Last week, the National Park Service banned the use of SERPA-style holsters by any of its more than 2,000 law enforcement personnel. It will come as no surprise to pistol-training.com readers that among the reasons listed was the propensity for accidental discharges, citing multiple instances at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center where such accidents led to property damage and/or injury.
Another issue listed in the NPS memo was the danger of debris getting into the holster mechanism thereby making it impossible to draw the gun. Especially given the incredibly wide range of environmental conditions under which NPS Park Rangers must operate across the country it is easy to understand this very real concern. (for a demonstration of this problem in a realistic training environment, see this video featuring Craig “SouthNarc” Douglas and the late Paul Gomez… note the language of the video may be NSFW)
See more details here:
All of this sounds oddly familiar.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I felt this strange thing that must have been deja vu....either that or a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.
DeleteBut yet the Marine Corps tested Serpa holsters (Blackhawk, I believe) and found them to be perfectly safe in TRAINED hands. As a result they just ordered something like 27,000 of them for the M45 (that they are returning to).
ReplyDeleteTrue,
DeleteBut a couple of things:
They are not "returning" to the M45, those personnel that will rate the M45 have been using M1911s for some time thus they are not "returning" to any kind of 1911, just returning to Colt for new pistols instead of Marine Corps rebuilt M1911A1s.
As far as using the Marine Corps using "X" that's not exactly a good barometer. This is the same Marine Corps that I've actually served in that gives you desert pattern NBC suits when training in woodland environments and then gives you woodland pattern NBC suits when deploying for combat in the Middle East.
Is the Serpa a step in the right direction as far as issued holsters are concerned compared to the ridiculous flap holster and shoulder holster? Sure. But is it the "best" option? Probably not.