So I have been issued an HK USP 40 for my duty weapon and I need to provide my own holster. I think I have narrowed down to the blackhawk level 3 duty holster or the safariland ALS level 3 holster. Can you guys give me pros and cons of both and any experiences of note with either.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
HK duty holster
- Thread starter dsjackso
- Start date
There is a large hate crowd out there for the Blackhawk Serpa, but that is what I've had for the last several years. It has been the fastest drawing holster I've ever had, and I've had several makes and models after having had 9 duty weapons over the years.
You can watch negative YouTube videos on the Blackhawk which I don't think can be disputed. Even though the locking system can get fouled to the point the weapon can't be drawn to the holster being ripped from the belt to the holster being banned by shooting and/or training academies, I still like it for myself. It is by far the most widely used holster in my agency but that is neither here nor there.
However, I do recommend the Safariland over the Blackhawk, but I just don't rule the Blackhawk out. I don't know anyone in my agency who has had any problem with their Blackhawk, and again, they draw so quickly.
It all comes down to agency policy, price and personal preference.
You can watch negative YouTube videos on the Blackhawk which I don't think can be disputed. Even though the locking system can get fouled to the point the weapon can't be drawn to the holster being ripped from the belt to the holster being banned by shooting and/or training academies, I still like it for myself. It is by far the most widely used holster in my agency but that is neither here nor there.
However, I do recommend the Safariland over the Blackhawk, but I just don't rule the Blackhawk out. I don't know anyone in my agency who has had any problem with their Blackhawk, and again, they draw so quickly.
It all comes down to agency policy, price and personal preference.
Destructo6
New member
I prefer the Blackhawk Serpa Lvl3. A good, consistent grip gets you out of the holster fast. The only failure I've seen with these is the spring that holds the pivot guard latch in place losing its tension, allowing the pivot guard to pop open. I've used them in filthy conditions without issue.
I've used the Safariland SLS, which lacks the additional ALS lock. Always had trouble getting a consistent grip out of the holster with this. Also had the bale pop open inadvertently (with the SLS, there was little/no retention after that) many times. The springs for the bale would get dirty, gritty, then fail regularly. I have an ALS sitting here on the shelf that I'll probably never use.
I've used the Safariland SLS, which lacks the additional ALS lock. Always had trouble getting a consistent grip out of the holster with this. Also had the bale pop open inadvertently (with the SLS, there was little/no retention after that) many times. The springs for the bale would get dirty, gritty, then fail regularly. I have an ALS sitting here on the shelf that I'll probably never use.
Before I retired, I was issued a .40 HK duty gun. I was a bit more fortunate in that I was also issued a duty holster and magazine holder from Don Hume. I like the molded leather which was also comfortable to wear. Not crazy about the retention strap but if one must wear a retention holster, this was a good choice on the part of my Agency.