We were deeply saddened to learn that over this past weekend we lost one of our great instructors and commentators in the defensive firearms field.  Tiger McKee passed away, suddenly and unexpectedly, at his home in Alabama.  He was only 61.

For many years now, his training at his ShootRite Academy proved to be top-notch. Tiger was a good personal friend, and a man of many talents.  See that snazzy looking Smith & Wesson revolver in the photo here? That’s a Tiger McKee Chopper, customized by the hands of the man himself for maximum speed of employment and hit potential. If you are fortunate enough to own one, you now have a precious collector’s item.  He made them smooth as glass.  Tiger was a helluva knife-maker, too, and I’m proud to own one that he forged and sharpened himself.

On YouTube, you’ll be able to find some of the training videos he did for our mutual friend Tom Gresham, on Tom’s Gun Talk TV and his Personal Defense TV series. You’ll see a quintessential Southern gentleman.  Tiger was much like my old friend and mentor Bill Jordan in that respect: “talk slow and shoot fast.”  Like Jordan, he was soft-spoken in person, but an absolutely commanding presence when circumstances demanded.

Tiger wrote two excellent books. One was The Book of Two Guns: The Martial Art of the 1911 Pistol and AR Carbine and the other was AR-15 Skills & Drills: Learn to Run Your AR Like a Pro. You can order both from Amazon.com.

Don’t let the books trick you into thinking Tiger was exclusive to those two firearms. When the Glock gained popularity, Tiger mastered it and taught it adroitly. When another old favorite became resurgent a couple of years ago with Springfield Armory’s SA-35 came out, Tiger renewed his acquaintance with that clone of the classic Browning Hi-Power and did a great series of articles on how to get the most out of it at The Tactical Wire, where his work appeared regularly. He was also a regular contributor to a couple of magazines I also write for, American Handgunner and Guns. Toward the end of his life, Tiger developed a renewed appreciation for fine revolvers, hence his much sought-after custom work on the S&W “Choppers.”

Deepest condolences to his many friends and students, his family, and especially Tiger McKee’s wonderful wife Gretchen. It’s not a cliché to say that we in the gun world are diminished by his passing.

13 COMMENTS

  2. I took my first real defensive shooting class with Tiger, and remember it and him fondly.

    I’ve quoted him as saying “Following Victory, it’s best to reload”

  3. That’s too bad… I have his “Fighting with the 1911” training video. He was a repetitive guest of Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk radio show. That’s a shame… he will surely be missed. Rest in peace Tiger.

  4. So, so sad and sorry to hear this. Everything Mas just wrote is very true, he was a great guy. We saw him a few times here in Montgomery, AL, and I would run into him at gunshops in Huntsville. Tiger also liked rifles quite a bit, and we had a discussion about WWI and WWII military bolt actions from around the world one time. I have a candidate Smith revolver I was going to have him “chopperize”. Sigh, always a “meant to do that”.
    He will be greatly missed. Per Mas, we are diminished. Many prayers for the family.

  5. What a loss! I have enjoyed his writing a lot. It is always a shock when someone who is active and healthy and alive is suddenly not with us, and especially so when they are younger than ourselves. I saw it this morning in The Outdoor Wire and several people I respect and whose writing I enjoy eulogized him. I understand there is a gofundme account. There was a link to it in the feature of The Outdoor Wire this morning.

  6. This is a huge loss to not only the shooting community but to the nation itself. You said it just right, a southern gentleman. That in an age when the term gentleman has fallen out of favor, almost as if it is a derogatory term.
    I wish his family and loved ones comfort in this time of pain and loss. To suffer such a loss at his young age is doubly hard. Thank you Mas, for letting us know.

  7. Very sorry to hear about the loss of Tiger McKee. I have his book “The Book of Two Guns”, I thought so much of it that I purchased additional copies for some friends of mine.

    Will keep his family in my prayers.

  8. What a shame that such a great student and teacher of the gun and self defense passed at such a young age. I always found his articles well thought out and useful. RIP

  9. The Good like Tiger McKee do so often seem to die young. Truly a shock. I always looked forward to his articles in AH. So much is to learn from him. Condolences to his family and friends.

  12. Wow what a terrible loss. I personally had the privilege of many of his classes over the years. I have been to Langston Alabama 4 times and even followed him to Baton Rouge LA to train at the LSU Campus Police range.
    Defensive handgun 3 times, Defensive Carbine, Handgun Tactics, Low Light, Vehicle defense, Moving target 2 times, Team tactics, Cover and Concealment 2 times. Some of these classes were 2 or 3 days.
    It was a pleasure to be his presents, as he was a true teacher of personal defense.
    Some instructors would tell you to do things a certain way with no explanation of why. Tiger would explain the WHY!
    It was a pleasure to train under Tiger. He would help students to correct bad habits and have them greatly improved at the end of the day of training.
    He will be greatly missed.

  13. Memorial services will be held at 2PM (Central) this Sunday, April 23, at Grace Fellowship Church, 925 West Main Street, Albertville, Alabama. The family is requesting casual dress – even blue jeans – in honor of Tiger. There is a GoFundMe account to benefit his widow, Gretchen. It doesn’t seem to work with Chrome browsers.
    https://www.gofundme.com/f/tiger-mckee

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