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Thread: AAR 914 Consulting LLC Vickers Shooting Method 1-Day Basic Handgun Class

  1. #1
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    AAR 914 Consulting LLC Vickers Shooting Method 1-Day Basic Handgun Class

    Chris is an awesome instructor and an all around great guy so the class was a no brainer for me. He is very knowledgeable and whiling to take the time to explain and demo the drills effortlessly to help convey what they should look like. He took the extra steps to make sure everyone understood the fundamentals of shooting and how it applied to each and every drill and shooting overall. If anyone is reading this and is kinda on the fence about whether or not to take some formal training because of price this class is a helluva deal with a helluva guy.

    TD
    This was a basic class to help cement the fundamentals of shooting and it did just that. We had a mix of new shooters and some who had been shooting for a long time, but had no formal training. Everyone shoot well, some better than others and everyone found out what they should be working on when they went home. This class is a must for those wanting to expose their weaknesses and get back the basics of shooting i.e.: trigger manipulation, sight picture and alignment, initial and follow up shoots.

    Although this was a basic class we did do some drills that you would see in your more advanced class due to the level of shooters in this class. That included multiple target engagement and a synopsis driving the weapon. We also went over multiple shoots to multiple targets which for me was the highlight of the day.

    Gear.

    We had a mix a guns being used but one resounding caliber 9mm. We had a Sig, M&P, Gen 3 and 4 Glock 19’s, Glock 34, Glock 17 I think C45P312 can confirm or deny , and an XD. One wheel gun and I ran a 1911.
    We had a two gun issues mine being two weak springs and the other being an XD as a whole, really that guns sucked monkey dicks frequently. No offence to anyone with a XD, but I’m not a fan and that just reconfirmed it. Please feel free not to elaborate on how that was just one gun and how yours is omnipotent . I honestly don’t care.

    Overview and notes.

    Deer scrotum holsters while ultra cool looking and very soft are best kept at the house and not used in a training environment.

    Gen 4 Glock 19’s cannot be shot well one handed be it weak or strong it just can’t be done. For some reason they just pull to either side and refuse to hit the black. I will be sending a letter to Glock asking them to address this in the near future.

    All BS aside I had a ball. Chris kept us engaged with a mix of humor and some demanding drills. He put on a great class, I would also like to thank C45p312 for showing up to help set up targets and take pictures. The class was kept light and fun and I will be attending another in the future.

    V/r
    Uglyguns

  2. #2
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    Thanks to Carlo for helping out and the pics.

















    XD Failure To Eject


















    Last edited by chris914; 04-23-11 at 18:16.
    Former Vickers Shooting Method REI
    914 Consulting LLC

  3. #3
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    Chris and I have been shooting partners for a few years now, and I'm not kidding when I say we've been talking about this whole teaching thing for months. I'm glad to hear his first class went well. Believe me, plenty of prep work went into it! I'm just bummed I couldn't get away from work to participate.
    Principles matter.

  4. #4
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    This was my first actual training class, despite shooting firearms for almost my entire life. I've done quals and weapons familiarization with the Navy, but never anything longer than a few hours. This class was a real eye opener.

    Chris was a great teacher, kept the mood light, but still focused on doing things safely and correctly. I learned some good techniques to practice on my own, and would like to take the class again in a few months once I've progressed a bit more.

    I would recommend this class to anyone looking to improve their skills with a handgun. Being brilliant in the basics will take you a long way, and Chris really helped with that.

  5. #5
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    What a great bunch of guys for a first class. Every shooter was safe and willing to give the Vickers Shooting Method their full effort.

    In the end, I saw improvement in all students. Some let the beep of the timer get in their heads but by the end of the class all were keeping it in the black on the timer.

    Matt B. (shooting the S&W Model 10) was able to keep up with the autoloaders in accuracy and speed up to that 7th round anyway.

    Some shooters learned that what looks good on the rack does not work so well on the range (see uglyguns post above relative to soft holsters).

    If all my students are going to be this willing to learn and take direction then I will have a easy time as an instructor.

    Thanks again guys for a great first class.
    Former Vickers Shooting Method REI
    914 Consulting LLC

  6. #6
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    Looks like a great class.

    I am glad it went so well. The weather seemed to hold out long enough for you guys.
    Paul A. Hotaling
    Alias Training & Security Services, LLC
    Paul@aliastraining.com
    757-215-1959 (Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM)
    757-985-9586 (After Hours)
    www.aliastraining.com


  7. #7
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    Class AAR

    I had intended to post this sooner but I just got access to post today. Here is my assessment of the class.


