Well, I read the stuff about discharges being blamed on the SERPA retention system and I am not as convinced that the system is bad, as the people who wrote about them.
Until that link was posted, I'd not heard of any such incedences happening. But, they appearantly have.
I am no expert on such matters, but I simply do not agree with their analisis of what actually happened.
Anyone who would "in a panic" or simply "in a hurry", "punch" the button on that holster and then while making the draw, let that finger slide inside the trigger guard and pull the trigger, would very likely have done the same thing, drawing the gun from any other type of holster.
If you think about it, especially when talking about a Glock, we are told to keep the trigger finger out of the guard, and along side the frame, until the target has been aquired. And we are supposed to train ourselves to do just that, practicing it over and over, until it becomes a natural, reflexive action.
For me, that "button" on the Blackhawk holster, serves to re-enforce that "aquired habit." That is exactly why I had no problem getting used to drawing from it, in the first place.
Now, as to the destruction of the holster when the two guys tried to remove a "stuck weapon," that's hardly reason to condem the holster for coming apart. It wasn't as if it had broken during a retention drill. It was, after all to men working in concert against the holster, not one guy breaking the holster while the other was trying to stop him.
As for the gun being stuck in there in the first place, I just don't know. I've no idea if that holster was someone's every-day carry, or if it belonged to a school that used in regularly in retention drills and was subjected to heavy abuse on a regular schedule, or what.
I don't put much stock in the conclusion that the "lock-up" was due to a small piece of gravel in the mechanism, which I suppose they dissected after that rather lively wrestling match. A lot of what is found in a "post mortum exam," can be incidental.
If a lock-up as described is all that easy, I'd have expected to hear of more than just this one. As much as I looked over this and the the Glock Talk forum, I'd have thought it would have be mentioned, somewhere.
Although I've not read everything, every where, that thread was the first I'd seen that talked about these failures. And "many problems" looked like they all appeared right there. Maybe I just missed a lot.
I would say that it is rather clear that their opinion of it wasn't very high.
No, I am not ready to get rid of mine, based on that discussion.
I like mine.
As for an "active retention holster," what I was looking for was one that held the weapon in the holster during every day carry. I don't want the embarrasment of having it skitter across the floor at a resturaunt, and having to post about it, here. (I've read those post.)
Looks to me like most who carry concealed, tend to stay away from snaps and straps to keep the gun where it belongs. They, like I do, depend upon their own actions to keep the weapon out of the BG's hands.
Like I said, I am happy with my Blackhawk holster and I do not agree with the assement of others maintain that it is inherently dangerous. Just about anything can be "what if'ed to death, and it looks to me like a little bit of that, is what happened here.
Mike
PS:
I've just got to learn to proof-read these long-winded post of mine, before hitting the "submit button." That's the button I have problems with.
I'm done editing now, hope I got it right.
mm
