Nano range trip and surprises

[TriggerMan]

The Nano I picked up at my FFL on Friday night came with me to the range this afternoon. The serial number is NU00023xx

I prepped it by doing a cleaning and lubing. I did not remove the striker pin or spray the channel. I dry fired about 40 times, inspected the magazine internals, kept the Nano action locked open 48 hours and kept the mags fully loaded for 36 hours.

The mags had the springs properly oriented, they were clean and I merely sprayed in some dry lube and brielfy polished the followers, lips and internal tubes. There is some drag on the follower but it seems designed in and easily overcome by the spring tension. Tension is high and it's noticed when getting that sixth round in the mag.

I can say I was surprised in three areas:

1. The trigger was a non-issue for me. I had expected it to be real poor based on the first dozen dry fires. My first surprise. It still needs work but is serviceable for CC immediately, should I choose to carry it soon.

2. I was quite accurate with it, and for the size gun and past experience with PM9 and LC9, that's another surprise. It was a combination of long & hard triggers with recoil using just two fingers that had me concerned. Totally wrong, it was an easy shooter. It shot softer than my PM9 and LC9 despite the fact I always used a grip extension on the older guns. There is no pinkie extension yet for the Nano.

3. Gold Dot +p 124 gr wasn't a problem with recoil. Barely noticeable

More to follow re FTEs once my Bowl Game ends......

The pics are before cleaning and right as I came home.
__________________

[340pd]

Nice prep job. I hope you like the gun. Report back.

[jocko]

sure looks alot of kahr on the underside of that nano slide..


nice report, just shoot it like u stole it..

[TriggerMan]

I tried some S&B std. pressure 115 grain first.

I loaded the mag with one round, shot, then loaded three rounds, and shot, then 6 rounds. Repeat. After that, I loaded just 5 rounds each time to save my finger and thumb. I did this with both magazines.

I used a standard human silhouette as a target at 15 feet (so I could see the results easily and focus on testing rather than scores).

Round #3, Mag 1 was a FTE (Failure to Extract). All the rest were fine in either mag. Score 49/50

Shot two rounds in each mag of Speer Gold Dot 124 gr +P. No problems anbd decided to save the good stuff for after 250-300 rounds.

Next, I tried some Lawman FMJ in 147 grain, standard pressure.

Loading 5 rounds per mag, I got a FTE on round #2, mag 2
Again with round 13, mag 2
Also round 15, mag 2

I didn't finish the box, stopping after 15 rounds of 147 gr.

So fare, we have 4 FTEs in the first 65 rounds. Not really a surprise so early in the break-in period.

Next up, American Eagle 115 gr FMJ std. pressure

FTEs on rounds 25 mag1, 42 mag 2, 45 mag 2, and mag2 50

My next trip I will shoot only S&B 115 gr standard pressure. I want to see if mag 2 has an issue. It's also the brand I have the largest supply of now.

Bottom line 8 of 115 rounds FTE. 6 of 8 of those in mag #2

My overall impression is that the gun is a keeper. For whatever reason, I shoot it better than the competition (PM9, LC9).

I enjoyed my short trial and I really enjoyed the bowl game.

Michigan State beats Georgia in OT!:):):):):)

[TriggerMan]

I was shooting next to a Wayne County Sheriff. He is issued a Sig for duty and was shooting his own sig in .45. With my Nano we had about the same accuracy. When I got my Dan Wesson CBOB out, no contest. I shoot one ragged hole at 18 feet.

It was an interesting contrast between my heaviest trigger, the Nano, and my lightest. The CBOB surprises me at least once or twice per box. I may be the only CBOB owner who wants at least a 4.5# pull. It's at 3.25 now.

I'd be OK with that at the range if it were my only gun..but it isn't.

Hope you and yours enjoyed the Holidays. Best of everything in the new year.

[ripley16]

8 out of 115 is not the news I was expecting to hear. Any idea as to why the ejection problems?

[TriggerMan]

8 out of 115 is not the news I was expecting to hear. Any idea as to why the ejection problems?Based on owner feedback, Beretta is looking into it. For once in my life, I have decided to be very patient. 115 rounds is insufficient to make a judgement.

It may turn out that the extractor needs a redesign or spring change. Or it may be the recoil spring strength needs to be reduced slightly. It seems there are more issues with WWB and Federal Champion, Walmart variety. It might even be the magazines.

There are lots of guys lining up behind each theory. No one knows for sure. The Beretta Rep is leaning toward low powered ammo.

If I get lucky at the Casino, I'll buy 250 rounds of Gold Dots and see what happens.

[TriggerMan]

Weights are with EMPTY mag installed:

Beretta BU-9 Nano 20.0 oz.
HK P7 PSP 30.9 oz.
GSG 1911-22 33.8 oz.
M&P 9 28.2 oz.
Sig RCS 1911 28.8 oz.

[jocko]

probably no more tighter gun than the kahrs recoil springs extremelystrong, I don't buy WWB as being low powered ammo, be it wal mart, gander mt, dicks or what ever. If a gun won't fire wwb then IMO that gun has issues yet to be solved. It is always easy to blame the ammo, if ur a gun maker and if that be the case like Rohrbagu or the Kimber solo they do tel lthe owners that low powered ammo and not defense stuff might give issues. Rohrbaugh even gives the brands that they recommend, Not saying I would like that either but at least one goes into the buy knowing what the in's and outs are of certain brands of ammo. I just don't buy any idea of it being ammo related. That is also not a Beretta thing either. I still lean towards GB6491 theory that it could be in the extractor area, as many others have so stated. I don't think to many here would be pleased with 8 out of 115 rounds either, might still need break in but as we have said on this forum give it 200 rounds and yet many come back with the statement that a gun should be good to go out of the box. Maybe some propper preepping of ur new nano would be advisable also.

