Tell me about the Beretta Nano.

[kymasabe]

I should NOT be prowling around gunbroker at 2am. My daughter has a Nano, and seems to like it. I was awake, bored, was checking Nano prices, made a ridiculously low offer on one (never expecting it to be accepted) and...seller said yes, so I had to pay, and now have a gun on it's way that I know very little about (other than my kid loves hers).
So...what do I need to know about them. Any problems with them? Any necessary upgrades? Beretta have good customer service if needed?

[Siggy-06]

Good, solid single stack 9mm, very low profile, night sights available, replaceable frames in different colors available. Beretta customer service is good.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Literally spent more than 6 months searching for the perfect fit Micro 9mm that would make my Personal favorite EDC in that caliber. I had owed the LC9 since they first came out, and the then the LC9S. During that that time, I read as much as possible, checked out reviews etc. I then began shooting every Micro 9mm I could get my hands on. Shot just about every thing. And some might fine Micro's out there.
When I found the Nano, it was like the Gun God's rewarded me for the perfect gun. (I am talking for myself. what is perfect for me is not necessarily the gun for you.)

For one thing, I was looking for a great double action. I love the Nano's. Smooth as silk, and now at 6lbs of pull wt. My club friends have some at around 5 1/2.

-One of the smallest in class. A OAL of only 5.6. Much smaller than it looks in Pics.

-Serious robust build. Made to last a lifetime. Stainless Steel barrel, receiver, chassis.

-The most mild mannered Micro 9 I have shot. I mean this sucker makes me feel like I am shooting 380 ammo. Handles Plus P better than many handle standard ammo.

Stainless steel receiver and chassis.

Sleek design- made for fast action. No bulky take down levers, safeties etc.

Modular design. Easy to change out small parts and easy to change grips or add new grips.

MILD, I mean MILD shooting without any noticeable muzzle flip. I can understand why your daughter love it. Most women do at my club. Many have switched over.

Few parts, like the Glock is has about 38 the Nano has about 43. Again solid as a rock.

Cons-sights are small and not much after market sights. I have the Ameriglo, the Trijicon, and the Dawson fiber optics, and the Big Dot. Have pics of all if interested. That said, a bonus is the fact that it is easy to change out sights on the Nano. No gun Smith needed.

Here are a few pics I did when I compared my Ruger LC9S to the Nano.

Nano on right.
https://i.imgur.com/QGnA4dG.jpg?5

https://i.imgur.com/Nf5qMd4.jpg?4

Nano on right, LC9s on left with Tru glo night sights which I wish I could get for the Nano. Sadly not available.

https://i.imgur.com/3opqKjW.jpg?2 https://i.imgur.com/bGjCvCX.jpg?6

Nano is the larger
https://i.imgur.com/fkI1g4p.jpg?2

Check out the thickness of the barrels.

https://i.imgur.com/Vn7vqBZ.jpg?1

Beretta does not to the massive advertising like most manufacturers. The Pico, the Nano and the PX4 for instance are all under rated. Diamonds in the rough.

[Road_Clam]

Love my Nano, i'm a very thin guy and I need something concealable without being too small to deploy and handle. The Nano is a great compromise of size. The Nano is heavy respectively to others in its size class, however as always heavy absorbs recoil and the Nano is a smooth shooter. My only issue early on at the beginning of my ownership is the fact I was experiencing frequent stovepipe jams. The problem is that my Nano (and others ) is that they don't cycle well with standard 115 gr ammo. My Nano much more prefers 124 gr ammo. After about 400 rounds of 124 gr my Nano is flawless shooter . I added the Talon black rubber grip for a more secure grip.

https://talongungrips.com/grips/beretta/nano.html

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Love my Nano, i'm a very thin guy and I need something concealable without being too small to deploy and handle. The Nano is a great compromise of size. The Nano is heavy respectively to others in its size class, however as always heavy absorbs recoil and the Nano is a smooth shooter. My only issue early on at the beginning of my ownership is the fact I was experiencing frequent stovepipe jams. The problem is that my Nano (and others ) is that they don't cycle well with standard 115 gr ammo. My Nano much more prefers 124 gr ammo. After about 400 rounds of 124 gr my Nano is flawless shooter . I added the Talon black rubber grip for a more secure grip.

