The Truth About the SERPA Holster

Typically, I get the concept some issues are universally recognized all through the gun world. Then, I get uncovered to the web once more. Usually, it’s low-information teams the place coaching isn’t heard of, however generally you’ll be shocked by what you take into account a high-information group. Lately, the dialogue of SERPA holsters got here up.

In my view, it’s well-known that the SERPA collection with lively retention finger launch gadgets had critical flaws of their design. This isn’t an opportunity to beat up Blackhawk—I do just like the T-Collection holsters and even the Omnivore. Nevertheless, the SERPA collection are merely not good holsters and definitely not acceptable for responsibility use.

This entire article is impressed by a couple of conversations on a social media publish portraying the SERPA collection. There have been various folks both defending the SERPA or asking what’s the issue with the SERPA. A few of the statements in its protection included the basic “The SERPA is ok; it’s solely thought-about unhealthy as a result of all of the cool children say it’s unhealthy.”

It’s as if the world forgot concerning the flaws of the SERPA because the GWOT ended. Let’s take a second to assessment why the SERPA collection has fallen out of favor.

My Credentials and the SERPA Collection

I attempt to keep in my lane as a lot as doable and hearken to these extra skilled than myself. There are only a few subjects wherein I take into account myself an professional, however I really feel like an professional in SERPA. I even used to name myself a fan of the SERPA earlier than I knew something about holsters. I defended the holster once I thought I knew all the pieces about weapons and there was nothing left for me to study.

Name it the follies of youth. My experience on the SERPA collection comes from round 5 years of utilizing the SERPA. Effectively, lower than 5 while you take away boot camp, SOI, and my first fleet place. I nonetheless have years of expertise with the rig. I normalized and accepted its flaws, and as a result of gun concern, I not often bumped into these flaws. It was like relationship an abusive companion.

Once you’re carrying rose-colored glasses, pink flags simply seem like pink flags. My rose-colored glasses got here from the truth that I used to be issued a Bianchi holster in what I assumed was 1945. In actuality, whereas the Bianchi wasn’t high-speed, it was nonetheless a reasonably first rate holster in comparison with the SERPA.

Downside 1 – Negligent Discharges

One of many huge defenses I, and others, used to make was that NDs attributable to the SERPA collection had been talent points. In actuality, I carried a DA/SA Beretta M9, and having the security on was required. I wasn’t going to ND my Beretta.

Having the gun launch the place the set off finger falls creates a elementary drawback. Once you press the firearm launch and pull upwards, you might be creating the opportunity of your set off finger falling into the set off guard and firing the weapon.

Once we famously watched Tex Grebner give himself 1911-leg the issues began to develop into extra apparent. With the rise of striker-fired pistols that lacked handbook safeties, the issue grew. It grew sufficient that quite a few competitors circuits banned the rig, as did tactical instructors.

You may argue it’s a talent concern, and to a level, it’s. Nevertheless, if the holster presents the opportunity of an ND while you draw, then now we have points. Safariland doesn’t create that concern with their quite a few holsters, so I don’t see why the SERPA warrants protection.

Downside 2 – The Button

One of many causes I just like the SERPA is the button. The button we press with the set off finger to launch the gun is sort of intuitive. It turns into a pure a part of your draw. I’ll say the button is sensible ergonomically however not virtually. I carried an M9 as a grunt as a result of I used to be a machine gunner.

We issued SERPA holsters with thigh rigs. An M240 is fired primarily from the susceptible or some type of rested place. This typically uncovered the gun to dust and rocks, and all kinds of crap. The button, as nice because it was, left an enormous hole between it and the holster physique. This huge hole was good for getting clogged with dust, particles, and rocks.

The truth is, one very irritating drawback I had was when a rock obtained caught beneath the button. I couldn’t draw my gun, and I couldn’t get the rock out. I needed to seize my bayonet, pin the rock into the nook of the slot, and begin utilizing a much bigger rock to faucet the bayonet. Ultimately, I chipped sufficient of the rock away to dump it out and free the gun.

I finally moved the holster from my thigh to my flak with an adapter. Admittedly, I additionally went with the chest-born gun as a result of it was simpler to cross water with, simpler to make use of in automobiles, and saved dust and dirt off my gun and holster.

Downside 3 – The Mounting System Sucks

So there I used to be, Djibouti, Africa. It’s 0230 AM, and I’m toting a 28-pound machine gun on an evening patrol. It’s darkish, and the PVS-14 is doing its greatest. We’re on an extended motion that traced the whole thing of our bivouac. It’s a easy safety patrol.

I all of the sudden felt a shift in weight on my thigh. The SERPA and my M9 had fallen free and swung downward. Two of the three locking screws had unthreaded themselves. The patrol isn’t halting, so I’m making an attempt to determine what the hell to do at midnight whereas transferring and toting an M240.

I’m able to free the gun and finally dump it into my kangaroo pouch on the entrance of my flak. I managed to seek out the little screws, nonetheless hooked up to the holster—someway—and pocketed them. This wasn’t the primary time this had occurred. I’m lengthy out of loc-tite, and the tremendous shallow attachment screw appears to wiggle its means out typically.

I’m all the time checking the rig, however I will need to have missed it earlier than we stepped off. This wasn’t an remoted occasion. One other machine gunner in a sister squad had the identical drawback. I finally moved my M9 to my chest and made tightening the screws a part of my PCC/PCIs earlier than any operation. The opposite gunner simply tossed the SERPA right into a sea bag and used his kangaroo pouch to tote his M9.

The mounts sucked, had been all the time breaking or coming free, and had been a critical supply of frustration.

The SERPA At present

I’m undecided why anybody would use a SERPA right this moment. We stay in an period the place even the producer of the SERPA collection makes a better-competing holster. Even the notoriously low cost navy moved to the Safariland collection holsters, and so must you.