AAR: Vickers Tactical 3-Day Pistol, 28-30 Mar 2009, Brady, TX
AFTER-ACTION REPORT: Vickers Tactical 3-Day Pistol Training, 28-30 March 2009
Quinn Ranch Training hosted Larry Vickers (http://www.vickerstactical.com) for a 3-day pistol course on 28-30 March 2009 near Brady, TX. This was a repeat of the same class held at this location in 2008 and incorporated elements of the Vickers Tactical Pistol Basic and Pistol 1 classes, including a low-light segment. The open-enrollment class had 14 students. Student occupations included medics (always comforting on the range), a land surveyor, a pediatric intensive-care physician, a Border Patrol agent, a college professor (retired Army), engineers, a mergers-&-acquisitions executive, a retired detective, and probably a few I missed. Training backgrounds were quite varied and ranged from none to “a lot.” We had a father-and-two-sons trio (very cool).
Fully half of the students were shooting Glocks. There was one H&K (an issued PS2000 if I remember correctly), and the remainder were M&Ps and 1911s. There were very few weapon-related issues. Larry was primarily shooting a Wilson Combat 1911 in 9x19mm, but he also brought along a Smith & Wesson M&P9 to demonstrate the Crimson Trace visible laser module during the low-light segment.
Weather conditions started out cold and windy on the morning of TD1 but were pretty mild for the remainder. I gave my shivering training partner a couple of disposable hand warmers on the first morning, and I was sharing sunscreen on TD3. Spring in Texas can be anything.
There was a large wedding or some such event scheduled for the same weekend making motel-room availability very limited, so the Quinn Ranch made their hunting lodge available to students for a modest fee to cover cleaning and linens. This was a bonus, as it allowed an opportunity to get to know the other students a bit better.
An after-class highlight for me was watching Wayne D give a two-hour how-to-detail-strip-a-Glock demo at the dining table and hear what issues to watch for and how to properly maintain The Universal Pistol. It is a marvel of modern value engineering. “There’s nothing on this pistol you can’t fix in three minutes.” He proved in on TD3 when a G19 lost its slide-lock spring during the final evaluation. Wayne pulled out his parts box and had it back up and running most rikki tik.
Hearing Protection—A couple of students without amplified hearing protection had difficulty hearing the range commands due to wind and being on the end of the line. Because electronic ear pro can be had for well under $100 these days, I expect that some instructors may begin to make it mandatory, as this is not just a nuisance; it is a safety concern.
Clothing Hazards—One student had a jacket with zipper pulls that got entangled between his Glock and his holster. Fortunately someone else warned him about it before it caused a loud noise. Zipper pulls, draw strings, and shirt tails can be real hazards, especially with “safe-action”-type pistols. It’s best to remove or secure anything that might conflict with safe holstering.
Random Observations
- This content of this class was very similar to last year’s. For details of the drills, see my 2008 AAR: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=13234
- Final round count was a bit shy of 1,000.
- Larry emphasized that the trigger pull for a duty/carry pistol should not be less than 4 pounds. 4-6 pounds is the range he recommends.
- Larry showed us a modified version of the sul ready position in which the support-side thumb is placed over the slide rather than behind it. Larry said this version originated with the Air Marshals and is intended to improve retention. I found it more comfortable and intuitive for me than the conventional Position Sul.
- Larry allowed me to shoot a few rounds through his M&P9, which had a trigger job by Ernest Langdon, grip stippling by David Bowie, Warren Tactical sights, and a CTC laser module. Very nice. Larry advised that he personally would skip the thumb-safety option, because it is in a different location than on a 1911.
- Larry said that the M&P laser module may be the best one that Crimson Trace makes to-date.
- When asked what other pistols other than Glocks should have their magazines downloaded by one round, Larry replied that the only other that came to mind was the M&P45 (download from 10 rounds to 9). He stated that there should be about ½-round free travel in the magazine to ensure that it’s not too difficult to seat during a tactical reload.
- While Larry was demonstrating The Rip Drill and advising that shooters of 1911s needed to master the method of clearing more complex malfunctions, one student (a Glock shooter) asked: “Why, other than nostalgia, would anyone today choose a 1911?” Larry hesitated a bit and then replied: “Yeah, but the 1911 is still the most-shootable pistol.” He stated that 1911 use is in a bit of a decline, but that another magazine-capacity ban could revive its popularity.
- Watching Wayne and Lloyd consistently group all of their shots in the black with their 9mm Glocks makes me wonder why I bother with “the most-shootable pistol.”
- Larry doesn’t bother with a lot of formalities. Rather than a nametag, student’s are likely to get a nickname instead (e.g., Dude, Doc, Professor, Demo, Pearl Jam, Dad, Dude…). Lectures are kept to a minimum. Rather than certificates, we got Vickers Tactical stickers (a cool addition to my dry box).
- Larry invites questions and does not hesitate to give you his opinion based upon his experience.
- A boo-boo kit comes in handy. During the speed-reload drills on TD1 I managed to pinch the palm of my support hand between the magazine base and mag well of my pistol, leaving a tender blood blister. I covered it with a bit of moleskin as I would a friction blister on my foot and wore gloves for the duration with no real discomfort.
Kudos—Many thanks to the Quinn Ranch Training and Lloyd G for hosting another world-class training opportunity. Many thanks also to Larry Vickers for making the trek to Texas.