https://talongungrips.com/grips/beretta/nano.html
From what I have learned, the Nano when it first came out did have some issues with the 115 gr. ammo. Of course that was about 7 years ago. I bought mine in 2018. I took the gun out and ran 2500 rounds of ever kind of ammo through it with no problems. I then set a goal to run 2500 rounds more through it by the end of summer. The gun ran like a top. I recently ran 700 rounds of the Remington 115 gr. bucket ammo with perfection.

The only issue I have had, was the recoil Guide rod was split. I noticed it when I was cleaning. I now use the Gallaway guide rod and spring in 14,16, and 18 Lbs.

You might call Beretta, I do not know when you purchased it, but the gun should take 115 gr. Maybe they did something with the extractor years ago. But give them a call. Good luck and fun shooting.

https://i.imgur.com/yuSEWJP.jpg?2

[JERRYS.]

the failure to extract spent brass as well as the "don't use 115gr. ammo" are the only two reasons (not counting money) that I haven't bought a Nano.

[kymasabe]

Regarding price: I found mine, brand new on Gunbroker, for under $200.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

the failure to extract spent brass as well as the "don't use 115gr. ammo" are the only two reasons (not counting money) that I haven't bought a Nano.
Never had that problem in over 5,000 rounds. Have a few range buddies in my club that have more rounds fired through theirs than mine and no problems.

kymasabe. If you found a Nano for $200, then you got a great deal for sure. Are you talking used? The closest I have seen is around $300.00 and a good deal at that price. A lot of gun for that price.
Congrats!

[JERRYS.]

Regarding price: I found mine, brand new on Gunbroker, for under $200.
brand new?! that's incredible.

[kymasabe]

brand new?! that's incredible.
Yes, brand new. Seller/shop had two, was asking $199 each. I offered $175. New, unfired, in the box.

[unclejack37]

Had mine for 5 or 6 years now. I carry it as much as I can. Its nice, small, compact, accurate and if you want to sell it to get your money back let me know. I customized mine with a different color body, added the magazine addition as shone above for the baby finger catch, and added black Talon grips. Take it out and shoot it, I think you'll like it.

[kymasabe]

...if you want to sell it to get your money back let me know.
Message sent...check your inbox.

[dgludwig]

the failure to extract spent brass as well as the "don't use 115gr. ammo" are the only two reasons (not counting money) that I haven't bought a Nano.

Same here. Love the little Ruger-no malfs with any of the different kinds of ammunition I've fed it. Complete reliability is the most important asset for any firearm intended for use in self-defense, imo. So far, the Ruger qualifies.

[kmrcstintn]

over the years I've previously owned 3 different ones at different times; first one ran well with everything, including bulk 115's; second one was fussy for first 100-150 rds then finally fed everything; third one was ammo fussy...no bulk 115's (except foreign ammo meeting CIP standards (told once they are @ 5% hotter than domeztic 115gr bulk fmj's); all 3 handled varioud types of hollowpoints; last week I got another one used with 1 6 rd mag for $235; added 2 extra 6 rd mags for $10 each (store had a break in & mags were left in cases away from stolen guns; added another 6 rd mag (new in package) for $32; ran it with 150 rds of 124gr blazer brass & 25 rds of hornady critical defense; had 2 failures in the beginning (failures to extract) & nothing else after that;

[wild cat mccane]

The Nano is now the APX Carry (ie the new single stack APX).

If that isn't completely true in the Beretta catalog, it will be.

[Cirdan]

Guess I'll be the negative one. Had a Nano for about a year. High hopes initially. Seemed like a perfect carry gun.

