The Marine Corps Times Tweeted this:
Equipped with a sidearm, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer visited Marines and sailors at Camp Shorab, Afghanistan, to wish them a happy holiday season. (Sgt. Lucas Hopkins/Marine Corps) pic.twitter.com/X3TChTv0yz
— Marine Corps Times (@Marinetimes) December 28, 2017
Barbara Starr of CNN of CNN asked this question.
Can someone explain why the civiilan head of the Navy is wearing a sidearm? @chinfo @SECNAV https://t.co/8YyrgkZSUf
— Barbara Starr (@bstarrreports) December 28, 2017
I’m more curious why the Navy/USMC is still dicking around with SERPA holsters?
Homeland Security banned them from FLETC. So has Thunder Ranch, Gunsight, and Larry Vickers.
Reports that I’ve heard form overseas is that the nylon holsters do a better job of protecting guns and flap holsters are becoming popular once again, as the SERPA allows all sorts of dirt, debris, and other shit into the holster and foul the weapon.
Then again, going by the pictures of some of the test firings of the new M17, I guess the assumptions is that any ranking military leader (civilian or otherwise) doesn’t know how to use a handgun anyway, so who cares if they can ever get it out of the holster.
Apparently this officer qualified with a revolver in basic, prior to 1911.
And this one learned to shoot watching old cop movies.
Then again, if they send Mattis over, the holster they give him doesn’t matter. If any Taliban attack the SecDef, he’ll just rip out their beating hearts with his bare hands
In the words of the dear departed Weaponsman…
The military value of a handgun is nugatory.
Any time spent learning pistol is time not spent learning something else. You want to see something scary, go to a non-combat arms RIFLE qual. These pistol guys are bloody professionals by comparison!
The problem with serpa holsters isn’t so much the gun gets dirty as the holster locking mechanism gets dirty and locks up, locking the gun in the holster. and there is potential for ND due to the locking mechanism?..
Never had the dirt / foreign object problem with a SERPA, but it is technically possible, as it is with any mechanical holster (I’ve had a Safariland lock up due to both: dirt in the mechanism, and a branch that got caught in the rotating hood).
The ND issue isn’t the holster, but people failing to keep their trigger finger indexed when drawing. Again, can happen with any holster (seen this too, with a Safariland – issue wasn’t the holster, but a novice shooter; he “killed” the ground near his feet but was unharmed), but the trigger guard release button gets blamed a lot due to its location and the fact that it does require pressure from that finger to release.
The SERPA isn’t junk, but it DOES require specific attention and constant familiarity to avoid incidents. If you’re willing to do that (and accept any liability), it’s just fine. If you don’t have time or inclination (or you run a training house that doesn’t need extra liability), you’ll keep it away.
Been using a level III SERPA for years without a problem, but I also practice my draw a lot, specifically to avoid “SERPA- leg.”
The Marines bought a shit ton of Serpas using unit funds back before they got banned from top training facilities for being unreliable and unsafe, and they’re kind of stuck with them until they wear out, unless they buy new pistols that require new holsters. Oh, hey, look – the M17 requires new holsters…
Incidentally, the level III SERPA was issued at FLETC to CBP trainees for several years AFTER that memo. It was never banned; they just had to rebuild their training around that button. With proper training and practice, it’s far less of an issue.
As regards military use, see the “proper training and practice” bit, and the results are self evident. Is pistol, is not primary weapon, so no time for either. The same can probably be said for weekend training courses; the instructors simply don’t have the time for holster specific training in how not to shoot yourself for each person, and a weekend, or even a week, isn’t enough time for some folks. The instructors don’t need the liability. I know I spent some weeks practicing with mine before it ever held a loaded pistol, just to be sure, and still do unloaded draw practice time to time.
It’s not just the AD issue. I’ve heard complaints that the holsters break along the mold seams, the button can jam, and most of all that kydex holster like that do not protect the gun in adverse conditions. They fill with sand and debris. A form fitting nylon or leather holster does a lot better job keeping crap out. Since a quick draw is not really a military necessity, that old style flap holsters were gaining ground again in sandy conditions. The SERPA looks cool but the gun is just out there in the shit, and a good holster is supposed to stop that from happening.
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