

However, beyond that structural issue, there is a key issue with the safety aspect of the Serpa. It turned out my experience wasn’t uncommon. After that, I ditched the Serpa and eventually got a Safariland rig. Keep in mind, I wasn’t doing anything stressful–just walking with an M240 over my shoulder. I’m not partial to having a gun pointed at my head, so I removed the M9 and dropped it into the kangaroo pouch on my plate carrier. Two of the three contact points had sheared off, and a single screw held the now swinging SERPA and the M9 it carried. Marines with 1st Marine Division stand on line and practice shooting techniques during a combat marksmanship coach course. I looked down to see my Serpa now oriented with the barrel pointing at my face. Suddenly, I felt something swing and move on my chest. At sunset, we humped into the African wilderness to set up an ambush. We were doing a little training, and my machine gun squad acted as OPFOR (role-played as an opposing force) for a rifle squad. I could draw it quite quickly, and the modular design allowed it to be mission adaptable. Initially, I loved the holster and wore it on both a thigh rig and on my plate carrier, depending on what I was doing. I, like most Marines, carried that M9 in a Blackhawk Serpa. My Ride With the SerpaĪs a pistol-qualified machine gunner, I toted a Beretta M9 alongside my M240. If you currently serve and are issued a Serpa holster, I encourage you to find an alternative. However, it could take a substantial amount of time before the new pistol and holster become issued force-wide. The good news is, the recent adoption of the M17 and M18 service pistols, along with their Safariland holsters, will eventually phase the Serpa out. In fact, it’s downright dangerous.Įven now, in 2021, I keep seeing Serpas on the belts of Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen. While the Serpa seemed perfect, it soon proved to be a pretty poor choice.
#Px4 compact good range holster forum series
Serpa series holsters had a multitude of attachments that allowed the gun to ride with belt loops, on a thigh rig, on a MOLLE panel, and beyond. The Serpa series promised the same level of retention with less bulk and a faster draw. While it carried a firearm, the M12 made accessing the gun painfully slow. The M12 earned its name as the suicide holster because you’d have to be suicidal to consider it. Before the Serpa, the Bianchi M12′ suicide’ holster served troops. For its time, it was a rather revolutionary design that provided the military and police forces a dedicated duty holster, made from polymer, with active retention, a modular design, and an affordable price tag. The Blackhawk Serpa holster has been kicking around since the Global War on Terror began.
