Beretta Nano Micro 9mm Pocket Pistol – New Gun Review

Authors Duane A. Daiker Pistols
The Nano is mercifully free of unnecessary levers and controls.

The Nano is mercifully free of unnecessary levers and controls.


All the takedown controls are flush on the right side—the Striker Deactivation Button and Disassembly Pin. Note the reversible magazine release button that makes the Nano fully ambidextrous.

All the takedown controls are flush on the right side—the Striker Deactivation Button and Disassembly Pin. Note the reversible magazine release button that makes the Nano fully ambidextrous.


The Technopolymer grip frame has a window to view the serial number on the stainless steel sub-chassis below—which is the serialized “firearm” portion of the pistol.

The Technopolymer grip frame has a window to view the serial number on the stainless steel sub-chassis below—which is the serialized “firearm” portion of the pistol.


The Nano has no external safety levers, other than the ubiquitous trigger safety.  The trigger is heavy, but has a clean break and is easy to manage.

The Nano has no external safety levers, other than the ubiquitous trigger safety. The trigger is heavy, but has a clean break and is easy to manage.


The 3-dot sights are excellent, and are even user-adjustable for windage.  The sights are also easy to swap if desired.

The 3-dot sights are excellent, and are even user-adjustable for windage. The sights are also easy to swap if desired.


The Nano is suitable for pocket carry so long as you have reasonably large pockets.  Smaller people, or those wearing dressier clothes, may prefer some type of belt carry.

The Nano is suitable for pocket carry so long as you have reasonably large pockets. Smaller people, or those wearing dressier clothes, may prefer some type of belt carry.


I appreciate the rugged simplicity of this Alessi pocket holster (www.alessigunholsters.com).  A minimalist pocket gun deserves a minimalist holster.

I appreciate the rugged simplicity of this Alessi pocket holster (www.alessigunholsters.com). A minimalist pocket gun deserves a minimalist holster.


The Nano’s stainless–steel magazines hold six rounds of 9mm.

The Nano’s stainless–steel magazines hold six rounds of 9mm.


Disassembling the Nano is easy—there are no tools required and no small parts to lose.

Disassembling the Nano is easy—there are no tools required and no small parts to lose.


Beretta includes a pistol lock, two magazines, and a hard plastic case with each Nano.

Beretta includes a pistol lock, two magazines, and a hard plastic case with each Nano.

By Duane A. Daiker
https://www.berettausa.com

It was by complete surprise that the Beretta Nano became one of my favorite carry guns. I reluctantly took an assignment to review the Nano even though I had never had much affection for Beretta firearms, and I had already reviewed a number of similar 9mm pistols. I could never have expected the Nano to become my favorite gun to carry among the micro-9s. In fact, the Nano sits comfortably in my pocket as I write this review. Despite my initial hesitation, I found the Nano to be a nearly perfect deep concealment pistol.

In many ways, the Beretta Nano is a typical micro-sized 9mm with a 3-inch barrel. It is a double-action striker-fired semi-auto with a capacity of 6+1 rounds. The pistol measures only 5.6 inches long and 4.2 inches high. The width is an impressive .9 inches, making pocket carry a realistic option. The gun tips the scale at nearly 20 ounces unloaded, which is certainly not a featherweight in this class of pistols, but is still manageable for deep concealment.

What really sets the Nano apart from other pocket pistols is the completely smooth exterior design. Aside from the magazine release button, there are absolutely no external controls—no thumb safety, no slide release lever, and no takedown lever. This makes the Nano well suited for nearly all methods of concealed carry. There is simply nothing to snag on your clothing or otherwise foul your draw from concealment. Similarly, there is nothing to scratch or poke you when the Nano is carried next to your body.

The lack of a slide release lever does not mean there is no slide lock feature. The slide locks open on an empty magazine, just as you would expect. When doing a slide-lock reload, you simply work the slide as you would in the traditional “sling shot” method, and the slide will close on the loaded magazine. You don’t have the option of closing the slide with a manual slide release, but most shooting schools don’t recommend this technique anyway. If you are accustomed to using a slide release lever, you will need to spend some time retraining on the “sling shot” method. However, I believe the minor trade-off in technique is well worth the simplicity of the snag-free profile.

