Handling my BDA .380 for the first time in years....

**Rich Lucibella** · December 5, 2001, 12:06 AM

Despite the non-dehorned edges, questionable manufacturing origin and counter-intuitive slide mounted safety, I have to wonder where we're going?

We have Tennifer and HE finishes, $2,000+ 1911 style guns, polymer frames, Single Action & Double Action & Safe Action & DAO & DA/SA and who knows what. We have ambi this and ambi that; lights and tv's hanging off our weapons. We have guns made for small hands; guns made for gloved hands and guns made for Godzilla's hand.

To what end....the world of guns has gone "Tactical"....which means more compact, more firepower, more "grippy", more "blocky", more "specialized". This is all a good thing. But every now and then we need to handle a classic revolver, a well-put together Hi Power or something as tactically incorrect as a smooth grip little Browning BDA.

Dare I use the word....."sensual"? There I did it!

Once upon a time firearms were "sensual" (not sexual, except in the wrong hands)...just sensual. They simply felt right. They balanced perfectly; they pointed instinctively; they required something less than a "combat rig" to carry comfortably.

If the right gun for a gunfight is *the one you have on you* and you've gotten lazy about strapping your latest whiz-bang, "Don't run; You'll only die tired" piece to your Wilderness belt under your "tactical concealment vest".....take a break for a few days. Dig into the back of the safe.....you might be pleasantly surprised by a piece you'd retired years ago.
Rich

Ledbetter · December 5, 2001, 12:55 AM

Or Sig or HK or any boxy, polymer gun except my practical, no longer available in California P32. And I own 15 handguns, as of this month. The only guns I buy anymore are "classics" with an emphasis on those about to become unavailable. Rich has put his finger on one of the reasons why.

Aside from the fact that it may soon be illegal to sell a gun without 17 safeties (four of which make no sense whatsoever)* where I live, the older designs just have more of the look and feel of a gun and less the look and feel of, say, a kitchen appliance. From Krups, but still.

Of those fifteen handguns, two are classic revolvers in .44 and .357 magnum, three are 1911s (two colts, one Springfield Armory), one is a CZ-75 BD, three are no longer manufactured, one is a Hungarian PPK clone, two may no longer be sold by dealers in my state.

My carry guns are a Colt Commander, a Colt .380 and an FEG .380.

I've shot HKs, CZ, Sigs, Glocks and Desert Eagles and I think they are very nice cartridge ignition/bullet delivery systems. I shoot them all well but I prefer a gunny-looking gun while I can still get one.

Regards to all. Sorry to all you Desert Eagle fans.
_______________________________________
*Still just sarcastic hyperbole for the time being.

Herb Fredricksen · December 5, 2001, 02:01 AM

Nice to hear the word sensual used in describing a handgun. When I look at the right handgun (or the right woman) I want to touch and I want to handle and I want to experience all the possibilities. I'll let the female parallels go for now but they clearly exist. A gun is, or can be, a thing of beauty and satisfaction.

Rich hit the right buttons. I do not lust after toasters or blenders or clunky handguns but give me a fine 9mm Luger or a gem-like 7.65 1935 Beretta or a wood gripped .44 Colt and I can't wait to get my hands on it and to shoot it. These are things of beauty.

I've shot all my life and remember a good friend describing a percussion .31 Colt Police Pocket Model as "the most beautiful pistol ever made" and when he handed it to me I felt what he meant. He prided himself on being a tough man but that insight showed him also to be a poet of the gun. I've also danced all my life, in the good old fashioned way men used to dance with women, strong, rough, physical. When I put my hands on a woman in dance it is the same sense of the sensual but of course the woman and the movement of the dance kicks everything into the sexual realm. I've enjoyed living that life. Guns and women. Wow!

Hard to beat this combination. Slip your round into the chamber, rack the slide, pull the trigger and let it go off. Sensual! Whoops, I find it hard to keep on track, I'm falling in love again! A Luger or a lover, a Beretta or a bare-bottom. I want to feel it and do it!

I'm all for the return of poetry and playful thinking to our sport.

Herb Fredricksen [email protected]

New_comer · December 5, 2001, 02:21 AM

Ala Dan · December 5, 2001, 04:31 AM

Browning BDA's-

Damn it! I missed out, as I should have
bought one years ago, when they first
came out! Definitely, the .380's are
one of the most beautiful handguns ever
produced. Saw a nickel one a few weeks
ago; ghee was it emaculate. My dealer
had a few in the early 80's, for the
sum of $379.00; if memory serves me
correct?

