Blackhawk Serpa holsters on sale for $34.99

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FYI...

LA Police Gear has Blackhawk Serpa CQC retention holsters on sale for $34.99

http://www.lapolicegear.com/blcqcsehomaf.html

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or 31.80 from trophy hunters click view options for more selection

http://www.dealerease.net/catalog/product.asp?pid=61794&ret_id=806356

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[Wrong info.]

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Good Luck with that. I have 2 serpas. 1 1911 and 1 Glock. Both have left rub marks in the finish of the firearms carried in them. For the Glock who cares. For a $1000+ Kimber, I care.

Never again. I have gone to the Safariland ALS 6377 6378 holsters. Same money lined, and your finger doesn't go near the trigger during draw.

I thought the serpas were a great holster. Until I really started to see wear on my Stainless Raptor after 2 days of carry. There are now to black rub marks that will not come off on my raptor. There are also 2 rub marks through the glossy finish on my Glocks. Just forward of the ejection port.

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I havent noticed and wear on my glock or any other weapon. if plastic causes wear that can't be removed it sounds more like a cheap finish was put on the weapon.

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In response to the wear comments regarding Serpa holsters, here and elsewhere, I just gave my XD40 a close inspection and found ZERO marks after more than five months of carry. I do not keep my pistol in the holster over night so it gets put in and removed daily. Plenty of opportunity for wear there.

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triehl27, if you want a gun devoid of marks, you best leave it in the safe.

Honest wear and tear is evidence of a gun that is trusted. Safe queens might be pretty, but I wouldn't trust my life to one.

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triehl27 wrote:

Good Luck with that. I have 2 serpas. 1 1911 and 1 Glock. Both have left rub marks in the finish of the firearms carried in them. For the Glock who cares. For a $1000+ Kimber, I care.

Never again. I have gone to the Safariland ALS 6377 6378 holsters. Same money lined, and your finger doesn't go near the trigger during draw.

I thought the serpas were a great holster. Until I really started to see wear on my Stainless Raptor after 2 days of carry. There are now to black rub marks that will not come off on my raptor. There are also 2 rub marks through the glossy finish on my Glocks. Just forward of the ejection port.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I've heard that kind of "marks" and excessive "wear" commentbefore with regard to the Serpas. That sucks for your Raptor. What have you tried to get the black rub marks off with?

Thanks for the suggestion on the Safariland holsters. Looks pretty good.







Safariland 6377 ALS Belt Holster belongs to the huge collection of Safariland.

Features of Safariland ALS™ Belt Holster 6377:


The Model 6377 is a concealment version of the all Automatic Locking System (ALS) series holster.

Once the weapon is holstered, it locks into place, providing an extra measure of security from the standard open top holsters. A simple straight draw is possible once the ALS is de-activated by your thumb while obtaining shooting grip. IDPA approved

Highly concealable, the Model 6377 is worn on the belt and features a semi-hi-ride position a slightly forward weapon cant. It rides close to the body aiding in concealment and comfort. The 6377 features an adjustable injection molded belt loop that fits 1.5 (38mm), or 1.75 (45mm). There are several belt widths available from 1.50 (38mm) to 2.25 (58 mm), including 1.00 drop versions. This all-new belt loop is user adjustable for cant angle and can be worn crossdraw.

Additionally it features suede lining to help protect the guns sights and finish. Its SAFARI-LAMINATE structure with wraparound design provides the strongest design combination available. Available in STX Plain Black and Carbon Fiber Look

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KBCraig wrote:

triehl27, if you want a gun devoid of marks, you best leave it in the safe.

Honest wear and tear is evidence of a gun that is trusted. Safe queens might be pretty, but I wouldn't trust my life to one.

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There's nothing wrong with wanting to preserve the finish on a gun. I've got plenty of pistols that look nearly new, but have thousands of rounds down the pipe.
Whether or not the level of wear on my gun makes you trust it is irrelevant to me. You're not carrying it. I am.

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I don't want to end up in a watering contest here. Guns are tools. The Raptor is a tool. But just like buying a $160 top of the line chef's knife, you wouldn't just throw it in a tool box. You'd try and take care of it. After 18 years of use my G23 has holster wear around the muzzle. After 2 days of carry in the Blackhawk Serpa, my Raptor has 2 2" long black wear marks.

