Why the hate for SERPA Holsters?

[brandoneqy]

Maybe I’m way out of the loop, but I was watching a few YouTube videos and noticed a lot of hate for SERPA Holsters from various parties. No reason as to why, I even tried googling it. Any idea why?

 

[Noshoot]

Start here-

https://tagtrainingllc.bympa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Safety-Issues-Re-Serpa.pdf

Your Google fu needs some work.

 

[Java Junkie]

I had not heard about the Serpa being so easy to come apart. I'm not about to yank mine apart but I see why a cop may not want to use one. I don't plan on putting my gun in backwards so I shouldn't have that problem. Besides it ain't a Glock.

 

[QuietM4]

Serpa holsters are worse than Uncle Mike's My First Holster.

 

[Solar_Empire]

You can thank good ol' "tex" AKA "I just F'n shot myself" guy. He blamed a serpa for his finger pulling the trigger on his glock. Funny how the first one is that it causes people to put their finger on the trigger, because poor trigger discipline couldn't be the reason.

I wore a serpa in the army (11B). Beat the sh@t out of it. No breaking in half (that's actually the first I've heard of that) and no mag releases. Never had one clog with debris but I always kept my stuff clean so maybe something like rolling around in thick mississippi muck with a criminal might be legitimate. Have one I use for my 92fs Inox, same deal but to be fair it hasn't had the same level of abuse. I have dozens of holsters that leave the mag release exposed, from well known good quality companies, if it is a problem on the serpa I'd like to see why it's different than others. I would place my bet on interference with other equipment on a duty belt.

To me the hate of the serpa falls into the "japanese weapons are inferior and the garand ping will get you killed" camp. Repeated over and over until it became "fact".

 

[QuietM4]

It all may be hearsay (it's not...the FBI banned them years ago), and stories past down like a game of telephone, but come on....spend a little more than $30 on a holster. I prefer a holster to cover more than 33% of my firearm. For anyone that doesn't carry a gun OTWB daily, you would be amazed at how many objects your gun is bumped into daily.

 

[delta6]

Maybe I’m way out of the loop, but I was watching a few YouTube videos and noticed a lot of hate for SERPA Holsters from various parties. No reason as to why, I even tried googling it. Any idea why?

A number of police departments and most military organizations banned them due to safety issues. The big issues, deactivation of the locking mechanism with your trigger finger (ND) and jamming of the locking mechanism due to debris entering the locking mechanism (inability to get gun out of holster..stuck).

Due to these and other issues (lawsuits), they redesigned the holster and it is now the T Series.

Most training schools will not allow them on the range. Too dangerous and they do not want the liability.

 

[AZG23]

I've seen one get jammed up from sliding around in the dirt at a 2 gun match. Good enough reason to stay away from them right there.

 

[Crippledtrigger]

I've seen pics of a former forum members jammed, probably the same one mentioned above from a match.

Beyond that the ND issues is caused by using the tip of your finger under stress instead of the pad. When presenting the curled finger enters the trigger guard hitting the trigger.

A training issue for shure but under the stress of I gotta fire now, and the combination of drawing presenting and firing as fast as possible many people are getting on the trigger too soon. The question is can the issue really be sufficiently eliminated so as to remove the danger of a ND?

In other words is the design flawed to the point that it contributes to the issue? Many many agencies ranged and trainers say yes and banned it.

You can play Russian Roulette your whole life and never shoot yourself, that does not t mean it's a safe game. The locking issue is enough for me to avoid their use. You carry for that one rare time you need to save a life, wouldn't it suck to have to fight your way to enough distance to draw and end the threat only for a rock locking your gun in its holster?

 

[mtptwo]

Why I hate them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adhl6-C5t3s

 

[Tim McBride]

You can thank good ol' "tex" AKA "I just F'n shot myself" guy. He blamed a serpa for his finger pulling the trigger on his glock. Funny how the first one is that it causes people to put their finger on the trigger, because poor trigger discipline couldn't be the reason.

I wore a serpa in the army (11B). Beat the sh@t out of it. No breaking in half (that's actually the first I've heard of that) and no mag releases. Never had one clog with debris but I always kept my stuff clean so maybe something like rolling around in thick mississippi muck with a criminal might be legitimate. Have one I use for my 92fs Inox, same deal but to be fair it hasn't had the same level of abuse. I have dozens of holsters that leave the mag release exposed, from well known good quality companies, if it is a problem on the serpa I'd like to see why it's different than others. I would place my bet on interference with other equipment on a duty belt.

To me the hate of the serpa falls into the "japanese weapons are inferior and the garand ping will get you killed" camp. Repeated over and over until it became "fact".

Military usage of a pistol holster is not exactly a rousing endorsement, in fact it's probably the opposite. With very few exceptions a handgun is more of a fashion statement in the Army then a weapon used on a regular basis for anything more than a easy way to cover the 'armed' requirement when going from your CHU to the chow hall on deployment.

People who actually use handguns as their primary weapon in day to day work, like police officers, overwhelmingly choose the Safariland SLS/ALS system that has none of the flaws of the SERPA, and a much better retention system. The holsters from Safariland are also of a higher quality in build and design.