Lately I've had the itch for a new watch. So, I delved into the safe and decided I could part with one of several 1911s I don't use anymore. My old competition gun had served me well, but I didn't see anytime in the future in which it would need to do so again, so off we went to the local gun shop. Unfortunately, the owner wasn't interested since he already had a used example of the same model on the shelf. I tried to convince him this one had collector value because of its association with yours truly, but he didn't go for it. At the last minute I was saved by an employee who asked, "Mind if I buy it?" Well, if you have to.......... So, I started high and came down a bit and got what I wanted out of it. I put a lot of rounds through that gun over the years and rebuilt it at least once. No matter what, I got my moneys worth out of it.
That's where I should have been smart and headed straight home with my watch money, but noooooo, I had to make a stop at a pawn shop on the way home, "just in case". I walked in the front door, that's festooned with signs stating, "constant video surveillance", "hoodies down" and etc. It's a real classy place that's been hit once in recent memory. I should say, "attempted" since the employees are all armed and it didn't work out for the "hoodies up" crew. In other words, a classic pawn shop. I was about ten feet from the handgun cases when I spied something that looked familiar and there it was.
A Browning BDA .380acp.
For sometime I've been looking for a cherry example of a Beretta 84 Cheetah, but have yet to find one in the required condition. So far all have been either rashed up surplus examples, the 85 single stack equivalent, or the same model in other calibers. I've yet to find the perfect one. As most will know, the BDA was manufactured by Beretta under contract to Fabrique Nationale and remained in production from 1987 to 1997. The BDA is really nothing more than an 84 with an enclosed slide and slide mounted safety, along with some slight differences such as a spur hammer rather than the 84s rowel type.
While it's not an 84, I've always thought the BDA was dead sexy and this one looked to be in good shape. Within a few seconds it was in my hands and my initial impression was confirmed, overall excellent condition with just a few dings on the grips. The rest of the gun looked like it could have come straight out of the box. It was sitting next to what is, IMHO, the most overrated .380 on the planet: a Walther PPK. Having had experience with the type in years past, I'm convinced the only reason it remains in production is its James Bond connection. The BDA can, "Hit like a brick through a plate glass window." just like the PPK, but it can do it twice as many times before it runs dry. I thought, "This is just what I need for my next trip to Monte Carlo. I can smoke a Spectre agent from across a Baccarat table and probably won't even wrinkle my dinner jacket." Needless to say, I didn't look twice at the PPK. Its been a long time since I've seen one of these locally, let alone in this kind of shape. So, in short order I decided the new watch would have to wait until Christmas and after talking the shop owner down fifty bucks I took it home.
The popularity of the BDA/84 types has waned over the last decade or so. With so many guns of equivalent size in 9mm, as well as truly small examples in .380, this one is seen as something of an odd duck. Hence the BDAs discontinued status and the 84s sporadic production life. I don't normally do well with small guns. They can be abusive on my big hands and I find them hard to control. However, most really don't see the BDA as a "small" gun, being similar in size to a Glock 19. I shot one once, back in the 80's. I remember thinking it was a sexy thing, but I wasn't going to admit it. With a bore that didn't start with four it offended my manhood. Since it wasn't a "real" gun I put it on the "nice for a woman" list and left it at that. Thankfully, I'm far enough past my maximum freshness date that I've become more enlightened in my viewpoint. There are now many guns in my safe with bores that start with three and even a few beginning with two. (egad!) I now enjoy guns like this for what they are, fine examples of the gun making industry that we'll never see again.
No matter how sexy it is, it doesn't stick around if it can't shoot. So, this morning it was off to the range. After one hundred rounds of Armscor 90 grain .380 fmj, I can honestly say this gun really surprised me. I've always found Armscor ammunition to exceed the accuracy of similar fmj offerings and the .380 didn't disappoint. Not only is the BDA sexy, but it's a damned good shooter as well. The first fifty rounds were slow fire for accuracy, at ranges starting at seven yards and extending out to twenty five. I quickly observed the guns need for a six o'clock hold and adjusted accordingly as the range increased. The BDA was delivering a one hole group until the twenty five yard line. There, I did open the group up a bit with three or four shots. However, I suspect those were operator error due to the smallish sites. (vintage small, but I found them usable) Nonetheless, the BDA turned in a stellar performance in the accuracy department, something I was not expecting. Surprisingly enough, this little gun can easily maintain my, "consistent head shots at twenty five yards" standard. The final fifty rounds were devoted to speed drills at the five and seven yard lines. Again, the BDA did not disappoint. Being fat for a small gun, it fit my hand well and control wasn't a problem. The trigger is also quite nice. I haven't gauged it, but it's not overly heavy and more importantly, it's quite smooth. The single action trigger breaks cleanly after the customary take up. All things considered, I won't be doing anything to the trigger. I found that the BDA presented quite intuitively for me, so at the closer ranges the small sights weren't the hindrance I'd feared. The spur hammer did bite me a bit, but I was expecting that and it wasn't nearly as severe as some other guns. The grip medallions both came loose during shooting. This is a common occurrence since they're only glued on. After a bit of searching I managed to find them both at the range and a little gorilla glue solved the issue.
All in all, the BDA did not disappoint. In fact, quite the opposite. It surprised me in all areas of performance and it's been a long time since a handgun has done that. I'm still looking for that 84, but this one's a real keeper.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by LSP552
