When Revolver Meets 1911: The Coonan .357 Magnum Automatic 

He was also ripping hard on a vape on the show floor. Legend

Thanks for the conformation, I remember reading that somewhere. It was around the same time when I just heard of the pistol.

This is what every college should strive to be: just taking brave risks and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.

Spite is a powerful motivator 😉

I get strong Frank Reynolds vibes from a guy who has to have magnum bullets.

it's rare for people to be talented both as inventors/engineers and as business people. the inventors tend to take any arrangement that lets them focus their efforts entirely on the parts of the business that they enjoy, and they end up getting taken advantage of by whoever they found to take the finances off their hands/invest capital. particularly in the eyes of the inventors, who only care about the technical stuff, they are the ones who did essentially all of the work because they made the product, but they get very little of the profit because they only cared about the work and the product when they made the original agreements, whereas the businesspeople and investors they partnered with had their eyes on the money from the start, and they basically profit off the fact that they barely even care about the product. I think what inventors might need when setting up businesses like this is their own personal starting capital to hire a lawyer to negotiate a good position for them in the company from the start. which is already a horrible amount of bureaucracy for your average inventor to deal with.

I agree. Erik Buell in the motorcycling world comes to mind. Not much love between him and Harley-Davidson. He designed bikes that were decades ahead of the competition.

@@Ass_of_Amalek Yep. Happens time and time again. Venture Capitalists are notorious for that. They are actively looking for opportunities to do that. They have a money source and allocate funds from that that won't damage it as an income generator. Then they take those funds and invest them with - say- 10 companies. 9 of the 10 go bust and they lose their investment - but - the 10th is profitable and based on the deal they made with the creator - they take it away from him - and the money they make off the 10th one - more than makes up for all the money they lost on the other 9. Companies where the creators made it - were like Apple and Microsoft. With Apple you had Wozniak with the talent and Jobs was the wheeler dealer. With Microsoft you had Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates. Between those three they had a good bit of technical know how but also a good bit of business sense. People who don't have friends like that to begin with - come up with an idea - but then they need money to turn it into a business and the money people are planning on taking it all away from them from the start. Time and time and time again ... Much of the Internet is made up of Cisco Routers - that is EXACTLY what happened there. In the documentary on it one of the money men says something like _"it's sad when the creators hang on to long"_ .... .

@@davidwoodbury8972 Harley was only interested in outsourcing manufacturing to lowest bidder. Result? Italian level chicom porous castings of the lowest quality.

@Wanda Fishlips interesting handle

Florida militia

Thomas Magnum should have carried a Coonan.

Needs a Tigers hat

Closer to a military uniform than you might think - the shirt Ian is wearing is an Otte Gear Hawaiian shirt that is a nod to the experimental blue tigerstripe camouflage that the US Air Force briefly considered adopting in 2003, before they settled on the grey UCP/ACU colors. So it is an alternate reality Air Force uniform.

He should do a backup gun match dressed as Maigret

That grip didn't spark any curiosity?

@@shinobi-no-bueno I'd have just thought it was a grip for unusually large hands if there wasn't ".357" written in the title of the video tbh.

I remember seeing one of these for $1400 at a gun store once (probably around 2013). But I was a broke college kid at the time and could only drool over it. Would still love to own one some day.

@@joeyallen1609 Interestingly this gun was originally designed by a college kid. Oops, he just said this as I was writing. Lol!

I should’ve bought 3 or 4 of em when they were 1300 dollars

Huah Tigers 🤘

Thanks for your service as a sky cop ;)

Very cool. I love stories like these. Thanks for sharing it.

Cool !

The good ol' days when $5 more than covered 5 rounds of .357...

I did the same. Very impressed with the firearm.

There is. We just need a 357 mag AR-15 and I'd be ecstatic. Imagine using the same round in a revolver, lever gun, automatic pistol, AND carbine.

The coonan is still more powerful than the same size 10mm. I say stick to fewer cartridges. There are 10mm revolvers, so...

I agree.

@@EnthalpyAndEntropy wouldn't that be awesome!!!!!!!!!!!

.357 is somewhat easier to obtain ammo for, plus with the spring swap you can always plink away with .38spl. 😁

I fuckin love that emoji

How did it handle compared to a 45 ACP 1911 or a 357 revolver?

@@SeanCMonahan I shot it with .38 Special rounds. It was smooth and didn't really kick. Kinda felt like shooting a little .32 for the recoil 👍

Yeah I was reporting on an Anti-Gun Rally at the NRA Annual Meeting and I got talking with an older gentleman.....then I looked at his exhibitor badge and I said "Holy Shit, you're Dan Coonan!!" Super nice and Down-to-Earth guy. Also HUGE Fan of the FAL. Glad to hear he's still doing well, I haven't seen him in a number of years.

@@SeanCMonahan to add to Jeff’s reply, even in 357 magnum, these are super smooth and very accurate. The recoil is handled perfectly. There is a compact version which I don’t have any experience with, but I’m sure it just has a little bit more kick. Everyone I let shoot my coonan falls in love with it. If you ever have the chance… buy one.

