Bren Ten Special Forces

[usctrojan]

A friend of mine has an opportunity to buy a Bren Ten Special Forces. Does anyone know how much this gun is worth? Trying to see if the pricing is fair. I am not finding an equivalent on Gun Broker.

Thanks!

FYI: It's BlueFireFluid. He posted below.

[wilshire1412]

Somewhere around $2500 if it is complete with magazine.

These are more of a collectors item than a pistol you would want to shoot. The SF model has a shorter slide than the standard Bren Ten and therefore has less mass and higher velocity during cycling. This was a problem with some of the guns since the slides used by D&D were cast steel and were prone to develop cracks when shooting full power 10mm ammunition.

If the pistol in question is an unfired original with at least one magazine and the shipping box it would possibly be worth $2500 to the right buyer at the right time. A pistol that exhibits signs of much use will be considerably less, and magazines are expensive and difficult to find for these pistols.

I had one for a while in .45, great to look at but not much better to shoot than a S&W 645 / 4506 in my opinion.

[BlueFireFluid]

If the pistol in question is an unfired original with at least one magazine and the shipping box it would possibly be worth $2500 to the right buyer at the right time. A pistol that exhibits signs of much use will be considerably less, and magazines are expensive and difficult to find for these pistols.

The gun has been fired, but I would guess under 200 rounds. The pistol looks like a brand new gun. It is complete with the original box, manual and two magazines. Also included with it is a shoulder holster and about 400 rounds of the original Norma ammunition.

[Oceanbob]

I see problems ahead for the new Bren Ten

A friend of mine has an opportunity to buy a Bren Ten Special Forces. Does anyone know how much this gun is worth? Trying to see if the pricing is fair. I am not finding an equivalent on Gun Broker.

Thanks!

FYI: It's BlueFireFluid. He posted below.

I don't know if this will affect the value of the Bren Ten Special Forces..however you mentioned the gun has been fired at least 200 rounds and that alone removes it from the New In Box catagory. Less $.

Follow this thread on the current Bren Ten and their impending bankruptcy that is probably going to happen. I understand that Bass Pro Shops has taken 100s of deposits on these weapons; nothing has shipped yet and people are understandably worried.

Jeff Cooper is probably rolling over in his grave about now.
You might have to join this site for easy reading.

http://www.ar15armory.com/forums/VLTOR-Bren-Ten-Update-21-t82545.html

[Woodworker2]

For what it is worth...

My 2008 Edition of "Gun Digest Book of Guns and Prices" lists the Special Forces Edition Bren Ten as $1,500 for NIB, and $1,250 for Excellent . Of course, these prices assume you can actually find one and not pay "extra" just because it is not on the Roster. There would be some escalation in price since this is two years old, plus a few $$ for extra ammo and shoulder holster (miami classic??).

more reading here for others interested in Brens:

http://www.bren-ten.com/website/index.html

http://myweb.cableone.net/jlhickman/BrenTen/

[wilshire1412]

Is the BT you are looking at the dark or light model? Dark = all black and light = stainless frame and hard chrome slide?

The actual selling prices on these have been up and down a bit over the years. Within the last couple of years I have seen a few used standard models on GB that sold for right around $1500 with one mag and no box. There were more standards than anything else, and I think more SF dark than the SF light. Total production by Dornau & Dixon is rumored to be approximately 1500 pistols total, including the standard, both SF models, and the Marksman Special.

If you really want it and can get it for less than $2K it might be a reasonable deal. When it comes time to sell it may take longer than you might expect to find a buyer. If you shoot it and break something you could be SOL with an expensive paperweight.

[ke6guj]

For what it is worth...

My 2008 Edition of "Gun Digest Book of Guns and Prices" lists the Special Forces Edition Bren Ten as $1,500 for NIB, and $1,250 for Excellent . Of course, these prices assume you can actually find one and not pay "extra" just because it is not on the Roster. There would be some escalation in price since this is two years old, plus a few $$ for extra ammo and shoulder holster (miami classic??).
]

but since it is roster-exempt, you can search nationwide for one, so there shouldn't be any CA-surcharge like you sometimes find for off-roster handguns that are able to be PPTed in CA.

[BlueFireFluid]

If you really want it and can get it for less than $2K it might be a reasonable deal. When it comes time to sell it may take longer than you might expect to find a buyer. If you shoot it and break something you could be SOL with an expensive paperweight.

Yeah, I am kind of worried about breaking it, but I really don't intend on shooting it all that often. It is the Light model and I am being offered it for less than 1500.

