Information and Education => Firearms Training and Competition => Topic started by: katmandoo on May 18, 2017, 12:19:50 pm
Title: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: katmandoo on May 18, 2017, 12:19:50 pm
Found some info on the forum but it was several years old. Anyone taken one of Larry's classes recently?
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Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: First Shirt on August 01, 2017, 11:39:27 pm
This is just an opinion, and is worth about what you paid for it:
I wouldn't walk across the street to take a Larry Vickers class if admission was free. Anyone who makes a living selling $3K+ 1911s, and then goes on youtube to tell folks that 1911s are junk and you should buy a Glock is not someone I would trust any further than I could throw my horse (and she's a good-sized horse)!
Again, this is just opinion, and is worth what you paid for it.
JMHO, YMMV, IRDDU.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: Kaso on August 01, 2017, 11:52:18 pm
I know there is a bit of controversy surrounding him, but I never actually looked at why. So this opinion is ignorant of that, and based only off his online videos: I dont like him. He talks too much. Too sure of himself. And he definitely does put off the vibe of a snake oil salesman. I would not take his classes.
Clint Smith, on the other hand, while I dislike his online 'video presence' and his mannerisms, I would take a class by him in a heartbeat. Same with Yeager, though maybe not as readily. But Vickers? No.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: Raptor on August 02, 2017, 12:13:16 am
This is just an opinion, and is worth about what you paid for it:
I wouldn't walk across the street to take a Larry Vickers class if admission was free. Anyone who makes a living selling $3K+ 1911s, and then goes on youtube to tell folks that 1911s are junk and you should buy a Glock is not someone I would trust any further than I could throw my horse (and she's a good-sized horse)!
Again, this is just opinion, and is worth what you paid for it.
JMHO, YMMV, IRDDU.
Vickers did that? I thought that was Gabe Suarez.
Regardless, I wouldn't take a Vickers class. 2-3 years ago, yeah, I'd have done it in a heartbeat. But that was before his videos turned from educational and informative to five minutes of him raving about how good a gun is and five to ten more minutes of him shooting it in slo-mo, and before he got all full of himself. I forget what trade show it was (either SHOT or NRA 2016) where he brought his entire production crew into a boot, set up all their equipment without getting the okay from the company running the booth (I think it was Ruger), and basically prevented anyone else from getting into the booth while he filmed. When asked politely to leave, he allegedly went off on the sales reps. "Do you know who I am?! You're messing with the wrong guy! You just lost a million bucks a year in sales, because I'll never review your company's products again!" etc. and so on.
I disagree with Kaso on Clint's online presence and mannerisms (I quite enjoy them), and if I had the time and $$$, I'd sign up for a class at Thunder Ranch in a heartbeat. Going to Gunsite is also well towards the top of my bucket list.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: coelacanth on August 02, 2017, 12:21:36 am
I would have to agree that Mr. Vickers seems better at self promotion than teaching. Never took a class from him but that's the vibe I'm getting.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: MTK20 on August 02, 2017, 01:00:59 am
I don't know anything about Larry.
Unless Mas is still training, then Clint Smith would be my go to guy.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: First Shirt on August 02, 2017, 12:12:12 pm
I think Mas will be training until they nail down the lid on his coffin! He's good at it, and he enjoys it!
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: ZeroTA on August 02, 2017, 06:44:46 pm
Absorb what is useful. He's the real deal and knows his stuff. Take the class and learn what you need to learn. The guy does know how to shoot a little.
Same with Suarez. I've actually had 8 Suarez classes, although none with Gabe himself. The curriculum is solid, as were the instructors. And while they all carried and used Suarez gear (probably obligated to, I'd imagine) there were no sales pitches. Although to be honest I have had a fair amount of Suarez gear and found it to be top tier.
I think you could benefit quite a bit from a Vickers class. The pros far outweigh the cons. Probably better than sitting at home.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: First Shirt on August 03, 2017, 03:35:13 pm
Absorb what is useful. He's the real deal and knows his stuff. Take the class and learn what you need to learn. The guy does know how to shoot a little.
