Blackhawk Serpa Holster -- A Damning Review

[Paul Gomez]

http://totalprotectioninteractive.com/forum/showthread.php?p=18445#post18445

Over the last year, I have developed some serious concerns with the Blackhawk Serpa Active Retention holster design. Various persons have brought these concerns to the attention of Blackhawk on several occasions and Blackhawk has chosen to ignore these very real issues.

The ‘Serpa Active Retention’ design consists of a plastic L-shaped component which functions as the release button [from the outside of the holster] and as the lock [which engages inside the trigger guard]. The short leg of the L-shaped lever pivots inward [toward the pistol], while the locking tab pivots outward to release the pistol from the holster.

According to the Blackhawk website, ”The release is made using your normal drawing motion, with the trigger finger beside the holster body. … As your trigger finger naturally comes to rest on the SERPA lock’s release mechanism, simply push the mechanism as you draw the weapon and it releases the gun for a smooth, fast draw.”

While Blackhawk may intend for the end-user to apply inboard pressure with the flat of the index finger, under stress, shooters tend to push the button with the tip of their index finger. After all, this is the manner in which most people have the most repetitions pushing buttons such as keys on a keypad or phone or ringing doorbells. When the finger pushes in on the release button and the user initiates the upward motion of the drawstroke, the finger tends to stay in motion and as the trigger guard clears the holster, the finger enters the trigger guard and contacts the trigger, with possibly tragic results.


I am aware of two instances where trained personnel have shot themselves using this holster in conjunction with Glock pistols. In August of 2004, a situation occurred with a live weapon that resulted in the shooter losing a 10cm piece of her femur. The other occurred with nonlethal training ammunitions in a force-on-force event in April of 2005. The impact of the NLTA was in the same area as the actual gunshot wound previously mentioned.

Following each of these events, Blackhawk was contacted and advised of the problems observed and concerns raised. In the first instance, they claimed that they were unaware of any previous issues with the design and insisted that the design had been ‘thoroughly tested by law enforcement and military personnel’.

After the second event, they were contacted by at least two people. Again, they stated that they were unaware of any concerns and had heard nothing similar from any sources.

If this were not disturbing enough, in October 2005, while assisting with a class in Casa Grande, AZ, additional concerns surfaced. During a force-on-force evolution, when a student attempted to draw an NLTA-modified Glock 17 from his Blackhawk Serpa holster, he was unable to free the gun from the holster.

In fact, the gun was so tightly held in the holster that, with one person applying both hands to the release button and another person applying two hands to the pistol, the gun could not be freed. Upon inspection, a small piece of gravel, approximately the size of the head of a pin, had managed to work itself into the Serpa release button and wedge the lock in place.

While trying to effect a release of the pistol from the holster, the entire holster popped off of the belt. The three screws that attach the holster body to the belt plate simply slipped through the tracks in the belt plate without apparent damage. Of what use is a retention holster that does not keep the gun on the belt?

In my opinion, the Blackhawk Serpa Active Retention holster is a severely flawed design. It offers the theoretical advantage of security while, in reality, offering none. It does not hold up to the rigors of realistic training. It accentuates the possibility of an unintentional discharge. It is unsafe.

If you, or anyone known to you, are currently using one of these holsters, please reconsider.

Sincerely,

Paul Gomez
225.921.5900

 

[KaceCoyote]

Wow. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[PressCheck]

I use the Serpa holster for everyday carry, and range work. After a very short learning curve it works flawlessly for me, and my G21/G30.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Here are some links to discussions on other forums on this topic.

http://lightfighter.net/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/5436084761/m/1211058971

http://getoffthex.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/962106881/m/946107726

http://warriortalk.com/showthread.php?t=10242

 

[kahr404life]

I use mine for off duty carry (Sig 229). It has worked without problems so far. But I will keep your information in mind.

 

[Sinsaba]

... While Blackhawk may intend for the end-user to apply inboard pressure with the flat of the index finger, under stress, shooters tend to push the button with the tip of their index finger. After all, this is the manner in which most people have the most repetitions pushing buttons such as keys on a keypad or phone or ringing doorbells. When the finger pushes in on the release button and the user initiates the upward motion of the drawstroke, the finger tends to stay in motion and as the trigger guard clears the holster, the finger enters the trigger guard and contacts the trigger, with possibly tragic results. ...

I realize I'm not LEO, security, or anything like that. I realize I haven't been through the high pressure training that takes place in some of the tactical schools. However, I do utilize the holster in question in IDPA compitition (don't flame me I *DO* realize it is a game). After practicing with it, more practice, and actual use, I find that when I draw, my trigger finger ends up along side the slide.

Therefore, from personal experience I have to question if the above is not an issue of training.