The Nano’s well thought out design makes this pistol completely ambidextrous. The gun’s only external control—the magazine release button—is reversible. This is a real benefit for southpaws, or for anyone who wants to set this pistol up for left-hand use as a back-up gun.

Unlike many pistols this size, the Nano’s 3-dot low profile sights are adjustable for windage. In fact, the sights can be easily removed from the gun, so upgrades are a snap. Upgrading the sights wouldn’t be a high priority for me because the factory sights provide an excellent sight picture. Unlike the tiny nubs that pass for sights on some pocket-sized guns, the Nano has genuinely useful factory sights.

The Nano is constructed of a Technopolymer (fiberglass reinforced polymer) grip over a stainless steel sub-chassis that serves as the pistol frame. The grip and frame are modular, and the sub-chassis can be removed from the pistol grip. This modular construction allows the serialized frame to be swapped into a different grip. Beretta may eventually offer a larger grip for the Nano—but no such alternatives are available yet, nor have any been announced. Beretta does offer grips in a variety of colors, including Ranger Green, Flat Dark Earth, White and Rosa.

I have never been completely enamored with the modular frame concept. I don’t personally have a lot of desire to swap grip sizes on my guns. However, even if I did, Beretta’s implementation of this feature leaves a lot to be desired. Removing the sub-chassis requires a properly sized punch and a bit of patience. Detailing the process requires ten pages in the Nano owner’s manual, including a lot of warnings and cautions. I am not the most mechanically inclined guy in the world, and the instructions scared me out of trying the sub-chassis removal for now. Swapping the grip is certainly possible, but probably not something you would want to do on a regular basis.

On the other hand, disassembling the Nano for cleaning is an easy job. Like most striker-fired pistols, the Nano cannot be taken apart while the striker is under tension. Rather than require the user to dry fire the pistol (which some people consider to be a safety issue), Beretta has incorporated a Striker Deactivation Button to start the disassembly process. The button is small and recessed, requiring use of a pen or paperclip or similar pointed object. Once the striker is deactivated, you simply rotate the Disassembly Pin a quarter-turn using a flat blade screwdriver, a coin, or even the rim of a 9mm shell case. The slide assembly can then be removed from the frame, and the barrel and recoil rod and recoil spring removed from the slide.

Micro-sized 9mm pistols can be notoriously unpleasant to shoot. The Nano, however, is surprisingly mild. The slight heft of the Nano (about 20 ounces unloaded) and its advanced ergonomic design really help to reduce the felt recoil. Shooting the Nano is not a painful or unpleasant experience at all. Even recoil shy shooters should find this pistol to be acceptable.

The Nano is also very accurate. This is a function of good sights and a good trigger. The trigger is not your typical “spongy” trigger on a striker-fired pistol. The trigger has a long pull, but with a very light take-up that stacks quickly at the end. While that may not sound ideal, the short but heavy pull at the end of the trigger stroke increases the safety-factor, and provides more of a “surprise break” for accurate shooting. The trigger takes some time to learn, but is actually quite effective for a pocket gun.

Shooting the Nano is confidence inspiring. At realistic self-defense distances, the pistol has no problem shooting fist-sized groups at a rapid pace. Even 25-yard shots on a silhouette target can be made with ease. The traditional 3-dot sights are well suited for easy target acquisition.

Generally speaking, the Nano ran very well. However, the pistol did suffer a significant failure. After about 100 rounds through the brand new pistol, the recoil spring guide rod broke. This is not the time to get into a “plastic versus steel” debate on recoil rods—but the stock Beretta rod is plastic. Once it broke, the gun failed completely and had to be returned to Beretta for warranty repair.

For the purposes of my review, I elected to forego the normal media channels and return the gun “anonymously” for warranty repair—just like a regular retail customer would do. The process was simple, and after a single phone call I was sent an RMA number and a pre-paid shipping label. A few days after shipping the pistol, I received a postcard from the warranty service agent acknowledging receipt and giving an estimated time for completion of the repairs. The warranty repair took three weeks to complete, and Beretta even called me once to update the status of the repairs. I was pleased with the overall warranty experience.

