I have to say I am very taken with the .357 Coonan but if I were really going to go for one I would prefer one with a barrel extension in front of the slide with a compensator fitted .... the flash from the Coonan is quite noticeable and indicates unburnt powder .... this in turn will have an effect on fouling and reliability .... if you could extend the barrel a little akin to a custom .45 I think it would make all the difference ....

They say a 6 inch barrel is really needed to burn the powder for a .357 and from shooting the Coogan it needed cleaning after 30 rounds or so ... about 3 mags worth to keep it reliable ... the main issue was fouling and the heat seemed to evaporate the lubrication more readily ... the rapid ability to shoot .357 loads certainly created a lot of heat in the barrel ...

3 mag's is enough for personal defence and way more than you would get the chance to use for defense against dangerous game ... so on a practical level there are no real issues ... but for comps or practise the ability to shoot it a bit longer would be helpful before needing to clean it ...

Intersting point ... the guys who develop the Desert Eagle were gunsmiths working at Coonan prior to it going into receivership ... but for my money the Coonan is a much better handling pistol ... great for those of us with largish hands ... it feels better for me than a straight stacked .45 ... certainly if you want a pistol which can shoot heavier loads than 125g as used in .375 Sig or the 9mm+ ... (and the Coonan can shoot rounds up to 158g and is not limited to full metal jackets like the Desert Eagle )... it makes for a compelling case for owning one ...

I might e-mail them to ask about a custom race type model .... no harm in asking ....