The larger frame BDA's (Browning Double
Action, for those who don't know) in .45
caliber, became the Sig-Sauer P220; in
later life, and the rest is history.

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.

Peter M. Eick · December 5, 2001, 03:40 PM

I agree, the bda 380 and it sister the beretta md84 are great guns, very comfortable and easy to travel with. It is sure nice having them around.

My only complaint is wolff does not make the right size spring for mine (a known problem) and I am to lazy to order another from Beretta.

Great guns though, exceptionally reliable. I do think the md84 is easier to shoot, but the bda380 is better in the hand.

GWC · December 5, 2001, 04:20 PM

GEEZ, I guess it's time to come out of the closet, and here I thought it was just me!! I agree totally. My preferences are the "gun looking" guns that just feel right in my hand. The 1911 and BHP classics, the browning/beretta .380's etc (and I have several of each!!). And there are others I'm eyeing as well. Nothing against the tuperware and higher tech new ones, but they are not for me. I grew up with manual external safeties, SA (or DA/SA) actions and am comfortable with "cocked and locked" carry. The simple elegance is "sensual" in a way. God I love this sport!!

popeye · December 5, 2001, 06:13 PM

CDNN has the BDA .380 for $369. I'm outta work or I'd buy one.
See attachment..

bulbboy · June 23, 2006, 09:29 PM

Love Browning BDA .380's - so I thought I'd bring back this thread.

Heres mine

Bill DeShivs · June 23, 2006, 09:42 PM

I fully agree that guns should be artful pieces of machinery. The younger crowd thinks they should look like something welded up from square tubing in a metal shop. Guns don't have to be made that way. They can be sleek and svelt. Making guns from square tubing should decrease the cost, but that doesn't seem to have happened.
Bill

LICCW · June 23, 2006, 10:09 PM

I'm reminded of my Dad's service revolver. He bought it when he first went on the job in 1960. Its a S&W, 4"bbl, six shot. Don't know the model. Still shoots like a dream and is as accurate as all get out. I don't care if its worth anything or not to anyone else, but, like his JC Higgins riot gun, it is a living part of our family's heritage. When he and I dig out that old shottie or his revolver, I can see him stepping back in time. He stands a little taller, and he seems to get back the bearing he had when he was a spit-shined patrolman, and me a wide eyed kid, telling the other kids, "That's my Dad...he's a policeman!" Will the polymer guns of today stand up to the test of time the way Dad's S&W has? Will we pass our Glocks on to our kids?

Pilot · June 25, 2006, 11:40 AM

BDA's are great guns. I prefer their sister Beretta M85/85 series as I like the frame mounted safety instead of the slide mounted safety of the BDA.

sm · June 25, 2006, 12:20 PM

Hey , if Rich can use the word "sensual" - I can too.

Every once in awhile an old thread needs to be revived, this is one such thread for the sake of "passing forward" to the newer folks.

I shot one of them BDA's not long ago, and I was reminded of this thread.

I also shot a J frame snubby in .22lr.

"Neat little bugger"

I would of said "cute" - then again I am a 6' 170# male...
...and "cute" is pax's word.

Steve

jilaw50 · June 29, 2006, 10:01 AM

From my experience, I must agree and disagree. I had a BDA 380 and agree, it's rich bluing and wood grips made it a "good looker", but I traded it away for several reasons. For a small gun it was heavy (13 +1 ) with a fat grip, a harsher "kick" (ergonomics of the grip?) than I expected, and would not feed Hydra-shok hollow points reliably (my most important reason for ditching it). I don't miss it, and cannot recommend it.

My carry gun is now a SIG P220 (believe it or not, I don't find the recoil any worse than the BDA 380) in .45 acp and with it's factory nickle slide and aftermarket coco-bolo grips it is every bit as beautiful as any semi-auto I know of. I like the P220 so much, I now have 2 of them.

bulbboy · September 25, 2006, 02:44 PM

Looking for more BDA lovers -

show some pics

'75Scout · September 25, 2006, 04:33 PM

I in the tupperware generation, but I have recently turned away from these types of firearms. I won't say I'll never buy another polymer gun, but I won't quit buying Sigs anytime soon and its 1911s after that.

IMO Sigs are some of the most handsome autos out there. 1911s, Walther PPKs, Ruger MK IIs, and BHPs are guns I also see as attractive. The new Rohrbaugh R9 pocket pistols are pretty good looking too.

omegapd · September 26, 2006, 04:23 AM

In my collection, I can honestly say that it's the only semi-auto that has never had any type of malfunction. Mine will feed and eject anything and is a pleasure to shoot. No other gun of mine fits the hand better and points more naturally. I guess I need to get mine out of the safe more often too.

