STOEGER IS ONE OF THOSE BRANDS that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, even though it has some impressive credentials. Stoeger was founded in 1924, so I expect to see some sort of centennial celebration next year. It is a subsidiary of Benelli, which is in turn owned by Beretta Holding S.A., Beretta being the world’s oldest firearms manufacturer. Through its history, Stoeger made a number of different air rifles, handguns and shotguns, and even took on production of the Beretta Cougar in 2009 as the 8000 series, making the pistols on Beretta factory tooling — in Turkey.
In the March 2019 issue, Stoeger made industry news with its introduction of the STR-9, a new handgun model. This polymer-framed, striker-fired pistol has Glock 17-inspired action parts, solid ergonomics and performance,…