Blackhawk Serpa problems.

11B2O said:

Your belt might very well be the problem. I wear a Tactical Tailor riggers belt and I love it. It's comfortable enough to wear around everyday, yet it rugged enough to hold up my Glock 23 in holster with 2 spare mags in holster. And if you need to make it tighter or looser you can do it without undoing it.

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+1 I also use the TT riggers belt and it's the best belt I've ever owned

I did a quick cheap fix on my Serpa when i first got it. I'm one of those bony guys, too. I'm just about 6' and under 150lbs.


If you go out to a second hand store (i went to st. vincent's) you can usually find diving stuff for cheap. I bought a couple of old wetsuits for about $3.00 each. They make for great scrap neoprene. I just laid the paddle on the neoprene, traced it with a sharpie and cut it out. I then cut a few well placed slits into the neoprene and attached it to the paddle with cloth medical tape. It makes for a very comfortable holster and the tape is soft and meant to be able to withstand any sweat that may get to it. Whenever my buddy that is borrowing the holster gets me it back I'll see about posting a picture of it.

To the OP, my suggestion to you would be to increase the number of cheeseburgers and milkshakes in your diet.

Just sayin...

I switched from the Serpa to the Safariland ALS paddle holsters for this same reason. The Safariland paddle is shaped to fit your body, whereas the Serpa paddle is almost like sticking an oven pan down your pants.

attrapereves said:

I switched from the Serpa to the Safariland ALS paddle holsters for this same reason. The Safariland paddle is shaped to fit your body, whereas the Serpa paddle is almost like sticking an oven pan down your pants.

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A slight reshaping of the paddle using a hair dryer might be worth the effort.

GF has a kydex holster (not Serpa) for her P9. No amount of break-in loosened up the snap-tight fit enough to cleanly draw the gun - we both spent a lot of time with attempted presentations. She most often either came up with the holster and gun + a sore hip. I finally started succeeding w/dificulty after 100s of draws and liberal lubrication - not good.

Spent some time with a hair dryer, paddle fits much better with the new bends and by heating the kydex holster body w/empty gun in it, twisting the gun side to side while wrapped in paper towel, when it cooled sanded down the retention "bumps" very lightly and Bingo works like a charm. Good retention requiring a precise draw motion, but very quick presentation.

If you do try this be patient - a little at a time is the way to go.

xxx.jakk.xxx said:

I did a quick cheap fix on my Serpa when i first got it. I'm one of those bony guys, too. I'm just about 6' and under 150lbs.


If you go out to a second hand store (i went to st. vincent's) you can usually find diving stuff for cheap. I bought a couple of old wetsuits for about $3.00 each. They make for great scrap neoprene. I just laid the paddle on the neoprene, traced it with a sharpie and cut it out. I then cut a few well placed slits into the neoprene and attached it to the paddle with cloth medical tape. It makes for a very comfortable holster and the tape is soft and meant to be able to withstand any sweat that may get to it. Whenever my buddy that is borrowing the holster gets me it back I'll see about posting a picture of it.

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lol if that holster is a comfortable as I think it is, you might have a tough time with that.

attrapereves said:

I switched from the Serpa to the Safariland ALS paddle holsters for this same reason. The Safariland paddle is shaped to fit your body, whereas the Serpa paddle is almost like sticking an oven pan down your pants.

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I envy you. I bought an ALS for my P99 first, only to find out that it was made for the old P99 (pre 2004 redesign), and they still don't make an ALS for the new design. Had to return it and get a Serpa.

I use a rigger belt and the belt loop of my serpa, instead of the paddle. I carry my XD40 Tact. a little bit forward of my hip and its snug as well as comfortable. Really just try different positions or maybe cross draw to find that good feel.

I ended up going another route and couldn't be happier.

I picked up a bianchi evader. No paddle, snaps on my belt and hugs tight to my side unlike the serpa. I thought the serpa was great, until I tried something else lol.





So far after 2weeks of EDC I'm very happy with it, and it was only $28.

I had the same issue with my serpa, I found by dremeling the cop belt slot attachment to allow the short screws to thread in all the way and it's quite comfortable, but this holster with edc will cause some serious holster rash on your firearm mainly around the trigger guard area. That's why it's my outdoor hiking/biking holster only used as little as possible AND ONLY FOR IT'S RETENTION PURPOSES!

The bianchi evader I have now is a retention holster, if you look close in the pics you can see the latch by the grip. You don't hit the latch with your trigger finger like the serpa your next finger down is used and works great.

86 slo-vo said:

The bianchi evader I have now is a retention holster, if you look close in the pics you can see the latch by the grip. You don't hit the latch with your trigger finger like the serpa your next finger down is used and works great.

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Which leaves you your ring finger and pinky to grip the weapon and initiate the draw stoke. :uhoh:

The Serpa allows for a full, natural grip - no learning curve.

I don't know what you carry but with my stippled m&p I have more then enough grip to do a clean and fast draw.

86 slo-vo said:

I don't know what you carry but with my stippled m&p I have more then enough grip to do a clean and fast draw.

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And do you open carry with that thing?

I've found that holsters which keep the gun too close are a definite detriment for OC.