The Beretta Nano is an excellent small 9mm for concealed carry. Some Nano owners, me included, have experienced reliability issues with FTE when using less than premium quality ammunition. Today I learned from a YouTube video that the Beretta Nano was designed to use 124 grain and heavier ammo. In a video by You Tuber coldgripva, mention is made of an email from Beretta Customer Support reminding us that there is some break-in time required and that we need to keep in mind that the pistol was designed for loads heavier than 115 grain and further recommends the use of 124 grain ammo. Well, this is news to me and I’m sure every other Beretta Nano owner.
I like my Beretta Nano. After shooting over 3200 rounds I find the Nano to be comfortable to shoot, reliable, and accurate. I feel it is a great little pistol.
Something that irritates me though, is that Beretta does not mention bullet weight at all in the Nano user manual. Also, when I returned my Nano for evaluation for the 13 failures to eject (FTE) that occurred out of 2500 rounds, there was no mention made about using 124 grain ammunition. Berettas Customer Support report just mentioned that they polished the feed ramp and chamber, and tested with four different brands of ammunition. Beretta Customer Support never mentioned the fact that I had already polished the feed ramp and chamber before I returned the gun for evaluation.
If the Nano was indeed designed to use 124 grain and heavier ammunition, then why not inform us about that? Strange, it seems to me this 124 grain revelation came about after the fact, and after the FTE issue started to show up when new owners shooting their Nanos using whatever ammo they had laying around.
Be that as it may, I like my Nano! My Beretta Nano has become one of my favorite guns to shoot.
Recommended Ammo for the Beretta Nano:
This I know is used at Beretta
- Gold Dot 124GR JHP
- Federal Hydra-Shok 124GR JHP
- Black Hills 115GR JHP
- Black Hills 147GR JHP
- Federal Classic Hi-Shok 115GR JHP
- American Eagle 124GR FMJ
- Remington Golden Saber 124GR +P JHP
My Nano has well over 4000 rounds through it and I have stopped keeping track. For practice I shoot whatever I have on hand which includes 115 grain. It shoots pretty much anything I feed it just fine. For the cheaper low quality ammo for practice I wouldn’t worry about an occasional problem. But my premium carry ammo must cycle with zero malfunctions. For reloads I am using 124 gr bullets with 5 grains of Power Pistol. This seems to work OK in all my 9mm pistols. I don’t use my reloads for carry ammo. For self defense carry ammo I like Federal HST but there are several other excellent self defense brands.
Hi Chuck
Have to agree. Your piece is the first mention of the Namo’s need for heavier bullets. Mine normally runs fine with better grade bands of 115. With my reloads, no so much.
Oddly, I should have known this. I bought the Kimber Solo (AKA “POS”) at the time the company has about 15 brands or weights that supposedly would work. Now it’s only top of the line stuff.
Thanks for the information. I’ll pull out some 124 and 147 and see how it does.