Also I know that it was sent in to the manufacturer to have some custom work done on it, but I am not sure what he meant by that.

@Woodworker2
Thanks for the look up... I have been looking for a price online. It would definitely qualify as Excellent condition.

[wilshire1412]

Sounds like not too bad a deal being a SF light with two magazines.

These are roster exempt since the D&D guns are listed as C&R now, so long as you can find someone willing to send it here it can be done.

If you do get the pistol and decide to shoot it you should be sure that the recoil spring is in good shape, and I would refrain from shooting any nuclear level 10mm through it.

[wamphyri13]

For what it is worth...

My 2008 Edition of "Gun Digest Book of Guns and Prices" lists the Special Forces Edition Bren Ten as $1,500 for NIB, and $1,250 for Excellent . Of course, these prices assume you can actually find one and not pay "extra" just because it is not on the Roster. There would be some escalation in price since this is two years old, plus a few $$ for extra ammo and shoulder holster (miami classic??).

more reading here for others interested in Brens:

http://www.bren-ten.com/website/index.html

http://myweb.cableone.net/jlhickman/BrenTen/

My book, "2009 Standard Catalog of Firearms" lists the pistol as being nearly identical in price.
Model "D" = Dark finish
NIB - $1500
Exc - $1200
Add 25% for Model "L" = Light finish.

ke6guj - Why do you believe this is roster exempt?
Ryan

[ke6guj]

ke6guj - Why do you believe this is roster exempt?
Ryan

because it is C&R

[windrunner50]

Back in the day Dornaus & Dixon aka Bren Ten offered a factory upgrade, which might be the custom work you mentioned. They upgraded the rear adjustable sight, and added a trigger stop. FYI the factory Bren boxes are generic looking cardboard boxes with various labels or hand written details on the end flap. Hope this helps!

[wilshire1412]

Back in the day Dornaus & Dixon aka Bren Ten offered a factory upgrade, which might be the custom work you mentioned. They upgraded the rear adjustable sight, and added a trigger stop. FYI the factory Bren boxes are generic looking cardboard boxes with various labels or hand written details on the end flap. Hope this helps!

At the time Dornau & Dixon were under a lot of pressure to get guns completed and out the door, many promises to deliver were made to buyers that were not being kept by the manufacturer. There were guns that were delivered without magazines to customers in an effort to avoid any legal actions. D&D did this with the promise that once magazines were available the owner of the pistol would need to send the pistol in to have a final fitting done to ensure the magazines would function as intended. Some buyers refused to even send the pistol back since they felt there was a possibility of never having it returned, and were lucky enough to have received anything for their money at all. It really was a small operation they had going, and were really lucky to be able to produce what they did before going under.

There is currently an effort to bring the Bren Ten back to market by another company, although it appears to have stalled for the time being. There are a few potential owners of the new Bren Ten that are going through the same frustration that happened with the original BT 25+ years ago.

[BlueFireFluid]

Back in the day Dornaus & Dixon aka Bren Ten offered a factory upgrade, which might be the custom work you mentioned. They upgraded the rear adjustable sight, and added a trigger stop. FYI the factory Bren boxes are generic looking cardboard boxes with various labels or hand written details on the end flap. Hope this helps!

Yeah, I think that is what he said was done. Plus it does have the added trigger stop. As for the cardboard box, it is exactly as you and the website has described, complete with the blue ballpoint penned serial number on the side. Also comes with the manual.

I told the owner that he had a deal and it looks like the PPT is going to happen on Sunday.

[Ascout]

At the time Dornau & Dixon were under a lot of pressure to get guns completed and out the door, many promises to deliver were made to buyers that were not being kept by the manufacturer. There were guns that were delivered without magazines to customers in an effort to avoid any legal actions. D&D did this with the promise that once magazines were available the owner of the pistol would need to send the pistol in to have a final fitting done to ensure the magazines would function as intended. Some buyers refused to even send the pistol back since they felt there was a possibility of never having it returned, and were lucky enough to have received anything for their money at all. It really was a small operation they had going, and were really lucky to be able to produce what they did before going under.

There is currently an effort to bring the Bren Ten back to market by another company, although it appears to have stalled for the time being. There are a few potential owners of the new Bren Ten that are going through the same frustration that happened with the original BT 25+ years ago.

That's the way I recall it going down, exacerbated by all the easily suggestible viewers watching too much Miami Vice. Neither the Bren Ten nor the Colt Delta Elite were successes and IMO, are more like developmental oddities today valuable only for their unique history and relative rarity, rather than sterling performance....kinda' like a Delorean.
One of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but in retrospect....