What I learned from the Nano is I'm a pretty good shot without the sights. Largely because they kept falling off all of the time. Replaced the stock with night sights, and they kept falling off. Finally gave in and used some loctite. Don't really think that should be necessary. I have never owned another gun with sights that kept falling off.

I dumped the Nano for an LC9, and now switched to a Glock 43.

[Prof Young]

I had a Nano many years ago. The sights fell off the first time to the range and I had lots of FTF. It went to the Beretta people for repair and I sold it off when I got it back.

Life is good.
Prof Young

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Boy a lot of rounds since this first post. In about two weeks mine will be going over the 10,000 rd mark. It has become my favorite for sure. The most reliable gun I have owned. Did a comparison of the New Model the APX Carry, but their was not enough difference to entice me to get one over the Nano. In fact liked the Nano better. Could be that I am just use to it.
I just recently bought a New Nano for my son that will be home in Nov. from Army Medic Training. Then a few weeks ago bought another one for myself. Since the Carry came out, there are some great deals on the Nano. For instance I only Paid $235.00 for the Sniper grey below. Heck of a deal for a gun of this quality. ($375.00 at Buds)

I have all the different sights, the Trijicon, Dawson (both sizes,) Bid Dot etc. Easy to change out the sights. Never had one fall off. Just use lock tight, no big deal. I actually like the stock sights the best and painted with florescent paint. It is just a hex screw and made easy to take off. Beretta did a great job on this design. Same type as the Pico.
I also use Gallaway Recoil Guide rod assemblies in 14,16,18, lbs. Mostly the stock 16 lb. The trigger has worn in to be ultra smooth. If you like a DAO this gun will be hard to beat. Needless to say, I am a big fan and the gun has proven to be totally reliable.
I have put 100 rds through my son's gun and about 300 rds through my new one. No failures with mixed ammo. I will continue to use my original as a range gun and the new one will only be used for carry once it is completely broken in and tested with different ammo. The triggers on these are gritty when brand new and then become very smooth.

https://i.imgur.com/dmM2Ilx.jpg?3
If you buy the carry, you can interchange the slide and grips. I have a lot of detailed pics of the difference. Mostly the Grip and the new Big Serrations on the slide. Also the Carry now has a slide Lock. I prefer it without. Basically the same gun.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

dgludwig comment on 115 gr. ammo not feeding. "Same here. Love the little Ruger-no malfs with any of the different kinds of ammunition I've fed it. Complete reliability is the most important asset for any firearm intended for use in self-defense, imo. So far, the Ruger qualifies."


Mine has not and one single problem with 115 gr ammo. In fact I buy the Remington bucket all the time. In fact Massad Ayoob did a review on the Nano, visited Beretta and it seems like it was more of a internet issue. The amount of returns was ridiculously low. A retrack on the internet found it was mostly with WWB and inconsistent pressures.
It could have been limp wristing issues or low powered range ammo. The Beretta springs are strong and if using light loads, easy to buy a Gallaway 14 lb spring over the standard 16lb. I have three different Nano's next to me as I sit and none of them have a problem with 115 gr. ammo.
In fact, I had read the internet gossip when I first purchased and thought for sure, it would be a issue. To the point of using 115gr ammo from the very first shot. No problems at all.

[OhioGuy]

I've only shot a Nano, never owned or carried one. I thought it seemed like a pretty competent little pistol. One YouTube reviewer likened it to a "semi-auto snub-nose revolver," meaning it's small, the sights aren't much, but it has a smooth DA trigger and is extremely easy to conceal. Carrying a gun that small involves compromises, and at this size it's really in belly-gun territory (and yes, I know that with diligent practice and training, people can ring steel from 2 miles away with snubbies, but for mere mortals these are close-range defensive weapons). Viewed that way, the Nano (and very comparably sized Kahr CM9, also a very nice gun) are kind of like a J-frame revolver, only chambered in a slightly more powerful cartridge, and packing 7 rounds instead of 5. Oh, and way the heck easier to reload under stress.

