This is for all you Bren Ten owners and previous users. I know that getting magazines were almost impossible during the hey day of the Bren Ten but did the pistol itself hold up well? How would the Bren Ten compare to the Colt Delta Elite. I'm talking in terms of durability, accuracy and reliability.
Bren Ten
- Thread starter Bandit01
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To be honest, the Bren Ten got alot of positive press in the 80's. Unfortunately they failed. I haven't one in a long time unless you get re-runs of Miami Vice. Check www.gunbroker.com
Mossyrock
Member
I bought a Bren Ten right after they came out. It was my first "expensive" gun purchase, and it cost me an even $500 in 1984. When I bought the gun, I bought all of the Norma ammo the store had in stock; 100 rounds. I was one of the very lucky Bren Ten owners who actually received a magazine with their pistol. In fact, I got TWO! Many Brens were shipped without mags, and the company went under before they could supply them.
For its day, the Bren Ten was quite a piece of work. Mine had great fit and finish and terrific ergonomics. I don't recall ever having any malfunctions with it. Today, however, it is a very dated design. This is especially true of their firing pin block safety. On the original Bren Ten, it was a manually-pushed cross-bolt firing pin block on the slide. Strange design.
After Dornaus and Dixon folded, Norma (the sole 10mm ammo maker at that time) stopped importing ammo. Supplies dried up very quickly and, being young and stupid, decided I had no used for a pistol I couldn't shoot. I traded it for a fairly worn out Colt National Match (pre-Gold Cup). Today, that Bren Ten would be worth twice what the Colt would go for.
Since the time I owned the Bren Ten, I have owned a BUNCH of 10mms, to include several Deltas ranging from bone stock to full-house custom. Given all we have learned about making 10mms run in the past 20 years, I feel pretty confident in stating that a Delta Elite today is a more durable gun than the Bren Ten ever was. If I still owned a Bren, I don't know that I would shoot it. Replacement parts are non-existent. If you break it, to put it bluntly, you are screwed.
If you want a Bren Tenish 10mm, there is a lot to be said for the Witness. I know, I know...their reputation for reliability is spotty.
For the most part, that can be worked through. If you want to be a dedicated 10mm shooter, you had better be prepared to tinker on your guns to make them work, and handload your practice ammo if you shoot more than 50 rounds a month. Otherwise, you will be living on mac and cheese. EAA is SUPPOSED to be marketing a 10mm Witness in the near future called the Witness Stock. It is supposed to look like this:
If that happens, we will have a VERY Bren Ten like 10mm to play with, although the grip is bigger than the Bren was. When I get finished carving on my Witness and get it hard chromed by Tripp, it will look a lot like the Stock, but with fixed sights. If CZ ever decides to chamber the CZ97 in 10mm, we will have what may be the perfect 10mm, and everything the Bren Ten was meant to be.
Now, having said all THAT, as much as it pains me to say it, if you want an off-the-shelf 10mm that will stand up to everything you can throw at it, be easier to shoot than the Delta, the Bren or the Witness and probably outlast all of them, the Glock 20 is probably the answer. It has no soul, but it is a work horse.
Thus endeth today's sermon.
For its day, the Bren Ten was quite a piece of work. Mine had great fit and finish and terrific ergonomics. I don't recall ever having any malfunctions with it. Today, however, it is a very dated design. This is especially true of their firing pin block safety. On the original Bren Ten, it was a manually-pushed cross-bolt firing pin block on the slide. Strange design.
After Dornaus and Dixon folded, Norma (the sole 10mm ammo maker at that time) stopped importing ammo. Supplies dried up very quickly and, being young and stupid, decided I had no used for a pistol I couldn't shoot. I traded it for a fairly worn out Colt National Match (pre-Gold Cup). Today, that Bren Ten would be worth twice what the Colt would go for.
Since the time I owned the Bren Ten, I have owned a BUNCH of 10mms, to include several Deltas ranging from bone stock to full-house custom. Given all we have learned about making 10mms run in the past 20 years, I feel pretty confident in stating that a Delta Elite today is a more durable gun than the Bren Ten ever was. If I still owned a Bren, I don't know that I would shoot it. Replacement parts are non-existent. If you break it, to put it bluntly, you are screwed.
If you want a Bren Tenish 10mm, there is a lot to be said for the Witness. I know, I know...their reputation for reliability is spotty.
For the most part, that can be worked through. If you want to be a dedicated 10mm shooter, you had better be prepared to tinker on your guns to make them work, and handload your practice ammo if you shoot more than 50 rounds a month. Otherwise, you will be living on mac and cheese. EAA is SUPPOSED to be marketing a 10mm Witness in the near future called the Witness Stock. It is supposed to look like this:
If that happens, we will have a VERY Bren Ten like 10mm to play with, although the grip is bigger than the Bren was. When I get finished carving on my Witness and get it hard chromed by Tripp, it will look a lot like the Stock, but with fixed sights. If CZ ever decides to chamber the CZ97 in 10mm, we will have what may be the perfect 10mm, and everything the Bren Ten was meant to be.
Now, having said all THAT, as much as it pains me to say it, if you want an off-the-shelf 10mm that will stand up to everything you can throw at it, be easier to shoot than the Delta, the Bren or the Witness and probably outlast all of them, the Glock 20 is probably the answer. It has no soul, but it is a work horse.
Thus endeth today's sermon.
Sean Smith
Member
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I've shot the Bren Ten a few times. Most notable thing about it to me was the low recoil compared to other 10mm guns, and the nice CZ-style ergonomics. Sights were OK, trigger was nice, and it was reliable for the short bit of shooting I did with it. The safety is kind of eccentric. But if anything goes wrong, you are screwed, there are no replacement parts.
Hey Mossyrock, thanks for your wisdom. Currently I own a Glock 20 and a COlt Delta Elite. While I'm a 10mm fanatic, I'm seriously curious about the old Bren Ten. Can you imagine how far "we" would have been in technology with the 10mm if it didn't fold and then was "recreated". Anyway, it's my favorite caliber. Using AA # 9, tonight I just hand loaded close to 500 rounds. I'm going tohave some fun at the range with my Colt Delta Elite.
Mossyrock
Member
Have fun with your Delta! How do you have it set up as far as springs and stuff go? THR member Sean Smith has done a lot of reasearch on how to make a 1911 in 10mm run well and has a great synopsis on his webpage. VERY good info that will help you get the most out of your Delta. It should be required reading for all 1911 10mm owners.
Mossyrock
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