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  • wcd

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 2, 2011
    6,274
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    Off the Grid In Tennessee
    Serpa holsters suck! I get people out their finger in the trigger guard when drawing. But why is it so hard to let your index finger ride the slide on the draw? Perhaps it’s more of a software problem versus a hardware issue? Seems like reviews really are not intended to provide objective data, more of a hit job, or a paid endorsement type.

    I personally have put mine through hard use and it has performed well.
     

    BigRed3588

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Dec 4, 2013
    462
    63
    Boynton Beach
    Serpa holsters suck! I get people out their finger in the trigger guard when drawing. But why is it so hard to let your index finger ride the slide on the draw? Perhaps it’s more of a software problem versus a hardware issue? Seems like reviews really are not intended to provide objective data, more of a hit job, or a paid endorsement type.

    I personally have put mine through hard use and it has performed well.
    I think a lot of it probably has to do with the advertising revenue that keeps those sites running. That said, I can understand the criticism considering there are, in my opinion, better options on the market. I preferred the Safariland as a duty holster because the retention device is thumb actuated which always felt more efficient to me. I also liked the fact that the thumb actuated device was similar to disengaging a manual safety, so it helped reinforce that muscle memory.
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    35   0   0
    May 12, 2013
    31,686
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    Camby area
    "Its perfectly safe. I carry one and I've never shot myself."

    I dont know how many times I've heard that here. Just because you havent had an accident, doesnt mean its not dangerous. There is a reason MANY trainers refuse to train students using them.

    A quick google shows LOTS of trainers have banned it. Including federal trainers and several state LEO trainers. Canadian IPSC prohibits them.

    I actually own two of them myself. But after I saw the flaw, I removed lever and tightened the retention screw to use it as a regular (range use only) holster.
     

    wcd

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 2, 2011
    6,274
    113
    Off the Grid In Tennessee
    "Its perfectly safe. I carry one and I've never shot myself."

    I dont know how many times I've heard that here. Just because you havent had an accident, doesnt mean its not dangerous. There is a reason MANY trainers refuse to train students using them.

    A quick google shows LOTS of trainers have banned it. Including federal trainers and several state LEO trainers. Canadian IPSC prohibits them.

    I actually own two of them myself. But after I saw the flaw, I removed lever and tightened the retention screw to use it as a regular (range use only) holster.
    I still us mine daily. Although I do wonder if side arm selection plays a role? it has never disengaged the safety on my 1911 so where is the defect?
     

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
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    35   0   0
    May 12, 2013
    31,686
    77
    Camby area
    I still us mine daily. Although I do wonder if side arm selection plays a role? it has never disengaged the safety on my 1911 so where is the defect?
    As long as your safety isnt flipped until it is out of the holster, you'd be fine. Its the bulk of the rest of the guns that have integral/no safety that are the issue.

    Once again, just because its not dangerous in 100% of the situations does not make it safe.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
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    Btown Rural
    I've seen at least one (maybe two :scratch:) get locked up in classes. Took tools to carefully get the loaded guns out of the holster.
     
    Last edited:

    jwamplerusa

    High drag, low speed...
    Site Supporter
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    2   0   0
    Feb 21, 2018
    4,210
    113
    Boone County
    It is a matter of risk management, and human performance. The deficiency in design is shown by the number of persons who have had a negligent discharge while using one.

    The safety risk exists whether the safety event has happened to you or not.
     

    wcd

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Dec 2, 2011
    6,274
    113
    Off the Grid In Tennessee
    As long as your safety isnt flipped until it is out of the holster, you'd be fine. Its the bulk of the rest of the guns that have integral/no safety that are the issue.

    Once again, just because its not dangerous in 100% of the situations does not make it safe.
    That seems to be the case. I think it comes down to combination of equipment selection, training , and more training .

    Regardless which holster I use I still slide my finger along the slide and release the existent or non existent lever.
     

    Mongo59

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    12   0   0
    Jul 30, 2018
    4,448
    113
    Purgatory
    It isn't as bad as the suicide safety on the old shotguns. Heck, I have even seen one old shotgun that the trigger was the barrel release!

    First pull boom, second pull open. Problem is how to know if it is loaded...

    We are a litigating society, we are all victims and all that is to be decided is which big company is to blame. Me, I want to blame spoons for making me fat...
     

    Ark

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    25   0   0
    Feb 18, 2017
    6,735
    113
    Indy
    "Its perfectly safe. I carry one and I've never shot myself."