The Nano has performed flawlessly since the warranty repair. I suspect the initial recoil rod had some of type of latent defect that surfaced pretty quickly. The replacement rod has held up for several hundred more rounds, and shows no signs of premature wear.

Certainly some shooters would immediately dismiss a gun that experiences this type of failure. I tend to be more forgiving with an initial failure, if the problem can be fixed and does not re-occur. All mechanical items can fail, and quality control problems usually manifest themselves pretty quickly. My search did not disclose any similar failures, so it appears that my experience was not at all typical. I still believe in the Nano, and I have put my money where my mouth is—I carry the Nano every day.

The Nano works very well for front pocket carry, so long as your pockets are large enough. I am a fairly big guy and I have no problem carrying in cargo pants or even jeans. With dressier pants, I find an inside the waistband holster to work well. However, nearly any carry method should work with this smooth-sided micro-9mm.

Beretta ships the Nano in a hard-sided case with two magazines. The suggested retail is $475, although street prices are closer to $400. While not the cheapest 9mm in this category, the Nano is competitively priced.

All the major manufacturers have a micro-sized 9mm pistol. You can find great examples from Smith & Wesson, Ruger, Kimber, Springfield, and others. The Beretta Nano, however, exactly fits my concept of a deep concealment pistol. The Nano design is very minimalistic, and perfect for a self-defense weapon. In essence, Beretta has refined the “point and shoot” pocket pistol to its simplest form.

https://www.berettausa.com

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  • Pocketgunner July 1, 2018, 8:43 am

    I bought a Nano in 2018. In three months I put 2500 rounds of every kind of Ammo out there. 115 gr. 124,147 etc. All ran flawless. I shoot a lot of micro 9mm’s and you will not find one that shoots as mild as the Nano with very little Muzzle flip. It is built to handles the pressures of the 40.cal and built like a Tank. Handles Plus P better than others handle standard ammo. Trigger is NOT 8lb. I measured my at 6.1 lbs lbs of pull and a range friend has one that is 5.5. And if you want less, Gallaway sells a kit that will take off another 1.5 lbs. However I do not think it is needed. The Trigger is a double action and very smooth and deliberate. The gun is all stainless Steel other than the Modular grip which is, by the way a nice feature. The Nano is one of the most Underrated Micro 9mm guns available. Yes they had a first one issue but that has long since been fixed. The gun has been out now for over 7 years. The Magazines are all stainless Steel and look like high end custom 1911’s. With the mild recoil, I have found to be one of the most accurate Micro 9mm’s I own. And the size is one of the smallest in class with the ability to easily change out to night sights with out going to a Smith.
    Beretta has been making guns for over 500 years and their quality shows in the Nano.

  • John Alexander February 16, 2017, 4:23 pm

    I left the path off Sig Sauer first then Glock when I bought a Beretta Nano BU9. I not only had FTE issues, but now has a broken guide rod issue. Beretta cant even torch the front sight on b properly, it fell off. The Nano is nothing more than a $200.00 gun Very unreliable with poor to nonexistent customer service. Beretta knows the Nano is junk yet they continue to sell them. If you buy a Nano you will be sorry. You have been warned.

    • Pocketgunner July 1, 2018, 8:50 am

      Lol, I had to really laugh at this comment. The gun is all stainless steel build, built to handle a the pressures of the 40.cal. Break it down and compare to any other micro gun out there. It is built like a tank. Beretta does not build cheap guns.So you had a recoil spring/guide rod break and you bash a gun? Seriously? Oh, by the way, you forgot to mention that the Nano will shoot milder than any gun in It’s class. Sounds to me like you need to shoot guns more.

  • Ron Bortmas December 2, 2016, 9:01 pm

    Purchased a Beretta Nano in April 2016.
    Whatever production problems Beretta had upon release 3 years ago have been sorted out. Fired 200 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense and 100 rounds of American Eagle FMJ from the 1970’s!
    A Marine buddy sold his 9mm and gave me the FMJ ammo he had no use for.
    I had no issues with the Nano. It is my EDC. PICKED it up new for $369.
    Completely satisfied with this pistol.

  • Stratton June 24, 2016, 12:58 pm

    Personally I think the trigger is ok for a pocket gun with no safeties. The long trigger pull makes it harder to have a negligent discharge! I love my nano but its a 2015 model so I think all the bugs are worked out.

