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Beretta

22 weapons in database4 categories1934 – 2019ItalyUnited States

Beretta has 22 firearms in our database spanning handguns, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles. Production data spans 1934 – 2019.

Beretta 8000 Cougar
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Beretta 8000 Cougar

Pistols

The Beretta 8000 Cougar is a semi-automatic pistol designed with a compact, robust frame and a unique rotating barrel locking system, a departure from the traditional tilting-barrel design common in many modern pistols. Its primary purpose was to serve law enforcement, military, and civilian markets, offering a reliable and accurate sidearm with a reduced recoil impulse. The key innovation of the Cougar is its rotating barrel mechanism, which locks the barrel into the slide via a cam pin that rotates the barrel as the slide cycles, providing a more consistent lockup and potentially improving accuracy. This system also allows for a shorter, more compact slide and frame compared to conventional pistols of similar barrel length. The Cougar is known for its excellent ergonomics, with a comfortable grip angle and ambidextrous safety/decocker on early models, though later variants simplified controls. Its reputation in the firearms community is that of a well-engineered, underappreciated pistol that offers a smooth shooting experience, though it was eventually overshadowed by the more popular Beretta 92 series and the polymer-framed Px4 Storm, which itself evolved from the Cougar's rotating barrel design. Notable design characteristics include an aluminum alloy frame, a double-action/single-action trigger system, and a slide-mounted safety/decocker. The Cougar was also produced under license by Stoeger in Turkey for a time, offering a more affordable option.

Beretta
Italy
1994-2018