My two main objections to the Serpas are

A: Excessive marking forward of the ejection port.

B: Finger ends up very close to the trigger on draw and for a inexperieced shooter, or someone that doesn't practice their draw can very easily end up with a Negligent discharge. There are reasons why police academy's, and top shooting schools don't allow the Serpa. Adrenaline messes judgment and tactile feel.

The Suede lining of the Safariland cuts down on the holster wear.
The release for the Safariland is under your thumb, away from the trigger.

For about the same money I feel that having used both, that the Safariland is a far better holster, in Construction, Lay out, and holds tighter to the body.

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First. I have carried multiple times a week in a Serpa for over a year. My SIG is still spotless. There are no noticeable wear marks anywhere on the firearm. I have seen greater fading from leather then kydex.

Second. The bull crap you are spitting about putting your finger on the trigger is exactly that. Bull Crap. The trigger release lever is in such a location that when you push on it and draw your firearm your finger is now flat against the side of the frame above the trigger. If you have a ND with this holster it is all YOUR fault, not the holsters.

There is only 1 problem with Serpas. And 1 alone. That would be the fact that the button will not press and release if jammed with a pebble or small piece of wood or some such. So if you plan on rolling around in the dirt before drawing your weapon, then you might want another holster.

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David.Car wrote:

First. I have carried multiple times a week in a Serpa for over a year. My SIG is still spotless. There are no noticeable wear marks anywhere on the firearm. I have seen greater fading from leather then kydex.

Second. The bull crap you are spitting about putting your finger on the trigger is exactly that. Bull Crap. The trigger release lever is in such a location that when you push on it and draw your firearm your finger is now flat against the side of the frame above the trigger. If you have a ND with this holster it is all YOUR fault, not the holsters.

There is only 1 problem with Serpas. And 1 alone. That would be the fact that the button will not press and release if jammed with a pebble or small piece of wood or some such. So if you plan on rolling around in the dirt before drawing your weapon, then you might want another holster.

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:what::what:

That sounds like a pretty important defect in design, don'tcha think, D.C?? I mean, it would be, uhm, quite unsatisfying to get into an unexpected physical tussle and then struggle to reach the ole pistola to win the encounter .....and......STUCK GUN! :what::what:



BTW, what color is the slide of your Sig?

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HankT wrote:

:what::what:

That sounds like a pretty important defect in design, don'tcha think, D.C?? I mean, it would be, uhm, quite unsatisfying to get into an unexpected physical tussle and then struggle to reach the ole pistola to win the encounter .....and......STUCK GUN! :what::what:



BTW, what color is the slide of your Sig?

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So far the pebble under the trigger failure seems to be few and extremely far between. I could only find two confirmed cases of it happening and both were at training courses where the people were litterally rolling around in dirt and gravel all day.

Edit: And it seems this would fall under the choose your equipment based on it's use area. If I was going to be carrying daily somewhere like Iraq where the probability of dirt and rocks getting in the holster while I am diving for cover is high, then I would be using a different tool for the job. For my carrying on my hip while I go about my errands in a city. I am not worried about it at all.

My Sig has the Nitron black finish.

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David.Car wrote:

First. I have carried multiple times a week in a Serpa for over a year. My SIG is still spotless. There are no noticeable wear marks anywhere on the firearm. I have seen greater fading from leather then kydex.

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Maybe your SIG has less of a propensity to show black marks on the slide compared to T27's Kimber Raptor?

Or maybe, the fit on a Serpa for 1911 is worse than the fit of a Serpa for your SIG?

Those are two variables that clearly are present, fit and color.

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HankT wrote:

David.Car wrote:

First. I have carried multiple times a week in a Serpa for over a year. My SIG is still spotless. There are no noticeable wear marks anywhere on the firearm. I have seen greater fading from leather then kydex.

Click to expand...

Maybe your SIG has less of a propensity to show black marks on the slide compared to T27's Kimber Raptor?

Or maybe, the fit on a Serpa for 1911 is worse than the fit of a Serpa for your SIG?

Those are two variables that clearly are present, fit and color.

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Generally everyone knows that a holster, given enough time, will cause wear on a firearm. This is true with leather, suede, and kydex. The amount of wear will be directly related to amount of use, moisture in the air, quality of the guns finish and quality of the holster.