EW

arizona hunter · September 28, 2006, 03:15 PM

He yRich, I remeber one i had years ago-wish it was still in my hand. Great "feeling" pistol just like you describe.

shotgunner427 · September 28, 2006, 07:12 PM

are the ones at cdnn NIB? or are they used? ive never bought from them, but at that price i think ill get a nickel one.

PSP · September 28, 2006, 07:52 PM

Quote:

are the ones at cdnn NIB? or are they used? ive never bought from them, but at that price i think ill get a nickel one.

Are you sure CDNN has these?? I just looked and they aren't in the new download.

bulbboy · September 28, 2006, 08:05 PM

How much? I would like a blued version to make my nickeled one!

cpaspr · September 28, 2006, 08:18 PM

note the date of Popeye's post about CDNN. That was nearly five years ago. Bulbboy simply resurrected the old thread long after it had gone comatose.

Not, mind you, that it isn't a nice thread. There really is something special to some of the older, simpler things in life.

theberettaman · September 28, 2006, 08:20 PM

Hey bulbboy,kinda like this one?

grimjaw · September 28, 2006, 08:21 PM

The post is from 2001.

jm

bulbboy · September 28, 2006, 08:37 PM

Berettaman - just like that one!! I should have said something (about the thread being so old). Just wish they still made these.

December 5, 2001, 12:06 AM	#1
Rich Lucibella Staff Join Date: October 6, 1998 Location: South Florida Posts: 10,229	Handling my BDA .380 for the first time in years.... Despite the non-dehorned edges, questionable manufacturing origin and counter-intuitive slide mounted safety, I have to wonder where we're going? We have Tennifer and HE finishes, $2,000+ 1911 style guns, polymer frames, Single Action & Double Action & Safe Action & DAO & DA/SA and who knows what. We have ambi this and ambi that; lights and tv's hanging off our weapons. We have guns made for small hands; guns made for gloved hands and guns made for Godzilla's hand. To what end....the world of guns has gone "Tactical"....which means more compact, more firepower, more "grippy", more "blocky", more "specialized". This is all a good thing. But every now and then we need to handle a classic revolver, a well-put together Hi Power or something as tactically incorrect as a smooth grip little Browning BDA. Dare I use the word....."sensual"? There I did it! Once upon a time firearms were "sensual" (not sexual, except in the wrong hands)...just sensual. They simply felt right. They balanced perfectly; they pointed instinctively; they required something less than a "combat rig" to carry comfortably. If the right gun for a gunfight is the one you have on you and you've gotten lazy about strapping your latest whiz-bang, "Don't run; You'll only die tired" piece to your Wilderness belt under your "tactical concealment vest".....take a break for a few days. Dig into the back of the safe.....you might be pleasantly surprised by a piece you'd retired years ago. Rich __________________ S.W.A.T. Magazine Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook

December 5, 2001, 12:55 AM	#2
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	I don't own Glock; Glock doesn't own me. Or Sig or HK or any boxy, polymer gun except my practical, no longer available in California P32. And I own 15 handguns, as of this month. The only guns I buy anymore are "classics" with an emphasis on those about to become unavailable. Rich has put his finger on one of the reasons why. Aside from the fact that it may soon be illegal to sell a gun without 17 safeties (four of which make no sense whatsoever)* where I live, the older designs just have more of the look and feel of a gun and less the look and feel of, say, a kitchen appliance. From Krups, but still. Of those fifteen handguns, two are classic revolvers in .44 and .357 magnum, three are 1911s (two colts, one Springfield Armory), one is a CZ-75 BD, three are no longer manufactured, one is a Hungarian PPK clone, two may no longer be sold by dealers in my state. My carry guns are a Colt Commander, a Colt .380 and an FEG .380. I've shot HKs, CZ, Sigs, Glocks and Desert Eagles and I think they are very nice cartridge ignition/bullet delivery systems. I shoot them all well but I prefer a gunny-looking gun while I can still get one. Regards to all. Sorry to all you Desert Eagle fans. _______________________________________ *Still just sarcastic hyperbole for the time being.

