POLIZEI
06-17-2007, 14:07
The Blackhawk SERPA AUTO LOCK level III Dutyholster is a new star in the sky. The German Federal Customs Service (Zoll) has recently issued the Blackhawk CQC Holster to its detectives. Now it is certain that also the Uniform-Division of the Federal Customs Service will carry there new H&K P30 Pistols in Blackhawk Holsters. The model for the German Zoll differs somewhat from the standard SERPA AUTO LOCK level III. However, more later.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI1.jpg
The Holster consists of the Holster body and the belt plate. The belt plate is very firm and light like the rest of the Holsters. The belt loops will be screwed to the belt plate in the lower portion of the belt plate. The Belt loops can be “flapped” over the belt. That has the advantage that you don’t have to take of the buckles and the equipment of the belt to put the holster on or off. The Holster body is firmly connected with the belt plate with 3 screws. By the arrangement of the screw holes in the belt plate, it makes it possible for the user to carry the Holsters in 3 differently angles. Traditionally straight, FBI Style, butt forward and butt to the rear if you like the cross-draw. With the straight setting the top of the pistol grip is in line with the middle of the belt. If necessary a "Spacer kit" can be installed between the belt plate and holster body. If only a light wind jacket is worn between the holster body and belt plate, the standard configuration will work fine. With a winter or leather jacket the operator can´t go past the "Spacer kit". Because the user will need some space between the holster body and the belt plate to activate the release for the secondary safety. Normally I give a dang about the packing, but I like the one of the Spacer-Kit. In the wintertime you have it on your Holster and in the summer it goes back into the clear zipper bag for easy storage.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI2.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI3.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI4.jpg
The holster body is like the belt plate made of carbon-fiber composite. That makes it very light but also unbelievably strong. The fit of my SERPA AUTO LOCK level III for the Glock 17 is excellent. Over a screw at the exterior the tension can be adjusted. If you holster the weapon, the primary safety, SERPA, engages audibly. When the weapon is once secured by the SERPA, it can only be drawn after deactivating the external retention-lever with the index finger. This is as very easy and extremely natural movement when grapping the gun in the holster. I could not snatch the weapon from the holster while the primary safety was activated. Attempts to pull the gun out to the rear, to the side, upward or forward remained without success.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI6.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI5.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI7.jpg
It was known to me that there were negligent discharges reported, straight in connection with the Glock 17/22 and the small brother of the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III, the CQC. The shooters probably slipped inside trigger guard during the draw and fired the weapon after deactivating the primary safety with the index finger. I loaded my Glock 17 with a blank round and tried to provoke an ND during the draw. Slow, fast, standing, running, prone, under stress… What should I say? I could not make it go bang. I don’t say that it is impossible, but for me it was not possible to pull the trigger, by mistake, during the draw of the pistol.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI8.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI9.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI10.jpg
The secondary safety device of the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III is the Pivot Guard. A spring-operating hood made of carbon fiber that covers the back of the slide. The secondary safety device turns the SERPA AUTO LOCK into a level III Holster. With the thumb of the shooting hand, the release of the secondary safety device is pressed, when grapping the pistol and the hood snaps forward with a audible “Click”. At the same time the primary safety device can be operated with the index finger to finally draw weapon. Within situations in which the operator does not want to, or is not allowed to draw the weapon, the noise of the opening Pivot Guard could may be calm down situations before they start. If that is not desired, the secondary safety device can also be opened quiet when you lead the hood forward. If the hood is opened it can only be closed with the help of the thumb release. So it can not happen that the Pivot Guard will close and you can not holster the weapon because you are looked out.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI11.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI12.jpg
The SERPA AUTO LOCK level III is nothing for "weekend gunslingers". Straight one when transferring from a different functioning safety Holster, it requires somewhat more training to become firm under stress. Thumbs and index fingers must be conditioned here at the same time. Grapping the weapon and reaching for the safety devices with thumbs and index fingers are quite naturally held, yet it requires some serious training. But there for the user receives a Holster that secures the weapon immediately when dropping it into the holster. This makes the access to the gun very difficult for the third party. When closing the Pivot Guard it is almost impossible to get the pistol out of the holster without permission. And the best thing is that the operator, even with all this safety engaged can draw his gun very fast and smooth
After I had been playing a few days with the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III, I could manage some pleasant times for the draw and the first shot.
For a centre of mass hit, on a combat-target, from 5 meters distance my reproducible time was 1,17 seconds using the secondary and primary safety device. During drawing attempts with the opened Pivot Guard I could reduce the times for the first shot and COM hit to 0,94 seconds.
The SERPA primary safety convinced me. For concealed carry, for IPSC/IDPA, for Task Forces or for users who don’t need/want a increased security I can only recommend it.
If the operator has to deal with unarmed confrontations frequently and carries the gun open, I would advise to the level III version with a Pivot Guard. And a good portion of training.
May be the choice could be relieved by the modified version for the customs authority. The SERPA AUTO LOCK level III for the German Zoll has a clearly longer thump release to deactivate the Pivot Guard and a better "guidance" for the index finger. This will help to find the correct position during the draw after the SERPA primary safety device was deactivate. Further the Zoll-Holster comes with a radar belt plate and a small opening on the lower front of the Holster, right above the front sight. The fluorescent front sight is always supplied with light now. So far as I know there are plans that some day all SERPA AUTO LOCK Level III holsters will be made that way.
The SERPA AUTO LOCK Level III is available for Glock Pistols full size and compact , Glock 20/21, HK P 30, S&W-M&P and Sig 226.
