Training: Tips from Larry Vickers

05/28/2018By Redaktion

Aktivgehörschutz Blue Force Gear Comtac Firearms

Larry Vickers spent over 20 years in the US Army, the last 15 of which were in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta, also known as the "Delta Force". Since retiring, he has continued to work in the firearms industry with his company Vickers Tactical, both as a consultant and a trainer. At Blue Force Gear, you can find the excellent Vickers Sling, on YouTube his great video channel, and in print a fascinating book series, the Vickers Guide on firearms history. Here are some thoughts from Larry based on his experiences as an instructor with various military and police units, as well as civilians he has taught pistol and rifle shooting:

Muzzle brakes and such …

Muzzle brakes are great for a 3-Gun match, but almost worthless in the real world. If you have ever had to use your rifle in a closed space as part of a tactical unit or during a night battle, you know that comps and the like have no place on your weapon. End of discussion. If you attend a course with the goal of shooting a few rounds at the range and looking cool doing it, then muzzle brakes are right for you. Pair it with Ronald McDonald shoes.

Active hearing protection

Honestly, I still encounter people who show up to courses without active hearing protection. This creates a dangerous situation as they only hear half of what the instructor is saying. Bottom line: If you can't afford Comtacs, you can't afford a shooting course. Spend your time instead in your neighborhood collecting recyclables - until you can afford active hearing protection.

Basic training

Two examples come to mind: students who constantly tactically reload or always close the ejection port (note: with the AR15). Both techniques are useful at the right time and place, but many who master these basics are simply bad at hitting targets. Here's a tip from Uncle Larry: Hit your target first, then think about secondary tasks like closing an ejection port. In the real world, you'll quickly realize that the former largely makes the latter unnecessary.

Skill

Skill cannot be bought. Some people buy every piece of accessory available in the world and mount it on their rifle. Or have a "combat" pistol with a hair-trigger or other atrocious modifications. Save your money from such gimmicks. Put it to more productive use, such as mastering proper aiming or trigger techniques. You'll be amazed at how well you can shoot with a stock weapon.

Quality over quantity

Try to get the most out of every shot. If you only shoot 150 rounds and focus on practice and technique, you'll get more out of it than shooting five times as much ammo in an "entertainment" course and acting like it's a video game. In the real world, it's different. You are responsible for every shot fired, and each one must hit its target. You don't get extra points for dynamic magazine reloading. The other side will respond with lead.

Lastly:

Competitive shooting

Competitive shooting is fun and exciting but can be harmful to your health if you ever find yourself in a shootout and try to use your "match-winning" techniques. In a life-or-death situation, there is no rehearsed run and no one telling you to get ready. I mention this because I've seen students in some classes who compete in shooting matches but show up for drills with a completely unloaded weapon. And this at a time when concealed carry is allowed in over 40 states! That's unreal...

That's it for now. I'm sure some will be upset, and some will surely curse me. I couldn't care less. Where I come from, we learned how to storm hijacked planes and save lives - we didn't have to win games or impress anyone with ninja weapon tricks. My goal is to provoke thoughts so that you might adjust your training. Ultimately, it's about what matters most and what makes the significant difference when you need it most.

Larry Vickers, Vickers Tactical Inc.

The article was first published on the Blue Force Gear blog, with the image above from RECOIL. We publish the translation with the kind permission of BFG.