SERPA ND

I totally understand the misgivings of the Serpa button on their retention holsters.  When under stress, in a hurry, when fine motor functions are out the window, I worry my finger would migrate to the trigger too easily. 

I LIKE the Serpa holsters and own a couple, but I am still concerned. 

5.11 is coming out with a thumb release retention holster.  It's not up for anything but Glocks when I checked the site (though I hear there are others already out there, just haven't found them online), but 1911 and SIG P229 varieties can't be far away from release.  I will get one to try when they do.  Maybe the 5.11 types will be more resistant to getting jammed up with gravel, too.

But that didn't stop THIS ND, either.  His issue was with a thumb release and then his thumb migrating to the safety, releasing it.  His finger was already near the SA trigger, and a bad result happened.

So that's food for thought for ANY retention holster.

A Serpa would be a similar problem if the safety was disengage inadvertently while still in the holster.

Retention holsters address a valid issue.  They make it harder to be surprised and disarmed in an Open Carry situation.  Does that outweigh there two things going against retention holsters, relative ease of getting the finger close to the trigger, and the fiddly bits getting munged up making it impossible to draw at all?  And this applies to ALL the retention holsters, not just Serpa and 5.11.  I dunno.  I dunno.

I think I'll stick to using the Serpa (and probably should switch to thumb-release 5.11) just with the Sig P229 right now, because of the DAK trigger.  I have 1911 Serpas that I feel more hinky about as time goes by.  I think I prefer, in an Inside the Waistband or a Paddle holster than my 1911s ride in leather with a snap retention.  For IWB with the Sig, the Milt Sparks works just fine. 

A thumb release in leather for 1911s, AND a thumb release 5.11 Paddle for the Sig has the advantage of similar release methods for commonality of training.

My ideal future is getting good enough, to my satisfaction, with 1911s that I don't even consider the desire to carry the Sig.