  • Greg February 24, 2014, 10:26 pm

    I’ve found this conversation interesting and informative. I’ve tried the composite .380s, didn’t like them. … Wish I’d not sold my Colt Mustang. I’d really like to find a trustworthy 9mm BUG, but have yet to do so. I’m also a 1911 guy, so for now I’ll continue to carry my 3″ .45… IWB works for me, using a comp-tac minataur holster. Weighs more, but that’s a trade-off I’ll accept until something better comes along. Anyone here know anything about the little Rorbaugh (sp?) 9mm pocket pistol?

  • Mike December 28, 2013, 2:15 pm

    Why is the nano illegal in California?

    • Keith October 1, 2017, 7:36 am

      Because California is hostile to the 2nd Amendment and other liberties. Get out while you can.

  • BB December 25, 2013, 9:46 am

    Pretty sweet little pistol. As for warranty repair? Personally speaking, 3 weeks is out of line and way too long.

    I recently had a warranty repair with Smith & Wesson (Model 629). They emailed a Fedex Label. I dropped the gun off at a Fedex location, the next day S&W “emailed” saying they received my gun. Three days later Fedex emailed with a next day tracking number, and on the 4th day Fedex was knocking on my door to deliver my beautifully repaired 44mag.

    • Al June 13, 2014, 11:40 pm

      just sent my S&W Shield in, and they are saying 3-4 weeks to LOOK at it.

  • Norm December 23, 2013, 2:17 pm

    Unfortunately I do not share the opinion expressed in the article. After a pleasant experience shooting a rental Nano, I bought one. While it was nice to shoot, mine consistently shot several inches high at 7 yards and was a little more on target beyond 10 yards. I had my friend, who has won awards in competition shooting, shoot it and he too found that the accuracy was off at short ranges. Baretta’s reps were of no help when they told me that it is a “point and shoot gun” and refused to tell me what the sighting specs were on the gun. They said if I sent it in they would check it out, and if they found it to be defective they would fix it at no cost – which left me open to having to cover the shipping costs if they said there was nothing wrong with it. So with the disappointment in Baretta’s service and the Nano itself, I sold it and replaced it with a Sig 938 which in my opinion is a far better pocket gun in every respect.

    • Pocketgunner August 24, 2018, 4:41 am

      This is a Micro 9mm and it is a point and shoot gun. Just because you say the gun shot high does not mean anything is wrong with the gun. I have been shooting for 40 years. Any pistol, revolver will be a off upon first handling of the gun. So you have a friend that shoots competition and he is saying that the accuracy was off at short yardages. Sorry, but the fantastic handling of this gun, with such little recoil and muzzle flip makes it extremely easy for fast action shooting. One of the most accurate I have shot. Nails targets quickly from 7-20 yards. NO this is not a Target gun. I do not blame Beretta Customer service one minute for telling you that you may have to pay for service if nothing is wrong with the gun and you cannot shoot it accurately.
      You say, you bought a Sig 938? My gosh the recoil on that gun is very high, most especially when compared to the Nano.
      Look at the recoil rating on Genitron. It is up there and a whole discussion on one forum compared it to the Nano and all were
      surprised at how much less the Nano was compared to the Sig.
      I am glad you like you Sig and yes it is a fine gun. But not for reasons you submitted.

  • Dale December 23, 2013, 12:50 pm

    2 things I own a nano and like the gun, I have found that the sneaky pete holster is very comfortable with this gun,
    the extended mags. work well and give you about an additional inch to grip the gun with.
    the only problem I have had is with the critical defense ammo. they will not work in the gun it appears that they are a fraction longer than reg. hollow points or fmj’s

  • craig November 10, 2013, 8:29 am

    @ Harold,

    Get in a lot of gunfights do ya? Go play with your army men dude!

  • rt66paul September 16, 2013, 7:56 pm

    Will this ever be able to be sold in Calif?

  • vinny September 16, 2013, 1:06 pm

    how do conpair the beretta micro smith and Wesson body gard your input would apriciated

    • Debo September 16, 2013, 2:19 pm

      Between just those two, go with the S&W-Body-Guard 100%!!

