The new Beretta Pico was announced today at the 2013 National Rifle Association’s Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Houston, TX.  The new gun is intended for the concealed carry market and comes to the table already looking like a mature platform with multiple options, frame colors and accessories ready to go.
The Pico is being called “ultra-concealable” by the company, and at the widest point, the Beretta Pico is only 18mm.  For those of us stuck still using the king’s system of measurements, that works out to be less than 0.71″ wide.  That is pretty darn thin.
Additionally, the pistol has many of the edges rounded to prevent snagging on garments when drawing from concealed locations.  Additionally, the slide release is flush with the frame, meaning it does not protrude beyond the width of the frame.
One of the distinguishing characteristics of the new handgun is its ability to change between 380 ACP and 32 ACP with a quick barrel swap.  In less than a minute, the shooter can move between calibers with a single gun.
In both calibers, the barrel only tilts 1.4° during the firing sequence.  According to Beretta, this increases reliability of feeding.  Additionally, by having limited tilt, the company states this dramatically reduces felt recoil.  One Beretta spokesperson stated this gun was unlike other subcompact .380 pistols on the market, because the recoil was so low you would actually enjoy shooting this gun.
The new Pico has the ability to swap frames as the company’s other pistol, the Nano, does.  The frames are polymer.  Ready immediately for the new pistol are frames in black, purple, white, pink and flat dark earth.  The Pico is able to do this by using a chassis system like the Nano.
The chassis contains the fire control system and the serial number for the firearm.  This is the only part of the gun regulated by the ATF.  An end user can then buy as many frames or other bits and pieces as he or she likes and just build them around the single chassis.
The new Beretta Pico also has an integrated accessory module that allows the owner to have a red laser or white light attached to the pistol.  The laser and light module is manufactured by LaserMax.  These modules are integrated into upgraded frames.  The base model Pico will not have the frames, but upgraded models will have them.  Additionally, users can purchase the integral frames at a later time and complete the easy swap themselves.
The pistols will ship with two magazines:  one flush fitting and one with a finger extension (no additional capacity).  The Pico mags will hold six rounds for both the .380 ACP and .32 ACP calibers.  The gun has an ambidextrous magazine release.
The sights on the Beretta Pico are much larger than the sights on some other tiny pistols.  The rear sight is dovetailed, so it is drift adjustable.  Both sights are replaceable should the shooter want to upgrade to other sights.  Beretta announced that Trijicon is making tritium night sights for the guns now, and the sights are an option on the pistol at launch.
The slide and frame are stainless steel.  The slide has a stainless finish and the frame has a black INOX finish.  Beretta states a black INOX finish will be available for the slide as well, but those will probably not ship until 2014.
The Pico is hammer fired, not striker fired, and are double-action only (DAO).  The pistols ship with a zippered carrying case.
According to Beretta, DoubleTap Ammunition is currently working to develop a special 380 ACP load for the gun, though any normal ammo will run reliably in the pistols.  Additionally, the company announced that DeSantis and Gould & Goodrich already had holsters designed for the new Pico.
Listed on the Beretta site are two holsters for the Pico.  One is an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster with a black leather backing and an ABS plastic shell.  The holster has a steel clip to attach it to your belt.  Currently, only a right-hand model is listed.  Pricing is $39.
Also listed is a nylon pocket holster.  It is also right hand only (for now.) It is made from a soft nylon and has a wide band around the exterior, that presumably helps hold it in place while riding in the shooter’s pocket.  It is listed at $25.
The Beretta Pico pistols are made in the United States and are set to start shipping in August.  The guns carry a suggested retail price of $399 for the base models.  When the Pico goes on sale, we will see what kind of street price to expect.  Anything around $350 or less would seem to be a very reasonable price.
I’ll have to get this out to the range and shoot it before I would ever recommend it.  However, the Beretta Pico definitely looks interesting.  The integrated light and laser frames are a real plus for concealed carry guns, when hanging a light off of an accessory rail makes them much harder to conceal (and find holsters for.)
