View Full Version : East Coast 1911 tactical classes?
Been shooting for a while. Just got my first 1911 and looking for any classes that focus specifically on using a 1911. Already checked Vickers but isn't an option. Any others on the east coast?
The Sig Arms Academy in NH offers a 1911 Operators course. I have taken a few classes up there and was pleased with the facility, instructors, and overall course content.
http://www.sigsaueracademy.com/Courses/ShowCourseDetails.aspx?cid=189&ccid=10
The 1911 is a different animal than Im used to. A whole new world. Was looking to get as close to a 1911 specific guided tour as I can. I have been through several different schools and courses with my 226, cz or g17. 1911's have always been next to me in class and I have seen them with many issues, even with well 1911 versed people. Wanted to see if there was a short cut to what I have seen.
The 1911 is a different animal than Im used to. A whole new world. Was looking to get as close to a 1911 specific guided tour as I can. I have been through several different schools and courses with my 226, cz or g17. 1911's have always been next to me in class and I have seen them with many issues, even with well 1911 versed people. Wanted to see if there was a short cut to what I have seen.
I don't know of any 1911 specific tactical courses on the east coast, but I used a 1911 for a course Jeff Gonzales teaches at Sig in NH - Tac Pistol 1 - and can recommend it highly. Jeff knows 1911s and I am sure would give 1911 oriented tips/advice.
You know you just missed the one Vickers held here in VA.....
He does it once a year I believe, as his schedule allows.
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=32267
John_Wayne777
06-17-09, 20:54
Been shooting for a while. Just got my first 1911 and looking for any classes that focus specifically on using a 1911. Already checked Vickers but isn't an option. Any others on the east coast?
I don't know of any course that offers you what the Vickers course offers. I would strongly suggest doing whatever is necessary to get into the next 1911 operator's class he offers, even if you have to sell non-vital bits of anatomy or sign a contract with Satan.
As for courses, formal training from any of the quality outfits that you see participating here would stand you in good stead. You'll learn a ton about the 1911 if you take any of LAV's handgun courses with one, but you'll also learn a great deal about the fundamentals and executing them to a high level of precision. Ken Hackathorn offers superb pistol instruction. Dave Pennington's concealed carry classes are great. The US Training Center (formerly Blackwater USA) offers great handgun courses. Todd Green's courses are highly spoken of and I'm signed up for one myself later on this year. Magpul Dynamics offers great handgun courses from what I hear.
1911 specific training is great, but don't think you have to wait until LAV's next 1911 course (which you should kill to get into) to start working on improving your skills.
John_Wayne777
06-17-09, 21:03
Ouch, thats harsh... Not a lot of love for 1911s over here at M4C eh?? There seems to be a lot of 1911 haterade drinking over here IMO :(
Far from it.
The 1911 is what it is, and our understanding of what it "is" has been shaped a good deal by people who are genuine experts on the 1911 platform. Templar and I have both had the opportunity to sit down with Ken Hackathorn and Larry Vickers and talk to them at fairly good length about the 1911. We've both been in LAV's 1911 operator's course, which is quite possibly THE best 400 bucks you can possibly spend in the gun world.
Both of those gentlemen have forgotten more about the 1911 than I'll ever know, and their statements about the weapon are well documented here. As a platform used for serious social purposes, it has some issues that more modern designs do not have. That's just the plain truth of it.
Still, if someone is willing to fork out the money to buy a good one and is willing to do the maintenance required to keep it up and do the study of the platform necessary to essentially be their own armorer, then they should certainly buy one if they wish.
While I've learned over the years that I'm not really a 1911 guy, when Lynn Freshly was at the Low Light I course in May of 2008 with a 1911 build in it's early stages, I was drooling on my shoes. When I see a post from the guys at Heirloom Precision I know I'm about to look at something fantastic. I appreciate the 1911 and the artistry (because it IS an art) behind making a really good one.
I'm just too bleedin' poor to afford that sort of thing and as a shooter I suck WAY too much to really maximize the benefit of a good match accurate 1911. Thus it's not for me. A lot of other people are in the same boat as I am.
flyboy1788
06-17-09, 21:29
John Wayne: that was a pretty well explained post, I must say. You brought up some very good points. I myself fell in love with the 1911 the moment I first held one and I think they are what a handgun should look like.
Then eventually I acquired an SA mil-spec a few years back and the love affair only grew. But with being the owner of the pistol and studying literally every little detail of the design over and over and detail stripping it over and over and then getting out and actually shooting it, I did realize that it is not quite the perfect pistol I had thought it was before I shot or held one.
There are some things I really like about it, but some things really bother me and require me to pay attention to unlike on some of my other guns. The extractor is a pain to worry about as well as magazine issues where as on more modern guns, those things are rarely a big deal.
I definately wish I had more money so I could replace the MIM guts of my SA with some quality components then send it off to the custom shop and have it fitted. It was while thinking about doing this and wishing I had money that I realized if I had bought a glock or an m&p, I would not be worrying about the extractor or bad mags or lubing it properly or MIM for that matter.
But I equate the 1911 to a beautiful woman rather than a low maintenance one. The m&p and glocks to me are ugly and have no soul, but their reliability and ease of maintenance is undisputed. The 1911 on the other hand is the beautiful woman that you want to show all your friends, the only problem is she is more high maintenance. But...it seems if you know how to take care of her, she will take care of you.
I guess the answer is just to get both, especially in my case. I do REALLY admire the ability of the m&ps and glocks to be run hard and put away wet without that thought of something braking or not being fitted right in the back of your head.... One day, I will have both :cool:.
Sig has a 1911 Operator's course. Basically a 1-day "getting to know" the 1911 course, with about an hour or so of lecture time, followed by some range time. A buddy and I took it and walked away feeling we got our money's worth. Very much a basic course though, so if you're looking for something at the intermediate to advanced level, this probably isn't it. We took the course at Range 82 here in NoVA, and it was taught by a competent Sig Academy instructor.
Dave Williams
06-19-09, 16:38
Sig Academy really seems to have some cool classes in their lineup.
Is it true Todd was so impressed with the 1911 at that class that he is thinking about switching to "God's Gun"?:)
Dave Williams
Dave Williams
06-19-09, 18:03
Wow, I was completely joking.
Now that would be cool.
Do you think you are man enough to shoot 50K of man cartridge in 6 months?:eek: Do you know if you strike someone in the thumb with .45acp they explode?
Dave Williams
Do you think you are man enough to shoot 50K of man cartridge in 6 months?:eek: Do you know if you strike someone in the thumb with .45acp they explode?
Keep asking questions like the first one and I'll answer the second one with your involuntary help. :p
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.