It's possible. But he also may have arrived at the solution independently. There's really never very much that's truly new under the sun. Some ideas are just ahead of their time, others fill a specific niche. How often in the development of, name anything, have people arrived at the same solution? More than we think. I give him all the credit due for this gun. It's a shame more aren't available to be had and enjoyed

Might be a connection there after all, tho indirect. The direct connection, like Ian said, is to single-stack 22LR magazines. However, the connection is that those single-stack .22LR magazines that Mr Coonan looked at could indeed have taken inspiration from the Lee Metford. At the moment this is just a hypothesis of mine, and I'd need to do some actual research to prove it out. On the other hand, my common sense says "there's nothing new under the sun" like another commenter here said. Because if I know one thing about how a gunsmith's mind works from watching many videos both here on Forgotten Weapons and over on C&Arsenal, I know that they're prone to take good design elements from any gun (good or bad) and apply them to a new gun. So, the Lee Metford, being quite an old design, seems like a prime candidate to lend its magazine design to a more ubiquitous firearm such as a .22LR of nearly any brand that uses a single-stack magazine. Speaking of interesting magazine designs that have been seen in .22LR rifles, I do have to wonder if we're ever going to see a proper 7.62mm/.30 caliber rifle that is basically a "rotary" or "drum" magazine like the Ruger 10/22's stock 10-round magazine does. Then again, AR10 magazines for that caliber seem to be a very common and very reliable design, the only advantage that the "rotary/drum" type mag of the 10/22 would give would be a lower vertical profile, so you could make it fit in a form factor more similar to an M1 Garand, but with 2 more rounds and the magazines are better able to keep dirt and grime off of the ammunition. Now maybe this avoids most of the fallbacks of a more normal drum magazine in "battle rifle" type service (heavy, bulky, hard to manufacture, often unreliable), maybe not. But I'd like to see the idea given a chance to shine.

There are a lot of solutions to this problem. To say that any have "solved" the problem of feeding rimmed cartridges is a little optimistic and naive. The kraut rifle commission of 1888 (or Swiss engineers just previous) certainly *solved* the problem though. With the introduction of the 7.92x57 case.

@@randymagnum143 Ah so you're saying the ultimate solution would be a new, rimless case. While it solves it in a way, in that firearms that use rimless cases don't have nearly as many feeding problems, it also does not solve it in that there are still rimmed cases that have feeding problems in semi-automatic and bolt-action firearms. But a rimless version of .357 magnum would be a nice thing to have, that's for sure.

@@44R0Ndin it's just shortened straight wall .223 brass.(.357 rimless mag) .350 legend is just rimless .357 maximum on steroids.

Yup. This is CLASSIC Forgotten Weapons. (F.W. being only notionally about stuff that's really "forgotten". Heh.)

No kidding about brass into the next zip code. At the range I use magnets to hang a mesh screen from the tin canopy so it’s easier to collect my brass

You can defend yourself downrange and ejection side? ;) That is interesting, I have never seen one of these in action.

Is it consistently reliable? This would be an awesome carry gun

@@LukeLegere With .357 it runs flawlessly. It comes with a spring you can swap out to shoot .38 Special, but it does have some issues when you do that.

My S&W 1911 10mm did the same bad trick. I ground down on the rear ejection pin till the casings did not go as far. I a still finding some of those brass casings 40+ft. away in the field next to that range.

You won't regret it. I love mine.

🤤🥰 I can Live and Hope!!!

Wait, they're selling the gun again?

@@arnox4554 He has the B model, mags got rare until the C model came out and those closed up in 2019.

@@onpsxmember Well, in any case, I do wonder why these pistols never took off. I mean, they don't look as good as an M1911 since the underbarrel doesn't have that same cut that the M1911 does, but even so.

@@arnox4554 I expect price was the biggest factor. Maybe someone will pick it up again someday, a la the Automag.

Yeah I remember paying $200 per mag before they started production up again. Too bad the gen 3 mags are slightly longer and require modification to the pistol to fit. At least the gen 3 mags I have are

Do you think that you would get an A for designing the next big thing in firearms technology?

​@@doughesson only if it doesn't get too much attention

Yeah, I can imagine some SJW notifying ATF and the FBI now...

Wrong year. Probably get kicked out of school bc you made them feel unsafe. Lol.

In your experience, did you ever try .38 +P ammo with the .357 spring?

@@oscardavis3906 Don’t remember as that was 20-30 yrs ago. I always had .357 ammo reload

Ramen noodles are good, and cheap. Add eggs and chopped up meat and it's a proper meal. Then you could afford more guns.

So many stories like that have to do with family members just getting rid of precious items and guns without even thinking about how many memories or how important it might be to the original owner/ family member. I don't understand some people.

@@UnsaidHealer damned humanities

@@anon_y_mousse I'm sure his kids are supporting themselves now, don't think this man needs to cook them ramen or anything anymore

@@NATIVE1179 True, and it's too late to change, as we can't change the past. But for the future, for his children that aren't that way or his grandchildren, it could be a good tip that could help them. Better to eat poorly and save up for a gun than to eat well and be unable to defend oneself.

Ian should turn into a private eye and start a TV show, I'll call it, Magnum P.I.!

