Bad News BDM

[scidx]

My father gave me a browning (FN) BDM years ago for my 21st birthday. This is the same gun on which I learned to shoot semi-auto pistols as a kid. So, of course it's priceless to me. As a defense pistol, however:. When I first started shooting it again, I had one or two failures every 10 rounds (hi-cap ban victim). These failures varied from fail to feed, fail to extract, and stove-pipes. Needless to say, I wouldn't trust my life on it. And so it went - to the bottom of my closet. I finally bought new mags (10 rounders at 35 bucks!). The feed problem stopped, but the failures to extract and eject still exist. With close inspection of the extractor, it looks tip-top. I keep my guns very clean so thats not the problem. Any suggestions? I, also, can't find BDM spare parts (though I haven't looked that deep). I've heard rumors of BDMs being weak in the frame and slide. That said, is it even worth it? Or, should I just keep it as a very seldom fired momento?

 

[Hoppy590]

I finally bought new mags (10 rounders at 35 bucks!).

10 rounders from CDNN are 10$ hicaps are about 40.
http://www.cdnninvestments.com/bdm9mm10blun.html
http://www.cdnninvestments.com/brbdm9mm15ma.html

iv never had any problems with BDM's. love em actualy. a gun, that if it had come out a few years earlier, im willing to bet it would be a big seller, and by this point very refined.

try taking it to a gunsmith and getting it checked, that all i can think of as the ones iv used never gave me a problem

 

[scidx]

a gun, that if it had come out a few years earlier, im willing to bet it would be a big seller, and by this point very refined.

I absolutely agree. The concept is still kinda cool.

 

[makarovnik]

It's usually an excellent weapon. Same as a Beretta 84 right? Or is it an Beretta 85? I cant remember. Try a new recoil and extractor spring. That shouldn't cost too much.

Get that sucker working and keep it. If you belong to a range ask the pistol smith if he will look at it. I bet he would look at it for free or for cheap. I think it's worth keeping.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Same as a Beretta 84 right? Or is it an Beretta 85?

You may be thinking of the BDA. The BDM was a larger gun, in 9mm, that resembled a Hi-Power, but is very different internally. It had a selector that allowed the user to change it from DA/SA to DAO at will. It was introduced c. the early 1990s but discontinued.

 

[makarovnik]

Whoops. I was thinking BDA. I better start wearing my glasses while posting. That last shot of Vodka probably didn't help either. Thanks for the correction.

 

[lee n. field]

Ummm. Call Browning?

 

[Dienekes]

Make sure you use quality magazines, which usually means OEM/Mec-Gar. The other thing I would look at is ammo--make, quality, bullet shape, etc. If you are using something generic or white box, or Blazer, experiment around.

The BDM is sort of a neat gun but it never really took off. Other than its orphan status I haven't seen much negative on them. I wouldn't give up on it too soon.