Neither .380 nor .32 are great rounds for self defense, but they are much preferred to a harsh word when defending oneself.  These pistols appear to be extremely compact, so they definitely can increase the likelihood that someone would carry it, and therefore have it on hand if they needed it.
The folks at the NRA were able to get a Beretta representative to go on camera and talk about the Pico:
Beretta Pico Dimensions
- Overall Length : 5.1 in/ 130 mm
- Barrel Length : 2.7 in/ 70 mm
- Overall Width : .725 in / 18 mm
- Grip Width : .725 in / 18 mm
- Overall Height : 4.0 in/ 100 mm
- Sight Radius : 3.3 in/ 84 mm
- WEIGHT: 11.5 oz. incl. empty magazine
2015 SHOT Show Update
Beretta will officially announce the availability of colored frames at the 2015 SHOT Show. The frame colors will include white, green, purple, pink and flat dark earth. The frames will carry a MSRP of $37.
An additional frame with a built-in LaserMax light will also be shown. This will carry a suggested retail price of $199.
37 replies on “Beretta Pico”
I was thinking about gettin one for my girlfriend. All the spec’s sound good. But was wondering if this would stop an intruder.. Im used to my Ruger Blackhawk 44 special & and my colt New agent 45.. I feel I should shoot one before I buy one. Does anyone out there have one yet? And can tell me how they like it.. My friend has the nano for his daughter.. $ 400;00 sounds like a very fair price for a Beretta. But the gun shops in my area dont have them yet just the Nano..
Hi Jack,
I hope someone who has bought one will chime in with their thoughts on the gun. I would suggest taking your girlfriend in to the store (when they get some in) to let her get a feel for the pistol. Believe it or not, she might want to get something a little larger that feels better in her hand. The Ruger LC380 is a bit bigger but keeps to a low power cartridge if she doesn’t like something with a lot of kick.
Best,
Richard
New generation 380 ammo is lethal by any measure. I carry a 9MM when i can, but my everyday carry is a pico and I assure you with the civil defense 50 grain (1500 fps) hollow point its game over for mr scumbag if he’s within 15 – 20 yards. My second mag is filled with hornady critical defense. Mr bad guy would be well served to find a softer target for their misdeeds
.380 ammo can definitely be lethal. It’s not my first choice, but it is clearly better than a harsh word.
Keep in mind the Civil Defense load is probably running a bit slower than that. According to my testing on the ammo ( here: https://www.gunsholstersandgear.com/ammunition/liberty-ammunition-review/#Liberty_380_ACP_Performance ), I would presume the ammo is running between 1300-1400 fps.
Thanks for taking the time to respond.
Best,
Richard
I picked one up 2 weeks ago. It is a TINY gun. It is rated for +P ammo. Over 2 visits to the range, I have put through 250 rounds. I had 2 FTE’s during the first 100 rounds. I had 1 FTE today during 150 rounds and it was during the first box of 50. The last 2 boxes were flawless. The 250 rounds were Monarch Ammo purchased from Academy. The trigger is long but the gun is easy to shoot. The recoil is similar to my Nano in that it moves back more than it flips up. At 10 yards, it is very accurate. I purchased this primarily for the ease of concealment due to it’s size. It is only .7 inches thick…that is crazy!
Have a PICO and it is broken in after 175 rounds of ball ammo. Clean and lube generanouly during break in period. Now eats up all ammo including my personal defense loads. Fiocchi XTP and Precision One XTP for personal defense. LCR vs PICO? LCR has no double strike capability and has a magazine safety! The loudest sound you will ever hear is a click when you expect a bang. In high stress situations, I don’t want to have a gun like the LCR that I might accidently drop the mag and can’t shoot the chamber round or if I have an ammo malfunction have to tap,rack, bang vs just repull the trigger. Training is key but you never know how you’ll react when needed…period. Training doesn’t mean going to the indoor range and shooting 100 rounds at a stationary paper targer at 10 yards for 1 hr in a modified weaver stance two handed. Practice malfuction clearing with dummy rounds and dry firing. Shoot offhand, one handed, holding a bag in other hand. This is where the controlability of the PICO excels!
Does anyone know where to get the 32 cal., kit for the Beretta Pico?