Beretta NANO Question .....

Can't offer any first hand experience, but I am a Beretta fanboy and have this gun on my radar. Curious to see what the owners say. I hope to pick one up someday

Too big to be a pocket pistol, not big enough to be a good range toy. Hideously ugly, but reasonably accurate for it's size and quite reliable.

I had one. I put 200 rounds through it without any problems. I didn't care for the long double action trigger. It is also top heavy. I sold it and got an M&P Shield. Love it.

I was eyeballing it on the web...........sold my CM9.......and need to know how the NANO trigger is. I think I just got my answer.

I bought one recently to replace a Kahr PM9, with which I could not hit the broadside of a barn. The trigger is long and weighty; however, they can be cleaned up a bit. I can carry in a pocket holster, but it is a bit bulkier than some--I think the shield, with its external slide release is actually wider, but only at the point of the slide release. The main positive is that the thing is amazingly accurate for a tiny gun. Then again, so was my keltec 380. The other advantage is that it is cheap for a gun of this fit and finish. The internet pricing is down to $305, nearly $100 less than a shield.

Esoxchaser said:

Too big to be a pocket pistol, not big enough to be a good range toy. Hideously ugly, but reasonably accurate for it's size and quite reliable.

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Isn't it roughly the same size as a J Frame, which has been a pocket gun for decades

TennJed said:

Isn't it roughly the same size as a J Frame, which has been a pocket gun for decades

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Not sure about size, but weight for me was just a little too much for pocket carry. It was accurate and very reliable. However, I wanted something lighter for pocket so I sold the Nano and bought a Kahr P380.

I think it is a fine gun, but just didn't fit my needs.

I liked my first one so much I bought a second spare.

Pretty much reliable and accurate.
At times I pocket carry the Ruger LC9, so I can carry the Nano to with no more trouble.

About the only complaint I have with it is the excessively long trigger pull.
A gun like this needs a long pull but Beretta over did it.

I pocket carry my nano 5 days a week, weekends I iwb carry a larger firearm. My nano has been super reliable and has a better trigger than my kahr cm9 that is no longer with me. My nano is a keeper for sure. It shoots amazingly well for such a small firearm.

I will dissent for the opinions here… I had a nano that gave me all sorts of trouble out of the box. It would fail to extract a round, and the next round would jam against the still chambered spent casing. Since it has an internal slide release, I would have a heck of a time unjamming the gun. Sent it back to Beretta to be fixed. They replaced the extractor and polished the feed ramp. Put 50 trouble free rounds through it, then I turned around and sold it and bought a M&P Shield. Love the trigger on the Shield.

I like the look of the Nano. It is a really cool looking gun, and a cool concept. I like the idea of an internal slide stop/release. I like the pistol is snag-less. But, I can't stand reliability issues in a carry gun.

Bought the shield did not like it at all especially being a lefty, all controls are for right handed person. I was always worried I would put that stupid little safety on accidently, Murphy's Law. I also had some failures to extract with my shield. Bought a Nano, much better and I like the trigger to boot. My gun is super accurate and really haven't had any problems at all and the gun loves 115 gold dots, so that's what I carry. The gun is clean and free of any lawyer levers or safeties and being a lefty it's the only way to go. Good gun enjoy.

Here is my review:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=713864
I still have it, have put maybe another 50 rounds thru it. currently loaded with my XTP handload.

I was looking for something to replace my G26, as I wanted something a bit slimmer. I narrowed my search down to the shield (too big height wise so pocket carry was out and I didn't feel it gave me any advantage over my G26).

so it was between the Nano and the Kahr CM9. For me I preferred the ergonomics of the Kahr better. It just fit my hand better. The triggers were comparable between the two. I also read several posts stating that the Nano could be finicky with 115gr ammo as it was reportedly designed for the 124gr cartridge. This bothered me as all my range ammo is 115gr.

So I went with the Kahr and have been very happy with it.

Again let me say I am a Beretta fan and hope to have a nano one day. But I do want to say anyone in the market for one should also consider a Sig P290. I love mine

Can the NANO trigger be lighted up by a competent gunsmith?

I also read several posts stating that the Nano could be finicky with 115gr ammo as it was reportedly designed for the 124gr cartridge. This bothered me as all my range ammo is 115gr.

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I did have some issues early on with 115gr. not wanting to cycle properly. I went to 124 and it worked well.

Can the NANO trigger be lighted up by a competent gunsmith?

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Certainly. It can be smoothed up by many owners with a little polishing. If you can make your own springs, the trigger spring could also be replaced, which would probably dramatically lighten the trigger. See youtube for some how to videos for polishing.

I have owned my Nano since Beretta released them for sale. If you shoot quality ammo the gun will work perfectly, but at the range with WWB it will experience issues. To be fair though, Beretta acknowledges that the gun was designed to shoot premium quality personal self defense ammo. The trigger takes some getting use to, as it is long and heavy, but once you master it no problem. The gun is very accurate and night sights can be installed with only an Allan wrench. I pocket carry with a DeSantis Nemisis holster without difficulty or use the Beretta injection molded belt holster. Overall a very good gun and one of my favorites.

I love the Nano! To me the trigger is perfect for the kind of gun it is. Before you have anyone monkey with the trigger I'd advise you to put a couple thousand rounds through her. Mine has probably 2k rounds or so with zero failures. The Nano is pretty accurate; at the range with my Nano I easily outshoot my buddy and his Sig 1911. My particular sample runs with everything I've tried from 90gr Pow'r'Ball to 147gr Federal HST.

