It all started in 2013 with one individual. One man, Andrew Braus, had purchased a Coonan 1911 .357 Magnum Automatic from a buddy in Dallas, Texas. He babied it. He fed it oil. He cared for it like he would his own daughter. In Andrew’s own words, this gun is like a unicorn for most people. It is unachievable. Too expensive. Hard to come by. And yet, he owned one and wondered what he should do with it. The experience of handling and firing this pistol was too good not to share.

And so it began… Andrew decided it was time for his Coonan to begin a journey from range to range as a traveling rental gun. Proceeds from the rental fees would be donated to the National Military Family Association (NMFA). The NMFA is dedicated to providing all military families child care, health care, employment options, great schools, a secure retirement and support for widows and widowers. As a veteran himself, Andrew knew this was the perfect fit – a way to share the enjoyment of firing a Coonan for the first time with shooters like himself and at the same time show respect for our military family’s service. In return, he would get nothing more than a well-worn pistol.

Now, the Traveling Coonan Experience is beginning the next stage of its short life. As seems to consistently be the case, most great projects start with an individual and grow from there. We at Coonan are proud to partner with Andrew to help continue the Traveling Coonan’s journey and build upon the work that he began with that single pistol.

Interested in having the Traveling Coonan come to your range? We at Coonan will handle the logistics of the shipping as well as paying all of the shipping and handling charges. We’ll also provide the promotional materials you need to promote and market the Traveling Coonan experience at your range. All we ask of you is that you actively promote rental of this amazing pistol and help us raise money for the NMFA.

For range owners, please reach out to us to request the Coonan at your facility and we can answer any questions you may have. For shooters who would like the gun to come to your local range, just reach out to your range owner or our team at Coonan and we’ll work to make it a reality. It’s a rare opportunity when we can accomplish something for the greater good through the activities we enjoy – this is one of those opportunities.