I have the Stoeger Cougar in 9mm. It is a great gun for the money.

Stoeger Industries is a subsidiary of Beretta. The Stoeger Cougars are made in Turkey using the same machinery that Beretta used to make the original Cougars. It is every bit the quality of the Beretta.

I nave not heard anything bad about Stoegar handguns. The .45is new but seems solid to me.

You like the SR9C it is an interesting lttle gun. How is teh trigger on it? Do you have anything to compare with it?

Sorry back to the Stoeger. It is priced right, built solid, has a hammer and has a metal frame. I like the gun from what I know of it.

RCG

Yes, I kind of want one - the frame takes apart like a 92 - to stripe out the parts and the springs. If I get one, I could replace the hammer spring with a D spring to lighten up the trigger... And, a skeletonized hammer from the 92 will fit it as well.

OK off the track but as far as the Ruger is concerned, its a great gun, maybe the best 9mm I have ever shot, the trigger is fine, after a few rounds it smooths out and very easy to hold on target. Every person who has shot mine has nothing but compliments and at least two of them purchased one for themselves. For me it just fits great.

Good to know, I bought each of my sons a SR9 and then swapped out hte trigger with a Ghost trigger replacement. Now those guns are freaing nice

RCG

I am new to these forums, so I hope it is ok to renew this thread over a year later. I can however share my experience with the Stoeger Cougar 8045 F.

I LOVE IT!

August 30, 2011 I purchased my Stoeger as mentioned above for LESS than $500. (I think it was $499 out the door, tax and all.)
It came with manual, 2 magazines, a foam lined hard plastic case, and a cable lock w/2 keys.
I got the only 8045F they had, so I got the display unit.
First thing I did when I got it home was clean it. Nothing special to mention. The manual has no pictures, so when field stripping, it is a good idea to pay attention to how things look before taking them apart. The recoil spring/central block assembly can be confusing the first time or two. Once I understood and was familiar with it, easy as pie.
The gun was not too dirty, but it was dry. The magazine release was almost impossible to work. The magazines themselves were also extremely hard to load. Both symptoms went away with a good cleaning and some gun oil.
The painted white sights are nothing to brag about, I will be replacing them soon with Vijicon Tough & Bright Night Sights. And, maybe, if I was a good boy this year, Santa will bring me a Viridian X5L (Gen 2) laser/strobe to put on the 8045F's Pic Rail.
I have read the complaints about size for concealed carry. Yes. It's alittle big. And Meaty. It also has a sharp edge or two on the trigger end of the slide. I have an Uncle Mike's #5 nylon holster which I have modified for concealed carry inside the belt, outside the wasteband in the small of the back. Works great. I can get away with belted shorts and an oversized tee shirt worn loose. Ad a button style shirt worn open, and there is no problem. At least for me, being over 6ft tall and about 275lbs. If ever asked what the lump is, I plan to tell them it is my colostomy bag. I'll let you know how that one works if I ever have to use it. Now that I am used to carrying this piece, I hardly notice it at all.
So yes, slightly big for concealed carry, but it is do-able without too much trouble.
Shooting the Stoeger Cougar 8045F is sweet. Recoil is not bad at all. I was surprised. Not bad at all. There does not seem to be any muzzle flip. More like the whole gun jumps, but not like the front of the gun is kicking up and back, pointing to the sky. None of that. At first I had an issue with the crappy stock sights, but once I got my shooting glasses I am much more able to see the sights and target now. Now I have much tighter shot groups. I am finding that I shoot tighter groups if I fire in 2 shots rapid fire. Boom Boom.....resight.....Boom Boom....resight....and so on.
I still do not have 500 rounds through it, but should be there soon. The only issues I have had so far are, the roll pin that holds the safety de-cocking lever in on the right side worked its way out after about 250 rounds. I pushed it back in myself, and put another 75 rounds through only to have it pop out again. Took it back to the gunshop and they fixed it up real quick. 90 rounds later it is still holding, but I am keeping my eye on it. The other issue is a "hit" mark on the frame that I am not sure where it came from. There is a small indentation in the frame, and the black finish is gone showing clean metal. Didn't notice it on the first cleaning, but it was there on the second. It hasn't gotten any worse or changed any that I can see, so I just chocked it up as wierd and keep my eye on it.
Other than that.....This pistol has worked flawlessly. Not a single jam or firing problem of any kind.
So to sum it up,
Easy to strip/clean
Easy to shoot
Easy on the shooter
Accurate and Reliable.

If not for the roll pin coming out, I would go 5 stars.

I own a stoeger cougar .45. I love the gun, it's very reliable. It's a bit heavy for open/concealed carry. I really have to suck in my gutt and tighten my belt to keep it from weighing down my pants. I have fired over 750 rounds, never jammed, used 7 different brands of bullets just to see how the gun performs.

+1 what others said about the SR9c. I have the SR9 and SR9c, both are great 9mm pistols and the SR9c is an excellent ccw.

I'm a proud owner of an 8045. Here's my review on the gun:

Incredible Pistol! Stoeger Cougar 8045 - YouTube