imported post
I attend an annual event where I help to provide security, and my duty belt is a Bianchi with matching Accumold Vanguard (not leather) holsters - I love the setup.
For everyday OC, I use either a custom leather holster for my Ruger Alaskan (no major holster manufacturers make one off the shelf for that weapon:cuss
or a Blackhawk SERPA holster for either my G20 or H&K USPc 45 Tactical. As for scratches, you're carrying a Glock - the finish they put on those things is as near to indestructible as anything out there. Do not let that be a concern for you.
If you switch to something else, like a Sig or H&K, you might have cause for concern, but with the Blackhawk, I doubt it. I haven't carried the H&K too long in the Blackhawk, but I have yet to notice any abnormal wear due to the holster. I am particularly careful to watch for it, since I ruined the finish on my USPc 40 by carrying it in a Fobus, and the CT cost well over $1K - I don't want to make the same mistake with that expensive of a weapon.
As to what makes the Blackhawk CQC SERPA better than leather priced the same, here is my opinion - it is only guaranteed to be worth what you paid for it.
First of all, the better leather holsters will cost quite a bit more than the Blackhawk. My Alaskan holster set me back almost $200, and my SERPAs cost less than $50 each. Leather holsters that you can buy for ~$50 are good (I have a huge box full of them) but they will not be the best quality items out there. They will likely be far superior to Fobus or a universal Uncle Mikes design, however.
The SERPA retention mechanism is not the standard thumb break, so it will be more of a challenge to be disarmed when carrying versus a traditional thumb strap. I've heard stories about folks having dealings with LEO's who wanted to disarm them while carrying in a SERPA, and they were nearly stripped and the weapon was still locked in place. Bianchi's carrylok feature increases the difficulty a bit, but I still think the SERPA is more effective in that department.
Another factor is the ease in reholstering. The Blackhawk does not collapse after the weapon is removed like (even molded) traditional leather holsters can, so all you have to do is find the general area and drop your weapon in place. As soon as you do, the weapon is secure. With thumb strap retention, it is necessary to take that extra step of snapping the strap to secure the weapon.