Beretta Nano Subcompact Single Stack Pistol

Gunning for some of Glock’s subcompact market share:

My thoughts on the features:

Striker deactivation button?  Ahahahah if I knew someone that had that on their pistol, I’d deactivate it if they had it laying around and then tell them about it later just to teach them a lesson.  I know pulling the trigger to disassemble a firearm feels kind of counter intuitive initially.  But it’s not really a safety issue if you are ABSOLUTELY sure the gun is empty.  Having this extra “feature” on the Nano to me could be more dangerous as someone could disassemble a loaded gun, then reassemble it not remembering that it was loaded, and not bothering to check.  Maybe there is some safety in place that won’t let disassembly take place with a round in the chamber though?

Set screw holding in the sights?  Meh.. not a bad idea I suppose.  Can’t say I have the urge to switch out my sights often enough to feel that feature is a godsend.

Ambidextrous magazine catch and slide lock? Its been done before obviously, but I like the idea of left handed shooters being able to shoot and manipulate a firearm with as much ease as right handed shooters.

Modular chassis system?  (Frame isn’t the serialized part)  This is badass… i like this a lot!  More manufacturers should do this.

The tech specs say the width is 0.90″.  When compared to the 1.18″ width of the Glock 26 you realize that the single stack magazine gets you a significantly slimmer gun.  The length of the Nano is listed at 5.63″, compared to the 6.29″ height of the Glock 26.   They are both listed as having a height of 4.17″.   For the size differences alone, I am looking forward to handling and shooting this pistol.

Call me a diehard Glock guy, but I still think all these polymer guns are still just trying to imitate Glock’s style and function.  That said, i’m sure Beretta will sell a bunch of these for concealed carry purposes, to those that want a single stack 9mm without sacrificing grip height.

The pistol is currently listed on the Beretta website with a price of $475.  Beretta’s comments on the youtube video suggest it will be released in October.

Anyone have any thoughts?  Got some money put aside to buy one?

24 COMMENTS

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norm September 14, 2011 at 01:00 am

the Modular chassis system seems to be a pretty close copy of the SIG 250 system, just not as simple.

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Dom September 14, 2011 at 06:07 pm

p22 also

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Vhyrus September 14, 2011 at 01:43 am

wow… a slim frame subcompact… how original….

seriously beretta, little late to the party broheims.

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Vhyrus September 14, 2011 at 12:32 pm

I would also like to say that it is NOT OK to leave a slide release lever off of a gun and attempt to market that as ‘ambidextrous operation’. Thats even worse than Taurus marketing hammer fired weapons as ‘second strike capable’.

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Mikael September 14, 2011 at 01:52 am

“all these polymer guns are still just trying to imitate Glock’s style and function.” <—- this

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Linoge September 14, 2011 at 05:43 am

If Glock made a single-stack 9mm, you all would be right.

As it is, Beretta is just horning in on Walther’s, KelTec’s, Kahr’s, Ruger’s, and all the rest of those folks’ market shares. But not Glock’s. Because Glock does not want to make a single-stack 9 for some reason… (Though the Glock 36 is apparently a single-stack .45 – has anyone ever actually seen one in the wild?)

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Critter September 14, 2011 at 07:14 am

The market for tiny, but potent, carry guns is far from saturated, so Beretta is just cashing in. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I owned a Glock 36 a few years ago. Nice gun.

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overkill556x45 September 14, 2011 at 07:35 am

I have seen a G36 and almost bought it, but I’m in the market for a pocket gun, so I had to let it go. The 36 was slightly smaller than my Para LTC, but not small enough for comfortable summer carry. I really don’t like the idea of a .380 as my EDC, but it sure would be handy to have a pocket gun again. I very stupidly traded my S&W 442 no lock.

I’m glad Beretta made it to the party, albeit fashionably late.

