For two years I had been following the VLTOR Fortis project to reproduce a new Bren Ten. They finally got the rights to name it the Bren Ten. They even named a distributor and retailer. The all of a sudden nothing. I did a search and found a letter on their website indicating that they suspended the project because of immediate economic downturn and the need to focus on their current production items. But, there was room left for the possibility of starting up production in 2016.

I sent an e-mail inquiry to VLTOR regarding this new Bren Ten pistol and they responded in the same day. The response only indicated that they don't have any updates and that their management team was still working on the project. I have been wanting to get a Bren Ten 10mm pistol since I saw the Dornaus & Dixon ad in Shotgun News back in the 1980's. My interest was piqued again when I read about the Peregrine Falcon and the Sphinx 3000 10mm which looked like a gun I could live with instead of the Bren Ten, but, that was short lived and I missed out on the Sphinx. In the early 1990's I was able to actually handle and pulled the trigger on a Bren Ten at a gun show in Miami. The trigger was a really smooth, light double action trigger. And, the grip and ergonomics felt like holding a Browning High Power, except a little bigger. Unfortunately the price was too much.

Then I read about the VLTOR Fortis project to resurrect the Bren Ten under the Fortis name with improved CNC machining. I thought I was finally going to get a new production gun with a bunch of magazines. Now I don't know. This is one gun that I really want. But, who knows.    

I am not a superstitious man.  That said, it sure seems the Bren Ten is cursed.

I will be shocked and amazed if anything ever comes of the VLTOR Fortis/Bren Ten.  And VLTOR's handling of the the project, at least with regard to communications, is horrible.  The last update was 20 months ago, and included, as every update has, an apology for lack of communication and a promise to do better.

At this point, I am not sure I want one if they are giving them away.

Well there is a real Bren Ten on Gun Broker right now, it happens to be a relisting in a shop in Baton Rouge starting bid is $3500...

I too followed the VLTOR project that Eric Kincel was trying to get going at VLTOR, he is no longer with VLTOR and went with Bravo Company known as BCM toward the end of 2012 or early 2013...VLTOR also mentioned that all of the parts for some 2500 guns were sold to a foreign buyer, this too was suspect as well.
I had a prepaid payment set with the local BPS, in hopes of obtaining a Vice Model and as we all know that never happened...but I did have a real D&D Bren Ten Standard Model to drop in my lap shortly after I took back my prepayment moneys after one year.

VLTOR hasn't shown any movement towards the remake, but I post regular remarks on their Facebook page just because I don't want them to forget...I have a file of most everything concerning the VLTOR/Fortis project that we all called "Unobtanium", "Vaporware".

It would be interesting if they would ever try to bring the Bren Ten out but many of us have a sour taste since they drug this out and all of the blatant misinformation...

One of the things that was of interest was the ammo that was slated to be produced by Black Hills Ammo to coincide with the Bren Ten release...I have never ever seen any of this ammo or if it was ever made...I do have the artwork to print the boxes that someone passed on to me...here is a segment of the box.



Oh well, it seems that the dream of a Bren Ten remake died a terrible death...

I was on the D&D list for two pistols while they were developing the B10 and we know how that turned out. I do remember that they were unable to get the magazines working reliably and that might have been the final straw that sunk their ship. The one B10 I saw once at a gun show had no magazine at all & I recall that some were shipped that way with a promise to send the mags when they were working. Anyone receiving one of those guns is still waiting. So does anyone know if the magazine issue was ever resolved? If not that may be an explanation for why the companies that tried to follow up D&D never went anywhere.

My understanding is they tried to make one magazine to handle both 10mm and 45 ACP and those never were reliable.

When they made a specific magazine for just 10mm, things worked.  They are marked 10mm on the side.  The dual mags say nothing on them.

They had a lot of magazine troubles and there are 4 or 5 different variations.

The companies that tried to follow have learned the same things that they should have learned from D&D.  Take what you think it will cost to bring a new gun to market.  Multiply by 10 and double.  That is the bare minimum.

The Original Brens...The lack of magazine availability was a nail in the coffin for the original models...

QuoteThe first batch of pistols was sent out to the customers with one magazine from a pre serial batch. The much needed magazines could not be available on the US market for two years because Italy prohibited their export and customs seized them as war material. Customers cancelled their orders and in 1986 Dornaus & Dixon Inc. was forced to file for bankruptcy.

If there was a company that could have made the Bren Ten, VLTOR / Abrams Airborne with their in house and resources could have made these firearms, but they gave up before it was given a chance...the consumer put a load of faith into the venture only to be left out in the cold...  We were teased with all of the pictures of the various slides, barrels, frames and those beautiful bushing crowns...









Companies have been successful at adding the 10mm to their lineup and they have sold their guns and still companies are stepping out of their 9mm/45 comfort zone and producing a 10mm firearm, mostly 1911 variants but kudos to Sig Sauer for their big leap to put out their P220 10mm.

