Watched the show "Gun Stories" (I like it) this week. It was about the "Desert Eagle" history. I thought the show was pretty cool. I knew about the Desert Eagle, but did not know its history. They seem to have quite a cult following. I thought it was interesting how many movies and video games included one of these.

Can't imagine holding a pistol weighing in at about 4 pounds at arm's length for very long. Anybody here have one in .50 AE?

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

I had one. It was fun for a while but not practical. Sold it for something better

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My son-in-law had one in 44 magnum . Shot it quite a bit alongside a S&W model 29. You would think the weight and semi-auto action would dampen recoil but it didn't . That massive slide slamming back and then slamming forward , gave it a sense of more recoil. Plus the backwards / forwards motions were unpleasant and added to sensed or felt recoil.
Both of us agreed after shooting the DE and model 29 side by side with the same loads, we had 3 different , the S&W was the preferred shooter.
I just didn't like the recoil of the DE ....the S&W was much more manageable and pleasant to shoot . You would think The massive DE would be the winner , but it isn't at all.
Gary

They filmed most of Joe Mantegna's narratives for this season at the National Firearms Museum. It was my job to manage the guns he was using as props.

In the attached photo, you can see me handing a Desert Eagle to Joe, with producer Michael Bane in the background.

Attached Images

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High Caliber History

I had the first one in Central, Ohio. From Christmas of 1991 until last year. Big and loud! Recoil was manageable with more of a twist than a kick. The 350grain Sampson and 365 grain Hawk twisted the most, the 300 Sampson and 325 Speer were well on the pleasant side of nasty. 300 grain FMJ by Sampson, was originally imported, then stopped because of the over penetration factor.

I found my repo Colt walkers with 70grains of FFg and 220 grain conical to have more felt recoil and they weigh a little more too.

Ivan

Gun Stories is a must watch for me and I always liked Joe.

Gotta ask, is he as nice a guy as he comes across as on TV?

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Get off my lawn!

Hands down, one of the nicest and most genuine guys I've ever met. I look forward to his visit each time he comes out because I know it'll be a no drama, no BS scenario. He's not Joe Mantegna - The Star ... he's Joe Mantegna - The Regular Guy.

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High Caliber History

I am a big man, standing 6'-4" weighing in at about 220 lbs. I worked on drill rigs most of my life. I have muscles. That being said, I tried to hold a friends Desert Eagle 50 AE to do some off hand target shooting. Within a few shots my arm was getting fatigued from holding it at arms length trying to align the sights. Very heavy for a handgun. Neat gun though.

Sold mine. A 50. Had to learn to shoot with elbows and wrists locked. After 10 rnds, my joints were sore the next day. Accurate and flat shooting, though.
I'm old. Will stick with 44 mag and under.

Looks like he actually shoots the DE. Sometimes, when they show him shooting guns, it's fake. He's not actually shooting and they add the "bang."

Excellent show. I have never missed an episode.

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I've still got it made.

Why would they do this?

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

I've had 44 & 50 DE, both used gently. Also had Auto mag 44.
To big for me. I have not run across any of the magnum autos
I could shoot near as well as a 6" 29. I have shot LARs and the
Wildies and did the same. Off bags they shot well, but not any
better than a 29. It would take a big guy to take advantage of
the semi auto advantage, I always shoot SA anyway so there is
no advantage for me. They are neat, but so is a 45/70 derringer.

I'd nominate the Bren Ten as a candidate for future episodes. Sort of a mystery gun for most who even know what it is.

I met a guy who owned the Desert Eagle in three calibers. He carried the .44 Magnum concealed. More or less. Some kind of shoulder rig. He had a tendency to walk in circles.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Mine shot high & right. Okay, but when the brass came back so hard that it cut my forehead, enough. The little crescent moon cut actually drew blood.

That, right there, is the definition of kewl!!

My boy and I just went out to the desert and shot a bunch of rounds with a .50 BMG Barrett. My first time... it was like surreal! I shoot left handed and the brass kept nailing me in the right shoulder. It was worth it!

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I'm too windy for 30 chrctrs!

When Ron Carrillo and I were doing the research for the book "Bren Ten-The Heir Apparent" we tried to get Jim Scoutten from "Shooting USA" to do a segment on the Bren Ten. We thought it might stir a little interest in the gun and the book. No luck with that though as Scoutten felt there was just too little interest in the gun. However, in a recent Shooting USA episode there was a brief reference to the Bren Ten and Miami Vice in a segment regarding the renewed interest in the 10mm cartridge and the "new" Colt Delta Elite. I would never say never but it's unlikely that Gun Stories would be interested although that gun and cartridge along with the "Centimeter" wildcat eventually led to the development of the .40 S&W and the Smith M4006.

