The Latest in Pocket Carry: Beretta’s .380 Pico—Media Day at the Range—SHOT Show 2014

Authors Paul Helinski Pistols SHOT Show 2014


SHOT 9

Beretta
https://www.berettausa.com/pico/

There’s a time and a place for small guns. The Beretta Pico is the latest in a long of defensive handguns from the venerable firearms family. The Pico’s lines are reminiscent of the Nano, only the Pico is small enough to drop in your pocket. And Beretta’s putting a fashionable twist on the diminutive .380: it will be available in a traditional two-tone or with a variety of colorful frames.

SHOT 10The Pico is going head-to-head with the GLOCK 42 this year, yet there’s no comparing the size. The Pico fits in the palm of your hand. In fact, we found that it is small enough that the heavy double-action trigger pull took some getting used to. That’s clearly an intentional safety feature, one common on other pocket .380s, and a solid reason why you should train regularly with the gun you intend to carry.

And the Pico is certainly easy to carry. It is a hammer-fired double-action, yet there’s nothing protruding from the rounded frames to catch on anything. And it has real sights. We shot the Pico at more than 21 feet today and had no difficulty connecting, even with the heavy trigger pull.

SHOT 5SHOT 4

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  • Al Cacace August 20, 2014, 11:14 am

    Just got this from Beretta this morning (August 20, 2014)… The last sentence is the meat of it.

    Thank you for contacting Beretta Customer Support.
    Beretta is committed to providing high quality, reliable and safe products to its customers at the best value.
    In designing a new product, particularly a firearm, once the design phase is completed, prototypes are built and then subjected to extremely rigorous validation testing. The validation process involves firing thousands of rounds through the prototype to confirm that all functionality, safety, reliability and performance criteria have been met.

    During the course of the validation testing, if an issue is identified, the testing ceases while the issue is resolved. Resolution of the issue often involves component redesign and fabrication followed by re-validating the product. This cycle will be repeated until all product criteria are met.

    As you may imagine, it is difficult to predict the number of times a product may require re-validation. However, you can rest assured that once the product reaches the hands of the customer, it will meet Beretta’s legendary reputation for quality, reliability and performance.

    Regarding the Pico, we cannot currently predict when validation will be completed, configuration finalized and production commencing.

    Best regards,
    Beretta Customer Support

    • pete August 30, 2014, 6:24 am

      Validating the design is a very significant process and can be very lengthy, especially when issues arise. That being said, it looks like the marketing people “pulled the trigger” too soon. I’ve been wanting to see and probably buy one for almost a year when I started looking to purchase a carry weapon.

      BTY, I got the pico naming, and there seems to be too much women bashing here. I’m looking for some real info.

  • Daniel April 30, 2014, 1:08 pm

    Has this product been released for sale yet? Haven’t seen one anywhere, but it seems like I’ve been hearing about for over a year now? After watching the review, all I can say is, Victoria Secret should sell these : ( maybe that’s why we don’t see the in gun shops? The rep didn’t even know how much it weighs . . . did they grab this person off the street or what? Personally, stick with the Ruger LCP or a Kahr P or CW 380, accurate, reliable and available.

    • Dave Higginbotham May 1, 2014, 9:08 am

      They will be released sometime soon. How soon? I’m not sure. It is past time for the launch. As of NRA 2014, Beretta had no ETA.

  • Gabe February 24, 2014, 3:44 pm

    Well, I think this pistol looks good. The version in all white is especially attractive and I have a feeling the ladies will be drawn to this pistol…especially if it shoots decent.

    It does look like it’s snappy, but most smaller pistols are.

  • cjkent February 15, 2014, 4:40 am

    I like it…will fix good in my motorcycle vest.

  • Vodoun da Vinci February 2, 2014, 8:42 am

    Same people who are bashing the Pico were bashing the Glock 42 as “not what we want” but it serves a huge market that is still growing. Bought a G42 for my Wife and she’s thrilled. The last gun on this years Bucket List is a Pico in (*Gasp!* Oh Horror of Horrors!) .32 ACP. And that’s for me as a back up for my Beretta Px4 subcompact.

