When I decided I wanted to make training a business my kids told me I needed to become involved in social media. My daughter said, “Dad, you have to have a web site, be on Facebook, Linkedin and write a blog”. I was familiar with these things, but had not paid them much attention. I was told these were ways to call attention to the business and “any attention was good attention”. I’m guessing this mode of thought is much like the misbehavior of many Hollywood celebrities who constantly crave attention by acting like idiots in public …”any press is good press” I have heard it said.
If this is true, I accomplished the mission with my most recent blog on the Blackhawk SERPA. Judging from the comments on line as well as the e-mails sent there were more than a few folks who read it. Some were in opposition to the holster design and they gave good reasons for their opinion(s). These readers drew attention to how the design can be “locked up” due to debris in the mechanism while others commented that since it was made of polymer, it was easy to rip from the belt. Valid concerns and I will leave it to the reader to decide if they are important factors in whether or not you want to buy a SERPA.
What is disappointing are the people who decided to make it personal. One wrote stating, “I will never attend one of your courses as your comments on the SERPA make it clear that you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Really?! I e-mailed him and asked for his reasoning for his statement but he has yet to respond. As it turns out, a friend knows him and he told me, “He is an acolyte of (a famous instructor) and he spends his time on line challenging people who do not believe what (famous instructor) believes. He has no real world LE or military experience; as a matter of fact he is an assistant manager at a bank.”
Please understand there is nothing wrong with being a bank manager (my mother was one) but knowing someone’s background does offer insight into who they are, how they think and whether their thoughts should carry any “weight”. When I attend the 2012 SHOT Show and if I see this instructor, I am going to ask him if he endorses such behavior by his followers. I will do so in private
(with due respect) and not in a public forum where it appears to be more about raising one’s profile without spending years building knowledge, experience and a (deserved) reputation.
While I was receiving anti-SERPA messages, I also received messages thanking me for the information provided. A good example is: “Dave, I want to thank you for your blog on www.downrange.tv about the SERPA holster as it gave me a solution to my problem. I bought the SERPA because I like the idea of having a holster that will hold my gun in place no matter what I am doing. After seeing the You Tube video of the guy who shot himself while drawing from it, I was concerned I had made a mistake. Even though I like the idea of a holster that allows me to release the gun with the same hand motion I use to draw I was starting to doubt my choice. Your blog explained what could possibly happen and gave me several ways to avoid this. While others may ban it, you offered ways to make it work and I appreciate this. I will be in your class in Pennsylvania and look forward to training with you. Merry Christmas! Rick H—– .”
Thankfully some understood what I was trying to do. It had nothing to do with whether or not I endorsed the SERPA, it was about offering solutions for those that do. As I have stated before, being an instructor is more than just being a purveyor of my doctrine, it’s also offering possible solutions for real world problems. It never has been nor will it ever be about me and “The Doctrine of Spaulding”, it’s about the student and preparing them for situations that could cost them their lives. Trainers should not be “dictators” that insist “my way or highway” they should be knowledgeable, experienced guides for the continuing journey that is training.
I have helped develop products I hope will help solve real world problems. The Ameriglo CAP sights were a result of decades of painting or taping front sights. High visibility, contrasting front sights do work in conflict but are nothing new. I remember putting Liquid Paper on the front sight of my S & W Model 19 revolver in the 1970’s. CAP Sights offer a contrasting sight without having to worry about solvents removing the contrasting color, but the end user must know whether they will work for them. While testing the prototypes I had a shooter confront me stating, “WTF! …These sights don’t work for me!” as if I had done him a personal wrong. I told him, “Then I wouldn’t buy them if I were you.” What is a solution for one person may not be a solution for another but that does not mean (as instructors) we should not offer suggestions. Instructors should be capable of directing you, the student, towards a possible solution… In reality, isn’t training a possible solution for a potential problem?
Dave Spaulding is the 2010 Law Officer Trainer of the Year and Law Officer’s Firearms columnist. A 28-year law enforcement veteran who retired at the rank of lieutenant, he is the founder of Handgun Compatives. He has worked in corrections, communications, patrol, evidence collection, investigations, undercover operations, training and SWAT—and has authored more than 1,000 articles for various firearms and law enforcement periodicals. He’s also the author of the best-selling books Defensive Living and Handgun Combatives. Visit his web site at www.handguncombatives.com and like him on Facebook.
From my time in the military, I remember that maneuver. It is called “popping smoke.” Throwing out an anecdote about some banker busting your chops and some uninformed guy thanking you was little more than chaff to waste page space and mentally numb the reader into moving on to another webpage.
You concede (yet minimize) the debris lock up and mounting platform issue.
The truth still remains that you fail to address the poorly engineered (and dangerous) release. How in the heck is it a good idea to use the trigger finger to release a weapon from a position of retention? Try to address that point without appearing foolish and damaging your business prospects as a trainer.
As a responsible instructor, you should not be “offering solutions for those that do.” You should be training them to know better. You do not recommend “Mexican” carry of a condition one Glock while wearing sweatpants. Why…because it is unsafe. You should be advising people to find a more reliable, secure, and safely accessible holster platform. Why…Because the SERPA is unsafe.
Most people will never encounter the lockup issue or the tear it off the platform issue. Having seen a video of someone breaking the mounting platform there was a lot of swinging around.
As far as the trigger finger being used for the release. If your draw stroke is correct, meaning your trigger finger is straight & indexed along side of the slide pressing on the release your finger will never go into the trigger guard.
Keep up the Great Work, Dave!