  • Craig Ramsey September 16, 2013, 12:41 pm

    No more Beretta handguns for me. (They are the Chrysler of modern firearms.)

    My son’s Beretta Neos has “broken” 3 times. Lost the extractor, spring and plunger within the first 50 rounds. After returning for warranty repair is lasted about 100 rounds before doing the same. After it was repaired by Gander Mt’s gun smith it did it again. It has lasted 2 years since I repaired it. He now carries 2 sets of extractor, spring and plunger in pistol bag but he is afraid to shoot it any more.

    Just bought a Seecamp for CC… plastic guns make me vomit.

    • Debo September 16, 2013, 2:31 pm

      I agree 100%!! Also they picture the gun all apart and say, “No-Tools-Required” for disassembly!! But if you read the review, it clearly states that you need a paperclip, and a screwdriver or coin or some other “TOOL” to take it apart with!!

  • Fedagt September 16, 2013, 11:41 am

    Nice, accurate,impartial review. Have one and have put 2 boxes through it both ball and hollow points. Feeds both together in same mag with no FTF. For those with the grip issue buy an 8 round mag and use a cargo pocket or a belt holster. The factory has a mag kit available now (15 SEP 2013) for about 20$. Ditto on the Seecamp 32, beautiful weapon but unless you dot the i’s (read that eyes) you wont stop the SOB.

  • petru sova September 16, 2013, 10:05 am

    Generally speaking gun companies do not test new firearms thoroughly, history bears this out over and over again. They test the gun on the public and this results in endless recalls sometimes for several years. That’s why I never buy a new model handgun unless its bin out a good two years.

    Small double action only autos are good only for extremely short range. Beyond a few feet the average person cannot hit anything with them and there is no guarantee in a gun fight someone may be shooting back at you from as far as 25 yards away. This makes this type of gun absolutely useless. Older model guns as small as the .25 automatic size that were single action were quite accurate enough for people to hit man sized targets as far as 25 yards away, and ditto for the .32’s and .380’s. The Colt model m or Browning 1910 are just a few that were superior fighting hand guns.

    I once bought a very high quality all steel double action only .32 Seecamp (no junk modern plastic) but I had no confidence in being able to hit anything with it beyond a few feet. My Browning single action .25 auto will hit targets with ease out to 25 yards and it too has no junk plastic parts in it. Ditto for my Colt Model M and Browning 1910. They were built to last and enabled even an average shot to easily hit what you were shooting at.

  • Mobius September 16, 2013, 10:04 am

    Always good to have new choices for concealed carry but it’s hard for me to accept the tag of “deep concealment” for any gun that weighs over a pound when empty. To me, “deep concealment” is by definition a pocket pistol so guns like the Ruger LCP still rule that category.

  • Guy smalley September 16, 2013, 9:42 am

    I like it, but i still use my trusty beretta jetfire as my back up

  • brenboy September 16, 2013, 9:31 am

    Since you were doing a review as a gun critic you would get an inspected and tested firearm. Certainly that was a catastrophic failure of the pistol. Don’t think I could trust a replacement part without an obvious redesign or upgrade in part material. Hope it works for you when you are not at the range.

  • Norm Phillips September 16, 2013, 6:48 am

    I have had my Nano for about a year, and practice with it regularly. I have the 8-round extended magazines, which makes it fit my hand better. I have the Crimson Trace laser installed and accuracy is quite good.

  • Lex Sr. September 13, 2013, 7:58 pm

    That was a very well written review. My wife is 4’8″ tall and weighs 100 pounds. She really likes her Nano so I bought one for myself. I was carrying a Ruger SP 101 357 mag. The Nano is easier to conceal and carries more rounds. Not as powerful but the extra rounds are nice. I have two extended magazines so it’s 8 + 1. I really like this little pistol. No problem at all getting ammo.

    • Karl September 16, 2013, 5:05 am

      I looked at one and it appeared to a well made weapon. I compared it to the Sig 938 and the Smith both I ended up with a lesser known, but Higher quality weapon in my opinion, a Kahr MK9 same basic size as the Beretta and same mag capacities but it has a much better trigger and I like a nice warm steel gun in my hands. Thanks Karl

  • dxcircuits May 16, 2013, 9:39 am

    It looks allot like a Glock Gen4 with another name on it, down-to the recoil pin and spring set. That’s not a bad thing. Less parts to wear out, much less weight with the polymer receivers. Beautiful hardware.

