Gunnuts Media reported that the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, FLETC, has banned the use of Blackhawk SERPA holsters due to incidents where officers have shot themselves using the SERPA. While I personally like the SERPA holster and feel that proper training will prevent such accidents, I can see how the accidents can happen. This is bad news for Blackhawk, I wonder if a newly designed SERPA holster with the release button in a different location is in the works?
Can you tell us more about this? I’d carre to find out some
additional information.
I see we’re still living in a world where it’s no one’s fault but the equipment…a couple morons shoot themselve because they can’t follow a simple rule.
At no time should a pistol being drawn from a thigh holster point at the user, regardless of trigger control. Muzzle control is always rule #1.
I suppose it could be done, though, if you tried to draw the pistol sideways & bent your wrist.
Anyone not trained well enough to avoid sweeping themselves with the muzzle of their pistol as they draw should be required to use the “Israeli draw” method such that the chamber is empty until the weapon is pointed in a safe direction.
Israeli draw is even used by some elite operators, there is no shame in it. Police might as well use it by default since they are almost always required to give a verbal warning before shooting someone.
SHOOT THEMSELVES? How is that possible with the SERPA? To draw you push in on the detent and pull upward. The trigger is completely sealed off behind the holster wall. Leaving your finger straight along side the upper slide. Could it just be a case of stupidity? You know you can’t cure stupid. It’s just natures way of culling out the weak. I’ll just keep my SERPA. This country just needs to stop with all this babying. More people die on the nations highways do to car accidents lets outlaw cars to save them all form theses accidents. Stupid! Right. Or is it? Just for this I’m going to buy two more of these life threading holsters. I’m so reckless.
Iused a SERPA on my IOTV and a dropleg AND a shoulder holster in iraq and i NEVER had a finger land on the trigger when i drew. one problem i had was my holster didn’t cover the safety on my Berreta M9 and it would frequently be nudged from safe to fire. but very quickly i would periodically just hand check and re-safe if need be. the training i have is you keep all weapons safe until pointed at target, THEN switch to fire, then safe before moving weapon off target.
I’ve owned a SERPA holster for years (Beretta 92) and I’ve never once contacted the trigger during my draw. In fact, my finger automatially indexes on the side of the frame. I’m entirely unclear on how exactly one would go about shooting themselves when drawing from a SERPA, unless they were tremendously incompetent and incorrectly-trained.
Seriously, banning a type of holster is no substitute for proper trigger finger control.