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Gunfighter Moment – Larry Vickers

Anyone taking home defense seriously needs to take a serious look at the firearm they plan on using, where they store it, the Ammo they have available for it, and realistic transport and reload scenarios. Take a very hard look at these as well as any other issues that are specific to your situation. This can help you decide what type makes the most sense for you. A perfect example is a home defense shotgun; depending on the weapon reloading it under stress may not be a good option. Think it thru and figure out what works best for you.

-Larry Vickers
Vickers Tactical Inc.
Host of TacTV

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Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical is a retired US Army 1st SFOD-Delta combat veteran with years of experience in the firearms industry as a combat marksmanship instructor and industry consultant. In recent years he has hosted tactical firearms related TV shows on the Sportsman Channel with the latest being TacTV of which Bravo Company is a presenting sponsor. Larry Vickers special operations background is one of the most unique in the industry today; he has been directly or indirectly involved in the some of the most significant special operations missions of the last quarter century. During Operation Just Cause he participated in Operation Acid Gambit – the rescue of Kurt Muse from Modelo Prison in Panama City, Panama. As a tactics and marksmanship instructor on active duty he helped train special operations personnel that later captured Saddam Hussein and eliminated his sons Uday and Qusay Hussein. In addition he was directly involved in the design and development of the HK416 for Tier One SOF use which was used by Naval Special Warfare personnel to kill Osama Bin Laden. Larry Vickers has developed various small arms accessories with the most notable being his signature sling manufactured by Blue Force Gear and Glock accessories made by Tangodown. In addition he has maintained strong relationships with premium companies within the tactical firearms industry such as BCM, Aimpoint, Black Hills Ammunition, Wilson Combat and Schmidt & Bender.

Larry Vickers travels the country conducting combat marksmanship classes for law abiding civilians, law enforcement and military and has partnered with Alias Training to coordinate classes to best meet the needs of the students attending the class.

Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer us some words of wisdom.

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27 Responses to “Gunfighter Moment – Larry Vickers

  1. Creed says:

    I like to use a ruger

  2. rotorhd says:

    I prefer a RPG but it is kinda noisy…..

  3. Dellis says:

    Beside now a G19 with 32 round magazine.

    Wife has her Sig, son has his FN and daughter her S&W.

    I believe on top of what Mr. Larry states, a “family” unit each having firearms needs to make sure they go thru some drills or whatever you may want to call it so if that dreadful event happens each person knows what to do and where to go.

  4. Isaac says:

    Glock 21 .45, tritium sights, +2 magazine extension (total 0f 16 rounds .45 ACP). I do not have a light attached to the pistol, as I do not want to point a loaded weapon at what I want to search, I keep a flashlight next to my pistol on my nightstand. I load with Federal 230gr. HST JHP’s (standard pressure).

    • Dellis says:

      Have you ever shot that .45 in a dark area, either indoor range or perhaps at night outside? I have a S&W .357 I was using for a nightstand gun but then shot it in a night course. It’s as if Thor himself spit lightning out of the barrel, it blinded me and this was outside so I can only imagine what it would be like in a dark room.

      All guns will give some degree of flash but that .45 may be far more intense than say a 9mm. Perhaps others can correct me if I am wrong.

      • Bill says:

        It’s load-dependent. Low-flash powder has come a long ways. Besides, It shouldn’t be THAT dark: you have to be able to ID your target.

      • Roy says:

        In my experience, the 357 magnum has one of the highest volumes of flash the shooter will experience. Especially with shorter barrels. The 9 mm will have less and the 45 automatic will the least of the three. Especially out of the full size Glock 21, the 45 automatic load typically has minimal flash.

  5. Nick says:

    But Larry, what about guidance from a certain Vice President that states that if anything troublesome happens, just take a double barrel shotgun and unload both barrels in the air? 🙂

  6. Ed Hickey says:

    Gotta luv a G19 w/32rd mag & a weapon light

  7. Larry says:

    Bedside, Gen4 G17 with Ameriglo I-Dot Pro (green), 17 round mag gas’ed up with Federal HST 147grain +P, second mag next to it ready to go. Surfire G2X Tactical flash light right next to all of it.

    Not a fan of pistol lights, pointing at my family in the dark.

  8. Joe says:

    Norse axe. Bezerker rage. Home field advantage.

    • Erik says:

      This. People go into the “black” when confronted by a naked man screaming weilding an axe. It’s been my go to for years.

  9. George says:

    Silly comments on weapon lights only indicate the ignorance of how to properly employ them. Your flashlight is for searching and identifying targets; your weapon light is for engaging the target. Don’t confuse the two.

  10. DAN III says:

    Vickers always offers sage advise. My question is, does he ever smile ?

  11. Paul McCain says:

    After taking several tactical shotgun courses I’ve come to the conclusion that using a shotgun is basically a reloading race. 🙂

    • Ed says:

      The “reloading race” was a factor in police departments switching from 6-shot revolvers to higher capacity double stack magazine semi-automatic pistols. Speed loaders were quicker than speed strips, dump pouches or pulling rounds from belt loops for reloading the revolvers, but less quick than changing a magazine after 10, 12, 13, 15 or more rounds.

      When Mec-Gar introduced an Anti-Friction Coated 18 round magazine for the 9mm SIG P228/P229 that was only a fraction of an inch longer than the standard 13 round magazine, I purchased a couple. That gives me 50 rounds total in the weapon and in the two primary spare magazines instead of 40 rounds total, before falling back to the other spare magazines that were on hand before the most recent purchase. Is that too much? I never want to find out first hand. Why not use three 18 round magazines? Weight and balance. I prefer the 13 round magazine for handling when I have not yet fired the weapon, but that will not matter much when the larger magazines are being emptied.

      It is better to have and not need than to need and not have.