I have a Beretta Pico .380 and it's extremely well made, amazingly solid little gun with a fantastic DA trigger. The biggest problem is that it's so dang small it's very hard to shoot, but I'm improving. I've wondered whether I shouldn't get a Nano (or the now re-branded "APX Carry") so I have something that's still very small, but perhaps a bit easier to hold on to! My usual EDC is a Walther PPS M2, hardly a large piece, but it still dwarfs the micro 9's like Nano and CM9.

[GarandTd]

For those with experience with both, what do you prefer and why: the Nano or the APX Carry?

[Carl the Floor Walker]

I have the Nano, and have shot the Carry.

The Nano has the rounded trigger guard-the new carry has the squared like the Glock.
The grip is different. The Nano has the finger rest on the grip and has more space.
The New Carry has the large Serrations on front and back.
Grip has a more pronounced beavertail.

Basically they are the same gun but there are differences in the parts. Very subtle and I assume for the difference in the slide lock.

Some shooter say they feel as if the New model shoots with a little less recoil. I did not notice this. But the Nano is one of the most mild shooting Micro 9's made, so not sure that matters.

The New Carry has a slide lock

https://i.imgur.com/HVtka9k.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TjVaGg9.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/8Zk7Uh6.jpg?1

**Note the Nano and the Carry can interchange grips and magazines. Some like the Carry receiver with the Nano Grip and vice versa.

**There are good deals now with the Nano since the Carry is out. Choosing between the two is going to be a individual call. Again, I actually prefer the Nano but that could be because I have a lot of round through one and just use to it. I might get the Carry down the road. But have two Nano's now and am happy. If Beretta sells the Carry Grips since it is a modular system, I will probably just by a grip to try out. Nano grips cost about $40.00.

Notice how you can mix and match

https://i.imgur.com/o0bsqzG.jpg

Parts: courtesy Beretta1546

[GarandTd]

Aesthetically, I prefer the Nano, but I suppose I need to handle them both to make a better informed decision. I have considered the Nano before and haven't abandoned the idea. I am interested in replacing my carry 380 with a 9mm. I don't have any reservations about the 380 caliber, but I want a slightly larger, slightly easier to shoot(well) pistol and I figure I might as well move up to 9mm.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Take your time. Many nice Micro 9mm's out there. One shoe does not fit everybody. I also love the Kahr CM9. Find what is right for you. Handle as many as you can and if possible shoot the one's you narrow down. All my Carry guns, are DAO. I am use to shooting them. Some that do not shoot them often, prefer a striker fired gun. A lot of choices.

Good luck with your search. Make if fun along the way. Don't be in a rush.

[O4L]

I would definitely be willing to try a new Nano at under $200.

Since the G43, and P365 grips are a little too small for my hands, is there any chance the Nano's size would work for me?

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Unfortunately you got rid of a fine firearm, when you could have used a little bit of Locktight. Beretta designed the Pistol for easy removal of sights rather than have to take to a gun smith. Very, simple easy solution.
Here are a few sights on the Nano.

Bid Dot.

https://i.imgur.com/90NshIL.jpg?2

Dawson Fiber optic

https://i.imgur.com/W7xa1Ub.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/qzI76WQ.jpg?3



https://i.imgur.com/e6wQKmA.jpg?1

[wild cat mccane]

You'll probably find the Walther PPS an overall better gun in all regards.

No. The Nano hasn't a perfect track record (sights, 115gr).

Meh.

P365 eats it's lunch in all regards too.

If you wanted cheap single stack the PPS, then shield, then CM9, then the EC9s, then Nano.

[Carl the Floor Walker]

Lol, What a bunch of nonsense with no facts, typical internet. How about you doing a complete review of the Walther or 365. I did. And please feel free to compare and actually prove your internet assertions.

Looking forward to your reviews. And Please let us see some pics. And please do not do a review of any guns you never have even shot or owned. :eek:

The OP asked for folks to tell them about the Nano. Not internet gossip.