Micro-compact, 9mm handguns are one of the hottest concealed carry items lately. I recently took the Beretta BU-9 Nano to the range and put it to the test. This wasn’t the first time I’ve shot the Nano. Back in June of 2012, at the Girls Gun Getaway, I had the opportunity to try Beretta’s first striker-fired pistol.
The Girls Gun Getaway group. Photo courtesy of Julie Golob
The Nano impressed me — both times on the firing line. When I picked up the small and thin single stack handgun, I noticed the lack of a slide release. Upon firing the final round, the slide will automatically lock back. In order to close the slide, you need to drop the empty mag. The Nano’s recoil spring isn’t stiff (like some other compact handguns’ springs can be) and it’s easy to manipulate, even for shooters with small hands.
Using Winchester 115 grain FMJ target ammunition, I shot off of a benchrest at 7 yards. My first 6 shots fell in the 10 ring. It’s fairly easy to get the sights back on target, with limited movement. Even during a rapid-fire session, shooting head shots at 10 yards, all of my shots hit the target where intended. I had no malfunctions when testing out the Nano. It is reliable and accurate. The trigger pull breaks cleanly, and resets nicely. It’s not too long of a pull, like some other micro-compact, 9mm handguns.
Marti shoots off the benchrest at 7 yards. Photo courtesy of Barbara Baird
Disassembly, assembly and cleaning
The Nano can be disassembled in 7 easy steps:
After cleaning the Nano, the reassembly is just as easy when following the steps in the instruction manual.
The Beretta Nano is easily customized. Photo courtesy of Barbara Baird
Specs of the Nano
Made in the U.S.A.
Action: single/double
Barrel length: 3 inches
Magazine capacity: 6+1 or 8+1 (with extended magazine)
Overall height: 4.17 inches
Overall length: 5.63 inches
Overall width: 0.9 inch
Unloaded weight: 19.8 ounce
MSRP: $445
The Nano is made of a corrosion-impervious, fiberglass-reinforced techno-polymer grip frame. It offers a natural “grippy” feel while in hand. Beretta stamps the serial number on the internal chassis;, therefore, the rest of the Nano can be swapped or customized to fit any shooter’s needs.
The Nano comes with 3 white-dot sights that can be easily adjusted with a 1.3mm hex wrench.
It also features a readily reversed magazine-release button to accommodate right- or left-handed shooters. The Nano’s rounded edges and snag free design means that it will not catch when drawing or holstering the gun.
Reliable shot placement from the Nano! Photo courtesy of Barbara Baird
Accessorize
There are some accessories available from Beretta that I feel are worth mentioning. I am a fan of Trijicon night sights, especially for personal protection firearms. The Beretta Nano Trijicon night sights kit retails for $105.
I also prefer the extended magazine. It adds 2 extra shots, and gives a shooter a place to put his or her pinky finger. It helps the shooter to get a little better grip, too. The extended magazine for Beretta Nano retails for $38.
Beretta offers various holsters, one of which is the inside the waistband (IWB) hybrid model. The Beretta Nano IWB holster retails for $64.
There are numerous holsters available for the Nano, I recommend looking at some of the sites below to one that will fit your needs:
Beretta Nano with LaserMax CenterFire laser. Photo courtesy of LaserMax
If you’re looking for a laser sight for the Nano, check out LaserMax’s CenterFire laser. It mounts directly to the frame without changing out parts or altering the gun, and can be installed by a user. LaserMax CenterFire laser for the Beretta Nano retails for $129.
I tested the pink version of the Beretta Nano. This wouldn’t normally be my choice of color for a firearm, but, I know it will appeal to some of the ladies out there. Grip frame colors come in black, pink, dark earth and green. The grip frames for Beretta Nano retail at $39 each.
The Beretta Nano base model handgun retails for $445. Visit Beretta USA for more details.
Marti shoots the Nano in a Beretta sweatah. Photo courtesy of Barbara Baird
What to wear when shooting a Nano? A Beretta sweatah, of course!
I tested the Beretta Nano on a beautiful crisp, cold fall day. I recently had purchased the Beretta Techno WindGuard sweater from HerCamoShop.com. I wore the WindGuard sweater while testing the Nano, and it kept me nice and warm. I will put this sweater to use regularly when I’m out shooting. I’m also looking forward to wearing it during hunting season, especially during freezing cold days while deer hunting in Illinois.
Marti Davis Afield is sponsored by HERCAMOSHOP.com
Marti Davis is a staff member for Browning Trail Cameras, WoolX and Mossy Oak. She is an authority on most types of hunting in North America, and very active in mentoring the next generation of young hunters. View all posts by Marti Davis
Thanks, Susan, for pointing out the problem with the review. We’ve corrected it, and Marti checked her notes. Thank you for reading The WON!
Susan-
Thank you for pointing this out. I apologize for the error. I went back to my notes and yes, in order to move te slide forward on an empty mag, you must drop the mag first. Thanks for reading and commenting. Marti
The Nanos that I have shot will NOT allow the user to close the slide with an empty magazine inserted in the gun. The empty mag has to be removed to close the slide on the Nano when the gun is empty. It closes easily when the mag has rounds in it for me. Am I missing something? Thanks for you review on the gun, it is a great carry pistol for sure!