... If this were not disturbing enough, in October 2005, while assisting with a class in Casa Grande, AZ, additional concerns surfaced. During a force-on-force evolution, when a student attempted to draw an NLTA-modified Glock 17 from his Blackhawk Serpa holster, he was unable to free the gun from the holster.

In fact, the gun was so tightly held in the holster that, with one person applying both hands to the release button and another person applying two hands to the pistol, the gun could not be freed. Upon inspection, a small piece of gravel, approximately the size of the head of a pin, had managed to work itself into the Serpa release button and wedge the lock in place...

As I understand it a piece of foreign material caused the pistol to become stuck. I don't know, if this were a frequent happening I would have to say this could be a problem; as is, I don't see enough evidence from the author that this is a wide spread occurrence. Also, is it not possible for something like this to happen with other holsters?

... While trying to effect a release of the pistol from the holster, the entire holster popped off of the belt. The three screws that attach the holster body to the belt plate simply slipped through the tracks in the belt plate without apparent damage. Of what use is a retention holster that does not keep the gun on the belt? ...

Two people tugging on a holster over a protracted period of time and the holster broke. I'm not actually overly surprised.

If you, or anyone known to you, are currently using one of these holsters, please reconsider.

Based on the above, I feel that this is a bit of an over reaction. Again, I am not a professional or anything but still, that's my opinion.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Folks,

It is a given that all designs are a compromise and that all designs can fail. My leather IWB is slower than my kydex Locking Paddle, but the retention capabilities of my leather IWB greatly exceed those of my Locking Paddle. However, given that 99.9% of negligent shootings are operator induced, why would we choose a holster design that increases the likelihood of the occurance?

If the end-user follows the directions, exactly, then there is no problem. The problem shows up when, under stress, the user pushes the button with the fingertip as they draw the gun rapidly. Once the finger has begun to close in towards the palm, it tends to continue along that path, resulting in the negligent discharge. Under stress, the holster design tends to have the user put his trigger finger in motion in a direction that will, if not checked, result in the firing of the pistol. In my opinion, that is a huge problem.

In the instances that I mentioned, the female had received over 150 hours of professional level, private sector training, in addition to her own ongoing personal training, and was actively working in the executive protection field in Europe. The male referenced in the second episode, likewise had over 150 hours of private sector training and has worked as an instructor for several professional training organizations. Neither of these persons could be accused of being a rookie or of having an observable lack of trigger finger discipline prior to their respective incidents with the Serpa holster.

While 6004s may be jammed by debris, the quantity of debris needed to jam a 6004 is far greater than that needed to seize a Serpa. Additionally, while a 6004 can be sheared off of it’s shroud or a 6280 may be torn off of a duty belt, the amount of force required to do so is far in excess of that required to tear a Serpa from a concealed carry belt. If you take a look at the pictures in the original posting, you will see that the belt plate and paddle for the Serpa have tracks through which the screws travel to mount the holster to the belt plate. Take a look at the final picture, showing the back face of the holster from the Arizona class. The screws are intact and unharmed. There is enough flexion between the belt plate and the holster body that the screws simply popped through the tracks without damaging the screws or tracks. It simply came apart.

Between the ease of disengagement of the retention device, the lack of rigidity of the belt mount and concerns over the lock being jammed, even if you ignore the negligent discharge issues, there are significant failings with this design.

 

[patrol120]

Additionally, while a 6004 can be sheared off of it’s shroud or a 6280 may be torn off of a duty belt, the amount of force required to do so is far in excess of that required to tear a Serpa from a concealed carry belt.

This is an apples to oranges comparison. The 6280/6004 is a DUTY Holster on a 2.25"+ belt. Its made to resist malfunction in a wepons retention scenario.

The CQC Serpa is not. It is an off durt/plainclothes holster with no design intention to resist such grabs. The retention is cursory, and only provides another layer of protection should a gun grab attempt be made. They are nto made nor designed to resist a determined attacker as the safariland holsters are.

From what Ive seen, the CQC is a good holster for its designed intent. When you ask more from any piece of equipment than it is intended, it will fail. This is no exception.

 

[Rob1035]

I just got a SERPA for range use with my G26, I like it. After playing with it and drawing with an unloaded gun, I see no reason to fear causing a ND with my finger being in the wrong spot. After activating the release mechanism, I keep my finger straight and stiff until the gun is on target. Simple to remember, and no chance of an ND when my finger is pointing in such a manner. For my purposes, it performs just fine.


Could you post the pictures here? I'd rather not register for yet another random board to look at a few pictures.

 

[Matthew N. Dodd]

I'm not sure how different the other SERPA holsters are but the CQC SERPA I have for the XD40 puts your finger against the frame in the correct position on a draw. The motion is natural and the ammount of pressure required to release the latch is slight. The trick (as with any holster utilizing positive retention) is practice. While it is trivial to perform a casual draw, a fast draw under pressure requires muscle memory, which doesn't happen overnight. Any ND with any holster is operator error. While it is convenient to blame the tools, the leg you shoot is ultimately your own (hopefully!).

