Vltor Fortis
Encyclopedia
The Vltor Bren Ten is an updated version of the original Bren Ten
pistol, which itself was a derivative of the CZ 75
series of pistols. The Bren Ten is being developed and manufactured by Vltor Weapon Systems of Tucson, Arizona
and is completely made in the United States. It will initially be available in two calibers: .45 ACP
and the 10mm Auto round which was developed for the original Bren Ten.
; the Bren Ten and its 10mm cartridge were developed primarily to give law enforcement and military personnel the most powerful, yet still practical service pistol available. The Bren Ten never saw large scale production and manufacturing ended in 1986. Several years later there was an attempt to bring a Bren Ten style pistol to market, as the Peregrine Falcon, however this effort fell victim to financial problems and never went into production.
In early 2008, Vltor Weapon Systems started development of the Fortis pistol. Vltor were able to locate all of the original blueprints, drawings and engineering notes from the original Bren Ten and received overwhelming support from many of the original supporters of the concept, including Jeff Cooper's surviving family. They were initially not able to secure the right to use the name "Bren Ten" and decided to market the new pistol under the name "Fortis". 27 July 2009 Vltor announced that they had acquired the rights to the Bren Ten name and that the pistol would be sold as the Bren Ten rather than Fortis.
One major and embarrassing problem which plagued the original Bren Ten was the unavailability of magazines. A number of pistols were actually shipped without magazines. The Vltor, however, has been designed not only to use its own magazine (which doubles as a takedown tool, as did those for the Bren Ten), but can also use magazines from the Tanfoglio
/EAA Witness series of 10mm and .45-caliber pistols. These are widely available, though thousands of magazines have been made even before full-scale production of the pistols. Unfortunately for owners of the original Bren Ten, these magazines will not work in those pistols.
Bren Ten
The Bren Ten was a semi-automatic pistol designed to advance the state of the art in sidearms, combining the then-new, powerful 10mm Auto round with a weapon of greater strength and accuracy than previous designs...
pistol, which itself was a derivative of the CZ 75
CZ 75
The CZ 75 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod in the Czech Republic. First introduced in 1975, it is one of the original "wonder nines" featuring a staggered-column magazine, all-steel construction, and a hammer forged barrel...
series of pistols. The Bren Ten is being developed and manufactured by Vltor Weapon Systems of Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
and is completely made in the United States. It will initially be available in two calibers: .45 ACP
.45 ACP
The .45 ACP , also known as the .45 Auto by C.I.P., is a cartridge designed by John Browning in 1904, for use in his prototype Colt semi-automatic .45 pistol and eventually the M1911 pistol adopted by the United States Army in 1911.-Design and history:The U.S...
and the 10mm Auto round which was developed for the original Bren Ten.
Development
The Bren Ten was a complete pistol and cartridge concept that started in the late 1970s, co-developed by firearms expert Jeff CooperJeff Cooper
John Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms....
; the Bren Ten and its 10mm cartridge were developed primarily to give law enforcement and military personnel the most powerful, yet still practical service pistol available. The Bren Ten never saw large scale production and manufacturing ended in 1986. Several years later there was an attempt to bring a Bren Ten style pistol to market, as the Peregrine Falcon, however this effort fell victim to financial problems and never went into production.
In early 2008, Vltor Weapon Systems started development of the Fortis pistol. Vltor were able to locate all of the original blueprints, drawings and engineering notes from the original Bren Ten and received overwhelming support from many of the original supporters of the concept, including Jeff Cooper's surviving family. They were initially not able to secure the right to use the name "Bren Ten" and decided to market the new pistol under the name "Fortis". 27 July 2009 Vltor announced that they had acquired the rights to the Bren Ten name and that the pistol would be sold as the Bren Ten rather than Fortis.
Structure
The Vltor Bren Ten is externally identical to the Bren Ten, and retains the external shape and style of the Bren Ten. Internally, the Vltor Bren has several changes that were made to address performance and safety concerns, allow for more modern manufacturing techniques, and make it a stronger and more reliable pistol.One major and embarrassing problem which plagued the original Bren Ten was the unavailability of magazines. A number of pistols were actually shipped without magazines. The Vltor, however, has been designed not only to use its own magazine (which doubles as a takedown tool, as did those for the Bren Ten), but can also use magazines from the Tanfoglio
Tanfoglio
Fratelli Tanfoglio S.N.C. is an Italian gun manufacturing company. Their current weapons are used extensively in sport competitions and for personal defence. Tanfoglio is located in Gardone Val Trompia - Italy, and is known for its broad sport pistol catalogue...
/EAA Witness series of 10mm and .45-caliber pistols. These are widely available, though thousands of magazines have been made even before full-scale production of the pistols. Unfortunately for owners of the original Bren Ten, these magazines will not work in those pistols.