FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

14November2011
By:SalPalma FOGHORNBLOG

BlackhawksCQCSERPAHolster

Beforeyoutunemeoutsayingthisisanother SERPAholsterreview,givemeanopportunityto giveyoumyperspectiveonholsters. Theholsterispartofyourweaponsystem period.Youcanhavethemostfinelytuned pistolontheplanetseatedinapoorlydesigned holsterandyoumightaswelloptforaslingshot. Holstersfunctiontoprovideyouwithameans tocarryyourpistolorrevolver;sometimesfora longperiodoftime;so,theyhavetobe comfortable.Youneedtobeabletosit,stand andsquatwithoutthefirearmorholstergetting intheway. Theholstermustalsoprovideyouwithready accesstoyourfirearm.Inotherwordsitmust facilitatedrawingtheweapon. Finally,theholsterneedstocontributeto weaponretention.Itshouldassistyouin retainingcontroloftheweaponduringaclose quarterconfrontation. Thosearethethreekeyingredientsthatany holstermustsatisfyinorderformetogiveit thumbsup. IwishIhadanickelforeveryholsterIve purchasedovertheyearsonlytoendupina drawer.ItslikebuyingsocksIguess. Ivehadholstersthatwereveryquickonthe drawbutifIraninthemthepistolwouldfall rightout.Ivealsohadholsterwiththumb breaksthatwouldntrelease.

Whileintheservice,Iusedtomoonlightabit providingarmedsecurity.Ahotellocatedina highcrimearearetainedmeasplainclothes armedsecurity.Myjobwastodetectillegal activity;deteritwhenpossibleorhanditoverto thelocalPD. Althoughyoudneverguessitbythelookofthe property,theinflowofdrugsandprostitution kepteveryonebusy. OnerainyFridayevening,aguestfrom Memphis,TNcheckedinandsetupshopinone oftherooms.Byabout1:00a.m.Saturday morning,therewasasteadystreamofpeople goingtoandcomingoutoftheroom.I contactedthepoliceandinformedthemof suspecteddrugtrafficking.Whenthepolice arrived,theysetupsurveillanceandreached theconclusionthattheindividualhadashooting galleryupandrunning. Theofficerinchargeaskedmetoescortfour officersuptothefloorwheretwoofficers securedbothendsofthehallwayandtwo officerswouldenterthesuspectsroom. Whilejustoutsidetheguestsdoor,theofficer standingdirectlybehindmeIwillneverforget thissaysusethemasterkeytoopenthedoor thengolowandIllgohigh. Whatensuedcouldonlybedescribedas assholesandelbows.Iveneverseenamore Chaplinlikescenethanthatone.Everyone runningintothetoilettoflushtheevidence,it wasintense.Luckily,noonewasarmed.But,it gavemeasnapshotofwhatcantakeplace,and asimportant,itgavemeafeelforfirearm accessandcontrol. Whatsthebottomline?Yourholsterisasmuch partofyourweaponsystemsastheweapon, magazinesand/orammunition.Itallworks together. TheurbansettingsintheIraqiconflictsofDesert StormandIraqiFreedomacceleratedand formalizedatypeofcombatoperationcalled CQBorclosequarterbattle,andCQCorclose quartercombat.Thissettingdemandednew approaches,newequipmentandnewtraining. InrealityCQCandCQBarenotnewconceptsat all.Thelawenforcementcommunity,especially S.W.A.T.,hasbeenengagedinCQBandCQCfor

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.

FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

quitesometime,wejustdidnthaveanamefor it.And,infact,manyofthetechniques employedbythemilitaryandspecialoperators todayhavelawenforcementorigins. TheBlackhawkIndustriesCQCSERPAholster wasbredinthatenvironment.Operatorshada needforaholsterthatwouldprovide exceptionalweaponaccessyetprovide retentionabovewhatwascurrentlyavailable whichwasthemilitarystyleflapholster. Asoperatorsrefinedtheirtechniques,the technologytosupportthemfollowed.Webegan toseewidespreaduseofpistolswithhigh capacitymagazines,railsandaccessoriessuchas railattachedlightsandaiminglasers.Holsters, aswell,evolvedtosupporttheseemergingtools andwebegantoclassifythem,rather informally,asLevel1,Level2andLevel3. ALevel1holsterisonethatreliesonfrictionto keeptheweaponintheholster.Hereanumber oftechniquesareemployedtosecurethe holster.Holstershape/angleandtensioning screwsaretheprincipalmechanisms. Level1holstersareprincipallyusedas concealedcarryholstersorrangeholsterwhere aggressivephysicalactivityisnotexpectedand whereweaponretentionisnotascritical. ALevel2holsteroffersfrictionandasecondary mechanismsuchaslatchmechanicalorstrap. ALevel2holsterisintendedforsituations whereitisreasonabletoexpectaggressive physicalactivityandweaponretentionisa concernresultingfromcloseproximitytoan opposingaggressor. Lastly,ALevel3holsteroffersthreeretention systemsfriction,aprimarylatchingsystemand asecondarylatchingsystem. Level3holstersarecommonamongpolice officerswhereweaponretentionisof paramountimportance. WhatmakesBlackhawksCQCSERPAholster suchanexceptionalchoiceisnotitsLevel1,2or 3characteristics.Rather,itsthe implementationofthesetocreateandeffective andefficientholstersystem.

