The Blackhawk
Serpa…A ‘How To’ Guide
By: Paul Gomez
Following the
widespread distribution of my ‘Damning Review’ from November 2005, I
have had multiple conversations with Blackhawk and the holsters have
undergone several design improvements. The instructions that
accompany the Serpa duty holsters are much clearer than those that
came with the earlier units. If the end-users actually read them,
and pay attention, they will go a long way toward minimizing the
risks.
In July 2006,
I was tasked with training a group that was issuing the Smith &
Wesson M&P pistol and utilizing the newly released Blackhawk Serpa
Duty Holster. Given my previous writings concerning the Serpa
design, this was an ironic turn of events, to say the least. What
follows is a photographic sequence illustrating the method of
operation that I have come to advocate for the Serpa holster. As an
aside, I am often accused of fixating on meaningless details. Some
of you may find this to be one of those instances. So be it. My
concern, in my initial writings concerning the Serpa, and in this
piece, is to provide legitimate information to the community. The
Serpa design is not going away and I encourage anyone who is not
aware of the design to familiarize yourself with it. If you are
currently utilizing a Serpa holster, please try this method of
operation and let me know what you think. If you know of anyone
using a Serpa, pass this along to them. The more feedback, the
better.
The
‘drawstroke’ or ‘presentation’ of the handgun, as I teach it, is a
four count process wherein ‘1’ denotes establishing a full firing
grip on the holstered pistol, ‘2’ is both a high pectoral/retention
position and the beginning of the horizontal line of presentation,
‘3’ is the point at which the weapon enters the peripheral vision,
under the dominate eye, and ‘4’ is appropriate extension or
compression.
When dealing
with retention or security holsters, count ‘1’ is further broken
down into a three step process[Index/Clear/Release] to ensure that
all locking devices have been dealt with and the gun will be able to
smoothly move to count ‘2’. I borrowed the I/C/R concept from the
Rogers School and modified it to fit the unique attributes of the
Serpa Duty Holster.
In this first
picture, the raised shelf is highlighted by the green line. This
shelf is the physical reference point for the trigger finger. The
red arrow points to the portion of the Serpa Lock Paddle that needs
to be depressed to release the pistol from the holster.
Through the
use of index points, which are established before the full firing
grip, the shooter should be able to gain a consistent, robust
interface with the gun and holster. This is key to a smooth draw.
The firing hand thumb is kept flagged, this will position the thumb
to release the Pivot Guard on the Level III Serpa and ties directly
into my normal drawstroke, where the thumb position maximizes
physical contact with the torso. The index finger lies flat along
the shelf and the tips of the other three fingers make contact with
the front strap of the pistol. This is ‘Index’.
To ‘Clear’ the
locking devices, the trigger finger is rolled from the raised shelf
onto the flat Serpa Lock Paddle. The motion is similar to rolling a
fingerprint and the pad of the finger should end up flat and
depressing the Serpa Lock Paddle. The fingertips contacting the
front strap slide around the butt of the gun, ending in a full
firing grip.
Having
‘cleared the locking device’, it is imperative that we verify that
we have done so. ‘Release’, traditionally, meant to ‘release’ any
secondary retention feature on a duty holster and to break the
friction between the gun and the holster body. For our purposes,
‘release’ means to lift up slightly on the holstered gun to ensure
that the Serpa Lock has completely disengaged prior to attempting to
withdraw the gun fully and continue with our drawstroke. If
resistance is felt on the gun, reseat it in the holster and
re-index. My concern here is that if one fails to affect a proper
release from the holster, the tendency will be to mash the button
with the tip of the finger and jerk upwards on the pistol. That is
not good.
Having
confirmed ‘Release’, the weapon is drawn up the torso and presented
to threat as previously described. In the pictures accompanying this
text, I am using the Level II CQC Serpa holster designed for
concealed carry. The same sequence works with both the Level II &
III Tactical [dropleg] Serpa and with the Level II & III Duty Serpa
holsters. The flagged thumb, mentioned earlier, contacts the Pivot
Guard release on the Level III holsters.
Paul Gomez
225.921.5900