Bruce

44 wheelman,
Had the same exact experience with my 50. Crescent cut in forehead from case mouth. My sons and I actually laughed.
Shallow. Just broke a few little veins. Not profusely.
Like I said, I sold it off.

I got my boy a DE 50 for his 18th BD
It's always been his favorite videogame gun
I came across a very nice used one at a fair price
He really loves that gun
It's a handful

I thought this was kinda funny tho
I got him a DE 50 for his BD
and
I got myself a S&W 22 Victory for mine

My question exactly. Most of the time he really is shooting the guns.

Perhaps the guns' owners don't want them fired. Some they show are quite valuable.

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I've still got it made.

I'm pleased to hear that. He always seemed like he'd be a cool guy.

I still have an unused original Bren Ten instruction manual. I always sort of wanted a Bren Ten, but never had the opportunity to buy one. About 10 years ago I bought a full-size EAA Witness, about the closest facsimile to the Bren existing. I haven't been sorry with the Witness, a great design, albeit heavy. I remember that several years ago, I read about someone intending to re-start manufacture the BT, I don't think that project ever got off the ground.

Vltor Weapons Systems started out on a Bren Ten Revival the last quarter of 2007 and actually built some tool room models which they shown at the 2008 or 2009 S.H.O.T. show. After that however they just back burnered it and lied to potential customers about what was going on. Their B.S. got so deep that Bass Pro Shops was taking deposits on them for awhile.

Original Bren Ten owner's manuals which were actually issued with guns come with two loose sheet addenda. Those which were given away as promo items at S.H.O.T. and those sold as promo items from the factory for $1 do not. As you can see, that owner's manual was one of if not the best one ever made and, in fact, won an industry award at the time.

The EAA Witness guns are similar in appearance to the Bren Ten but there the similarity ends. Ergonomics and features are not even remotely close. Just about anyone who has handled and shot both guns will tell you the same thing.

Bruce

Thats your job, and you only have 420 posts? Lol! We need you to open up more.

I have shot the Bren extensively in 10mm and 45acp. The latter are pretty hard to find but worth the effort. I have NO experience with the EAA. The Bren just "feels" right. I have small hands and it still works for me. You are absolutely right about the ergos. It's very close to a Check 75 in feel to me. My pals and I had deposits on the Brens and when the mag problems appeared we didn't wait out the solution. They gave us our deposits back, gracefully. Of course NOW, I wish I had waited. These guns in 45acp were real *****cats to shoot. The 45s we shot were all black finished and the 10s two toned.

I think your memories are playing tricks on you regarding this. The only all dark guns Dornaus & Dixon built were the Military & Police Model and the Special Forces Dark Model. The former was a 5" 10mm and the latter was a 4" 10mm. They did however build 251 Marksman Special Match .45 ACP guns (not cataloged) for the Marksman Shop in Glenview, Illinois. These were 5" two-tone guns similar to the Standard Model, They did not bear the Gunsite Raven logo or the name Bren Ten. Jeff Cooper would not allow it because they were not chambered in what he called the .40 Special (10mm). D&D did build a blued 5" .45 ACP top half conversion kit. It was identical to the Standard Model top half except with a .45 ACP barrel and breach face. They also made about fifty Dual Master Presentation sets which came with the conversion kit and featured a hi-polished SS frame, a small amount of scroll engraving on the blued slides, smooth walnut Herrett grips and a very nice red velvet lined lockable walnut presentation case.

You are right about both the ergo's and the trigger pull of the Bren Tens. They both were pretty good. All Bren Tens utilized barrels built by a protege' of Barrett Obermeyer's featuring a small amount of freebore and Obermeyer's 5R "Russian" rifling. They also had a number of creature features including a screwdriver built into the guide rod assembly (on 5" guns), reversible thumb safety, adjustable magazine drop for fall free or half eject and nearly indestructible fully click adjustable rear sights mounted in a revetment on the slide. Guy Hogue provided the black fiberglass reinforced nylon grips.

All and all, a really clever gun. Way too many startup blurbs and not anywhere near enough startup capitol in the 1983 economy. The Witness isn't even close.

Bruce