Ken Hackathorn, on the state of the industry, via The Tactical Wire.
Here's a sample of the questions he's asked (and his response):
-- Currently there are negative perceptions that are being expressed on the 1911 style pistol. Your take?
"I have a hard time being objective about it," he said. "I grew up with it, invested a lot of effort in learning how to use it."
The basic service pistol, the 1911 pattern gun has gotten the job done for over a century.
"I carried it daily."
he question as to whether the gun will withstand a 2,000 round test or class without cleaning or lube is silly.
"My question is, "Will the gun go three magazines without choking?"" he said. "I only carry three magazines with the gun. As a practical matter, it's most important that the gun work through that load."
"If I'm in a place where I need more than that pistol and those magazines," he said, "I'm in the wrong place with the wrong gun at the wrong time. It's a bad day."
Read the original article in its entirety.
Ken Hackathorn is the best known trainer coming out of the early days of the Modern Technique of the Pistol. In 1974, he reached out to Jeff Cooper as someone who was taking the world of defensive handgun use from what was seen on television to a way to quickly get hits and stop fights. Ken trained with Cooper, was in on the meeting that started IPSC and ultimately taught for Jeff at Gunsite. He's trained military, police and private citizens for about forty years. Meanwhile, he's acted as a consultant to the firearms industry, he's written columns for national magazines and taught on government contracts overseas.
Ken is part of our firearms history and, as he moves into well deserved "semi-retirement" in the mountains, it's appropriate to get his take on the industry and its place in our world.