    I dont know how many times I've heard that here. Just because you havent had an accident, doesnt mean its not dangerous. There is a reason MANY trainers refuse to train students using them.

    A quick google shows LOTS of trainers have banned it. Including federal trainers and several state LEO trainers. Canadian IPSC prohibits them.

    I actually own two of them myself. But after I saw the flaw, I removed lever and tightened the retention screw to use it as a regular (range use only) holster.
    There's simply no way around the fact that the holster's design requires trigger finger pressure. Simple as that.

    Why invest time and energy trying to train around bad design? And that's before we even get into the lockup problem. Some people got way too attached to their $30 worth of cheap plastic. You can get a much better Safariland ALS or GLS for the same money.
     

    92FSTech

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Dec 24, 2020
    1,157
    113
    North Central
    The other problem with the Serpa is cheap plastic construction. It's not really a concealable design, so presumably it's going to get used for open carry. I've seen instructors rip the holster right off the paddle or belt clip with a single yank. In contrast, doing weapon retention training I've been picked up off the ground by my handgun in my Safariland 6360, thrown across the mat, and had my belt twisted halfway around (I weigh 200lbs, more like 230 in gear), and the holster still retained the gun and suffered no ill-effects.

    Serpa holsters are cheap junk that are maybe suitable for range use only, provided the user can take responsibility for proper trigger-finger discipline.
     

    Gabriel

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Jun 3, 2010
    6,713
    113
    The shore of wonderful Lake Michigan
    The other problem with the Serpa is cheap plastic construction. It's not really a concealable design, so presumably it's going to get used for open carry. I've seen instructors rip the holster right off the paddle or belt clip with a single yank. In contrast, doing weapon retention training I've been picked up off the ground by my handgun in my Safariland 6360, thrown across the mat, and had my belt twisted halfway around (I weigh 200lbs, more like 230 in gear), and the holster still retained the gun and suffered no ill-effects.

    Yeah, Safariland definitely has the duty holster market locked down.
     

    ECS686

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Dec 9, 2017
    1,704
    113
    Brazil
    "Its perfectly safe. I carry one and I've never shot myself."

    I dont know how many times I've heard that here. Just because you havent had an accident, doesnt mean its not dangerous. There is a reason MANY trainers refuse to train students using them.

    A quick google shows LOTS of trainers have banned it. Including federal trainers and several state LEO trainers. Canadian IPSC prohibits them.

    I actually own two of them myself. But after I saw the flaw, I removed lever and tightened the retention screw to use it as a regular (range use only) holster.
    I’ll add to this for those that say “it’s worked fine” for me”
    My agency issued Serpa for a short time. If you don’t have an issue you aren’t running them hard enough.

    Our main problem on SORT (the SWAT side) was the mechanism WIL get jammed and locked up if you get debris in it. We were required to wear ours in O courses repelling and all that jazz shooting multi weapons Q course where all of it you are prone quite a bit in sane and on the ground.

    They will get jammed up. I personally had to cut out (or disassemble) 4 Serpas in the roughly 24 months we used them.

    Then when I was at FLETC there were a couple OOPS rounds going off when they were being drawn which was why they restricted them.

    The Safariland ALS is a MUCH better system
     
    Last edited:

    Cameramonkey

    www.thechosen.tv
    Staff member
    Moderator
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    35   0   0
    May 12, 2013
    31,686
    77
    Camby area
    The other problem with the Serpa is cheap plastic construction. It's not really a concealable design, so presumably it's going to get used for open carry. I've seen instructors rip the holster right off the paddle or belt clip with a single yank. In contrast, doing weapon retention training I've been picked up off the ground by my handgun in my Safariland 6360, thrown across the mat, and had my belt twisted halfway around (I weigh 200lbs, more like 230 in gear), and the holster still retained the gun and suffered no ill-effects.

    Serpa holsters are cheap junk that are maybe suitable for range use only, provided the user can take responsibility for proper trigger-finger discipline.

    And it doesnt help that there are two versions of these: a plastic one and a kydex(?) one. The more expensive version isnt prone to being ripped off the belt. But they dont really differentiate between the models. You just see one is cheaper than the other. I think they may list a difference in materials, but there is no clarification why you would want each one. (the answer is neither, but due to the release)

    Though I do have to ask this question after hearing stories like these. How would you not want to curb stomp your instructor for destroying your stuff? I cant imagine how furious those students would be to have their instructor destroy their property on purpose.
     
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