Blackhawk Serpa...Fact or Fiction

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Newfoundlandrover

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I know this holster has been discussed to death in the past, but whats the final word on this piece of equipment when it comes to range use? I've read a few reviews on it, and they seem to point towards user error in that some tend to press the release with the tip of their index finger,rather than the flat.I purchased a new Serpa yesterday, and I tried drawing my Glock using both methods. If I pressed the release with the flat of my finger, I could draw without going anywhere near the trigger, but if I pressed the release with my fingertip and drew the pistol, the pressure would push my index finger towards the trigger. Personally...I like the Serpa, but I can certainly see how misuse could lead to a potential unwanted discharge. This being said, I think its a good design, but does call for the user to use their noggin before going hot with it @ the range. What say you?
 
Onagoth said:
Really? Why revisit this all over again?
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Why?....have you tried searching for past threads on this forum? Trust me, I tried searching before posting just for this very reason......having to listen to the "forum police" tell me it's already been done. Please excuse me for interrupting your Sunday reading with my silly post oh wise one,..but I genuinely want to know.
 
Newfoundlandrover said:
Why?....have you tried searching for past threads on this forum? Trust me, I tried searching before posting just for this very reason......having to listen to the "forum police" tell me it's already been done. Please excuse me for interrupting your Sunday reading with my silly post oh wise one,..but I genuinely want to know.
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Whaaaa? You recognize that this has already been discussed to death, and then you open it up to be discussed to death again? I was merely pointing out the contradiction in your first post while at the same time, hoping to avoid another endless debate on design flaw vs training flaw.

I haven't tried searching, but I am pretty active on this forum and I know its come up many, many times.
 
For what it's worth, my two cents. The SERPA....oh boy

Fact-The springs cannot be serviced/replaced when worn/broken;
Fact-The moulding/material is of an inferior quality and has been known to crack when hit or exposed to extreme temperatures;
Fact-The retention device is easily released when the shooter is on the ground or hits other pieces of equipment;
Fact-Said retention device becomes clogged with mud dirt and more than a few folks have had gravel rocks become embedded in the latch;
Fact-Numerous LEO/Mil have shot themselves during the drawstroke using this holster. While it's easy to blame this on user error or training, why would you carry a holster that sets you up for this error?;
Fact-The vast majority of private trainers in the US and Canada won't allow them at classes. I don't allow them either, there is a wide variety of high quality AND WELL THOUGHT out holsters on the market. The majority of those who who purchase the SERPA do so with little to no knowledge or guidance.

At first glance it seems like a super-neato design but after several years of accidents and QC issues most people who run a gun for a living have written it off as mall ninja gear. Yeah I know the USMC loves it but that's a big agency making decisions in a bubble and bogged down by dated ideas with respect to employing a handgun. Buy yourself a Safariland SLS/ALS.
 
This is what I was looking for....thank you. I'm a novice shooter, I don't compete and I don't find myself crawling around on the ground or subjecting my gear to any sort of hard use. I'll fully admit that the "neat factor" played a big part in the purchase of this particular holster, and I also just wanted to see for myself what all the controversy was over. I've got several other friction retention designed holsters I can use if need be. The whole point of this thread was to see if there where any new opinions on the Serpa. I remember past threads being a little heated, but I just didn't follow up to see if there was a general consensus as a result.
 
I just tried searching for 'Serpa Holsters"
What a sad result. Three threads, all in the equipment xchange.
I already knew the answer, just wanted to point out the search function is pretty bleak.

Onagoth said:
Whaaaa? You recognize that this has already been discussed to death, and then you open it up to be discussed to death again? I was merely pointing out the contradiction in your first post while at the same time, hoping to avoid another endless debate on design flaw vs training flaw.

I haven't tried searching, but I am pretty active on this forum and I know its come up many, many times.
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But...we need to keep it in perspective here.

Most trainers in the US have banned it, these are EXTREMELY high round count shooters who frequently train Mil/LEO with normal capacity magazines. While the average shooter in Canada may not have experienced an issue with pinned 10 rounders on the weekend, the higher round count dudes have. It's all a matter of scale.

I'll admit that I have seen some fairly high speed guys running them operationally, however, they are far and few between.

I think this horse has been beaten to a bloody pulp.

Leviathan024 said:
the serpa was my first holster and i love it. i managed to go from total holster noob and never once had an AD.
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Odds are if you want to take a course (and you should) you'll need something else anyway, may as well spend the money once.


PS why is it when I see a guy wearing a Serpa on a drop rig, he's always wearing it like a gone wrong knee pad???
 
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I love my Serpas. The issues I've seen with negligent discharges (mostly youtube and online, never seen an ND with one in real life) tend to be a couple of things going wrong at once:

a) on the belt
b) canted forward
c) start pulling the gun out of the holster before pressing the release

I've tried this at home with an empty gun, and it will cause NDs in that configuration. With the holster worn on the belt, and canted forward, the trigger/release finger are now in line with the trigger, not the frame of the gun. Starting a draw before pressing the release causes the release to "bind" as designed. The response to that is to push harder, which causes the finger to curl. When it does release, it's going to pull the gun up, with the finger curved and applying pressure to the holster, causing the finger to drop into the trigger guard and press on the trigger. With a double action, it won't be enough to do anything, except make you think "that was stupid", but with a ready, single action with 3-4lbs pull, it will cause a ND.

I haven't heard of any NDs on a "tactical" (thigh rig) holster.
 
Used a a Serpa while on a course, work up training, and while overseas. Never had a ND because of it, put thousands of rounds through the gun while running it from a Serpa. Dealt with sand and dirt constantly and it never caused any issues because of it. Like has been pointed out, it's a training issue and if you train properly and learn to use it properly you'll be fine.

I will say though that I did experience one issue using a Serpa. Using the paddle attachment I failed to realize that the nubs were worn down slightly and during a draw ended up bringing up the whole holster with gun (it slipped over my belt). Switched to a new paddle and never had that problem again.
 
Looked at the Serpa, and was trying to get a left hand tactical one for my son, but the AD rates has now turned me away form them. I like the old fashioned Bianchi thumb break Piranha 77 for me, it's a natural trigger finger straight operation and great for drawing the Glock especially.
 
I've got a Serpa and never ND into my leg either. But I've made it happen with dry fire many times. I've also watched numerous people ND into their legs on FOF training. People can claim it's training all they want, but when the rep for Blackhawk can't reliably draw from the holster under the pressure of customers watching, without putting his finger on the trigger during the release, it's obvious where the problem lies. It's a piece of #### holster that is designed to help you fail.
Next time you try a search, set the time lines for more than 3 months or whatever the default is.
 
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