Same with Suarez. I've actually had 8 Suarez classes, although none with Gabe himself. The curriculum is solid, as were the instructors. And while they all carried and used Suarez gear (probably obligated to, I'd imagine) there were no sales pitches. Although to be honest I have had a fair amount of Suarez gear and found it to be top tier.
I think you could benefit quite a bit from a Vickers class. The pros far outweigh the cons. Probably better than sitting at home.
Normally, I'd agree with you, any training is better than no training, but Vickers just rubs me the wrong way, in a number of areas. Still, some training is better than no training, and if you can get past his attitude, and get some useful training in the process, I'm not going to dog you for it.
But don't expect to see me in one of his classes.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: GeorgeHill on August 03, 2017, 05:59:33 pm
No. From Vickers? No. Not at all. I don't like him. From the times I've had to deal with him and his arrogance... No. Just no. If you want a 1911 Build Class, there are better options. Such as Bruce Piatt. http://brucepiatt.com/shooting-and-1911-build-lessons/ Defensive Handgunning? Better options. http://www.icetraining.us/ There's no reason to feed LV's Ego... Who, by the way, lives only a few miles from me and we've been to the same ranges and stores and burger joints.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: MTK20 on August 03, 2017, 06:01:00 pm
No. From Vickers? No. Not at all. I don't like him. From the times I've had to deal with him and his arrogance... No. Just no. If you want a 1911 Build Class, there are better options. Such as Bruce Piatt. http://brucepiatt.com/shooting-and-1911-build-lessons/ Defensive Handgunning? Better options. http://www.icetraining.us/ There's no reason to feed LV's Ego... Who, by the way, lives only a few miles from me and we've been to the same ranges and stores and burger joints.
Forgive my memory, but didn't you used to train, George?
Do you still happen to train? Or is it only motorcycles from here on out?
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: First Shirt on August 03, 2017, 07:07:37 pm
If you want to build a 1911, check out Cylinder & Slide's classes (I took one, it was AWESOME!). If you want to learn to run a defensive handgun, look at Mas Ayoob, or Clint Smith. There are better places to go than Larry Vickers.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: mattitude on August 11, 2017, 01:32:55 pm
The area that I live in has more high speed/low drag black-ops Special Forces Operators (including LAV, he lives here too) than pretty much anywhere else in the country and trust me the gamut runs from excellent to don't even think about it. The whole any training is better than no training at all is a dangerous idea. There's a guy here in Fayetteville that's notorious for arguably the worst training in the country, I think he goes by Voda or something and the past months he had some videos of him pointing handguns at his students and doing some crazy weird draw that incorporated pulling out a knife at the same time and doing strikes with it as well. These days just about anyone can be a trainer unfortunately (even me, and I wouldn't take a class from myself) and it's just not your money at stake, it could also be your freedom or even your life...at the very least training scars.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: GeorgeHill on August 15, 2017, 05:13:37 pm
Forgive my memory, but didn't you used to train, George?
Do you still happen to train? Or is it only motorcycles from here on out?
If I was to do any training class in the future it would only be for friends or a friend's small private group of people who are known. I will not teach random people who I don't know. Beyond that, yes, Motorcycles from here on out. I have dropped the insurance required for teaching firearms classes.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: MTK20 on August 15, 2017, 06:14:40 pm
If I was to do any training class in the future it would only be for friends or a friend's small private group of people who are known. I will not teach random people who I don't know. Beyond that, yes, Motorcycles from here on out. I have dropped the insurance required for teaching firearms classes.
Man, when you got out of it, you really got out of it :(.
I understand that your health comes first, that is wasn't so much a falling out of love with shooting. My guess is that you still probably shoot more than the average 'once a year' shooter.
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: Kaso on August 15, 2017, 06:32:15 pm
I don't know about that, I still haven't gotten a range report on the Mossberg. :coffee
Title: Re: Vickers 2Day Adv Pistol - opinion?
Post by: MTK20 on August 15, 2017, 07:13:22 pm