John,
I've owned seveal small berettas. They have a thin tin disconnector right under the plastic grip, a hair pin for a recoil spring, all small linkages. Good workmanship, but the design is not made for long term use nor harsh conditions.
The Kel-Tek, while a real good hide out, is still in that class. It would take quite a bit of ammo to become a real sharp shot with it (but the .380 is so far ahead of the .22 from such a short barrel, it's worth it.) And yes, I have a Kel-tec .380!