1911A1 hammerbite on more than one occasion I firmly believe in extended beavertails that prevent any possibility of hammerbite. )
There`s one thing that is for certain - the Coonan is a lot better looking than the Desert Beagle.

[xl_target]

Baljit,

I can tell you a little bit about the history of the gun.
Dan Coonan went to Mankato State University (now Univ. Of Minnesota-Mankato). Mankato is the town where I work. He was an engineering student and this was started as a senior project.
After he graduated, he did manufacture the pistol. I personally know the guy who made the wood grips for the original gun. He made them at home in his wood working shop.
I don't think they made a lot of guns but there are quite a few of the old ones still around. Dan Coonan eventually sold the company to another person. That company then went under after a few years.

Years later,When one of his daughter's went to college, her room mate's dad who was a marketing guy, got interested when he found out that his daughter had a Coonan living with her.
Apparently, many of his in-laws had a Coonan and he didn't. To make a long story short, he persuaded Dan Coonan to give it another go. They were able to purchase some of the original dies but not all of them. That is why the new gun has some different parts. Today he still does the marketing and Dan still does a lot of the engineering. They have a relatively small shop in the Twin Cities Area and use CNC machines to make their parts. I've toured their factory. The guns are still hand assembled and test fitted carefully. They are excellent pistols and are great fun to shoot. The fit and finish of these guns is exemplary. They are a beautiful examples of the machinists skill and old world craftsmanship.
Dan Coonan is a great guy to be around. I've met him several times and it's been a lot of fun each time.

I have a bunch of photos of my daughter with the Coonan. It is her favorite pistol. They shoot very well; very loud and concussive but shoot very flat, at least out to 50 yards.
When I get home tonight, I'll find those photos and post the link here. IFG's search feature is not working for older posts.

[Baljit]

Thanks guy's,I can go with this 1911 in 357 Mag. any day, any time over the .45 because i used to have a .45 back in 1999-2000 and i went through so much problem with it,not a big fan of .45 anymore.

Guy's,every one have there own choice here and this 1911 in 357 Mag.perfectly fit in my choice.

Vikram, it's very hard to say right now but as soon as my hands on this baby then i can say anything about the grips.

Grumpy, in old Colt 1911 model they do have a problem with hammerbite and i agree with you, this 1911 also not have a extended beavertail, but if you look really good on the pictures and in a video that this bevertail perfectly couver the hammer and also hammer is in a round shape,i don't think there is any problem here.I am also agree with you that this coonan is much batter then Desert Eagle.

Now only i can do is a wait, as soon as it's available in the market then for sure i am going to try this baby.

Guy's, I am very serious about this toy.


Baljit

[Baljit]

Thank you very much XL, this is a good to know that you know them very well, this is what i need for this post. You make my day XL.


Thank again

Baljit

[Grumpy]

Yes, you`re absolutely right - everyone does make their own choice and we all have our preferences/likes and dislikes.
What problems did you have with a .45 ACP ? I had a whole bunch of .45 ACP pistols - GI issue, Colt, Para Ordnance, STI, etc - and never had a problem with any of them.