For CCW the Nano is terrific. I carry mine in a Garrett Silent Thunder IWB. With the flush fitting mag carried 6+1 I can hide it very easily with just a regular T-shirt as cover. It's almost as concealable with the 8 round mag, depending on your build and clothing choices. The Nano is about as thin and any 9mm I can think of of with the flush fit mag about the shortest 9mm I know of.

One really neat thing about the Nano is that you can install the Trijicon night sights yourself in about 3 minutes, they even provide the Allen wrench you need. Mine have never moved a bit even after being carried daily for maybe 6 months. You can Lok-Tite them if you're worried.

Another cool thing IMO is the lack of a safety or slide lock lever. This makes the gun totally melted/slick; nothing to snag on the draw or catch/print on your clothes. I 'get' that some people bitch about the lack of a slide lock/release but I've never missed it a bit. Perhaps there's some kind of malfunction drill that would be easier to clear if it had one (maybe a 2x feed) but so far I've never had a malfunction. Maybe in the next 2,000 rounds?

Maybe it's just a fluke but the Nano fits my hand very well. Even with the flush mag I find it really easy to get a good firing grip. The extended mag is even better. While the trigger is a bit long and heavy mine exhibits no stacking and breaks very cleanly (again, 2k rounds and 1k dry fires). I find the trigger to be superior to the Glock triggers I've used. In my hands at least it's a really great shooter!

To be honest, I prefer to carry a full sized service-type gun. But when discretion is paramount I wear the Nano. There's no gun of similar size out there that I'd trade for my Nano.

Phaedrus/69 said:

To me the trigger is perfect for the kind of gun it is.

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Have you shot:
Kahr PM9/CM9?
S&W Shield?
S&W Bodyguard 380? (worst modern gun I have owned, even for 10 days)
Springfield XDs?
Sig P238/938?


The reported trigger weight is 7-8 lbs - does it "feel" heavier or lighter, or is it just long and nasty like the Kahr? Trying to get a subjective => objective feel for this gun.

Yes I need to try one out!!!

OilyPablo said:

Have you shot:
Kahr PM9/CM9?
S&W Shield?
S&W Bodyguard 380? (worst modern gun I have owned, even for 10 days)
Springfield XDs?
Sig P238/938?


The reported trigger weight is 7-8 lbs - does it "feel" heavier or lighter, or is it just long and nasty like the Kahr? Trying to get a subjective => objective feel for this gun.

Yes I need to try one out!!!

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I owned a Nano and now own the Shield. The Shield IMO has a much nicer trigger than the Nano. The Nano has fairly long pull - smooth but long - not a bad thing if you are to pocket carry.

This is just my experience but I am much more accurate at 7 yards with the Shield than I was with the Nano.

Phaedrus said:

Another cool thing IMO is the lack of a safety or slide lock lever. This makes the gun totally melted/slick; nothing to snag on the draw or catch/print on your clothes. I 'get' that some people bitch about the lack of a slide lock/release...

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I suppose a slide lock lever might snag on the draw if a one habitually wears spandex, but in my entire decades-long Military/LEO/Civilian/career carrying concealed (often DEEPLY concealed) I NEVER had a slide release impede my draw from concealment! Not a 1911/Commander, SIG P220/225/226/228/229/239/290RS, S&W3913/469 or Glock22/23/27. Exposed hammer spurs were a different story, but that's a whole different issue.

Ironically, Beretta chose to remove this control from their NANO, and then had a rash of extraction issues, which persist to this day. Consequent to this design decision, one simply does not have the option of locking back the slide to deal with this very malfunction. Additionally, The NANO's awkward and flimsy magazine floorplate design not only compounds the problem by impeding forced magazine extraction, but also inhibits their falling free during normal reloading. This unnecessary inverted "T" profile also limits options for carrying these magazines concealed yet easily accessible.

It's interesting that Beretta's even smaller, long trumpeted (and, as yet STILL unavailable) "PICO" has a...(DRUM ROLL)...(WAIT FOR IT!)...(CYMBAL CRASH)... SLIDE RELEASE!!! (Seems even Beretta is correcting the mistake they refuse to admit!)

After much frustration:banghead:, wasted money and ammunition, with a Kahr PM9, SIG P290 and the NANO (all returned twice to their respective makers), I finally acquired a SIG P290RS that refuses to malfunction after a thousand rounds of various ammo. That, my J-frame S&W's and a Seecamp LWS380 should suffice on those extremely rare times when even a Glock27 is a bit too bulky.

Fortunately, I amost never have to resort to carrying less than a Glock 27. I carried a G27 for years as an off-duty and backup piece before retiring from one of the three-letter Federal agencies (no, NOT the TSA!).

If there's one thing I've learned over all these years, it's that you cannot afford blind brand loyalty to your survival equipment. So, if I've offended any fanboys, too bad! (Save your blind loyalty for for your favorite sports team, -- or boy band!)

I really like it. When I first got it, the rear sight came off and it had a lot of failures. It especially did not like the economic range ammo from Winchester.

Now normally, I would have sold it or traded but I shot it so well, for such a small pistol, I worked with it. I used locktite on the rear site and I ran like a 1000 rounds of high performance ammo through it to thoroughly break it in and confirm it is now reliable. Appears to be 100% reliable with name brand HP ammo now and at 7 yards I get nice little groups.

I will add another to the list. A Walther PPS. I looked at as many small 9mm pistols as I could and finally settled on the PPS. I have only shoot a 100 or so rounds through it, but it has been flawless so far. It will take a little getting used to as the mag release is part of the trigger guard, but considering it's intended use, I have no problem with the location.