    Take yer time Beretta. I’ll wait for the Pico and the .32 drop in option for as long as it takes.

  • Jonathan Silber January 31, 2014, 9:52 am

    Perfect for carry on a key chain, or a charm bracelet.

  • Dennis Schuman January 20, 2014, 2:37 pm

    As far as a release date… don’t hold your breath for accurate lead times..this gun has been reviewed so many times and hyped so much and its not even on the market yet. August was the supposed “release” date…but never saw one anywhere..even online. Every dealer I talked to said Beretta what? Even the master distributors said they couldn’t even back order one. Finally I asked on the Beretta Facebook page back in October and this is the response I got…
    “Regarding the Pico, we are currently validating the pistol. Because quality and reliability is the #1 priority, we don’t have a validation completion forecast, but we will announce it here on Facebook when we do.

    Best, Beretta Social Media Team”

    Now they show if off at ShotShow and on their Facebook page again…but still wont tell people when they can actually purchase one…

  • Mark Wynn January 14, 2014, 7:25 pm

    next … the Beretta Quark … comes with a big keychain so it won’t get lost in your purse … and to retrieve it after the first shot….

  • Mark Wynn January 14, 2014, 7:24 pm

    next … the Beretta Quark … comes with a big keychain so it won’t get lost in your purse … and to retrieve it after the first shot….

  • NO-YAK January 14, 2014, 6:13 pm

    Pardon my observation. Have seen TOO MANY LADIES on the range shooting 9mm & 380 ACP.
    I see TOO MUCH RECOIL and flinching thereafter. I am a long time proponent of the 32 Caliber.
    Yes, I can already hear, “Are you crazy” as well as other really negative comments. I still remain a proponent of the 32 Caliber for a variety of reasons. Beretta SHOULD produce a 32 Caliber for those MANY who could use it and would appreciate it. As the very old saying goes, “First rule in a shootout is to have a gun”. The 32 Caliber is a much better cartridge than many would admit or would bother to investigate.

    • Dwaine Dibbly January 14, 2014, 9:35 pm

      You’re in luck. The Beretta Pico web site says “go from a .380 to a .32ACP by changing the barrel”. It’s in the fine print.

    • Jimonthebeach January 16, 2014, 3:56 am

      I believe Kel-Tec sells a .32 cal pistol that’s about the size of their P3AT.

    • Patriot57 January 20, 2014, 2:17 pm

      I believe the first rule of a shootout is “Don’t get shot”.

    • Patriot57 January 20, 2014, 2:18 pm

      I believe the first rule of a shootout is “Don’t get shot”.

  • Chuck Roast January 14, 2014, 6:08 pm

    For God’s sake, the last thing we need to hear from pro-freedom advocates is criticism of women. I’d bet you the folks like Elmer Keith, John Amber, Bill Ruger, and Joyce Hornady would all be throwing a party to see the firearm industry growing stronger through the industry realizing how important women in shooting sports is to the future of the industry. I applaud the heck out of these women myself.

  • frankie 08 January 14, 2014, 5:57 pm

    I carry a .25 cal titan, have had now for 36 years, it still shoots good, this gun similar to the Pico is a great buy for several reasons regardless of what color it is. Concealment & weight are the major factors and as you get older you will find that weight counts for a great deal. Oh I would love to carry my .357 Mag but it weights a ton and after a few hours I have back pains. So a .25 or a .380 is a gift from heaven or who ever made it. Keep them coming. Please.

    Frank

  • Chris Brosnahan January 14, 2014, 4:10 pm

    ‘Pico’ is defined as one trillionth or as 10 to the minus 12 power…’Nano’ is defined as a billionth or 10 to the minus nine power (Source: Wikipedia, thus ‘pico’ is NOT a ‘stupid name’, rather in keeping with their marketing plan which began with the ‘Nano’ in 9mm…QED!!! If you live in Hot & Humid climes as I do (summertime in South Florida is both LONG and hot) a firearm such as this will make EDC simpler for those of us whose regular costume is cargo shorts and a light T-shirt.

