As our long time members know, I'm a fan of the Browning BDM. Here was a 9mm pistol designed to meet everyones needs.
First, it was accurate and reliable, just what you would expect from Browning. It felt great when you picked it up and it was slim and concealable. Here are a few photos of this complete failure.
This is my BDM next to my 225. Notice that the BDM has a longer sight radius than the 225.
Here they are from the top. The BDM is significantly slimmer than the 225. Yet when introduced, it was a double stack mag holding 15 rounds.
And these are the grips.
The BDM was unusual because there was a switch on the side that let you switch from norma pistol mode (DA/SA) to a revolver mode (DAO).
Here is pistol mode racked.
And revolver mode racked.
You can see the little switch with it's P or R positions right above the slide lock. In safe mode it would drop the hammer to half cock if in the pistol mode. In either mode, it locked the firing pin and disconnected the trigger. The safety was down for on, up for off.
The BDM was ambi-dextrous. There were safeties on both sides and the mag release could be operated with either hand and there was no mag safety like the HPs have. The grips were also ambi with thumb rests on both side. It really does feel as good in the left hand as it does in the right.
Here is the sight picture
The rear sight can be drift adjusted or changed out easily. It is locked in place with a set screw,
While the front sight is held in place with a roll pin.
So here was a pistol that could be DA/SA or DAO by just turning a switch, that was slim as a BHP and very concealable, with a long sight radius and sights that could easily be changed or adjusted and that was ambi-dextrous right out of the box. It is fast, accurate, reliable and from a company with a history that people really trusted. And it never caught on.
First, it was accurate and reliable, just what you would expect from Browning. It felt great when you picked it up and it was slim and concealable. Here are a few photos of this complete failure.
This is my BDM next to my 225. Notice that the BDM has a longer sight radius than the 225.
Here they are from the top. The BDM is significantly slimmer than the 225. Yet when introduced, it was a double stack mag holding 15 rounds.
And these are the grips.
The BDM was unusual because there was a switch on the side that let you switch from norma pistol mode (DA/SA) to a revolver mode (DAO).
Here is pistol mode racked.
And revolver mode racked.
You can see the little switch with it's P or R positions right above the slide lock. In safe mode it would drop the hammer to half cock if in the pistol mode. In either mode, it locked the firing pin and disconnected the trigger. The safety was down for on, up for off.
The BDM was ambi-dextrous. There were safeties on both sides and the mag release could be operated with either hand and there was no mag safety like the HPs have. The grips were also ambi with thumb rests on both side. It really does feel as good in the left hand as it does in the right.
Here is the sight picture
The rear sight can be drift adjusted or changed out easily. It is locked in place with a set screw,
While the front sight is held in place with a roll pin.
So here was a pistol that could be DA/SA or DAO by just turning a switch, that was slim as a BHP and very concealable, with a long sight radius and sights that could easily be changed or adjusted and that was ambi-dextrous right out of the box. It is fast, accurate, reliable and from a company with a history that people really trusted. And it never caught on.