The grey Glock 17 “Demonstrator Weapon”, also from BHI, was very light but felt a lot like the real one. They are injection molded and do fit into my holster like the other plastic thing from Austria. I have tried the G17-Demonstrator in a Safariland SLS and a PriceWestern and she fit in both, plastic and leather, like the real-steel.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI13.jpg
I hope you find this review usefull.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI1.jpg
The Holster consists of the Holster body and the belt plate. The belt plate is very firm and light like the rest of the Holsters. The belt loops will be screwed to the belt plate in the lower portion of the belt plate. The Belt loops can be “flapped” over the belt. That has the advantage that you don’t have to take of the buckles and the equipment of the belt to put the holster on or off. The Holster body is firmly connected with the belt plate with 3 screws. By the arrangement of the screw holes in the belt plate, it makes it possible for the user to carry the Holsters in 3 differently angles. Traditionally straight, FBI Style, butt forward and butt to the rear if you like the cross-draw. With the straight setting the top of the pistol grip is in line with the middle of the belt. If necessary a "Spacer kit" can be installed between the belt plate and holster body. If only a light wind jacket is worn between the holster body and belt plate, the standard configuration will work fine. With a winter or leather jacket the operator can´t go past the "Spacer kit". Because the user will need some space between the holster body and the belt plate to activate the release for the secondary safety. Normally I give a dang about the packing, but I like the one of the Spacer-Kit. In the wintertime you have it on your Holster and in the summer it goes back into the clear zipper bag for easy storage.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI2.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI3.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI4.jpg
The holster body is like the belt plate made of carbon-fiber composite. That makes it very light but also unbelievably strong. The fit of my SERPA AUTO LOCK level III for the Glock 17 is excellent. Over a screw at the exterior the tension can be adjusted. If you holster the weapon, the primary safety, SERPA, engages audibly. When the weapon is once secured by the SERPA, it can only be drawn after deactivating the external retention-lever with the index finger. This is as very easy and extremely natural movement when grapping the gun in the holster. I could not snatch the weapon from the holster while the primary safety was activated. Attempts to pull the gun out to the rear, to the side, upward or forward remained without success.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI6.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI5.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI7.jpg
It was known to me that there were negligent discharges reported, straight in connection with the Glock 17/22 and the small brother of the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III, the CQC. The shooters probably slipped inside trigger guard during the draw and fired the weapon after deactivating the primary safety with the index finger. I loaded my Glock 17 with a blank round and tried to provoke an ND during the draw. Slow, fast, standing, running, prone, under stress… What should I say? I could not make it go bang. I don’t say that it is impossible, but for me it was not possible to pull the trigger, by mistake, during the draw of the pistol.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI8.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI9.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI10.jpg
The secondary safety device of the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III is the Pivot Guard. A spring-operating hood made of carbon fiber that covers the back of the slide. The secondary safety device turns the SERPA AUTO LOCK into a level III Holster. With the thumb of the shooting hand, the release of the secondary safety device is pressed, when grapping the pistol and the hood snaps forward with a audible “Click”. At the same time the primary safety device can be operated with the index finger to finally draw weapon. Within situations in which the operator does not want to, or is not allowed to draw the weapon, the noise of the opening Pivot Guard could may be calm down situations before they start. If that is not desired, the secondary safety device can also be opened quiet when you lead the hood forward. If the hood is opened it can only be closed with the help of the thumb release. So it can not happen that the Pivot Guard will close and you can not holster the weapon because you are looked out.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI11.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI12.jpg
The SERPA AUTO LOCK level III is nothing for "weekend gunslingers". Straight one when transferring from a different functioning safety Holster, it requires somewhat more training to become firm under stress. Thumbs and index fingers must be conditioned here at the same time. Grapping the weapon and reaching for the safety devices with thumbs and index fingers are quite naturally held, yet it requires some serious training. But there for the user receives a Holster that secures the weapon immediately when dropping it into the holster. This makes the access to the gun very difficult for the third party. When closing the Pivot Guard it is almost impossible to get the pistol out of the holster without permission. And the best thing is that the operator, even with all this safety engaged can draw his gun very fast and smooth
After I had been playing a few days with the SERPA AUTO LOCK level III, I could manage some pleasant times for the draw and the first shot.
For a centre of mass hit, on a combat-target, from 5 meters distance my reproducible time was 1,17 seconds using the secondary and primary safety device. During drawing attempts with the opened Pivot Guard I could reduce the times for the first shot and COM hit to 0,94 seconds.
The SERPA primary safety convinced me. For concealed carry, for IPSC/IDPA, for Task Forces or for users who don’t need/want a increased security I can only recommend it.
If the operator has to deal with unarmed confrontations frequently and carries the gun open, I would advise to the level III version with a Pivot Guard. And a good portion of training.
May be the choice could be relieved by the modified version for the customs authority. The SERPA AUTO LOCK level III for the German Zoll has a clearly longer thump release to deactivate the Pivot Guard and a better "guidance" for the index finger. This will help to find the correct position during the draw after the SERPA primary safety device was deactivate. Further the Zoll-Holster comes with a radar belt plate and a small opening on the lower front of the Holster, right above the front sight. The fluorescent front sight is always supplied with light now. So far as I know there are plans that some day all SERPA AUTO LOCK Level III holsters will be made that way.
The SERPA AUTO LOCK Level III is available for Glock Pistols full size and compact , Glock 20/21, HK P 30, S&W-M&P and Sig 226.
The grey Glock 17 “Demonstrator Weapon”, also from BHI, was very light but felt a lot like the real one. They are injection molded and do fit into my holster like the other plastic thing from Austria. I have tried the G17-Demonstrator in a Safariland SLS and a PriceWestern and she fit in both, plastic and leather, like the real-steel.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c61/Schutzmann/Guns/BHI13.jpg
I hope you find this review usefull.