  • Matt G. May 10, 2013, 8:32 pm

    I’ve been carrying the Nano in Beretta’s IWB holster for roughly a year now. I’ve also put close to 1500 rounds down range. I am definitely a happy owner and can highly recommend it. One additional thing to note is that Beretta advises using 124 grain or higher ammo. It appears that the Nano can experience extraction issues with 115 grain ammo, especially when it’s new. I followed their advise for the first 500 rounds and from there I fed it 115 without any issues whatsoever, and continue to do so.

  • ken May 10, 2013, 6:51 pm

    We must be talking about the same gun. I had the gun
    Returned three times after multiple FTE. They final gave.
    Me a refund. No a safe gun for carry

  • Mary Wilbur May 9, 2013, 2:44 am

    Would you recommend this pistol for a female first-time gun owner? I will be using it for home defense and training. It sounds perfect in every way for me except the weight. I am small-boned and don’t weigh much. I’m a little worried that a heavy gun would cause me to lose critical time in defending myself, but the size and simplicity of the Baretta Nano makes it very appealing.

    • Duane A. Daiker May 10, 2013, 9:37 am

      Mary — the Nano is really a deep concealment gun. For home defense and training, I would generally recommend something larger–like the size of a Glock 19. However, you should really consult with someone local to you who is knowledgeable on this subject and can go with you to look at guns and see what fits you. You shouldn’t be to afraid of a little bit of weight. Having some weight makes a gun much more pleasant to shoot. Good luck to you in finding your first gun, and congratulations!

    • Debo September 16, 2013, 2:09 pm

      You would be way better off looking at a “New” LC9 or M&P-Shield. Too many people have had problems with Beretta guns Breaking, and Misfiring/Jamming, to be anything but a target gun for a range… I would not “Trust-It” with my life or my family’s life ever… I also don’t care for Beretta’s Customer service either… (I have a very expensive Shotgun that they don’t care about, once they got your money!!) I’m also looking for a pocket pistol and still doing my research, But the “Nano” has been eliminated from the running along with the Kel-tec. I carry my .40cal H&K P2000 and love it, but it’s a little big for summer here. I need a real “Pocket” gun so I can carry “All” the time. Don’t worry about a few “Ounces” as yes a lighter gun is easier to carry, a heaver gun is generally more easy to shoot… (Less recoil and faster second shots closer together…) All out-weighing the benefit of just being lighter…(Pun-intended) LOL!! So, your best advice I can give you is, call around to your gun shops to find a “Rental” store with a range that you can try them. Then make a list of guns to try and go to each place to try the guns on the list… Then you can see which one is the most “accurate” and comfortable… We have a ton of places here in LasVegas that rent guns if you can’t find them where you are… :o))

      • Debo March 20, 2015, 1:52 pm

        After calling around to the gun ranges in the Las Vegas area “None” have a good selection of “Pocket-Pistols”!! They mostly carry 1911 type guns for some reason… I don’t know “ANYONE” that carry’s a 1911 in their “Pocket”…. We need to get the Gun makers to either bring there guns around and let us try them, ( Like All the Golf makers do with clubs… ) Or get with other makers and pick one place and donate some so we have one place to go to try all the top 9mm and 380 “Pocket-Pistols”… Now these Braindead people are making it so we can’t sell our guns if we buy one and it doesn’t fit us… So we are going to have to **TRY THEM “BEFORE” WE BUY THEM** So things are going to have to change so we can…. I know I’m still looking to buy 3 “Pocket” Pistols, but can’t find anywhere to try them… We should have a “SHOOT-SHOW” a couple times a year here where “We-the Public” can “Shoot” all the new guns… They would sell Thousands more guns!!