As to the mechanical malfunction I'd offer that the SERPA system isn't a good choice for situations that expose it to lots of foreign objects. It is somewhat lightweight in construction and would be unlikely to stand up to extended dragging around in the dirt etc. For an OWB holster for open or concealed carry under a jacket I think it is fine. The SERPA system makes it very difficult for anyone other than the wearer to remove the gun from the holster. This is the ONLY feature that really differentiates it from others.

I like my CQC SERPA but I don't expect it to be the right holster for every situation. I anticipate spending lots of time practicing draws from any holster I use. I clean and inspect my tools to insure that they will perform.

I'm not sure that a post titled "A Damning Review" is a good way to disuss what is clearly a training problem because most of the replies (like my own) will consist of "works for me, must be user error."

 

[pax]

Paul ~

The link in your first post asks for a login. Could you mirror the pictures over here, so we can all see them?

thanks.

pax

 

[Paul Gomez]

Folks,

There are at least three distinct issues with the Serpa holster.

One is the design of the release button.

Under stress, is it more likely or less likely that the user will find their trigger finger on the trigger using the Serpa than another holster?

Second is the action siezing up due to very minor debris clogging the action.

We do not get to choose the fight that we have to fight. If you can say with absolute certainty that you will never be in a situation in which the possability of the action becoming jammed exists, fine. I do not have such faith and am extremely leery of a holster design which lends itself to that problem.

Third is the lack of durability of the mounting system.

It is marketed as a retention holster. It is marketed as being fit for duty with military members deploying to a dusty, arid environment not dissimilar to the one in which problem Two manifested itself.

Additionally, the Serpa release mechanism is so intuitive that a fair number of students, when engaged in weapons retention training disengaged the Serpa lock without ever realizing that it was present when they attempted to disarm the wearer.

Wearing a holster is not the same as using a holster. Working with a holster on a square range is not the same as dealing with someone attacking you in a force-on-force event. And dealing with problems in a F-o-F event is nowhere near as stressful as dealing with problems in the real world.

Even if we ignore the issues of trained, competant people having negligent discharges with the design the design still manifests grave flaws.

It was not my intent to provoke a response from any quarter. It was my intent to put forth my observations and concerns with this piece of gear.

My opinions on this come from the perspective of having been involved in the training community for more than ten years. I attend several classes each year and I teach classes around the country throughout the year for both OPS and ShivWorks. In the past 16 months, the single most taught class that I've been involved in has been the Extreme Close Quarters Concepts course. In addition to teaching, I have a local training group where we work integrtated training. I have been involved in a significant amount of force-on-force training and have seen a significant amount of gear failures.

The Blackhawk Serpa is the first piece of gear that I have felt so strongly about that I have made a public statement concerning my impressions and opinions about it.

This review is worth exactly what you paid for it.

PS: Pax, The pics are simply the front and backface of the Serpa holster and a pic of the backface of the holster from the Arizona class showing how the holster had separated from the mount without apparant damage.

 

[Soap]

For the sake of the thread:

 

[pax]

Sinsaba ~

I don't have a dog in this fight, but ...

If the holster is marketed as a retention rig, and easily comes apart while two people tug at it -- that's definitely a problem, because two people tugging on the gun/holster is the exact situation a retention rig is supposed to be designed to deal with.

Daniel ~

Thanks for the photo. Would still like to see the other pics though. Sigh, guess I'll go sign up for yet-another board I'll never visit again!

pax

 

[Sinsaba]

Sinsaba ~

I don't have a dog in this fight, but ...

I'm not sure I understand the saying you used. No fight here it just seemed to me that too much stew was being made from one oyster.

You are correct that a retention rig should be able to stand up to abuse. The question is just how much abuse should it withstand? Just because two people working on it could actually rip it off does not indicate just how much force was needed. Additionally, any retention rig can be circumvented. Instead of ripping the holster off, I might just push the button and get the gun myself, or flick off the retention strap. I would assume that your gun could be removed from any retention rig under the right circumstances. How big of a worry is it?

If you are consealed, how is anybody going to know to go for your gun?
If you are consealed how is anybody going to get a good enough grip on the gun to rip if off?
If you carry open, I think you stand more chance of someone looking to just lift your gun out of your holster. Will this rig stand up to that? Is someone going to be able to rip your holster off with you fighting them to keep it from happening?

 

[Rob1035]

Here's a few pics for those who want to see.



Release button depressed:


Trigger finger stays straight, and 'rides' the outside of the holster


Again, trigger finger is not in the trigger guard


Ready to go



I guess I'm trying to dispute the "ND danger" of this holster, I personally don't feel it is any more unsafe in that regard than any other holster. I can't speak for the strength of the holster; I'm not a cop or operator or anything, so this will be used to carry my pistol at the range or hiking around the woods or something. I'll be happy to report back if any kind of debris gets involved and changes my opinion.

