Course: Larry Vickers 2-Day Handgun
Date: June 3-4, 2016
Location: Southern Hills Tactical - Custer, SD
Tuition: $525.00
On the Web:
http://aliastraining.com/larryvickers.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/AliasTrainingLLC
http://vickerstactical.com/
http://www.southernhillstactical.com/
https://www.facebook.com/southernhillstacticalllc
Administrative
Course information and enrollment was handled through Alias with good comms. Local host and area information, along with packing lists were provided in advance of training days. The packing list was correct to class activities with no unneeded extras or omissions.
Students
20 students reportedly enrolled, with 16 reporting for class on TD1. One did not return for TD2 for personal reasons, so 15 completed the course. Most students were regular folks, a few cops, and one active duty AF SFS troop. All were male. Experience level varied. A few were Vickers alumni. Students came from South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Montana, and California. Ages ranged from mid-teens to 60+. A handful were also enrolled in the 2 day 1911 Operators course that followed this one on June 5-6.
Facilities
The facilities were excellent overall. Recent range improvements left a layer of fine silty dirt that blew around the firing line and into eyes and gear in TD1 winds. TD2 was calm. SHT has a well-stocked pro shop and staff were present throughout the course. The range was closed to the public throughout the class.
Equipment
Students wore regular street clothes, a few with some manufacturer hats and tees, and used practical gear. All but a few had EDC service grade pistols in CCW-appropriate leather or kydex holsters. The majority of guns were Glocks in 9mm, but there were also a few HKs, a Sig 320, and Larry’s 1911. There may have been others as well. Sight manufacturers varied, and only one gun had an RDS. There were two highly customized Glocks from specialty shops, one of which had functional problems on TD2. Problems with other guns were minimal. Two Glocks experienced loose front sights, having been improperly installed without any thread locker. Another Glock lost a fiber optic insert. One student attempted to run 10rd magazines in his Glock but acquired standard capacity mags from the pro-shop. A G17 with a Haley Skimmer trigger ran without issue.
My gear: I used my EDC gen4 Glock 17, w/ Ameriglo I-Dot Pro sights (http://ameriglo.com/), and otherwise unmodified. Magazines were all Magpul pmag 17s. Carry gear was kydex from EGA Custom (https://www.egacustom.com/), and 9mm 115 FMJ from Black Hills Ammunition (http://www.black-hills.com/). I started the class with about 200rds on the gun since last maintenance, and didn’t clean or relube throughout the remainder of class. I had no gear issues, even with the silt.
Course Activities
Class began with a sign-in period in the shop. As the range shared a berm with the local airport, safety procedures for airfield activity were outlined. All class activity was conducted on the range. A description of the two days of training was provided along with some basic instructor perspective and expectations. A short safety brief was also provided emphasizing Larry’s perspective on the four rules of firearms safety. The range was run hot. There were no student introductions, nor range emergency/med plan.
Through TD1 and TD2, the class moved through a stack of drills and instruction that progressively increased in complexity and demands on the shooter. All shooting was done on USPSA metric targets with a B8 bullseye stapled high center. The accuracy objective in all exercises was the black 5-1/2” bullseye and all instruction emphasized accuracy and the primacy of proper trigger press. Other fundamentals of marksmanship including sighting, stance, and grip were discussed with less emphasis. Firing began with a “check-in” exercise for a cold indicator of where shooters were at. Thereafter, there were a series of trigger control drills with and without time constraint. As class progressed, Larry added presentations from holsters, reloads, malfunction clearances, and shooting on the move to the front and rear. Drills were generally shot at the 3, 6, and 9 yard lines. Due to an above average class ability, many were shot at the 4, 8, and 12 yard lines. Other drills included walk-back exercises with individual performance pressure and penalties. There were no team exercises this class. The maximum distance of any drill was 20 yards. A scan-and-assess was suggested prior to holstering, but there was no additional range kata. This class included some new drills Larry was using, and some were beasts. These included a 3-position Bill Drill that was conducted in multiples of 6 for distance, time, and score; a Rob Leatham trigger control drill set; and the "Buddyf***er." Each drill or skill component was preceded by explanation/discussion, modeling/demonstration, and then student performance. Further group discussion, remediation, and repetition followed as needed. Some shooters received individual attention as needed, most did not require it.
The class included administration of “The Test” on both TD1 and TD2. In this class, the traditional Test (10rds, 10yds, 10sec) was combined with the Half-Test (10rds, 5yds, 5sec) in a time-plus scoring method. Scoring was derived by starting with the shooter's time, then adding penalties of +1 sec for each hit to the white paper surrounding the black bull, and +3 sec for each hit to the cardboard. On TD1, this test was administered late in the day and student performance reflected that. On TD2, the test was run mid-morning with far better results. Many met the standard. I was pleased with both of my runs, ~12 sec with penalties on TD1, and 8.6 clean on TD2.
Throughout the class there was considerable discussion on equipment and industry matters prompted by student questions or observations on the line. Many are found in Larry’s writings and other productions (TAC-TV, etc). The balance are the added value that comes from attending these classes in person and are omitted here.
Gems noted by some:
ready positions- Keep them in a rolodex, as a single ready position (high, low, compressed, temple index, etc) will not work in all possible conditions. There is a place for all, with some less than others.
presentation to the target- When presenting the HG to the target use the three P’s. Present the gun to the target, Pause an instant at full extension to check sight alignment, then Press off the shot.
draw- When teaching presentation from the holster a useful visual was offered. Place the empty gun hand at the holster and point the index finger downward. Draw it from the holster and point downrange. You don’t cast or bowl with your finger when drawing to point your finger. Why do so with a handgun?
spring replacement- Check manufacturer guidelines for replacement intervals and have spares. This is frequently overlooked by many shooters.
High Points
This was a good class, attended by friendly, motivated, and capable learners. There were no students who didn’t belong. There were no leg-humpers, tactical-band-campers, or malcontents.
Training was taught to the objective not the clock or the round count.
SHT is a great venue.
Results speak for themselves. This target from TD2 is ~452 rounds, with a 15rd endex drill at the bottom.
Druthers
No emergency/med brief.
If you’re in or near a class that’s underway, please put your phone on vibrate or silence if you need to have it with you.
Electronic ear pro is cheap these days, and is listed as “preferred” on the packing list. If you don’t have it, please upgrade. It helps everyone out.
Round Count
(1) 420, (2) 452 = 872 total
Thanks to Larry, Alias, and the Southern Hills Tactical crew.
See the SHT and Alias FB pages for class photos.
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Originally Posted by karmapolice
