Gun Stories

[gregintenn]

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.

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

 

[DWalt]

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

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.

 

[BruceM]

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

 

[eveled]

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.

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

 

[Lee's Landing Billy]

Vltor Weapons Systems started out on a Bren Ten Revival the last quarter of 2007 and actually built some tool room models which they showed 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

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.

 

[BruceM]

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