It has just been in my personal experience that I have seen less wear related to kydex then leather. I am sure others will have different experiences as well. That is about par for the game, no 2 things will ever go the same way.

My CC holster is a MTAC (Half leather, half kydex).

What I have seen from most people though is usually a complaint of scratching from Kydex (my bet is the mold burs were probably never removed). For leather it is a fading of the blueing, typically much more around the end of the barrel, where the most rubbing occurs.


Edit: Also, it should be noted that a quality Kydex holster (like the Serpas) will actually only hold the firearm at a couple places (see somewhere on the trigger guard and another place or two). For that reason there should be a whole lot less rubbing and contact between the holster and the fire arm then any other holster material. Which would lead to less wear.

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KBCraig wrote:

triehl27, if you want a gun devoid of marks, you best leave it in the safe.

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That's not an acceptable choice. Nor is it responsive to T27's complaint.




KBCraig wrote:

Honest wear and tear is evidence of a gun that is trusted. Safe queens might be pretty, but I wouldn't trust my life to one.

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This doesn't seem to be relevant to the subject that T27 raised in connection with Serpas. He talked about how the Serpa was unsatisfactory because it left black marks on his guns.

Your point is that there is a positive correlation between a worn (and marked?) gun and its trustworthiness. Further, that you don't like safe queens for self-defense.

Doesn't match what T27 was talking about....

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HankT wrote:

Maybe your SIG has less of a propensity to show black marks on the slide compared to T27's Kimber Raptor?

Click to expand...

Seems to me that if the problem is black marks rather than slide wear (why would blueing wear off slower than stainless steel?) then they should rub off with a bit of solvent, since it is really plastic wearing off on the firearm as opposed to the opposite.

If it actually is wear, then that would definitely be a problem with the finish and I would contact the manufacturer to point out that the finish is wearing off after two days in a holster.

My Ruger KP345 has been in a Fobus (Serpa light) for the past two years, carried frequently and the rest of the time put into a backpack in holster. It is taken out of the holster three or four times a week and it has no marks that I have noticed.

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heresolong wrote:

HankT wrote:

Maybe your SIG has less of a propensity to show black marks on the slide compared to T27's Kimber Raptor?

Click to expand...

Seems to me that if the problem is black marks rather than slide wear (why would blueing wear off slower than stainless steel?) then they should rub off with a bit of solvent, since it is really plastic wearing off on the firearm as opposed to the opposite.

If it actually is wear, then that would definitely be a problem with the finish and I would contact the manufacturer to point out that the finish is wearing off after two days in a holster.

My Ruger KP345 has been in a Fobus (Serpa light) for the past two years, carried frequently and the rest of the time put into a backpack in holster. It is taken out of the holster three or four times a week and it has no marks that I have noticed.

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I definitly agree to that. If there are black marks on a stainless finish after two daysthen it would be 1 of2 things. They Kydex rubbed off, which would clean right off with almost any gun cleaning solvent. Or the stainless stripped right off to the undercoating, which would be a crap finish from the manufacturer or whoever refinished it.

Edit: And my Sig goes in and out of the holster every time I wear it. From the safe into the holster, from the holster back to the safe. So over the life of the firearm, with training and daily wear it has easily been in and out of the Serpa over a 1,000 times.

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i think what it comes down to is his kimber wasn't made for the holster but he used it anyways

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David.Car wrote:

HankT wrote:

:what::what:

That sounds like a pretty important defect in design, don'tcha think, D.C?? I mean, it would be, uhm, quite unsatisfying to get into an unexpected physical tussle and then struggle to reach the ole pistola to win the encounter .....and......STUCK GUN! :what::what:



BTW, what color is the slide of your Sig?

Click to expand...

So far the pebble under the trigger failure seems to be few and extremely far between. I could only find two confirmed cases of it happening and both were at training courses where the people were litterally rolling around in dirt and gravel all day.

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Here's an interesting thread that is consistent with your pebble/lockup contention.

The OP says: 'I have also seen debris accumulate under the release button and "lock" the holster.'


http://policelink.monster.com/topics/38101-serpa-holsters-can-be-deadly/posts

However, other potential problems are mentioned in the thread, including:

• difficulty in drawing under stress
• unintentional discharges