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BorntoVenture September 14, 2011 at 09:56 am

Nothing original except the striker de-activator and that seems useless to me. As Mike put it pulling the trigger to take-down the weapon has become so normal that it seems pointless to me to move away from the procedure. Responsible gun owners shouldn’t have any issues dry firing their weapons to disassemble them because they have the mental aptitude to make sure the weapon isn’t loaded when disassembling it.

Also for deep concealment those sights are not snag-proof by my standards.

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Frank September 14, 2011 at 10:13 am

Anyone have any thoughts? Got some money put aside to buy one?

First, I prefer full-sized pistols. I don’t like compacts or sub-compacts, they just feel awkward in my hand or end up being too small. I like pistols that at least make it to the outside edge of my hand. Would I buy this? No. I would rather buy a Sig or more HKs, because I’m extremely biased with pistols.

If I absolutely had to choose a pocket sized pistol, it would be an 642 airweight.

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Dave September 14, 2011 at 10:24 am

Statistically speaking, someday somebody will get in a life or death situation and realize their striker is de-activated. Terrible feature. It is almost as poorly thought out as the slide mounted safety on their 92 series that allows the shooter to place his weapon on safe when he manipulates the slide.

Beretta has very well engineered, very poorly designed firearms. Pass.

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Chuck Burns September 14, 2011 at 12:27 pm

That is an excellent point about the striker deactivation button. Seems absolutely useless and adds an additional mechanism that can possibly fail. So simple just to pull the trigger like almost every other striker fired semi-auto pistol.

The trigger looks like it has an interlock or safety on it that looks Glock like. Anyone have more info about that?

I’m very interested and will look at with the aim of buying.

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Matt G. September 14, 2011 at 09:15 pm

I don’t know anythig about the berretta but the striker deactivator on the m&ps is located in the mag area of the grip. The sear cannot be deactivated with a magxine in the gun since it would be in the way of the lever and inserting a magazine into the gun pushes the deactivation lever back into it’s off position so it is pretty much impossible to deactivate a loaded m&p unless you are doing it on purpose. You would have to unload the chamber, remove the magazine, activate the lever then place a round into the chamber by hand and then let the slide close on it. In fact, I don’t have my gun on me but I think the takedown lever can’t be re-engaged unless the slide is pulled back all the way so you couldn’t not know the gun was loaded. And it’s nit possible to accidentaly leave the seat deactivated because inserting a new msg resets it. I don’t mind the thing at all

That being said, I hardly ever use it, I just pull the trigger.

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ENDO-Mike September 14, 2011 at 09:18 pm

Interesting, Thanks Matt! I imagine Beretta thought it all the way through too. I still wish that “feature” wasn’t there though.

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That one guy September 14, 2011 at 11:35 pm

It’s still no boberg.

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Vhyrus September 15, 2011 at 12:41 am

You’re right… This one will actually get MADE

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That one guy September 15, 2011 at 01:51 am

… FUUUUUUUUUUU

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Ed September 15, 2011 at 01:46 am

I’m down for the .40 version, but I’d need to handle one.

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Bat Masterson September 15, 2011 at 03:08 am

I would hate to have to sell Beretta pistols.

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Crunkleross September 15, 2011 at 01:05 pm

Well I guess after you blast someone with it you can get in their face and go NANER NANER.

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Sean September 28, 2011 at 08:08 pm

Get the Glock 26!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Chuck Burns September 28, 2011 at 09:05 pm

I Own the Glock 26. No doubt it is accurate, and unquestionably reliable. But it is a little chunky, the price to pay for 10 rounds of 9mm.

I also own the Kimber Solo, a beautiful gun, just the right size, but can’t trust it, not ready for prime time. If the Nano works a well as my Beretta PX4 Storm then I’m going to be in the market to buy the Beretta Nano.

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BADDFROGG October 23, 2011 at 08:28 pm

Beretta does it again. Excellence… I cant wait for it in .40 cal.. Plus, a compact version with inter-changeable backstraps. Build it and we will buy it.

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Joel February 6, 2014 at 10:12 am

I am looking for the dimensions (inside and outside) of any single stack magazine. Can anybody help?

Thanks

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