Announced at the 2013 NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits, the Beretta Pico is now shipping to dealers. These .380 ACP guns are less than 0.71″ across at the widest point. The MSRP is $399.

These diminutive pistols have been a little laggardly in making it to market. Some, however, might argue that a slow, deliberative process in releasing a new firearm might be better than rushing one into production and then have to recall it several months later due to unexpected problems in the field.

Check out Andrew Tuohy’s take on them from the NRA show here.

From Beretta:

Setting the new standard for the micro, compact-carry pistol, Beretta began shipping its super thin, ultra-concealable Pico to retailers across the country today. Just 18mm at its widest point and with a smooth double-trigger action, the Beretta Pico is the softest shooting, thinnest .380 semi-automatic pistol on the market today; and at a suggested retail price of $399 it is also an exceptional value.

Determined to deliver an exceptional product, Beretta delayed the manufacturing schedule to ensure the new Pico would meet Beretta’s exacting standards. Specifically Beretta focused on reliable feeding and extraction across a wide variety of commercially available .380 ammunition.

“Just like with our military issued products, Beretta applies extremely high performance and quality standards to the products we make available to the commercial market, and sometimes that means we have to delay production until we get it just right”, stated Mr. Rafe Bennett, Vice President of Product Marketing for Beretta.

Unlike traditional pistols the serial number on the Pico is found not on the grip frame housing, but on its stainless steel sub-chassis. This distinct difference makes the Pico truly modular, and the Pico’s simple disassembly makes cleaning and customization easy. The techno-polymer grip frame is easily changed from the standard black to one of several other colors. A big win for left-handed shooters, is its ambidextrous magazine release, an exclusive in the micro pistol category. A hex screw allows for a host of front and rear sight adjustments and changes by the user, including available Trijicon night sights.

Leveraging the Pico’s modularity, Beretta partnered with LaserMax to deliver an integrated laser and a light grip frame housing. By replacing the entire grip frame, the user gets the most integrated, streamlined light or laser possible – critical for such a compact concealable pistol.

The Beretta Pico sets the new standard for the micro, compact-carry pistol. It’s light, modular, durable and with a snag free design which makes it easy to draw from concealment and re-holster.