  • Ben May 8, 2013, 2:35 am

    Nice review. I bought my Nano about a year ago, and I’ve been quite pleased with it. I’ve probably got 300 rounds downrange with no problems. I was looking for a pocket pistol, and have always had good luck with Beretta. I trained with the M9 in the service, and never had any issues. When looking at my options for home defense as well as conceled carry, Berreta always had a nice balance between price point and function/utility. I admit, the grip is a little small, but I expected nothing less in a pocket pistol. I have larger than average hands (size 8 surgical glove) but I overcame this issue by wrapping the handle in black bicycle handlebar tape. It took a few rounds to get used to the trigger, but I’ve always had consistent groupings that inspire confidence for self defense applications. I have no doubt that in a crisis moment, the Beretta Nano would not let me down.

  • Nate May 7, 2013, 11:28 pm

    After selling and owning the Nano for about a year now, this review is spot-on. They are now packaging the gun with two magazines – one flush-fit for 6 rounds, and another extended for 7 rounds and a longer grip. This I feel addresses every hand out there for fit, and I’ve put them against Sig P238/938 and the Nano usually comes out on top – fit being big but also price point.

    Thanks for a well thought out review and additional personal testimony to the Nano’s place in the conceal-carry world. I’ll be printing this article to hand to potential clients as a second opinion if you don’t mind!

    • Duane A. Daiker May 8, 2013, 8:38 am

      Thanks, Nate — glad to provide some independent confirmation! I didn’t know the Nano was now being shipped with 2 magazines. Mine pre-dated that change. Thanks for the update.

    • Duane A. Daiker May 8, 2013, 8:39 am

      I meant to say — two *different sized* magazines.

  • njcountyofficer May 7, 2013, 8:58 pm

    Had the nano for about a year now, great little pistol. Beretta makes 8 round mags for it now (if you can get one from them, never in stock) and also a mag extension kit to convert the 6 round mag to 8 rounds (they have it listed on their site but I have NEVER seen it in stock or have been notified of their availability by their notice system since they listed them). You can see these items for sale on Beretta’s site but they’re never in stock.

    The 8 round mag and the mag extension kit do extend the length of the grip so it’s a bit longer. If you need a little extra on the grip, the Kahr PM9 pinky grip extension fits on the Nano mags. I have them in all my 6 round round mags.

    • Norm Phillips September 16, 2013, 6:45 am

      Mag extensions are in stock now! Just bought two.

  • Ed Escobedo May 7, 2013, 7:42 pm

    I bought an XD sub compact 9mm four weeks ago for about the same price of the Nano. Problem is I can’t find ammo. In the last 6 weeks I have been able to find 3 boxes of American Eagle, Mag tech and Monarch for about $39 a box. The NRA wants to protect our rights to own firearms, but what about advocating for the little guy and pushing the manufacturers of ammo and firearms to stop gouging us on high prices and providing us with what we need. Some of the sporting good stores are doing the same thing to u as well. A box of Remington golden bullets
    ( 525) was being sold for $200. Greedy bastards!

  • harold May 7, 2013, 3:56 pm

    listen, amigo whanna know when a gun is a great gun when youre in a gunfight and you come out clean and your gun does not let you down, that is why Berretta are my best friend.

  • Sal May 7, 2013, 3:31 pm

    I’d buy one if I could find ammo. Currently, throwing it at someone would be its only effect.

    • Monica May 8, 2013, 10:11 pm

      Try an ammo search engine, like gunbot.net .
      There are at least 3 ammo specific search engines out there, Google for the other names.
      The search engines look at a large number of ammo sellers’ websites, they tell you how much, so you can compare, and best of all they tell you if it is currently in stock at the retailer.

  • Gator Gambit May 7, 2013, 1:56 pm

    I had purchased the Taurus version of the Springfield XDS. It was very concealable and fight my hands nicely. I’m retired military and could not get use to the striker-fire system. Basically, I’m a 1911 or 92FS guy. I really hated the required double-action first pull. I expect a chambered round to be ready to fire with the trigger breaking like glass not grass (if that makes sense). If I’m putting ordinance down-range I only expect to fire on one target one time. I continually train to remain proficient. Just couldn’t get past the double-action first pull.

    • sheepdog January 30, 2014, 8:18 am

      Hey, Gator:
      If you’re a 1911 guy try the Sig P238. With the proper ammo the .380 is a formidable weapon with plenty of heft and very concealable. If I’m wearing pants, I’m wearing the Sig.