In addition to the release lock, this holster also has a tension screw that can be adjusted to suit the user, and could have been the cause of the 'pistol stuck in holster' episode.

Again, this is my $.02.

 

[atk]

Rob,

Could you reproduce those pictures using the tip of your finger to press the release button, rather than the face of your finger?

 

[Rob1035]

I just tried, my hand isnt big enough to depress the lever with the tip of my finger, at least not without specific effort. Although I think the outcome would be the same, as the 'release' side of the level is in line with the frame of the pistol, basically the take down lever area, not inside the trigger guard.

let me mess with it a bit. OK, well if the gun is canted a bit (mine is vertical, maybe a trigger finger could find its way into the guard, but like I said, I dont think its any more dangerous than a standard open top type holster. If someone is destined to ND while drawing, I wonder if any kind of holster can prevent it...

I guess I just dont see the potential hazard, I got the holster for my birthday, so I'm satisfied with it thus far.

 

[ShackleMeNot]

If all you do is statically draw from this holster you will most likely never have a problem with your finger entering the trigger guard. Under stress with a hasty presentation your perfect finger alignment may not remain so perfect.

For some of you it seems like you think Paul is kicking your grandmother by pointing out that this holster may have some design issues that *could* cause problems. He isn’t insulting you personally; he’s trying to share information. Don’t get so defensive over your $40 holster.

 

[Rob1035]

technically, mine was free, not $40

Like I said above, for my purposes, this thing is fine. Also, I'm of the opinion that the operator is the greater determinant of safety than the equipment, be it this holster, or such and such trigger system, etc. Maybe some gear is less tolerant of sloppy handling, but that's why we all try to be as safe as possible.

 

[atk]

Rob,

Thanks for the attempt. If you can manage, and regardless of where your finger is lined up, I'm still interested in seeing the pictures.

 

[milesmilitis]

Paul, very good info to know. Its good to make people think sometimes.

Background on myself:
I am currently deployed to Iraq, as an MP(Military Police) with the Army. Been here for about 11 months, received the Tactical(leg/drop holster) SERPA several weeks ago. The SERPA has been worn everyday on mission ever since.

I did a review at Black-Rifles.com of the Tactical SERPA not long after I received it. There is no need to register to view the topic/review.

I still stick to my review, however I am going to conduct some tests in the next week or so regarding debris getting into the SERPA lock.

As for the ND issue, I find through training, that despite different holsters, my finger NEVER goes into the trigger well unless I want it to. This includes force-on-force training, stress fires, and the like with many different holsters(although not the SERPA). I believe it comes down to repetitious thinking/training. I do not believe that SERPA technology alone caused those people to have a ND.

Take into account that there are different types of holsters using SERPA technology. The retention problem for instance, occurred in the CQC version, not the Tactical(which I own). My Tactical is VERY soundly attached both to the leg shroud and in return to my leg. It would take an act of God to rip it off. Refer to pics in my review(link above).

In the end, I haven't trained enough with the SERPA to give a really in-depth review, and this should be noted. If I encounter ANY problems with this holster I will post my findings.

-milesmilitis

 

[atk]

Paul,

Based on the review by milesmilitis, I have a question for you: is it possible that the holster that just came apart had simply been loosened too much? If a screw is unscrewed enough, enough jostling might make it unscrew the rest of the way...


(Please note that I have not, and am not, taking sides here. I'm just interested in getting more information)

 

[Paul Gomez]

is it possible that the holster that just came apart had simply been loosened too much? If a screw is unscrewed enough, enough jostling might make it unscrew the rest of the way...

The screws were all tight. The issue was not with them backing out, rather it was with the heads of the screws slipping through the tracks that they mounted in. Here's a pic of the backface of the standard holster. Note the three tracks to adjust cant. The screws popped through the tracks when the holster body was tugged at a slight angle to the mounting plate.

 

[CombatArmsUSAF]

I am going to have to go with what seems to be the large majority of people here, and say that this is a training issue. The possiblity of the finger prematurely entering the trigger gaurd in a stressful situation is present with any holster. The key to handling stressful situations correctly is developing muscle memory to that specific action. I have a safariland 6005 holster that was issued to me that has the secondary hood over the SLS mechanism. Now after what has problably been 500-600 draws out of this holster, I still find myself getting caught up on the that Piece Of S&*# secondary hood. Therefore, I have not developed sufficient muscle memory to trust this holster in a tactical situation.

Plain and simple, if you practice like you play and you practice enough, you'll always do it right come game time.

P.S. Is 150 hours really that much training?

My instructor school lasted over 2 months at eight hours a day.
(Weekends Excluded)