Browning BDA .380 question.

[ww2ol]

A dealer in town whom I have known for 38 years offered me a like new (no box) blue Browning BDA .380 cal with one mag. It is an 80's/90's model not the new production. Metal and wood are 99%. He offered it to me for 350. With tax and transfer fees, it comes to about 400. I know nothing about these and am posting here to see if this is a good price. Thanks in advance.

[XDRoX]

I'd buy it in a heartbeat. My cousin has the same gun but in 9mm and it's awesome. Very well built, accurate, and well balanced. If you decide you don't want it PM me the store so I can get it.

[BigDogatPlay]

I'd buy it. These were Italian made under contract to FN. Well thought out, well made and good shooters. They're a bit larger than the average .380 of more recent manufacture but they still would make, I think, a good carry pistol if you were going to go with a .380.

[paintballdad]

I believe these were made by Beretta for Browning so these would be similar to the Beretta 84F/85F of the same era. The Brownings though have a closed top slide instead of the open top that Beretta is known for. Very nice and well made pistols but a bit on the large side for a .380 if compared to the new crop of .380s in current production. It seems like a fair price but i would try to see if he'll lower the price since it only has one mag and no box (manual?).

As a side note, the larger caliber Browning BDAs were made by Sig for Browning.

[billybob_jcv]

I have one. It was made by Beretta - it is essentially identical to the Beretta 84F (the magazines and grips are interchangeable) but the BDA does not have the open slide like the Beretta. The older ones are 13+1, fixed sights. I really like shooting it - mine has been very reliable - no problems eating lots of cheap factory ammo and range reloads - but the double stack does make it much larger than (for example) a PPK/S.

I really have no idea what it is worth. I think I paid $350 for mine in ~1987 from B&B in the Valley when it was brand new.

The .380 is, of course, still the .380 - no matter how nice the gun...

[GWbiker]

I fired one many years ago. I would consider it to be one of the most comfortable handguns to aim and shoot.

IMHO, $400 out the door is a very good price.

[cruising7388]

A dealer in town whom I have known for 38 years offered me a like new (no box) blue Browning BDA .380 cal with one mag. It is an 80's/90's model not the new production. Metal and wood are 99%. He offered it to me for 350. With tax and transfer fees, it comes to about 400. I know nothing about these and am posting here to see if this is a good price. Thanks in advance.

Both BDA .380 and the 84FS were built by Beretta. They are similar, but their are differences:


BDA has enclosed slide
84FS has open slide
(The open slide arguably reduces ejection issues)



BDA has slide mounted safety
84FS has frame mounted safety
(Some folks find the frame mounted safety more convenient to engage)


BDA has spur hammer
84FS has bobbed hammer
(Consequently, the BDA will give a poorly positioned thumb a pretty good hammer bite)


BDA has rounded trigger guard
84FS has combat trigger guard
(Unless you're committed to dedicating a finger to the trigger guard, it doesn't make much difference)


BDA has smooth walnut grips
84FS has either checkered plastic or wood grips
(IMO, the smooth walnut grip on the BDA is both pleasing to the eye and provides perfectly good firing and recoil control)


BDA has a smooth front strap


BDA does not have a magazine safety
84FS does have a magazine safety


BDA is not on the California DOJ accepted list
84FS is on the California DOJ accepted list
(Because it has no mag safety)


The BDA and the 84FS use identical mags and Beretta does make a 10 cartridge mag available if this is an issue for some users.


For its caliber, the BDA/84FS is pretty beefy in dimensions. It's not practical for pocket concealed carry and the same size frame today can provide you with much more potent cartridges. Nevertheless, there is something really aesthetically pleasing about the BDA that's not replicated in the 84FS although the 84FS is arguably more technically advanced. Beretta also makes this model in an 85FS version with a single stack mag to facilitate users with small hands.


Browning did issue a commemorative release of the BDA .380 in 2006 in both blue and chrome. Dealers still occasionally have them. I recently saw one at Cabelas for which they were asking about $700. One way to distinguish them from the original 80s production is the logo that is on the grip emblem. If you do go ahead, ensure that the gun has the original stag grip emblems which will enhance what I think will become a collector's item. And be sure they are well glued into the grip because they have a habit of falling out never again to be found

One not so great thing about the .380 ACP cartridge is their cost which is substantially higher than, say, 9MM. I'm told that this is because in recent decades the demand for this cartridge dropped a lot. But with the introduction of the current spate of .380 pocket pistols like the LCP, the Bodyguard and the Sig 238 et al, the cartridge production will ramp up and lower user cost. I'll believe that when I see it.

[billybob_jcv]

I would *love* to see the cost of .380 ammo drop! I've seen .380 reloads selling for more than 9mm factory ammo. I can't shoot the steel cased/steel core rounds at my local ranges - and I really don't want to even if I could. I agree with cruising - I'll believe lower cost .380 ammo when I see it!

[missiondude]

A dealer in town whom I have known for 38 years offered me a like new (no box) blue Browning BDA .380 cal with one mag. It is an 80's/90's model not the new production. Metal and wood are 99%. He offered it to me for 350. With tax and transfer fees, it comes to about 400. I know nothing about these and am posting here to see if this is a good price. Thanks in advance.


Governor Brown did a great service to the citizens of the state of California by signing these bills into law and understanding the need for further controls on firearms ownership. In the 1970’s I helped vote Jerry Brown into office as I did in the last election and will do again in the next election. I will always stand by my belief that only the Police need possess loaded firearms among the citizens of the United States and the Military where conflict exists. I know the Right Wing owners of this website will ban me for expressing my views so be it I could care less.

Since you feel the way you do about Gov Brown and the new gun laws he recently signed, I know you will not feel bad that the dealer is not allowed to sell you that pistol unless you are an exempted person. It is not on the list. Yay for more gun control laws...

[InGrAM]

Troll to the max!

[Corbin Dallas]

A dealer in town whom I have known for 38 years offered me a like new (no box) blue Browning BDA .380 cal with one mag. It is an 80's/90's model not the new production. Metal and wood are 99%. He offered it to me for 350. With tax and transfer fees, it comes to about 400. I know nothing about these and am posting here to see if this is a good price. Thanks in advance.

This guy is a hyprocrite and a troll.

Don't give them the time of day for this kind of stuff...

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=487157

[billybob_jcv]

Hmm, in that case I hope he doesn't buy the BDA - I would hate to have to admit to owning the same gun as this guy...

Or, there is a way that both of his views can be true at the same time.

A) He believes that only the police and military should possess loaded firearms.
B) He wants to buy a firearm with a hi-capacity magazine.

Therefore, he must be saying he is police or military. QED.

[vonderplatz]

He's making comments in the LEO section, so I think he trying to say he's a LEO. Therefore exempt and able to purchase the BDA. Then he trolls the rest of us, just follow his posts.

[savtru]

A dealer in town whom I have known for 38 years offered me a like new (no box) blue Browning BDA .380 cal with one mag. It is an 80's/90's model not the new production. Metal and wood are 99%. He offered it to me for 350. With tax and transfer fees, it comes to about 400. I know nothing about these and am posting here to see if this is a good price. Thanks in advance.

Quit trolling... YOU HATE GUNS... REMEMBER? LEO and MILITARY ONLY?

You should run for BROWNS spot! You fit RIGHT in!