Designed and developed by gun designer Dan Coonan, and eventually produced by the Minnesota firm bearing his name, the Coonan pistols were chambered for the .357 Mag. cartridge. First the Model A, followed by an upgraded Model B, quickly gained a following for this well-made pistol. The Coonan Compact pistol is a somewhat smaller and easier to carry version of the full-size Coonan Classic. At 39 ozs. and measuring 7.7"x5.4", it is still a pretty hefty pistol likely to find use more as a sportsman’s gun, or even as a home-defense pistol, than as a concealment piece. Learn more in this NRA Gun of the Week video hosted by Joseph Kurtenbach.
Specifications
Manufacturer: Coonan Inc.
Model: Coonan Compact
Action: recoil-operated, semi-automatic pistol
Caliber: .357 Mag.
Slide: stainless steel
Frame: stainless steel
Sights: three-dot; drift adjustable rear, dovetailed and pinned post front
Magazine: detachable box; six-round capacity
Barrel: 4”
Rifling: six-groove, 1:16” RH twist
Trigger: 4-lb., 7-oz. pull
Weight: 39 ozs.
Accessories: owner’s manual, loading tool, spare magazine, ear plugs, trigger lock, zippered case
MSRP: $1,535
For more on the Coonan Compact pistol, please enjoy the following articles:
Review: Coonan Compact
Review: Coonan Compact .357 Mag. Pistol
NRA Gun of the Week: Coonan Compact Pistol
More like this from around the NRA
Latest
New for 2026: Stoeger STR-9 Thinline+ Pistol
Stoeger refines its STR-9 Thinline pistol to be even easier to carry.
Finding The Natural Point Of Aim
Nearly every shooter understands the basic principles of marksmanship: position, grip, sight alignment, breathing, trigger control and follow-through.
Firearm Ownership Reaches New Record
The NSSF estimates there are more than 32 million modern sporting rifles in circulation.
Preview: Hornady 12th Edition Reloading Manual
While the internet offers quick access to information, trusting unvetted recipes for cooking up ammunition is less than ideal, which is why makers of reloading products like Hornady publish thorough books for such tasks.
Review: Bushmaster V-Radicator
The business of dispatching unwanted critters requires a platform capable of a high degree of accuracy. Nuisance animals such as prairie dogs are both small and skittish in nature, meaning that they tend to keep their distance and scurry away upon the arrival of incoming fire.
New for 2026: Smith & Wesson FPC in 5.7x28 mm
The folding carbine line expands to include the 5.7 mm chambering.
Interests
SECTIONS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EXPLORE MORE NRA PUBLICATIONS