    CB in FL

    • Jimonthebeach January 16, 2014, 3:59 am

      I live in Central Florida and have been known to drop an NAA .22magnum in my shorts when it was too hot and humid to carry anything larger. I figure in most instances it is better to have a small gun rather than no gun, but that’s just me.

  • Craig R January 14, 2014, 3:03 pm

    Will Beretta carry matching heels and belts for these new colors?

  • james davenport January 14, 2014, 2:47 pm

    Like most of the smarter firearm companies they are trying to market firearms for women.. I would not knock it one bit if you was smart.. Women are a huge market of potential owners and segment of the population to speak up for you’re rights to have firearms.. Go figure guys there are more women than men in population… As for Beretta’s new offering it has promise but myself would never own a polymer based firearm. I just never have liked the idea of it.. Many people like that stuff and thats fine just myself I never will..

  • Randy January 14, 2014, 2:26 pm

    It’s almost as if they make these guns as ugly as possible and go out of their way to think up a stupid name… Also could the bore axis be any higher ??

    • Joe January 14, 2014, 6:16 pm

      Pico is not a made up name. It means one trillionth, like milli means one thousandth. They are implying it’s small.

    • Jim January 14, 2014, 9:24 pm

      A pico is a smaller unit of measure than a nano, hence the name comparing it to its somewhat bigger sibling.

  • bob January 14, 2014, 2:22 pm

    is it single action also????????????

    • Lee January 14, 2014, 3:25 pm

      Read the article

    • Lee January 14, 2014, 3:27 pm

      Read the article bob

  • Gay Boy January 14, 2014, 2:12 pm

    Camelto?

    • John January 14, 2014, 5:28 pm

      Now that WOULD be interesting!

  • Phil Bradshaw January 14, 2014, 1:53 pm

    Did Beretta give any indication of WHEN they will release this for sale. I read about the Pico several months ago and have been waiting ever since. I won’t wait too much longer.

    • Administrator January 14, 2014, 3:15 pm

      spring

    • Mike January 16, 2014, 8:21 am

      The whole reason the Pico isn’t out is because beretta is having issues with the polymer splitting and fracturing. Not a performance issue (read:not a glocknade) But aesthetically not a good thing. Source: I speak Italian. Also, thenew recipe is still not perfect so I’d be cautious about puthing a pre-order in at my lgs.

      • Nathan February 12, 2014, 3:55 pm

        What’s your source for this info on the polymer issue?

    • E. Hunnicutt February 3, 2014, 10:29 am

      I’m not sure about all regions of the U.S., but there is an extreme shortage of any kind of .380 ammo in this part of the country. Firearms dealers are holding back on getting .380 firearms into inventory because of that shortage..

      Me and mine are shifting to .38-spec revolvers, becasue of that shortage..

      Maybe things will improve by springtime..

  • Roger January 14, 2014, 1:44 pm

    Oh boy, A Beretta pico! I can hardly wait for the Beretta femto! that will probably be a 22 caliber, huh?

    • Brett Baylor January 14, 2014, 3:22 pm

      Don’t complain about the ladies we need them. The more women using firearms the better off we all are.

      • HTD February 27, 2014, 1:05 pm

        Femto isn’t making fun of females, it’s a unit of measurement smaller than pico Nano>Pico>Femto, get it?

    • John January 14, 2014, 4:36 pm

      My AMT .380 is a dynamite pistol. It works well for situations where my larger/full size pistols are not appropriate.

  • T. Carnes January 14, 2014, 1:26 pm

    Beretta Pico segment sounded like a fashion show; Beretta representative was Terrible!

    • E. Hunnicutt February 3, 2014, 10:22 am

      Hey, now…. We need the ladies…!!! 2nd amendment rights belong to everyone.. A pink firearm can protect you and your children just as good as a black one…

      And not everyone is a slick snake-oil salesperson.. I like just plain people making pitches… especially unprepared pitches…

      Just think, if there’s a decorative pattern that interest your lady friend, you might get your S&W 686 back….

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