In my opinion there is no such thing as a perfectly safe holster. This being said I believe that the primary problem with Blackhawk SERPA holsters is the outstanding lack of proper trigger finger control that is often exhibited by novices. I carry two primary types of holsters: A friction lock, Blade-Tech, custom Kydex holster that's mounted on a single-point Tek-Loc clasp. Because I'm ambidextrous I'm able to wear the same holster either IWB, or OTB on opposite sides of my body. In more than 50 years of doing these things, the worst — and I do mean the worst — holster accident I ever had involved losing my footing, falling forward, and catching the butt of my pistol on top of the arm of a nearby chair.
As I fell that chair's arm acted as a lever, and pulled my fully charged (C-0) Glock out of my Blade-Tech friction lock holster, and sent my gun flying across the room! The pistol didn't spin; and there was no rotational torque, at all. It was just a straight forward fall from less than 3 feet up in the air; and it landed on a hard linoleum-covered concrete floor. Happily (and under the described circumstances) that Glock lived up to the advertising copy, and (unlike the HUD tests) didn't accidentally discharge. Still, it could have; and all this from a freak accident that nobody ever saw coming. Needless to say this event, kind of, cooled me off from carrying anybody's friction lock holster.
For the past five years I've frequently found myself carrying and using a SERPA holster. It is true that any sort of blockage underneath the release lever will prevent that lever from moving; and the pistol is not going to come out of the holster; but, the judicious use of a Dremel Tool can go a long way toward getting the pistol to release with no more than a strong tug. What I really dislike about SERPA holsters is the demonstrable fact that far too many people do NOT know how to keep their trigger finger straight during the draw — the complete draw!
Handgun shooting novices and/or pistoleros who are under significant time pressure have a tendency to release the lock — not with a perfectly straight and flat index finger, but — with a somewhat curled trigger finger which is allowed to drag up the side of the holster, and ...... Bang! Off goes a negligent (not an accidental) discharge. Know what? In a good five years of use something like this has never happened to me; but, then again, I've always had scrupulously correct straight trigger finger control. A lot of other shooters don't understand when I say this; but, after having been shot three times, I have an almost instinctive fear of and a good healthy respect for guns.
When it comes to all firearms I never forget; and I never make any sort of careless mistakes. My proprioceptive reflexes are very well trained; and, regardless of whatever holster I'm wearing, a handling mistake is less likely to happen. (Not impossible, mind you, but less likely to occur. I am also a firearms instructor. Do I allow pistol students to use SERPA holsters? No, I do not. If, however, I've got an experienced shooter (like, say, an Army Ranger) on the firing line with a SERPA on his hip, I'll watch him for awhile; and if I don't see any 'red flags' then I'm fine with that particular shooter using a SERPA.
A Blackhawk SERPA holster is not an easy device to use; and a lot of drawing experience with a handgun is required; but — level III holsters excluded, and in the right hands — a SERPA holster is no more, or less dangerous than any other holster. A healthy amount of personal caution and respect for the weapon is always a prerequisite to all safe gun handling. I always caution students not to focus on the speed of the draw; focus, instead, upon removing a pistol correctly from the holster. Speed comes with frequent use and familiarity; and it should be allowed to develop, naturally, as a direct consequence of regular practice and repeated use.
Personally, I won't be giving up either my friction locked Blade-Tech, or my SERPA holsters. Along with an acquire knowledge of what can, or might, go wrong I simply maintain a good healthy respect (or 'fear', if you will) of all firearms and related equipment. I handle numerous guns and equipment all day long, day after day after day; and it's a personal safety attitude like this that has kept me out of trouble for many years now. It's not the gun; it's not the holster; it's the shooter, instead; and, yes, some sort of freak accident can always occur — So never relax, and never let your guard down!
