Coonan, Inc. was on my list of stops for SHOT this year and also came recommended by a friend whose opinion I trust. As I had written in an earlier review, my irrational view is that a 1911 should be chambered in .45 ACP. Coonan’s evolution of the platform is a 1911 in .357 Magnum.

They have been making them for a number of years and have a very limited number of variations, and I’ve heard that they do them very well (I can’t attest to that as I’ve never fired one). What I can confirm is that the appearance and feel of the weapons on display in their booth was impressive. Everything just fit together well–the machining was superb. And the models that I handled fit very well in my hand (of course that is a personal thing though, YMMV).

The new item they were showing off was their Compact version.

Specifications:
* Caliber: .357 Magnum (will chamber and fire .38 Spc; may be some cycling sensitivity)
* Barrel Length: 4″
* Construction: Stainless Steel
* Magazine Capacity: 6 Rounds + 1
* Weight: 39 oz (empty)/ 45.5 oz loaded
* Length: 7.7″
* Height: 5.4″
* Width: 1.3″
* Sights: Dovetail Front and Rear, Fixed White Dot Sights
* Grips: Smooth Black Walnut

Options:
* Black DuraCoat with Fixed Serrated Night Sights and Fully Checkered Black Aluminum Grips
* Additional Magazines
* Grip Options

I would definitely be interested in firing one sometime. Does anyone here have experience with one? I’d love to hear some “in the field” feedback.