Yelp, just got back from the LGS, after some years of searching finally found myself one of these, a 1981, mint condition FN 140DA, which is basically what is commonly known as the Browning BDA in the U.S., but in it's original, purist form, at least in my opinion.

This is also the pistol that was considered for issue to the Japan Ground Self Defense Forces before they went with the P220 9mm.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: darkest2000,

Very nice! I remain attached to metal handguns although have a couple of Glocks. Your purchase is probably a soft shooter good on follow-up shots.

Very nice pistol, you were lucky to find it.
I'm not going to ask the price...$xxxxxxxx

I had two of it's brothers at different times, the Brownings. I hated the wood and Pachmyer grips back then, so I wrote the FN factory asking about purchasing the plastic grips like on your pistol.

A month later, I received a package with a set of plastic grips like yours, compliments of the FN factory.

I am keeping them if I ever end up with another Browning BDA. I like the BDA better than the Berettas.

That's beautiful!

Does it even have import marks on it?

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Originally posted by stoic-one:
That's beautiful!

Does it even have import marks on it?

This would appear to be a non-import

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
Very nice pistol, you were lucky to find it.
I'm not going to ask the price...$xxxxxxxx

I know I paid way to much for it, but this day and age and being a 2nd class citizen of California if you come across something like this you don't ask questions, just buy the damn thing before someone else does.

quote:

I hated the wood and Pachmyer grips back then, so I wrote the FN factory asking about purchasing the plastic grips like on your pistol.

A month later, I received a package with a set of plastic grips like yours, compliments of the FN factory.

Well you sir I think is super lucky! I tried to contact FN and never even heard back. Originally I was searching for just the factory plastic grips to go with my other Browning marked BDAs which ended up buying the whole gun. I believe these plastic grips were available at one point however they've all but dried up since.

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FN 140DA (Browning BDA-380)

SLICK!

A very nice and classy gun. Congratulations on a great purchase.

Beautiful! That thing looks mint! Stuff like that doesn't come along every day.... definitely a good call to jump on it when you saw it. A year from now you won't remember what you spent on it, but if you hadn't bought it you'd definitely remember that!

Beautiful pistol. I have its cousin, a Beretta 84, but this one just oozes old school sexiness.

MGW has blued 32acp barrels for it (search under browning BDA parts), should you want the ability to shoot another caliber. Being double-stack, you will need a caliber specific magazine. Pietro Beretta (PB) made these for FN/Browning and it's basically a closed slide, spur hammer slide-mounted safety version Beretta 84BB so widely available Beretta 81 mags for 32acp or 84 mags for .380 work perfectly.