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Catalogs, Manuals & Newsletters From Dornaus & Dixon
For those who have been bitten by the "Bren Bug" one of the best ways to learn about the story behind the gun is through the
various literature put out by Dornaus & Dixon or those who were promoting their products. This includes such items as the
Bren catalogs, the Bren Ten owner's manual, Bren newsletters put out by System Ten Associates, Bren updates sent out by Mike
Dixon, etc. Most gun magazine articles of the time that covered the Bren did an okay job, but they focused primarily on the
pistol itself. The manuals, catalogs, newletters, etc. do this as well, but they also give you a better idea of what the hopes
and future plans of Dornaus & Dixon were. I think it is this "vision" that most detractors of the Bren are missing. There's
no denying that there were faults with both the gun and the company that made it, but you also cannot ignore the concept and
ideal that Dornaus & Dixon were trying to accomplish with the Bren Ten. The information found in this literature is a vital
piece of the Bren Ten puzzle.
When it comes to the Peregrine Falcon and Phoenix there aren't even any guns available and so the only thing we have are the
catalog, fliers, letters, etc. The more I look at these guns the more I wish the project would have succeeded. While it's
impossible to put one of these guns through its paces, it looks like a lot of the problems that plagued the Bren were taken
care of. Unfortunately we may never know, unless someone with vision as well as funding picks up the Bren/Falcon ball and
runs with it.
DORNAUS & DIXON 1983 BREN TEN CATALOG
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'83 Catalog, Page 1
'83 Catalog, Page 2
'83 Catalog, Page 3
'83 Catalog, Page 4
'83 Catalog, Page 5
'83 Catalog, Page 6
'83 Catalog, Page 7
'83 Catalog, Page 8
'83 Catalog, Page 9
'83 Catalog, Page 10
'83 Catalog, Page 11
'83 Catalog, Page 12
'83 Catalog, Page 13
'83 Catalog, Page 14
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The more common of the two Dornaus & Dixon catalogs, at least in my experience, has been the glossy-covered 1984 version
with the SFL and military dual-mag pouch. Even if you already have this one I highly recommend picking up one of the older
'83 catalogs should the opportunity present itself. To begin with there are no Special Forces models in this earlier catalog.
Additionally, all the pictures are based on the prototype Bren seen in various early articles or photographed in the hands
of Col. Cooper. The most notable differences are the scalloping around the trigger guard and a small notch in the back of
the rear sight "hump." Of particular interest to me was the picture of the Pocket Model. In all the pictures I have
seen of the Pocket Model the slide is identical in appearance to the one used on the Special Forces models. The frame, with
the exception of the trigger guard, retains the basic form of the standard frame used on all other Brens, though abreviated
in both height and thickness. In my opinion the earlier version has more of a "pocket pistol" look than the later
'84 one.
BREN TEN OWNER'S MANUAL (ABRIDGED)
The Bren Ten Owner's Manual is really a treasure trove of great information. One of the things I really like in particular
are the exploded view drawings of the Standard Model, Special Forces model and Pocket Model guns.
I was hoping to be able to post links for the whole owner's manual, but just couldn't do it due to limited storage space for
images. I wanted to keep the images full-sized and keep the image quality reasonable and that makes it difficult to keep the
file size down. I've included what I felt were the more important pages of the owner's manual, but if there's a page you'd
like to see that I didn't include just email me and I can email you back the particular page(s).
BREN TEN DEALER LETTER & ORDER FORM
The first item here is a letter from Mike Dixon inviting FFL holders to become a Bren Ten dealer. What I found interesting
was how Mr. Dixon really lays it on thick in regards to Col. Cooper's support for the 10mm Bren Ten and how he was basically
laying down his beloved 1911 in favor of the new gun. Quite entertaining reading!
Next comes a Bren Ten order form. I cringe every time I look at the dealer price and think about how much I paid for my two
Brens. It's interesting to note that both the Pocket Model and the .22LR conversion kit are both listed on the form. I would
be curious to know how many people actually ordered these items only to find out that they were never to be.
"THE BREN TEN NEWS" NEWSLETTER, VOL. 1, NO. 1
"The BREN TEN News" was put out by System Ten Associates who also produced various Bren Ten items such as belt buckles,
posters, t-shirts, baseball caps, etc. At least three of these promotional newsletters were published, but it's possible there
could have been more. These newsletters included a variety of Bren related information. On the front page of this issue there's
even a short article that describes "The BREN TEN News" as a means of keeping Bren enthusiasts informed about the
gun, the people behind the Bren Ten and various new products. You need to remember that this is basically a four-page D&D
advertisement, but all in all it's fun to read. If anyone else out there has any of the other Bren newsletters please contact
me as I would like to include as many different copies as possible.
SYSTEM TEN ASSOCIATES ORDER FORM
One of the things that's always been frustrating about collecting Bren Ten items is not knowing what all is actually out there.
Bruce Orlowski was kind enough to share this System Ten Associates order form that lists the various Bren non-gun accessories
they sold. Thanks Bruce!
DORNAUS & DIXON BREN UPDATE, NOVEMBER 16TH, 1984
Faced with numerous problems and complaints from consumers (both those who were still waiting for their Brens as well as those
who had already received them), Dornaus & Dixon Enterprises, Inc. mailed out a number of "updates." These "updates"
are a very interesting read, though it's important to remember the atmosphere at the time in which they were written as well
as who was writing them. As long as these issues are taken into consideration the Bren "updates" can provide a lot
of valuable information. Thanks to Brian, who sent me a copy of one of the original updates he received from Dornaus &
Dixon.
PEREGRINE INDUSTRIES CATALOG, FLIERS, LETTERS, ETC.
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Peregrine Industries Catalog, Letter
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Cover
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 1
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 2
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 3
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 4
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 5
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Page 6
Peregrine Industries Catalog, Back Cover
Peregrine Industries Falcon Flier, Front
Peregrine Industries Falcon Flier, Back
Peregrine Industries Phoenix Flier, Front
Peregrine Industries Phoenix Flier, Back
Peregrine Industries Dealer Price Sheet
Peregrine Industries "Delayed Delivery" Letter
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As most Bren enthusiasts know, after Dornaus & Dixon came Peregrine Industries and their resurrected version of the Bren,
the Falcon. Though no guns ever made it into the hands of consumers (at least as far as I know) there were a few items available.
These were the catalog and fliers for both the Falcon and Phoenix pistols. Unlike the Bren catalogs the Peregrine Industries
catalog is in full color and is really well done. This goes for the one-page fliers for the two guns as well. (It sure made
me want to buy one!) In addition to the catalog and fliers I've also included an introduction letter, a dealer price list
and also a letter appologizing for a delay in production.
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