Birthplace of the Second Amendment 1765: The Beretta Pico: Possibly the thinnest concealed carry gun available

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Beretta Pico: Possibly the thinnest concealed carry gun available

By Richard L. Johnson - 5/6/2013

Beretta showed off the all new Pico pistol at the National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits last week in Houston. This new gun is a subcompact pistol that is clearly aimed at the concealed carry market, and offers some features not commonly found on this class of pistol.

The new Pico is a tiny, subcompact pistol chambered for the .380 ACP and .32 ACP cartridges. As with many modern handgun designs, it has a polymer frame and stainless steel slide and barrel. The gun is double-action-only and fired with a traditional hammer, not a striker.

If you are familiar with the Nano, some of the Pico’s features will look familiar. In fact, the name Pico comes from the metric measuring system, just like the Nano. Pico is the next smaller unit of measurement from Nano. The Pico is even smaller than the Nano, hence the name.

This gun is thin. Really thin. As in 18mm thin. For those of you (like me) that are stuck on inches, that works out to be just shy of 0.71” wide. For a concealed carry gun, width is a big deal and this gun is really aiming for the minimalist description. I don’t know if that is the thinnest pistol in current production, but it has got to be one of the thinnest.
Like the Nano, the Pico uses a removable sub-chassis that contains the fire control mechanism. This sub-chassis is considered the “firearm” by the ATF, and is therefore the portion that is regulated by law. The frame is not the regulated part, so the user can buy multiple frames just like he or she would buy extra magazines.

There are three types of frames and multiple colors. The base model Pico has a simple black frame. However, shooters with a desire for something different can buy frames in white, flat dark earth, pink and purple.

In addition to the basic frames, there are two additional frames that were designed by Beretta in conjunction with LaserMax. One of these frames integrates a laser, while the final frame integrates a white light. By having the laser and lights integrated into the frame, Beretta was able to achieve a smaller package than what could be obtained by adding an external laser or light to an accessory rail.

Frames aren’t the only thing that easily changes on the Pico. Caliber swaps are easy as well. The first Picos to ship will be chambered for the .380 ACP cartridge, but pistols chambered for the .32 ACP will be close behind. For maximum flexibility, shooters wanting both calibers will be able to swap calibers with a barrel change only. Barrels will be available from Beretta.

Beretta states the Pico’s barrel only tilts up 1.4 degrees when the handgun is fired, which increases reliability in the feeding of cartridges into the chamber. The company also states that felt recoil is dramatically reduced since the barrel does not tilt much. I look forward to getting one on the range to test that claim.

The pistols will ship with two magazines: one is a flush fit mag, while the second has a pinky finger extension. The magazine with the extension does not increase capacity, which is six rounds. The magazine release is ambidextrous.

Unlike some other guns in this size range, the sights on the Pico are full size. The sights are dovetailed, allowing the user to change them out. Trijicon is making night sights for the gun, so standard or tritium sights will be available from the factory.

The slide locks back as is typical for full size pistols. The slide release is flush with the frame, meaning that it does not protrude and should not snag on anything during a draw.

Beretta expects to ship the Pico in August of this year. In addition to the magazines, the guns will ship with a soft-sided, zippered carry case. The MSRP will be $399.

In a time when firearms and ammunition are scarce, some readers may wonder why Beretta is rolling out a new firearm instead of just focusing on the current line-up. This pistol was likely under development well prior to the current shortages. Stopping the development of the guns probably didn’t make good financial sense; especially considering the current shortage is unlikely to be permanent.

For a small gun, the Pico offers a lot of features and does so at a sub-$400 price tag. For a little extra money, an owner can have a few extra frames and even easily swap calibers. I imagine this pistol will sell very well, but what do you think?

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It All Started Here . . .

Frontier Mercersburg in 1765 was the "birthplace" of the right we now refer to as "the Second Amendment", or, "the right to bear arms". It was here that individuals for the first time, some would say divinely, embraced the link between "Life and Liberty". . . and struck the first blow for Freedom.

Historically the right to bear arms goes back even before our founding as a nation to the Glorious Revolution of 1689 when William III agreed to the English Bill of Rights. If one can look at revolution like a volcanic eruption in nature, you understand that often from the destruction come the seeds of new human values and beliefs. In this case the independence of the human spirit, the right to know God for oneself, and to trust your conscience was hard won in this revolution of the human soul.

One crucible begets the necessity for another and on the frontier in America the right to defend ones religious beliefs was becoming the right to participate in the decisions of government that impact my "self". Freedom of the soul was becoming freedom of the heart and mind. Smith's Rebellion began as an act they justified under the rubric of defending oneself because government had failed in its obligation to protect Life, Liberty and Property. This was the first assertion of this principle aimed directly at British Military Authority as well as the incompetent government of John Penn - anywhere in the colonies.

In the end, Smith's Rebellion was the first armed resistance against British Military Rule leading up to the American Revolution. It was the first American triumph over the best military force in the world. It was the first time upon defending oneself that Americans had proclaimed we can rule ourselves.

It would be ten years before the battles at Lexington and Concord.

...Let Them Take Arms

The "Right to Bear Arms" . . .or 2nd Amendment is one of the most discussed and contentious of all the amendments of the Bill of Rights. It is, in fact, the only amendment that contains not only the seeds but the actual instruments of the revolution itself. Further, it gives real affirmation to Thomas Jefferson's quote . . .
"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... And what country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time, that this people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to the facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure."

It is for this reason, if no other, that the Government and its functionaries vociferously assail and obfuscate the text of this simple assertion. More, it is for this reason, and in the face of the perennial onslaught that its defense and affirmation is essential to the survival of the republic.

Frontier Mercersburg & The Justice William Smith House

The frontier town of Mercersburg, PA. in the 1760's, although typical of many settlements along the Appalachian Mountains played a pivotal role in the creation of what was to become the "Bill of Rights".

Frontiersmen like James Smith and the Black Boys, many of whom were inhabitants of the Mercersburg environs, were early participants in a series of conflicts with the British government that established principles the eventually lead to the inclusion of the "right to bear arms" in the Bill of Rights.

Much of the focus, centers on the domicile (and likely place of business) of Justice William Smith.

Birthplace of the Second Amendment 1765

Pages

Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution - Bill of Rights

Preservation and Proposition

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Beretta Pico: Possibly the thinnest concealed carry gun available

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