A skinny guy review of the Blackhawk SERPA Level 3 Holster w/ Xiphos Night-Ops Light

[Delerius]

A skinny guy review of the Blackhawk SERPA Level 3 Tactical Holster with Xiphos Night Ops Weapon Light

We all come in different body shapes and I have come to find out that there is no one holster that fits all. Since I have a couple holsters I hope my reviews will save someone a little money.
I'm 5' 10", 150lbs and wear a 30x32 size in Levi's. Being the skinny guy that I am, it is not easy to find a holster that has fitted all my needs and yet be comfortable. Wanting something a little different from my Galco holsters, I found myself purchasing the Blackhawk SERPA level 3 tactical holster with the Night Ops weapon light from Amazon (order fullfilled by OpticsPlanet) for $173.



Since I already own a Blackhawk SERPA CQC holster and love it, I figured the level 3 holster should be a two steps above CQC holster. After receiving the holster I quickly understood why they created this holster for law enforcement officers. The complete construction of the holster is very well made with a much thicker polymer/carbon-fiber composite shell compared to the CPC holster. The holster could easily with-stand blunt force with no damage to the handgun it holds. The one disappointment I had after opening the package was that there was only one type of belt mount that came with the holster as seen in the photo below.



The belt mount bracket that comes with the holster is unique and was designed for LEOs in the way it was shaped and how it securely mounts. To fasten your belt to it you need a philips head screwdriver. After loosening the two screws, you slide your belt through, position the holster where you want it, then retighten the screws. Once the screws are tight, this holster does not move for nothing. For an officer that wears a work belt, this is great but for the everyday consumer, this is really not an option to use if you use only one belt. What I did for a trial fit was remove the two clamping screws from the mount completely and then slipped the mount on to my belt. The combination of the teeth and the tension on the mount securely held the holster fast with no slippage although it wasn't 100 percent secure as when using the mount with the screws. Walking around all day with my mounting method could possibly work fine at the beginning but I would be afraid that over time, the tension could possibly weaken. The thickness and width of the belt play a big factor so I highly recommend a thick and wide belt. With this mount, from the belt mount area to where the holster mounts, it curves out on a slight angle. All my other holsters sit tight against my hip so this new angle outward was not only a surprise but also a pleasure to have in making super fast draws.





When you need fast draws in gun games or when you're a LEO, this is the holster to have but With this new angle, there is no way you are going to be able to conceal a holster such as this. Even for the everyday OC'er, this mount setup might be hard to cope with because of the added width the holster is spaced outward. There is a solution if you dislike the angle but you will need an extra part from Blackhawk and that is the belt mount or the paddle mount from a CQC holster. It is very possible that Blackhawk sells this style mount for the level 3 but I never checked into it since I had the parts I needed laying around. With the CQC belt mount I did have to carve out the screw holes a little so the posts from the level 3 slid in. Tighten the mount down with the original screws from the level 3 mount and you're all done. Using the CQC belt mount with the level 3 brings the holster not only in but also up just a little bit higher than what you would feel with the CQC holster with the CQC belt mount. It is not uncomfortable but your draw speed might suffer a little depending upon your arm length.

Photo below shows the level 3 with the CQC belt mount



With the level 3, there are two actions that must be done to release your pistol from the holster. As you can see from the photos below, the first action that must be done is pressing the thumb button to release the first retention. The second action is on the side of the holster where you use your index finger to press the release button, after which you pull the pistol up and out of the holster.







With the handgun in the holster you can also adjust the case tension so that your handgun doesn't slop around inside the holster. In the photo below you can see the screw that you will need to adjust.



My final thoughts on the Blackhawk level 3 holster... I'm very impressed but it's a holster that won't be for everyone. If you don't mind OC'in and you want something that can handle a weapon light mounted then this could be a holster for you. Again the biggest draw back to this holster for the everyday consumer is the holster belt mount but that can be fixed by using the CQC belt mount. I really like having the thumb lock and index lock. At first I thought it would slow one's draw but with the design it doesn't and having that extra protection is nice.

Night Ops Weapon Light...



If you purchase the holster and light package, you will notice that with the right handed holster the light is mounted off center to the left and the left handed holster the light is mounted off center to the right. Blackhawk put a lot thought into this package and though it might seem odd to see or have the light off center, it makes perfect sense to the index finger. When drawing the handgun from the holster, your index finger unlocks the side lock, you pull the gun up and out and while doing so, the index finger lands right on the side above the trigger and below the slide. Right in front of where your finger lands, within finger tip range, is the light switch.



A single tap of the switch turns on the light or give it three quick taps and it turns the light into a very bright strobe.

Specifications:
# 90 Lumens at Maximum Output
# Duplicate ambidextrous operation of ALL programmed functions
# 2 ½ Hours of total runtime
# Light output effective range is 25 to 30 meters
# -20 to 150 Degrees F ambient operating temperature range
# Light weight of only 2.6 ounces with one 3-volt CR123A Lithium battery installed
# Waterproof to 10 meters
# Constructed of a combination injection molded carbon fiber/polymer mixture body
# Highly corrosion resistant Type III Hard Anodized aluminum external parts and black oxide metal internal parts
# Dimensions-3.1"L x 1.1"W x 1.3"H
# Reversible installation, same clamps for right or left hand versions (flat blade tool required)
# Highly impact resistant LIFETIME LED for weapon recoil and drops
# Highly impact resistant fully enclosed glass lens for weapon recoil, drops and allows for maximum light throughput
# