During testing, the aircraft suffered structural damage during a pullout from a dive and had to be returned to the factory.

The Navy refused to accept the type after A8879 had a fatal crash during a test dive in September 1931.

Other carrier squadrons also operated the BMs for short periods before they moved on to other aircraft, including VB and VT5 (Yorktown) and VT6 (Enterprise).

By the middle of 1938 only a small number of aircraft remained in service, most with VX-3D4 and VX-4D4 which were experimental squadrons based at Philadelphia.

An additional aircraft designated XBM-1 was built for trials and testing with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.