as part of a special team, you already know this Colt-Brown- ing pistol system is unique. It has design-specifi c nuances that require particular operating manipulations and special maintenance regimens to run at optimal performance. Not all pistol handling protocols are a good counterpart to the 1911. More than most weapons, formal training specifi c to the Model 1911 makes the most of this important pistol. This is the focus of the Vickers Tactical 1911 Operator Course.
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Vickers spent much of his career with U.S. Army Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta as a weapons specialist. During his tenure, the unit used a customized 1911 pistol as their primary handgun. This equates to a lot of rounds fi red on the range with a lot of maintenance and repair opportunities. The same regimen applies to pistol handling skill sets and shooting drills. That expe- rience is brought directly to this course. Day One starts on the range. It is not a beginner level, but Vick-
ers advocates fundamentals. A large portion of his emphasis is on trigger control. He runs several dry-fi re drills that evolve into live fi re drills that help the shooter better manipulate the trigger without disturbing the sights. The other topic is the ‘wobble zone’—the optical illusion of the
sights moving around the bullseye/black at distance. This move- ment causes an optical illusion. The farther away from the target, the movement makes the sight appear to move over more target area—maybe even off the bullseye. This phenomenon causes some shooter to try to ‘grab’ the shot as the sights cross the target bull, which results in jerking the trigger. A signifi cant amount of range time is spent on accuracy-related shooting drills. The 3-6-9 drill demonstrates the amount of accu- racy potential at a given distance. At 3 yards, shots should be in the X-ring; 6 yards, shots in the 10-ring; 9 yards, shots in the 9-ring. The ‘test’ involves a timed drill with penalty for shots outside the black bullseye. Why the emphasis on accuracy? Vickers contends that in a gunfi ght, your groups will double in
size. The drills serve as a benchmark for shooters to analyze what skills to work on later. Rather than extend the time limits, shorten the distance until the course of fi re is completed correctly, then move toward the intended standards. With a typical magazine capacity of seven or eight rounds, shooters must guarantee hits. The range session transitions into drills that emphasize the
correct manipulation of the safety during pistol presentation for optimal performance. Disengage the safety too late and you can disturb the sight picture. Too soon is a safety risk. Along with this is the timing of when the fi nger goes onto the trigger. Follow Thru Drills are next. Along with ensuring the suspect is out of the fi ght, trainees learn when to reapply the safety. As Vickers says, “The bad guy ultimately decides how many rounds are fi red and how long you follow through.” Reloading drills are next. From a tactical perspective, Vickers discusses the theory of the subtle differences in manipulating the 1911 with all the ‘how’s & whys’ with simply saying do it this way. Who would think there are three distinct ways to let the slide
f you carry a Model 1911-pattern pistol off-duty or
One of the preliminary drills that teaches trigger control. While the student aims an empty pistol at the black dot, Vickers places a penny on the front sight. The goal is to activate the trigger, keeping the coin balanced.
forward: Weak-hand thumb slide stop, strong-hand thumb slide stop, or sling shot. Each will work, but what are the pros and cons for each? For example, the sling shot method, although functional, adds
about 1/10 of a second to the reload time. The same applies when performing malfunction drills. The methodology taught empha- sizes economy of motion and straightforward steps. The day concludes with a variety of solo and team drills that use competition as a stressor to better evaluate performance. The ses- sion will usually end around the 300 round/3:00 p.m. rule. What is that? When trainees are working hard on focus and concentration, they tend to burn out around the 300 rounds or at mid-afternoon. This is a bit of an arbitrary standard. When Vickers sees perfor- mance or gun handling start to decline, it’s time to wind down the class session. Usually this timeline falls pretty close to the prediction. This
helps ensure students leave when good habits are still engrained and before their diminished stamina brings about training scars. It also decreases potential safety concerns brought about by fatigue or loss of concentration. The disassembly and maintenance portion on the second day is
worth the price of tuition by itself. First thing in the morning stu- dents start on a detailed strip-down of their pistol. The instruction is broken into block as Vickers thoroughly diagrams and discusses the internal components and how they inter-relate to other parts in the cycle of operation. With over 100 years of manufacture and dozens of companies
making 1911 pistols, there are a plethora of sometimes subtle dif- ferences between models. Some aftermarket accessories may work well with certain makes but cause complications in others.
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