Title: Coonan Arms Classic .357 Magnum 1911 Pistol - GunsAmerica Digest
Headings: Coonan Arms Classic .357 Magnum 1911 Pistol
Coonan Arms Classic .357 Magnum 1911 Pistol
Not Your First Pistol!

Content: Some may find the romance of a huge kick and brilliant muzzle flash a great reason to buy a .357 Mag. pistol, but as a certifiable gun geek, I think this pistol stands on its own merits very well as a really functional and high quality pistol for a reasonable price. The only thing I didn’t find as promised in the Coonan Classic .357 was that it is supposed to be able to shoot .38 Special with a second spring that comes with the gun. I installed the spring and tried it with Hornady Critical Defense in both regular .38 Special and the +P loads, as well as some Fiocchi .38 Special I was out testing a cowboy gun with, and none of it cycled reliably even with the lighter spring. I don’t think that people buy a gun like this in hopes that they will be able to punch paper with the .38s, but each to his own. Though it was disappointing from a nerd perspective, I don’t feel this hurts the viability of the Coonan Arms Classic .357 as probably the nicest .357 semi-auto pistol ever made. If you try your own pistol with the .38 Special spring, make sure to swap the spring back when you switch back to .357 Mag. The gun will work fine with the lighter spring and the more powerful ammunition, but the heavy spring was installed as the default to protect the frame of the gun from unnecessary battering. This is yet another reason why I’m sure Coonan had the idea to advertise the Classic .357 as “not your first pistol.” If you don’t follow the directions you will only frustrate yourself, and you may damage your gun over time.