December 5, 2001, 03:40 PM	#6
Peter M. Eick Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 1999 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 2,991	I agree, the bda 380 and it sister the beretta md84 are great guns, very comfortable and easy to travel with. It is sure nice having them around. My only complaint is wolff does not make the right size spring for mine (a known problem) and I am to lazy to order another from Beretta. Great guns though, exceptionally reliable. I do think the md84 is easier to shoot, but the bda380 is better in the hand. __________________ 10mm and 357sig, the best things to come along since the 38 super!

June 23, 2006, 10:09 PM	#11
LICCW Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2005 Posts: 266	Good Thread I'm reminded of my Dad's service revolver. He bought it when he first went on the job in 1960. Its a S&W, 4"bbl, six shot. Don't know the model. Still shoots like a dream and is as accurate as all get out. I don't care if its worth anything or not to anyone else, but, like his JC Higgins riot gun, it is a living part of our family's heritage. When he and I dig out that old shottie or his revolver, I can see him stepping back in time. He stands a little taller, and he seems to get back the bearing he had when he was a spit-shined patrolman, and me a wide eyed kid, telling the other kids, "That's my Dad...he's a policeman!" Will the polymer guns of today stand up to the test of time the way Dad's S&W has? Will we pass our Glocks on to our kids?

June 25, 2006, 11:40 AM	#12
Pilot Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2000 Posts: 4,193	BDA's are great guns. I prefer their sister Beretta M85/85 series as I like the frame mounted safety instead of the slide mounted safety of the BDA. __________________ Pilot

December 5, 2001, 02:01 AM	#3
Herb Fredricksen Member Join Date: February 7, 2001 Location: Gaithersburg Md Posts: 51	Nice to hear the word sensual used in describing a handgun. When I look at the right handgun (or the right woman) I want to touch and I want to handle and I want to experience all the possibilities. I'll let the female parallels go for now but they clearly exist. A gun is, or can be, a thing of beauty and satisfaction. Rich hit the right buttons. I do not lust after toasters or blenders or clunky handguns but give me a fine 9mm Luger or a gem-like 7.65 1935 Beretta or a wood gripped .44 Colt and I can't wait to get my hands on it and to shoot it. These are things of beauty. I've shot all my life and remember a good friend describing a percussion .31 Colt Police Pocket Model as "the most beautiful pistol ever made" and when he handed it to me I felt what he meant. He prided himself on being a tough man but that insight showed him also to be a poet of the gun. I've also danced all my life, in the good old fashioned way men used to dance with women, strong, rough, physical. When I put my hands on a woman in dance it is the same sense of the sensual but of course the woman and the movement of the dance kicks everything into the sexual realm. I've enjoyed living that life. Guns and women. Wow! Hard to beat this combination. Slip your round into the chamber, rack the slide, pull the trigger and let it go off. Sensual! Whoops, I find it hard to keep on track, I'm falling in love again! A Luger or a lover, a Beretta or a bare-bottom. I want to feel it and do it! I'm all for the return of poetry and playful thinking to our sport. Herb Fredricksen [email protected]

December 5, 2001, 02:21 AM	#4
New_comer Senior Member Join Date: July 30, 2001 Location: Manila, Phil. Posts: 1,004

December 5, 2001, 04:31 AM	#5
Ala Dan Member in memoriam Join Date: August 13, 1999 Location: In The HOT, Humid, and Mu Posts: 6,116	Browning BDA's- Damn it! I missed out, as I should have bought one years ago, when they first came out! Definitely, the .380's are one of the most beautiful handguns ever produced. Saw a nickel one a few weeks ago; ghee was it emaculate. My dealer had a few in the early 80's, for the sum of $379.00; if memory serves me correct? The larger frame BDA's (Browning Double Action, for those who don't know) in .45 caliber, became the Sig-Sauer P220; in later life, and the rest is history. Best Wishes, Ala Dan, Life Member N.R.A.

December 5, 2001, 04:20 PM	#7
GWC Member Join Date: November 7, 2001 Location: michigan Posts: 41	GEEZ, I guess it's time to come out of the closet, and here I thought it was just me!! I agree totally. My preferences are the "gun looking" guns that just feel right in my hand. The 1911 and BHP classics, the browning/beretta .380's etc (and I have several of each!!). And there are others I'm eyeing as well. Nothing against the tuperware and higher tech new ones, but they are not for me. I grew up with manual external safeties, SA (or DA/SA) actions and am comfortable with "cocked and locked" carry. The simple elegance is "sensual" in a way. God I love this sport!!

June 23, 2006, 09:29 PM	#9
bulbboy Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 379	Love Browning BDA .380's - so I thought I'd bring back this thread. Heres mine

June 23, 2006, 09:42 PM	#10
Bill DeShivs Senior Member Join Date: April 7, 2006 Posts: 10,986	I fully agree that guns should be artful pieces of machinery. The younger crowd thinks they should look like something welded up from square tubing in a metal shop. Guns don't have to be made that way. They can be sleek and svelt. Making guns from square tubing should decrease the cost, but that doesn't seem to have happened. Bill

June 25, 2006, 12:20 PM	#13
sm Senior Member Join Date: February 5, 2002 Posts: 1,819	I was 'sensual' before 'tactical' became the fad Hey , if Rich can use the word "sensual" - I can too. Every once in awhile an old thread needs to be revived, this is one such thread for the sake of "passing forward" to the newer folks. I shot one of them BDA's not long ago, and I was reminded of this thread. I also shot a J frame snubby in .22lr. "Neat little bugger" I would of said "cute" - then again I am a 6' 170# male... ...and "cute" is pax's word. Steve __________________ Use Enough Gun TFL Alumni

June 29, 2006, 10:01 AM	#14
jilaw50 Member Join Date: March 20, 2002 Location: Florida Posts: 21	From my experience, I must agree and disagree. I had a BDA 380 and agree, it's rich bluing and wood grips made it a "good looker", but I traded it away for several reasons. For a small gun it was heavy (13 +1 ) with a fat grip, a harsher "kick" (ergonomics of the grip?) than I expected, and would not feed Hydra-shok hollow points reliably (my most important reason for ditching it). I don't miss it, and cannot recommend it. My carry gun is now a SIG P220 (believe it or not, I don't find the recoil any worse than the BDA 380) in .45 acp and with it's factory nickle slide and aftermarket coco-bolo grips *it is every bit as beautiful as any semi-auto I know of. I like the P220 so much, I now have 2 of them.*

September 25, 2006, 02:44 PM	#15
bulbboy Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 379	Looking for more BDA lovers - show some pics

September 25, 2006, 04:33 PM	#16
'75Scout Senior Member Join Date: August 3, 2005 Location: Central Texas Posts: 815	I in the tupperware generation, but I have recently turned away from these types of firearms. I won't say I'll never buy another polymer gun, but I won't quit buying Sigs anytime soon and its 1911s after that. IMO Sigs are some of the most handsome autos out there. 1911s, Walther PPKs, Ruger MK IIs, and BHPs are guns I also see as attractive. The new Rohrbaugh R9 pocket pistols are pretty good looking too.

September 26, 2006, 04:23 AM	#17
omegapd Senior Member Join Date: December 9, 2004 Location: GA Posts: 670	In my collection, I can honestly say that it's the only semi-auto that has never had any type of malfunction. Mine will feed and eject anything and is a pleasure to shoot. No other gun of mine fits the hand better and points more naturally. I guess I need to get mine out of the safe more often too. EW __________________ John 15:12-13 This is my command: love another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.

September 28, 2006, 03:15 PM	#18
arizona hunter Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2005 Location: phoenix, AZ Posts: 212	He yRich, I remeber one i had years ago-wish it was still in my hand. Great "feeling" pistol just like you describe.

September 28, 2006, 07:12 PM	#19
shotgunner427 Senior Member Join Date: September 22, 2005 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 164	are the ones at cdnn NIB? or are they used? ive never bought from them, but at that price i think ill get a nickel one. __________________ ~Fear not the man with a thousand rounds, but the individual with one.

September 28, 2006, 08:05 PM	#21
bulbboy Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 379	How much? I would like a blued version to make my nickeled one!

September 28, 2006, 08:18 PM	#22
cpaspr Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2005 Location: Oregon Posts: 304	Hey SG427, note the date of Popeye's post about CDNN. That was nearly five years ago. Bulbboy simply resurrected the old thread long after it had gone comatose. Not, mind you, that it isn't a nice thread. There really is something special to some of the older, simpler things in life.

September 28, 2006, 08:20 PM	#23
theberettaman Senior Member Join Date: November 27, 2001 Location: N.E. Oklahoma Posts: 496	Hey bulbboy,kinda like this one?

September 28, 2006, 08:21 PM	#24
grimjaw Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2005 Location: Arkansas Posts: 359	The post is from 2001. jm

September 28, 2006, 08:37 PM	#25
bulbboy Senior Member Join Date: June 2, 2005 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 379	Berettaman - just like that one!! I should have said something (about the thread being so old). Just wish they still made these.