@@frenchfrey65 Yep, Magnum gun with Magnum shirt and Magnum moustache!

@@frenchfrey65 I feel like he'd best suit a cold case police procedural about extremely obscure and forgotten cases that somehow end up revealing a portion of a larger conspiracy, which inevitably ends up with a gun fight with some villains in a warehouse stuffed with boxes of 7.65mm French Long. The antagonist will be equipped with a rare French rifle that has been atrociously bubba'd (sawn-off RSC18, somehow?).

The libs would scream beyond their vocal cords being sore. 😅😊

How about the grip length. Did you find it an issue?

@@bindingcurve I've shot one quite a bit. I have larger hands, so I can't speak for everyone, but I don't have a problem with it. It's very noticeably longer, but it's pretty slim, so you can still get a good purchase. Way better than a Desert Eagle.

I have averaged size mitts. The mag release and slide release are a bit of a stretch for my thumbs but I love the thing

​@@bindingcurve I have fairly small meaty hands and don't really have to much trouble with mine. Recoil is very manageable even if I don't have what I would call a perfectly ideal grip. The grip safety tends to be a little to the thumb side of things instead of the web pocket but I could still shoot it all day.

That’s about what mine cost. I’ve never had a moment of buyers remorse. With hot handloads it has some fantastic muzzle pizzazz 🔥

Lmao

Does he know 9mm is the same bullet diameter as .357mag? 😉

Smaller then a .357 only for fun at range.

Think you could talk him into a necked down high velocity round, like the 7.5 FK?

Get him a 500 Magnum

Nice 👍

Now that you mention, this gun would be a match made in heaven for a Lever Action in 357.

BULL. It's the over sized .22 magazine that was the trick.

Austin Flint................ How true!

doubt it as apparently alot of customers didnt get there guns or deposits back as well as some who claim the sent the guns in for work and never got them back. also heard another gun company bought all the designs so hopefully it was a reputable company and they re-release the gun and all the extras for them would love to finally get the compensated barrel kit for mine. will say well over 2k rounds 0 issues and can shoot all day long but gonna have to slow down until someone start making the replacement firing pins and springs lol

@@kevinpickering3866 they didn't give them back? Jesus sounds like an actual legitimate job for the ATF. Probably whouldent give them back either though.

Doubtful. I'm a Coonan owner and I was keeping up with things after to most recent bankruptcy. His entire machine shop got sold off by the bank, even the shipping container he used as an indoor range to test fire the guns. I saw the auction listing that listed off everything but the kitchen sink online.

@@jaynederp5236 damn. Sad to here aside from the desart eagle there's nothing else in semi auto that takes 357.

Yes always wondered myself about the mag and how unique it was, if at all. Just the magazine it self is a piece of art. Glad Ian went into detail about it and it's development. This the type of stuff I live for. Absolutely love it

It is so very worth it!

it was so worth it that i payed extra to have mine with a supressor barrel and a regular barrel.. my better half has come to terms with it going in the grave with me now, but i no longer control the finances.. oh well.. worth it 10/10 :)

That was my introduction to this pistol.

I have that Zombie/werewolf/vampire survival kit with my Coonan.

I worked there at the time they made those. If you have that silver ammo do not shoot it. It is loaded to max pressures and will damage the gun and the silver plate will stick to your rifling. We had to stop selling it and unload all that was left. There was a 3rd of a galore of pulled silver plated bullets sitting in the shop. Even with the vary thin plate on those bullets that was a lot of silver.

@@FASmith-qd1yj That's really cool, someone's very rich given inflation and today's silver prices.

@@bobhill3941 The cost of removing it from the lead is more than it's worth and with inflation it still is

They are no longer made that's why

Maybe you could sew a pad onto your holster, or into your pants. Might help.

Try a Crossbreed brand holster. Most comfortable holster I have ever used.

Give the hips a rest and go for a classic shoulder holster.

@@PsychoticBovine I like the N82 holsters. Separates the whole gun from your body, even the grip. And the backing is super soft suede. These are my go to holsters after trying many others.

My hog loads with H110 or Win296 will make impressive flame rings or halos from my C Model. It’s an attention grabber at an indoor range

Congratulations you have been selected among our shortlisted winner, contact the number above ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^🎁✅

You're interfering with the gun's wave function.

I have a suspicion that Hickock45 might have a video on the Coonan .375, but I'm in no way certain about that. OK so I looked and yes, he has a video on it. And DemolitionRanch does as well. Matt is a bit of a clown, but then so was FSPRussia, but hey, if it's it's entertainment you want...

@@blahorgaslisk7763 Exactly, back in the day, they were fun time killers. And I learned of the gun's existence.

Recoil spring. On a 1911 main spring means the hammer spring :)

And His Son Gun Jesus presenting it to us ungrateful sinners 😂

I got mine in the same time period, no regrets except for ammunition expensive then and much more now.

disappointingly the .38 special spring is only for +P and in mine it would not cycle even a single round, but if you get one there is a forum you can find were a guy did some testing and found a 1911 spring that worked, went out and purchased it and it runs amazing but i guess its a use at your own risk