Glock has stepped up their platform and number of models over the years to continually produce guns chambered for the 10mm. so they deserve a big thumbs up with their efforts!

I just wish they would release the technical data pack for sale.

Allow someone who actually cares to buy it. I have said many times that by now Vltor could have provided just a basic crude drawing on a napkin with no specifications to smith and wesson or sig sauer and they could have had a fully functional item for sale years ago.

Instead they keep the bren ten in house as some kind of black sheep pet project of the owner. They must be fumbling around with the spec sheets and drawings in the dark to have as much trouble as they claim. We will be coming up on two years in January without an update. Mark my words, the next update will likely be a very close copy paste of the update nearly two years ago.

Blah blah we couldn't meet our quality standards. Blah blah, we put more resources on it.

I seriously think the only resources that they put into the project is giving the facebook people the go ahead to respond to inquiries with their standard response. Can you tell Im a little bitter? 

We are waiting on an update from management.

Forever waiting on the update that they have made no progress since the last update...

No progress and no attempt. This is just a cz75 design. Why not just get a Tangfoglio? It's like being pissed you can't get a 1911 from Kimber but you can still get one from Dan Wesson.

Indeed it does look really similar to the Tanfoglio!

I wish Ruger had taken this project on. With their casting abilities and fininacil backing it would of been a success.

My response on a Throwback Thursday post of VLTOR
Let's go back a few more thursdays!

Yes it was posted as a throwback reminder, I doubt VLTOR will step up and out of its comfort zone to produce the Bren Ten pistols but it would be nice to see them actually produce the Bren Ten. If there was ever a company that could make this happen VLTOR probably could...The 10mm enthusiast wanted this to come about, but those of us who know the history of the original Bren Ten and were around are getting up in age these days. So the target market base is getting older and it will need to be a great product to capture the newer younger people...

Well for what it is worth here is a response I got today on the facebook site;

QuoteVLTOR Hi Wade - we have not killed the Bren project. We just don't want to lie and say it's coming out anytime soon. We've done that before and it wasn't fair to our customers.

I'll probably be dead, dead and gone, before it sees any light of day! 

Quote from: Dave84 on August 30 2016 02:38:46 PM MDT
No progress and no attempt. This is just a cz75 design. Why not just get a Tangfoglio? It's like being pissed you can't get a 1911 from Kimber but you can still get one from Dan Wesson.

The Witness is no Bren Ten.

For starters, the Witness, or T(A)-95, has been in continuous production for 19 years, and its parent gun another 10 years before that. It has been offered in 9X19, 9X21, 38 Super, 40 S&W, 10mm Auto, 45 ACP and 22 long rifle.  Current annual production is around 90,000 units. This means Tanfoglio makes more T-95's in a week than D&D made in three years.

Magazines have always come with the gun, unlike the Bren Ten, which often shipped as a single shot. For those of you who feel gipped by the presence of the magazine, I would be glad to take your's off your hands for several months, leaving you yearning to wring out you gun, but unable to.  I can't, however, fix the fact that aftermarket magazines are readily available and can be at your door next day if you pay for expedited shipping.

The best I can do on a long pre-order wait is tell you to buy online, wait the full 7 days to send your check, and have it draw on a bank in outer Mongolia.  Even then you gun will likely ship within 10 days and be at your FFL in under two weeks.  The Bren Ten clearly wins on "wait time", with some customers waiting up to 15 months for their gun, with non magazine.

Finally, the window is long closed to get your gun shipped before post production testing is completed.  In fact, I don't think Tanfolgio ever shipped any guns in that state.  The closest you could come, again, is to track down 3-4 of the "scalloped" slide models produced around 2012.  Some of these guns had heat treat problems and will crack the slide.  Also, the reduced slide mass made them not run as well with full power 10mm ammo.  Unfortunately, at this point EAA is promptly fixing such guns under warranty, so you won't get to experience long term having a gun with zero support and no after market.

Nope, the Witness is definitely no Bren Ten.


In all seriousness though, the Witness is a very successful, still supported and well proven 10mm handgun that is a more faithful CZ clone than the Bren Ten ever was.  That is why I have both a standard full size and an Elite Match in my safe.  The full size was my EDC for several years.

I am grateful to D&D, Norma and the Bren Ten for giving us the 10mm Auto.  I am grateful to the Delta Elite for breathing some life into the 10mm auto, and creating a platform that the FBI could use to test the 10mm Auto.  And to S&W and Glock for cementing it as a lasting cartridge with the 10XX and Glock 20/29 guns.

But if you want a solid shooting, accurate, affordable steel 10mm, the EAA Witness, and especially the Elite Match, are very hard to beat.

I prefer the Elite Pro as it's DA/SA and has a 4.75" barrel which is closest to the Bren Ten. Mine is great with some upgraded Henning Parts.

SQL,we have the same two witness pistols. I have nothing bad to say about them. Just get a heavier recoil spring.