Browning BDM Experiences?

M

Martowski

New member
Anyone here have experiences with the ill-fated Browning BDM? Just curious: why wasn't this gun more popular? Seems to me it had a lot of advantages: DAO or traditional DA/SA setup, slim profile and grip, high capacity, and couldn't the safety function cocked and locked AND as a decocker? This sounds like a pretty darn good setup to me. Was this gun just a clunker? Was it not accurate? How did the trigger feel?

I know CDNN was selling these about a year ago for $299. Anyone still have these around?
 
I think it's a great gun. It just came out at the wrong time. It was introduced just before the "standard capacity" mag ban and suffered because it was designed as a wondernine. I carried one for awhile. Great trigger and very flat. Nothing at all wrong with the gun.
 
I *read* of two problems: parts failures, sometimes at below 10,000 rounds, IIRC. Some trigger part, and/or something in the recoil spring guide area.

Unlike the H&K USP's unlocking cam breakage, there was apparently not enough evidence of an early notice of problem/early and complete fix (or at least the story didn't get out). Confidence once lost is sometimes never regained.

Didn't they also botch it by NOT making it backwards-compatible with BHP mags?
 
I thought it was a good gun, very slim. The reason I never got one was the frame mounted safety. It worked 'up-side-down', Safe was down, Fire was up.
 
For someone with small hands the BDM was a dream come true -- thinner than the BHP and more forgiving of shorter fingers. Bought one, took it to the range, and after 50 or so rounds, the trigger wouldn't reset after every 5th or 6th round. Figured it was a fluke so I exchanged the gun for another one. Same problem after 50 or so rounds. I gave up and returned the BDM. It also didn't have a great trigger and my gunsmith said he really couldn't do much with it. Pity, since it fit my hand better than any other 9mm I've ever shot.
 
If I remember correctly this pistol was adopted by either the Finnish police or army and they had problems compared to Glocks.
 
The "DAO" mode...

...was really cool. It was labeled "R" for "Revolver" on the selector and caused the hammer to follow the slide down after each shot from where it could be shot DA or thumb-cocked for a single-action shot. Kind of like a 13-shot DA wheelgun.

Like a complete idjit, I traded mine for a Macintosh SE/30. Computers get obsolescent far faster than pistols, I would like to point out. :(
 
Biggest drawback was that their is another pistol(BHP). Really I don't know. The one I tried was reliable but I did not care for the thinness. Some people like thin grip area, I like the feel of guns like the 226.
 
I have a BDM and have had zero problems or jams. This is probably the narrowest full size 9mm on the market. Relative to durability concerns, I did replace the plastic guide rod with a full length stainless one. Williams Shooting Supply did the machining and the price was very reasonable. Unfortunately, new 15 round BDM mags go for approximately $125 each. You can, however, buy new 10 rounders from CDNN at $16.00 each. A great deal...Illini
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top