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Although these folks were never part of the Gun Industry, my firearms instructors during critical assignments during my USN career, were incredibly influential in my firearms development.

Some of the scenarios I was taught had a profound impact on me, and gave me a deep appreciation for our military’s front line combatants. It’s hard to remember allot of things as I get older, but some of the firearm assault training I received can’t ever be forgotten.

I can actually thank this forum for promoting a high degree of firearms safety awareness. Allot of folks share their experience, both positive and negative, including their faults and desire for improvement. Never remove your learning cap.

This forum also reminds me that other than my beloved 1911’s and revolvers, other exciting firearms do exist. :) While that hasn’t actually contributed to me getting into firearms, which is the spirit of this thread, it has expanded my knowledge, along with my firearms playing field. So in essence, it help keep me into firearms.
 
I'm not sure that 'influence' would be the right word, but Eugene Cunningham, author of 'Triggernometry' did help me come to realize very early on that there's really little, if anything, truly 'new' in terms of firearms basics and techniques.

Unfortunately, the modern-day gun writers (magazines or otherwise) do nothing for me. The trainers are interesting and helpful, but I don't think they fall under 'influencers' either.

Perhaps the only other person who comes close is Gen. John T. Thompson. A wealth of life experience and involvement in the world of firearms - with long lasting impact.
 
I would say that I was always fascinated by firearms since the age of 11 when we were taught to shoot with a .22 lr rifle at a summer camp I attended.

Then later as a teenager by an employer who was an avid hunter. Bought my first firearm as soon as I turned 18. My family was not a firearm owning family, I was the first and I think that influence my dad later who got a revolver a few years later.

Now, back to the topic I think it was John Lott, Mas Ayoob, and a Florida lawyer named Jon Gutmacher who wrote an extensive book on self-defense and Florida gun laws, that influenced me the most... mainly on, firearm laws, the 2nd amendment rights and the right of self defense. Prior to that my interest was more of target shooting, recreational shooting, and hunting. Self-defense and the laws around self-defense were really secondary prior to getting my CCW license.

In fact when Florida came out with the CCW shall-issue licensing law, I was rather against it. I didn't like the idea of a customer carrying a conceal weapon coming into our business with a weapon without (our) my knowledge. But over time, during the 1990's I saw that it was a good idea and there were definitely advantages to getting a CCW license.
 
I think all of us here have Massad to thank in some shape or form, certainly. I’m a Wilson guy, so those folks have been highly instrumental in influencing my purchases. In terms of training, the SIG academy, Sage Dynamics have been the most influential to me. In terms of gear and such, GarandThumb and 1911 Syndicate have been my go-to.
 
My primary gun Influencer was Robert M. Milek. Bob was rifle hunter a handgun hunter and reloader for Peterson Publishing . This man caused me to purchase a couple 8" revolvers and add a red dot to the 357mag it when a tube type red dot back available in '80 in a buelher mount and a XP-100 in 7mm BR in 1980 or '81 . Bob was also a fine BP shooter . A gunman first but a talented writer too .

View attachment 611972
Bob spent 10 days in Africa with me in the mid 80s
 
For me, Massad Ayoob probably had the biggest impact. Also Ed Lovette, Ernest Langdon, Larry Vickers, Ken Hackathorn, Claude Werner, Dave Spaulding, Jim Cirillo, and Leroy Thompson, in no particular order. Not strictly gun guys, but I'd put Kelly McCann (aka Jim Grover) and Craig Douglas in that list, too.
 
Pat Rogers, hands down. We met in the early 90's when we were both Sergeants in the same command. We bonded over firearms and a lifelong friendship ensued. He trained me up on the 1911 and we went to Gunsite together, him taking shotgun and me taking basic pistol. Meeting and training with Jeff Cooper was an incredible experience. Without Pat I would have gone on being a Beretta fan, with little or no knowledge of the 1911, the Modern Technique, or Gunsite.

My sons would sit enthralled whenever he came over to our house for dinner listening to he and I exchange stories and experiences. He was the first person I called on the morning of 9/11, and every year thereafter he made it a point of calling me on the anniversary, no matter where we were or what we were doing. That's the type of guy he was.

I have trained with others, including Larry Vickers, Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson, but the instruction provided by Pat was the foundation upon which all else was built.

I miss him greatly.
Many of us are envious at the name dropping. When you train with some of the best you have certainly have the right to make the rest of us envious. Lucky you. . I have met Bill Wilson on your list and his no nonsense matter of fact method of discussing the 1911 were enjoyable and instructive. And he was kind enough not to laugh at the young man who explained to him why his new Colt would not feed ball ammo. He just told me what to try without telling me what a rookie I was.

I have trained with some of the most experienced guys around, most of which worked at State Department Security, CIA security, embassy security, and the military anti-terrorist and protective security training staffs along with all the standard military arms training spanning 27 years. While I went on tax dollars and tens of thousands of free training for me, I always felt that direct training by Cooper was a bucket list event I had lost. Lucky you. I was one of those fan boys that read his last page column as the first thing to be read. If he was still around, I would do that today, his insight went far beyond the 42 ounces in his hand.

I do think that there are lots of living great trainers out there today and there is an ton of free or cheap videos by Vickers and others that give the new guy instruction far beyond what exisited when I went to Military Police Academy 50 years ago. Back then a 45 could break your wrist if you held it wrong and a hit to the shoulder could blow your arm clean off, as some of you geezzers may recall.
 
"Ray Chapman was an American sport shooter and firearms instructor who was central to the development of practical shooting. He was one of the founders of the International Practical Shooting Confederation at the 1976 Columbia Conference. He won the first IPSC Handgun World Shoot in 1975 and took silver behind Jan Foss from Norway in the second World Shoot in 1976. He continued to compete until 1979 when he retired from competition."

After I left the military he was local to me for a while and he gave me a few tips on both revolvers and 1911s. He was held in such high esteem by others in law enforcement that just a few words from him would instill confidence that really helped and he was always right about guns, technique or whatever. He was one of the original folks who founded modern competitive shooting and training. Here they are. Look how young Cooper was and how thin they all were. We all were.
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Agree with what Combat Auto says about Mas Ayoob. I've read a lot of his stuff and would like to attend attend some MAG training at some point. Hackathorn gets my nod too. Occasionally I'll find somebody's channel on youtube but don't watch much of it honestly.
 
Brian Enos taught me how to examine my shooting and recognize where I had problems problems and how to correct them. Made me a FAR better shooter than I ever would have been on my own. He changed my entire process for thinking and problem solving. And I still have that book, dog-earred and full of

Chip McCormick, who encouraged my amateur gunsmithing. Instead of saying, "Better let a pro do that for you. That's an easy thing to mess up." He always said, "Nah. You can do it. It's easy. Look, just... "

Jerry Miculek, because... "He beat all those guys with a REVOLVER?" And later became, "He's 65 yrs old and STILL winning Championships?" Anyone who is NOT inspired by Jerry should turn in their man card and apply for a sex change immediately. (If you are a woman and your man is not in awe of Jerry, just dump his arse immediately and find a real man. You deserve one. Really.)

Honorable mention to Ray Herriot who taught me "Don't think outside the box. That still limits you to the parameters of the box. Just get rid of the damn box and then find a solution."
 
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