Training Failure: SERPA holster

Unless you spend a lot of time rolling around in piles of aquarium gravel and wood chips, I don't see much chance of a Serpa getting jammed in "normal" use.

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My SERPA jammed up from doing ground drills at Quantico during FPF Training's handgun course. I didn't do anything I'd consider vigorous; I just lay down on the grass. I shot the drill, got up, reloaded, and lay down again. The holster wouldn't release. I picked the pebble out, freed the gun, and threw the holster in the trash.

230therapy said:

My SERPA jammed up from doing ground drills at Quantico during FPF Training's handgun course. I didn't do anything I'd consider vigorous; I just lay down on the grass. I shot the drill, got up, reloaded, and lay down again. The holster wouldn't release. I picked the pebble out, freed the gun, and threw the holster in the trash.

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This has happened to may people who have found themselves on the ground with a SERPA. It's an OK range holster, but for any type of duty holster there are far better systems available.

As for CCW carry, the majority of civilians that buy retention holsters like the SERPA have absolutely no need for it. It not only complicates the presentation of the weapon needlessly, but most who own them never seek proper instruction or even bother to practice with it to become proficient with it. They drop their $40 at the gun shop, strap it on, and head out onto the mean streets without any experience using the holster. Sure, some will spend the first few nights after buying it fiddling with it, but soon the interest in the new gadget loses it luster.

It's my opinion most people in this category would be better served by a good leather concealment holster.

Chris Cerino, who I would say is a respected LEO firearms instructor and even appeared on Top Shot (not that this qualifies someone as an expert). He had an AD with the SERPA which resulted in a wound quite similar in nature to the one Tex had.

Here's what he had to say about it:

When you engage in dangerous activities sometimes you get hurt. I didn't hurt anyone but myself. It was a learning experience.
I was using a new holster (serpa) which requires me to use my trigger finger to unlock the retention device.

When the button didn't work I pushed and pulled harder. Look at what your fingers do when you grip something harder and pull harder.
The trigger finger slipped into the trigger guard and carried on thru the trigger. I shot myself high in the front of my pelvis and down my leg.

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The picture of his wound:



So we have a relatively inexperienced shooter having nearly the same experience (flubbing the draw, pushing harder, finger drops to trigger, gun discharges) as a highly trained and respected firearms instructor.

MilitaryArms said:

Chris Cerino, who I would say is a respected LEO firearms instructor and even appeared on Top Shot (not that this qualifies someone as an expert). He had an AD with the SERPA which resulted in a wound quite similar in nature to the one Tex had.

Here's what he had to say about it:



The picture of his wound:

So we have a relatively inexperienced shooter having nearly the same experience (flubbing the draw, pushing harder, finger drops to trigger, gun discharges) as a highly trained and respected firearms instructor.

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Great, now there's two dummies that don't know how to properly use a holster.

I have a SERPA for almost every pistol I own and haven't had any problem.

I liked the video militaryarms posted and see his issue with having long fingers.

I have large hands but "standard" length fingers that reach the button just right. So each time I draw my weapon my finger winds up on the slide not in the trigger guard.

The only problem I had with the SERPA was moving between guns during a practical pistol match. My Sig P220 drew with no problems. My USP SERPA needed a deeper press of the button to release. It slowed me down a bit but still no AD.

As to whether us civilian OC-ers really need a retention holster, I decided I needed one early on when I sat in a booth with an over active 8yr old boy behind me in the next booth. He kept coming over the booth, around the booth to the point I had to move further into the booth to stop his access to my holstered firearm. I strongly recommend some form of weapon retention to newcomers.

If you don't like the SERPA don't use it. There may be valid reasons for you to not use it. It works fine for me.

Dreamer said:

Every active-duty military person I've talked too (mostly Marines and Army) seem to like the Serpa, and consider it to be rugged, reliable, and fast.

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You realize that's in comparison to the M12 holster right?



The SERPA is faster and more rugged when compared to the M12. For most regular Army guys the choice is between the M12 holster or the SERPA, most are going to choose the SERPA. The 3rd and 7th group guys who ran a pistol course I was fortunate enough to attend used Safariland holsters. If you're going for "what the troops use," watch what SOF units do, not regular Army grunts who have way less funding for experimenting with different gear.

thebigsd said:

Great, now there's two dummies that don't know how to properly use a holster.

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Agreed, it proves my point again that people who had no clue in what they where doing or how the Serpa worked shot themselves and some how the holster is at fault?( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2dyXc7jhX8) Can someone say that these morons who where all for looking tacticool, but failed to understand how they work and got shot because of it. Nothing wrong with having practical gear, but if you dont have any idea how to safely use said gear DO NOT USE IT.

ABNinfantryman said:

You realize that's in comparison to the M12 holster right?


The SERPA is faster and more rugged when compared to the M12. For most regular Army guys the choice is between the M12 holster or the SERPA, most are going to choose the SERPA. The 3rd and 7th group guys who ran a pistol course I was fortunate enough to attend used Safariland holsters. If you're going for "what the troops use," watch what SOF units do, not regular Army grunts who have way less funding for experimenting with different gear.

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I agree to a point, they may have more money to spend on better items that suite their unit’s special needs that General issue won't do. The special missions that they do cannot be compared to what the general US military does in many aspects. They are totally two different beasts entirely. I will agree they have a lot more experience than most soldiers to include myself and most of their equipment that they do carry far exceeds the training of an average "Joe." This allows them to use said equipment fully that others could not use, probably a good reason why they use Safariland holsters over others. Not because they are any better quality wise, but it fits their duty needs better. The Serpa is simple to use, dependable and even the dumbest Joe (everyone who has served knows of at least two that come to mind.) should be able to operate a Serpa holsters. It is also a plus that the retention release on the holster goes along with military weapons training to boot. The stupid idea that whatever Special Forces use it makes it the best product for my situation and me to carry.

If people are going by what the SF units uses to decide what product is best for them...YOUR PLAYING WITH FIRE. Simply practice, practice, practice. Why are so many excuses from Negligent discharge gun owners who blame their holsters?...here’s a hint lack of practice is what got them shot plain and simple.

You can have the most HI SPEED, LOW DRAG, SPECIAL OPERATION GEAR, yet if you do not know what the hell your doing do not give it the good old college try. Not only are you going to get yourself or others hurt, but also you are going to look like a complete tool by doing so. I guess too many gun owners replace practice and a learned skill for High Dollar gear they feel makes them look cool at their local gun range. As for the intrinsic safety of the SERPA system, it requires training and practice, as do any of the firearm skills we work on. SERPA retention devices are designed to release automatically when the shooter’s finger is indexed along the frame; it is not designed to be poked or punched into – this is improper use of the holster, not a design flaw.

As MilitaryArms pointed out, there is a design flaw in the SERPA holster as one that's worn on the hip due to its angle and the release mechanism can be locked by simply pulling up on the weapon, and he illustrated the point that's already been made about the SERPA in regards to debris behind the release. The Safariland in comparison is far safer, and admittedly easier and faster to use than the SERPA. Every single one of my holsters is a Safariland holster as a result.