The names A.J. Zito and Practical Performance are conspicuously absent from the list of household names you’re probably used to seeing when it comes to subject matter experts in this industry. But, make no mistake, Zito has been working diligently for years to hone his abilities as a master class shooter, gunsmith, and professional trainer. Few people we’ve come across possess both the technical and tactical know-how that A.J. has managed to cultivate in a career dedicated to the construction and use of pistols in high-performance and duty/defensive situations. Not only can he build guns, but he can also shoot them well and convey knowledge to newer shooters looking to follow the same path. We recently took the opportunity to sit down with him and find out more about how he came to his current position and level of skill-at-arms, which he has chosen to impart to the next generation of both gunsmiths and pistoleros.
RECOIL: Tell us a little bit about where you grew up and how you first got into shooting.
A.J. ZITO: I grew up in a smallish town outside Chicago called St. Charles. I really didn’t get into shooting until college and then after the military. I spent most of my time on a farm, so we had guns and shot shotguns a fair bit in high school, but that was about it. It was always interested in it. I remember seeing shooting shows on ESPN as a kid and other shows, but there wasn’t anything around us that was available. The shooting sports weren’t a thing out by me. I really wish they had been.
RECOIL: You went to Norwich University, one of the country’s few private military academies. How did you decide on that direction?
Yeah, that’s kind of a comedy of errors that ended up working out for the best. I had applied to a couple other senior military colleges and didn’t get in. When I contacted them about why, it turned out my guidance counselor sent the wrong transcripts. Unfortunately, it was too late to fix the issue