  • Jon K May 7, 2013, 1:33 pm

    I purchased my Nano last year and have spent some time at the range with it. I like the way it handles the recoil, but I have some serious concern about the lack of safety other than the trigger pull, especially for concealed carry in the pants pocket. I purchased the Beretta Sidewinder holster for carry, but too late, I realized that the Laser Max I attached to it, meant that this no longer fit into my Sidewinder. I purchased a RugerLC9 for my wife and it came with a safety that is easy to work and doesn’t snag in the pants pocket. It came already fitted with the LaserMax sight, so I purchased the Ruger holster for it, which fits my Beretta Nano as well.

    • Duane A. Daiker May 7, 2013, 11:22 pm

      Jon, thanks for you comments. I don’t think there is any problem with carrying a DAO gun like the Nano in the pocket so long as you use a proper pocket holster that covers the trigger. It’s really no different than carrying a j-frame revolver in the pocket.

  • Old guy May 7, 2013, 12:31 pm

    I think you did a wonderful job with this gun review. I bought one a few months ago to replace my Sig P250 subcompact. I do really love the gun and it is smaller than the Sig for concealment. I have never been sorry I dumped the Sig for the Beretta. I still have a Sig P250 in 45 for home protection and I don’t think much of the PX4 storm with it’s rotating barrel. (sounds goofy to me) Anyway you covered all the points and did a great job. Thank you

  • Roger S May 7, 2013, 11:11 am

    The nano appears to have some nice features, but I’ll still take my all steel Star Firestar M43 wirh external hammer over any polyproprulawhatis, if all else fails it will still hurt more when I throw it at them.

  • Dennis McCarty May 7, 2013, 10:45 am

    I’ve been carrying the Nano since December & it’s been the first pistol I’ve been able to do so every day. Finally I can say that my firearm is on me no matter where I am. I’ve put over 500 rounds through it and only a few FTEs in the first 100. All good since then. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait for .40 version!

  • Senor Nobody May 7, 2013, 9:18 am

    I really thought that I was going to buy this gun, until I handled it. Having larger hands, this gun is just way too small for me to get a nice, comfortable grip on it. I’m guessing if you’re smaller (or perhaps a lady), this may be an ideal feature for you. I personally chose to go the route of the larger caliber and slightly larger framed Springfield XDS, with the 7-round extended mag for daily carry (to replace my KelTec PF-9) and haven’t looked back since.

    • Joe m January 3, 2015, 1:10 pm

      I also have very large hands and Adams grip extension works perfectly.

  • Ira Aten May 7, 2013, 8:52 am

    I enjoyed reading this review, having recently purchased this model for a back up. I have not had range time on it, as I have been working night shifts and haven’t shot this one but did do some dry fire with snap caps. To me, the trigger pull seems light compared to most DA only pistols, and with the large and very visible sights, I fully expect it to be, as the writer says, an accurate gun. It just seems to be built with all the features you’d want in a concealed carry or light back up pistol, especially when you consider all the other weight you have to carry throughout the night. Thanks for the review, as it taught me some aspects of the gun I was unaware of.
    Sincerely,
    Ira

  • Tom May 7, 2013, 7:01 am

    Me too.

    • Virgil Yonts May 7, 2013, 10:18 pm

      what is the price?

      • Mark September 16, 2013, 4:38 am

        Read the article. It tells you at the bottom. Duh…

        • Bill Ingram December 6, 2015, 12:28 pm

          Duh yourself duphas.
          BOTTOM of WHAT?
          Bottom of article says NOTHING about price
          Bottom of page (same thing)

      • Barry Wise December 8, 2013, 7:57 am

        I paid $360 for mine at Kenny Woods gun show.

    • Bob August 13, 2015, 2:59 pm

      I have the Beretta Nano, like the gun, but here is my take on the Trigger Pull, Beretta doesn’t publish the Factory Trigger Pull, I believe that it’s somewhere around 8.5-9lbs, I shoot allot and the Trigger pull is way to heavy, so far the only Trigger pull kit that I can find is from Galloway, and that only reduces the pull by 1,5 Lbs, I would like to reduce the pull to 5 Lbs if anyone knows a supplier I would appreciate the info. Otherwise the gun is a good Concealed carry Gun, a bit heavy for a small Frame.

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