[TriggerMan]

probably no more tighter gun than the kahrs recoil springs extremelystrong, .............Maybe some propper preepping of ur new nano would be advisable also.
In actual use, I'd judge the Nano to be harder than the LC9 to rack, but lots easier than a PM9. When I had a PM9 with under 200 rounds, I could barely rack it or slingshot it. It took 400 rounds before it was possible. The Nano is much, much easier.

I'm all ears about what "proper prepping" I might do that I haven't already. I will say that sitting in my living room racking 500 times is my idea of a nightmare. Didn't do it with my Kahr or several other small guns I bought this year. Never a problem. The Nano is comfortable to shoot and I prefer to break it in by firing it.

I didn't mention it, but a Kahr slide looks better finished and machined than a Nano's. At the end of the day, its function I care about, not looks.

Also, just now measured the trigger weight @ 8.1 #

[kerby9mm]

Your Nano sure looks like a Kahr. I put the Pierce mag extensions on my Mks and it they made a huge difference in my grip control while shooting. It seems when we the consumer purchase a new model gun we do the final testing for the makers. Myself being a strong advocate of Kahr pistols because of their size and quality I couldn't get rid of a Pm9 to get a Nano but that is my opinion.

[TriggerMan]

Shoot another 120 rounds, 7 FTEs Shot S&B 115s and some Lawman 124 gr.

[Thunder71]

At the end of the day, its function I care about, not looks.

That's what I love about my Kahr's, best of both worlds.

Sorry, but at the end of the day - this is still a Kahr forum after all. :p

I do appreciate the feedback coming in on the Nano (and other firearms), so thank you for keeping the thread up-to-date with honesty. It would be easy to report back with 'great gun, a couple issues but I'm happy with it', but this type of feedback is skewed, as opposed to your very thorough reports.

[TriggerMan]

That's what I love about my Kahr's, best of both worlds.

Sorry, but at the end of the day - this is still a Kahr forum after all. :p

I do appreciate the feedback coming in on the Nano (and other firearms), so thank you for keeping the thread up-to-date with honesty. It would be easy to report back with 'great gun, a couple issues but I'm happy with it', but this type of feedback is skewed, as opposed to your very thorough reports.My best of both worlds is a HK P7 that weighs 19 oz. loaded and still shoots just like the one I own at 30 oz.

[Russ]

Triggerman
I replied to your Beretta Forum post.

Don't mess around with the contracted Beretta gunsmith. Insist that your Nano is sent to corporate the first time.

I was instructed by Beretta to ship my Nano to Bolsa Gunsmith in California.

I read a post from a Nano owner that still had his FTE issues after returning from Balsa and according to his post they adjusted his extracter and polished his chamber.

I have followed a lot of posts and Greg's I feel is the most promising. He was able to modify his extractor to make it stiffer. He claims he had been able to shoot with no FTE.

I forwarded his post to every contracted Beretta gunsmith.

Good Luck
Russ

[Thunder71]

Looks like the Nano has magazine issues as well, at least I've seen posts on modifying the followers - sounds very familiar. Kind of surprising seeing as how I've read about the magazines being a strong point of the Nano vs Kahr.

Self moderated the rest.

[Russ]

Looks like the Nano has magazine issues as well, at least I've seen posts on modifying the followers - sounds very familiar. Kind of surprising seeing as how I've read about the magazines being a strong point of the Nano vs Kahr.

But, but, but... it dry fired 1000 rounds flawlessly in the video! :rolleyes:

But I was the wrong one... yeah, that still stings.

Keep selling your Kahr's to buy Nano's, it makes more available for me.

Thunder

I think there is a lot of speculating going on .

I personally have never had a FTF . When I owned my Lake CM9 all my issues where feed issues and I attribute feed issues with the plastic follower. The failure to extract from my Nano I would think would less likely be a magazine issue . Not an expert but most every spent brass coming out of my Nano is ruffed up where the extractor takes hold the shell. Comparing the spent brass with other 9mm find I could feel a difference along the groove of the spent shell.

Russ

[Thunder71]

Guess my edit came in too late, you're a quick one. :)

[TriggerMan]

Looks like the Nano has magazine issues as well, at least I've seen posts on modifying the followers - sounds very familiar. Kind of surprising seeing as how I've read about the magazines being a strong point of the Nano vs Kahr.

Self moderated the rest.A handful of owners have bent the metal followers so they would fall thru the mag tube just from gravity. Nothing to show this was necessary or that it solved any FTE issue. There is plenty of spring pressure to move the follower the full length of the mag tube.

[Ressom]

I believe these issues are just growing pains that, though not desired, are to be expected on a newly designed pistol. How Beretta chooses to handle these issues, time will tell. I think Beretta has uncharacteristically got off on the wrong foot by blaming ammo.

[TriggerMan]

I believe these issues are just growing pains that, though not desired, are to be expected on a newly designed pistol. How Beretta chooses to handle these issues, time will tell. I think Beretta has uncharacteristically got off on the wrong foot by blaming ammo.
I tend to agree with you. It is unfair to compare a gun out for just 8 weeks to the PM9 out 8 years.

I'll shoot again Friday or Monday, unless its a perfect outing, my Nano goes for a ride on the brown truck and airplane.

I pickup a Sig P238 SAS tomorrow. Its a replacement for a perfect one that developed a striped grip screw thread. This gun was a soft shooter, highly accurate and reliable. The only gun I ever pocket carried.