I was sent a pdf file about this. There are a couple photo's with a pistol indicating where the contact is made to jam it all up. No idea how to add it. If you need it just PM and I will forward it.
"Serpa Holster Information
At a recent Summer Firearms training I witnessed an officer practicing the support hand (only) reload and stoppage
drills. The officer had inserted his G21 reversed, into his Serpa holster and was unable to draw it out, until the
holster had been partially disassembled. A screw was removed and a part of the holster fell out, allowing the pistol
to be drawn.
I mentioned this to a list member who reported the following regarding Glock pistols, and I’ve subsequently had
notice of the same circumstance taking place with a S&W M&P.
From a technical evaluator:
“I was able to duplicate the problem.
Look inside the empty holster. Along the back wall, there's a plastic bar that starts in front of the trigger guard and
ends about halfway to the bottom of the holster. As the gun is inserted, that bar is compressed against the holster
body by the dust cover, creating a friction fit. If you insert the gun upside down as described, that lever is
compressed first by the front sight, then by the balance of the slide, creating the same friction fit. The trouble starts
after the front sight clears the end of that bar. The FS is taller than the slide, and after the end of the bar clears the
FS, the bar snaps down onto the slide. When you try to pull the gun back out, the bar catches the FS locking the gun
in place.
You can correct the problem by removing the screw that holds the bar in place, or you can slide a long narrow
paddle of some sort in to raise the bar above the FS allowing it to clear.
Fatal flaw: This cannot be corrected while in the fight. The gun is stuck.
I could duplicate this holster failure with Glocks 17, 21, and 23 and the appropriate Serpa for each. Unknown how
other designs might be impacted.
If users insist on keeping the Serpa, they must not employ this particular method of refunctioning the gun.
There are many other, high quality, holster options which have no such problems.”
"Serpa Holster Information
At a recent Summer Firearms training I witnessed an officer practicing the support hand (only) reload and stoppage
drills. The officer had inserted his G21 reversed, into his Serpa holster and was unable to draw it out, until the
holster had been partially disassembled. A screw was removed and a part of the holster fell out, allowing the pistol
to be drawn.
I mentioned this to a list member who reported the following regarding Glock pistols, and I’ve subsequently had
notice of the same circumstance taking place with a S&W M&P.
From a technical evaluator:
“I was able to duplicate the problem.
Look inside the empty holster. Along the back wall, there's a plastic bar that starts in front of the trigger guard and
ends about halfway to the bottom of the holster. As the gun is inserted, that bar is compressed against the holster
body by the dust cover, creating a friction fit. If you insert the gun upside down as described, that lever is
compressed first by the front sight, then by the balance of the slide, creating the same friction fit. The trouble starts
after the front sight clears the end of that bar. The FS is taller than the slide, and after the end of the bar clears the
FS, the bar snaps down onto the slide. When you try to pull the gun back out, the bar catches the FS locking the gun
in place.
You can correct the problem by removing the screw that holds the bar in place, or you can slide a long narrow
paddle of some sort in to raise the bar above the FS allowing it to clear.
Fatal flaw: This cannot be corrected while in the fight. The gun is stuck.
I could duplicate this holster failure with Glocks 17, 21, and 23 and the appropriate Serpa for each. Unknown how
other designs might be impacted.
If users insist on keeping the Serpa, they must not employ this particular method of refunctioning the gun.
There are many other, high quality, holster options which have no such problems.”