-RJP
Mr. Spaulding, I want to thank you for your insight into “the Serpa dilemma”. I have used (and still do, thanks to you) one for a couple of years now. I believe training is the key to this so-called problem, and I will continue to train and use this product with fervor and vigilance! Thank you for your diligence on this subject.
Dave, the truth be told… people are probably much more likely to have a weapon feeding malfunction or stove piped round due to being in a rush to draw… and thus not having a proper grip on their weapon.. than having their Serpa holster’s latch jam-up or the holster being ripped from their belt. That is why instructors practice repeatedly with the ole tap, rack, & bang drills.
I often use a BlackHawk Serpa holster with my Glock 19 & 23 and with my S&W 38 spl air weight. I keep the holsters clean and have never had a issue of any kind. My state requires concealed carry and the holsters are always carried under a EOTEC lite concealment vest… protected from dirt & lint.
At 53 yrs of age… on disability with a bad back & hip, I’m not going to be rolling around on the ground like a kid… with some tough guy… getting dirt / debris in my holster. In my state [OK], if a guy has a knife and is within 21 feet of me… then he is bought & paid for… as the courts say he can cross 21 feet in 1 1/2 seconds and is threfore a threat to my life. And if he has a gun.. well then, its gonna be a race to see who gets a shot off first… and I think I have a real advantage with my Crimson Trace lasers… that I practice with often. Most bad guys don’t have the advantage of having a CT laser on their knife, baseball bat, … or their gun. [Especialy those idiots who try to rob someone with a pellet / BB gun.]
With a attacker having a knife or gun… if you can…step in the outside direction of the hand holding the weapon… forcing them have to turn their arm / shoulder outward, possibly even having to twist at their waist or change their footing… while you are putting the bright red dot of your laser on their chest / mid-section and capping 3-4 rounds. A few rounds of Critical Defense [what I use], Hydra Shock, PDX, Gold Dot or Golden Sabre to the mid-section of a bad guy should end most any confrontation fairly quickly.
I purchased a new serpa duty holster for my 1911 a few years ago. I thought it was a pretty neat idea. I got it home and started working with it and within one hour I realized it was less than ideal. Especially for a 1911 type weapon. It is probably better suited for a glock. Having been in more than a few deadly force situations I know how important it is for things to be fool proof. While the serpa may be a good design no one will be using one during any of my training classes. But hey I am not a banker or anything, just a law enforcement firearms instructor. Keep up the good work Dave.
Gentleman,
Instead of getting into a measuring contest , lets put out the facts regarding how those who should be “in the know” are wasting valuable time and energy upon an innocent piece of equipment . I kinow and respect Mr. Spaulding and the point he is trying to make about this particular holster system . It is “exactlly” that, A piece of equipment and should be used properly. How hard is this to comprehend.? I am a 21yr veteran inner city working LEO and trainer from the Cinccinnati Ohio area that has had his share of near death experiences with our fine violent felons including my cruiser being shot to pieces with my partner and I inside in 1992. My agency as has issued serpa holsters for off duty and plain clothes duty carry for a few years now –Problems..? ZERO. Heck, we also use that system for our X26 TASERS – Problems? ZERO . The Police and Training business world should well remember all of the moaning and criticisms related to other types of retention holsters from the past including the “rock,twist,pull, push etc. etc. Even under In-service controlled conditions those systems created problems for those who obviously did not take the time / practice to work “with” the equipment and not against it….in time it became second nature when done PROPERLY…..and the finger pointing subsided. The high levels of experience and common sense shared by my brothers and sisters carrying the torch for good training should help with the approach toward this ongoing issue. As with all issues related to firearms support gear – when used INCORRECTLY problems will happen… Period.
i.e. a few closing points
1. We have brake / shifter lockouts to stop sudden accellerations – recent invention because of human nature to blame the machine versus the confusion of the feet while cruisn’ through the convenience store front.!
2. Warnings on the outside of a cup of HOT coffee that you could get burned. really. ?
3. I am a long time instructor for every level of use of force equipment in use for today’s LEO yet refuse to blame a device for improper application.
4. I hope we never get to the point where “fingers” are banned from the range because I have nearly been killed from friendly fire more times than bad guy encounters. Culprit each time? fingers and minds where they shouldnt be. Im just saying..
In closing,
Yes Dave . keep up the good work
Dave ,
absolutely keep up the good work for many reasons. You are right on the money.
Not sure where my first version of repy went but here goes.
1. First and foremost this is a training and skills issue not an equipment issue as you have pointed out. Completely agree
2. same moans and gripes came and went when the twist, rock,push turn etc. level 2, 3 and the like came out. I am on the job 21 yrs in busy Cincinnati area with many near death experiences from our fine felons.
3. As an instructor on all levels of use of force for nearly 2 decades i have heard all of the excuses for minds and fingers being where they shouldnt be…..
4. blaming an object for finger placement mistakes makes little sense….like the old timers hating the “automatics” being dangerous because of lighter triggers. Yes they are when you have “public gun show grip” (touching trigger anytime gun is in hand) for handling skill because of starting out with heavy triggered DA revolvers back in the day.! you could get away with riding the trigger back then boys. not now.
5. I know of several departments including mine that issue them for plain clothes and off duty use. ZERO problems
6. Just remember this- we now have cars with brake and transmission interlocks on them because of FEET / PEDAL confusion and humans being unwilling to admit a mistake after driving “through” the local convenience store glass doors.
7. All firearms equipment can be dangerous if used improperly –
so can fingers and minds in the wrong place at the wrong time.
8. All inventions arent for all people. If you dont like something , dont use it.
Simple.
L. Buchanan