TheCQC(CloseQuartersConcealment)SERPA comeswiththreesubassemblies.Theholster,a paddlemountandabeltmount. Theholsterismadefromareinforcedcarbon fiberthatisimpervioustomoisture,retainsit shapeandishighlydurable.Theholsterbody alsohousestheretentionmechanisms. Thetensioningscrew,justforwardoftheSERPA th latchisadjustedan8 ofaturnatatimetoset theprecisedesiredleveloffriction. Inthepicturebelow,Iveelevatedtheholster andweaponanddepressedtheSERPAlatch. NotethattheSIGremainsintheholsterand doesnotfalltothesurfacebelow.Thisisyour Level1atwork.

TheSERPAlatchbuiltintotheholsterprovidesa mechanicalrestraintthatisdefeatedwhenthe latchisdepressed,andthisisyourLevel2.Ina closequarterconfrontation,theopposing aggressorwouldnotbeabletounholsteryour firearmunlesstheynewtodepresstheSERPA lock. HavingaLevel2orLevel3holsterofanymake isnosubstituteforweaponretention instruction.Ifyoucarryafirearmforself

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.

FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

defenseorwork,Istronglysuggestthatyouget thatlevelofguidance. Forobviousreasonsthisisahighprioritywith policedepartmentsandofficersreceiveweapon retentiontrainingatregularintervalsto maintainproficiency. TheSERPAsystemhasafurtherbenefit.The locationanddesignoftheSERPAlockforcesthe operatortoextendhisorherindexfingeralong thesideoftheholstertoreleasetheweapon.As theweaponispulledfromtheholster,theindex fingerremainsinitscorrectpositionalongthe pistolsframeandoutofthetriggerguarduntil theoperatorisreadytofire.Thisisextremely importantforsafetyandgreatlyimproves muzzleandfirearmcontrol.

IndexFingerExtendedDepressesSERPAlock. Weapondrawnandreadytobeplacedintoaction.

WeaponRelease

Ialsospokeaboutaccess.Ihavewornavariety ofholstersthatkeepthepistolorrevolververy closeagainstthebody.Thismaybegoodfor concealcarrybutitmakesitdifficultforthe operatortoaccesstheweaponparticularlyin stressfulsituations.Toenhanceaccessibility, BlackhawkIndustriesengineeredamounting systemthatplacestheholsteredweaponout fromtheoperatorsbodyaboutaquartertohalf aninch;assuch,itseasytoslipyourhandover theweaponsgripanddrawtheweapon withoutbeingentangledbyclothing. Finally,wearriveatcomfortandheretoo Blackhawkdidanexceptionaljob.TheSERPA holstersareshippedwithtwodifferent mountingarrangements. Thefirstisapaddlemount,whichIpreferover thebeltmount.

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.

FOG HORN a Twobirds Flying Publication

Thepaddleslipsbetweenyourpantsandyour belt.Thelargehorseshoepaddleslipsintoyour pantsandthesmallerpaddle,whichcontains theholsterattachmentpointstrapsyourbelt usingadjustablehooksprovided.Itiscompletely solidandquitecomfortable.IlikeitbecauseI donthavetoremovemybelttoputonortake offmyholster. Youllalsonotethattheholstersanglecanbe adjustedfrontorback.IfavortheFBIcant whichistheslightforwardcantreadilyseenin thepictureabove. Thebeltmountoffersthesamedegreeof flexibilityasthepaddlemount,whichmeans thatitcanbeadjustedforcantandbeltsize. But,itmeansthreadingabeltthroughtheloops andIdrathernot,soIflywiththepaddle mount.

Whenselectingatacticalholstersystemtryto rememberthatgunfightsarentwonbyquick drawsandputtingfiveroundsdownrange beforethefirstemptyshellcasinghitsthe ground. Instead,theyarewonbythemethodicaland consistentapplicationofdoctrine,andmastery ofthetoolsavailabletoyou. TheCQCSERPAissuchatoolpracticewithit, developproficiencyandconsistencyslowis smoothandsmoothisfastbutalways remembertoplacesafetyfirst. BesuretovisitBlackhawkIndustriesfora completelineofexceptionalproducts. SP

Inclosing,BlackhawksCQCSERPAholster satisfiesalloftheessentialrequirementsof comfort,accessibilityandretentionatanMSRP of$40.99.Igiveitgreatbigthumbsup! ItsnothardseewhySERPAdesignshave revolutionizedtacticalholstertechnology.

Copyright 2011, Sal Palma, dba Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved.