Few people in the firearms industry can claim the kind of background that Larry Vickers has.
No, scratch that. Absolutely no one in the industry can claim the kind of background Larry Vickers has. Larry is:
- a highly respected retired member of the U.S.’s most elite military counterterrorism unit, 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (aka, “Delta Force”).
- a member of the American Pistolsmiths Guild, and was named the Most Sought After 1911 Pistolsmith by American Handgunner magazine.
- the 2003 Carlos Hathcock award recipient (given in recognition of tremendous contribution to the end user community in the fields of small arms weapon training and development)
- an experienced and successful competition shooter who helped create IDPA.
- long-time consultant to industry giants such as Heckler & Koch (Larry was the principle force behind the development of the HK45 and HK416) and Daniel Defense.
- one of the most popular and effective small arms trainers in the world.
Larry is one of those incredibly rare instructors who can be talking about the latest cutting-edge tactical technique or gadget one minute, and then explaining the difference between a P08 Luger built in 1909 and one built in 1910 the next. He’s quite literally a walking encyclopedia entitled “GUN.”
Recently, Larry added a FAQ section to his website that answers some of the questions he gets when teaching. From “Is the 1911 right for me?” to “What is your ideal carbine?” there is a wealth of information here. The FAQ — and Larry’s classes — are definitely worth checking out.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
Mr. Vickers is also a pretty nice guy. I even got to shoot his prize STMG-44 in a class a couple of times. If you’ve never been to a Vickers class, get in one ASAP. You will not regret it.
I’ve SO got to take a class from him!!!!
I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if there is a range around me he could teach at…
prdator, get him to OKCGC!
I’ll work on it!! I’ve got Jason Falla the co host of Tactical Impact, coming In Dec ( and Todd coming back next year as well!!)
We need enough shooters to get Todd to come back and do a Judgement day, along with another AFHF…
Todd – You forgot to mention his cameo role in “Mall Cop”. THAT was worth the ticket indeed!
Having taken 4 of Larry’s classes I can only say…..”DUH!” The man is outstanding. Here’s something else about Larry that you didn’t mention; not only can Larry teach, but he can back up his lesson with phenomenal shooting.
Another aspect about Larry’s classes is that you get the unvarnished truth about fighting weapons, and how those weapons REALLY perform. Be prepared to have your “sacred cow” slaughtered, butchered, and wrapped in butcher’s paper, at which point Larry will hand you said sacred cow for you to take home and digest.
For example; if you (like me) are a 1911 freak, be prepared to re-evaluate your choice of fighting gun. Yes, the 1911 is a superb handgun with decades of valiant and reliable service, but as Larry (and Ken Hackathorn for that matter) points out, it may not be the best choice for all shooters. I took Larry’s 1911 “smithy-lite” class (1911 shooting with a half-day of limited tinkering and smithing) and he takes great pains to show you where the weak spots are on this shooting platform. Larry is unbiased in his assessment of the 1911. He clearly loves the gun but he is brutally honest. As much as I know, I learned just how much more I needed to learn. Accuracy is THE hallmark of any Vickers’ class
As an IDPA match director I see too many new 1911 shooters that validate what Larry has said in the past, “there are some people that have NO business shooting a 1911”. Larry’s opinion is not one of arrogance or elitism, rather, it is born of real world experience. Remember, the guys that drive 1911s in real ops shoot and work on their 1911s daily, plus they have access to outstanding armorers….do you?
Anyway, I have beaten this horse to death and I apologize. Vickers is the man to learn from on a host of shooting/tactical topics, just leave your ego in the car when you walk onto the range:-)
Find him and enjoy!
W
Larry´s classes are a must for a everyone. We are glad to had him teaching a 4 day pistol class last november in Europe. The best class I ever took.
Frank