    VSM Basic Pistol offered through 914 Consulting and taught by Chris at the C2 Shooting Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia on 4/16/2011

    This was my first formal firearms training (I don’t count Navy boot camp training or the Hunter Safety course I took in the Boy Scouts). This is also my first attempt at an AAR. I have been shooting since I was little kid but since I have never had any formal training I decided it was past time to find out what bad habits I had developed over the years. First, I wanted to improve my own abilities just for the personal satisfaction. Second, I have a number of friends who are getting into shooting and since they know I have been doing this for a while they consider me their resident expert. Obviously I am not an expert (far from it) but since I am the closest thing they have I decided to make sure that whatever I passed on to them was the right way to do things rather than perpetuating bad habits. That being said, this course does not, nor is it intended to, make one an instructor. The class did exactly what I hoped it would by identifying and correcting deficiencies in my grip and stance which produced immediate improvements in my accuracy. The fundamental purpose of this class is to replace poor technique with proper form.

    GEAR
    I was using a Sig P226 9mm with Crimson Trace laser grips (not used during the class), an Uncle Mike’s Kydex holster and magazine pouches. I also purchased 3 Mec-gar magazines for the class. I purchased the holster specifically for this class and thought I had it adjusted properly but I had some problems with the release mechanism which caused me to focus on that during the draw and distracted me from the other things I needed to focus on. The Sig has a fairly long trigger pull in double action then a fairly short trigger pull in single action which forced me to learn two different trigger pulls. The Sig and the Mec-gar magazines performed flawlessly. The class is really geared towards semi automatics but one guy did bring a revolver and he did quite well with it.
    BEFORE THE CLASS
    Gear needs were clearly defined so that everyone knew what to bring. I contacted Chris several times to get recommendations on some of the gear that I did not already have. He was eager to provide that assistance and even ordered a couple of pieces for me since he was already placing an order for himself. He also sent out an e-mail just prior to the class with a link to the training facility website, reminding people to hydrate and included the weather forecast for the day (which called for thunderstorms) and advised us to dress appropriately for the expected weather conditions.

    CLASS DAY
    The class was from 8AM to 4PM with about a 45 minute lunch break and several sort breaks during the day to reload. Our group consisted of 8 shooters with a wide range of abilities and training experience. Some were relatively new to shooting. Several, like myself, had been shooting for years yet had no formal instruction outside of a concealed carry class or hunter safety course. A few of the participants were very experienced shooters and had trained with some of the biggest recognized names in the industry. The group was friendly and supportive of each other. It would have been great to be able spend more time getting to know the group better but there just isn’t enough time in one day for that.

    The day started with introductions, a thorough discussion on safety and an overview of the objectives of the class. Safety was a recurring topic of discussion throughout the day, anytime something came up that was a good safety example Chris took that opportunity to stop and discuss it. Chris checked everyone’s gear and pointed out the pros and cons of the various types of gear and firearms that people we using.
    The course was done in a format that I found to be very effective. We would group up in the center of the range where Chris would explain what we were about to do, demonstrate the activity then move into the students actually performing the activity. Each activity was repeated often enough so that Chris could observe each shooter in action and provide personal feedback (positive and negative). This ensured that we all fully grasped the technique before moving on to the next one.

    We spent the morning going over stance, grip, sight picture, trigger manipulation and mechanics of the draw/presentation. We broke into pairs to do ball and dummy drills which was very effective in highlighting tendencies to snatch the trigger. We did some timed drills which introduced a new variable that threw shooters off their routine as they instinctively rushed their shots resulting in poorer accuracy. This really drove home the point that even a small thing can really impact your shooting. Chris used this to emphasize one of the basics he teaches in the class, accuracy is the most important thing. In the afternoon we moved into one handed shooting using both the strong and weak hand. While most of us performed better than we expected in these drills it pointed out an area that we all should practice in. We also performed some timed, competitive drills which again resulted in decreased accuracy due to the change in mental focus causing the shooter to fail to adhere to the basics.

    SUMMARY
    The cost of this class was money well spent. This class met or exceeded all of my expectations. Chris pointed out and corrected bad techniques I had adopted over the years resulting in immediate improvement in my comfort and accuracy, (at least until I neglected to adhere to solid basics and Chris never missed an opportunity to point out those transgressions). I took away several technique improvements that I need to practice in order for them to become new habits. My Kimber Pro Carry II 45ACP is the semi automatic that I am the most comfortable with. I have developed an ability to shoot the Sig but have never really felt in synch with it and have never been particularly accurate with it. I opted to take the Sig to the class anyway mainly because it would be less expensive for ammo and spare magazines, I know that is a bad reason but that was the rationale. Looking back I am glad I took the Sig because I now feel very comfortable with it and my accuracy with it is greatly improved. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and the method of instruction that Chris employed. I will attend more training from 914 Consulting and Chris in the future and highly recommend this to anyone else.

  8. #8
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    Finally more pictures




































    Former Vickers Shooting Method REI
    914 Consulting LLC

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