Posted: 6/8/2010 6:09:36 PM EDT
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Good buy? Have some at our local Cabelas brand new, made in 98. I've got a Browning marked Hi Power, but a DA one sounds like a fun addition to the collection.
Prices are $650 and $550. |
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Quoted: Good buy? Have some at our local Cabelas brand new, made in 98. I've got a Browning marked Hi Power, but a DA one sounds like a fun addition to the collection. Prices are $650 and $550. They weren't a major success. Magazines are hard to find. CDNN is selling the mags dirt cheap right now though. Finland issued it as it's service pistol in the 1980s. It's slowly being replaced by the Walther P99. Pic of a Finn with a Browning  |
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Quoted:
I have a '83 BDA .380. I actually really enjoy it. Very solid weapon. .380 ammo is impossible to find though at the moment. Totally different gun. The Browning BDA .380 is a compact piece, while the FN BDA9 is a full size service pistol adapted from the Hi Power. |
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This was one of my "holy grail" pistols for years as I have always been a great High Power fan and wanted a DA version of it. I finally located one a couple years back and spent far too much money on it, but at least I have mine. The price seems decent, you may be able to find one cheaper, but then again, it is a lot lower than I paid. There really is not much available about the pistol compared to many others and what I know about it has been pieced together from a bunch of sources.
The Good - This pistol (while mechanically very different from the High Power) shares all the ergonomic features of the High Power. Size, weight, portability, are all very similar to the High Power. The pistol has been reliable for me and reasonably accurate (about like a High Power). I think it is a very attractive pistol. Uses BDM magazines so there is some availability of them (especially in 10 round form). The Bad- From what military users (Finn and South American) have told me, the pistol is not as durable/reliable in military service as you would suspect. Finish is an enamel over parkerization which makes it VERY easy to scratch (mine required refinish). There is very little in the way of replacement parts out there for it. Most gunsmiths have never heard of the thing (actually, most typical smiths act like they know it, confusing it with the BDM, but when they actually see it they don't want to touch it). Magazine availability is not that good, especially for 15 rounders (as mentioned above - it does take BDM mags so there is some availability, just not great). While it looks like a High Power, it is mechanically very different and very few High Power parts will work with it (it is my impression based upon comparison that the BDM is a evolution of the BDA9). So my opinion (for what it is worth). The pistol is a decent pistol for the price, but I would ONLY consider getting one if you had your heart on this pistol. If not, then there are plenty of other pistols in the same price range that are probably better and have far better magazine and parts availability. The newer FNs seem to have been partly inspired by the High Power and would certainly be my choice in a HP inspired pistol that would be used for "serious" use. 
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