When Dornaus & Dixon designed the Bren Ten with Jeff Cooper's input, their aim was to market a highly accurate, extremely reliable combat arm with all necessary "custom" features right out of the box. Among Jeff Cooper's requirements were:

1. the pistol must be de-horned.
2. have rugged fully adjustable sights.
3. have a self contained tool kit for sight adjustment and basic maintenance.
4. have a lanyard ring.
5. have an adjustable magazine drop.
6. have the ability to be carried "cocked & locked".
7. be chambered in the .40 special (10mm).
8. be capable of target impact velocities with a 200 grain bullet of 1,000 fps.
9. have a loaded chamber indicator which can be verified visually and by feel.
10. must be very accurate.
11. have a reversible (not ambidextrous) thumb safety.
11. most importantly, have a 99.9% reliability rating.


When properly executed, the original Bren Ten achieved these goals. The operative words here are "properly executed". Assembly issues at start-up along with substandard outsourced components such as slide & frame investment castings and the original MEC-GAR dual caliber magazines had quality all over the map. Later manufactured guns with the 2nd generation 10mm magazines were on the mark however. Even Eric Kincel made the following comment regarding the Bren Ten's accuracy in his Gun World feature article on the Peregrine Falcon:

"Dornaus and Dixon advertised that all production Bren Tens would produce a ten-shot group less than one-inch at twenty-five yards, while that auto was in production. From my own experience, I know this to be true. The use of Power-Seal rifling in the Falcon should make it highly accurate."

Apparently, Vltor has deemed that items number 3 and 5 are arguably extraneous and have been dropped. Their decision to use Witness magazine components in their magazine assemblies has left some people scratching their heads also. That said, do you feel that Vltor, with 2010, not 1984 technology available, will be able to maintain the accuracy, reliability and other general design requirements of the original?



Bruce

This post has been edited by BruceM: November 11th 2009 6:34 PM

Who knows? Depends on way to many variables. Right now, we don't know when it's hitting the market, let alone how well it will perform.

I have to believe that Vltor will actually produce the Fortis before I can even consider it meeting those requirements.

Yah, I know what you mean about the "Current Production" Forum. Vltor's Bren Ten is sort of 'tweener.

Bruce

The Brens I handled and shot were terrific firearms. But as I have admitted many times I partake in the koolaid. Or as I've also said I am a member of the cult of the 1911.
I usually carry a revolver (tool of choice a Charter Arms 44 spl) instead of a auto. I look at the 10 as a pick; but the thing that stopped me from purchasing a Bren was basically Sticker shock. An looking at Vltors love of their products I see a large price tag. Plus I see 3&5 especially the tool kit as a great accessory.
Kinda sucks knowing yes I'd like to grab one but I know it will be beyond me.

Hope so. I have had good luck with my EAA magazines, so I am not as nervous about that as many.

The lack of an adjustable magazine drop is not a big issue to me either. No toolkit, kinda bugs me.

Years ago i had a chance at a Bren ... yeah sticker shock . Has anybody heard a release date for the Vltor/Bren? I'm slow getting on the bandwagon , so far only a glock 20. A 29 is coming up at some point .
Then will be a gp100 conversion. However I do have a Clifton scout nah nah nah

I have no need for 3 and 5 either. For me to buy it it needs to be rugged, reliable, and accurate with full power 10mm loads and condition 1 carryable.

Oh, and I have to have the $. If they had come out this year, I would already have had one. Now I will have to save up when it comes out.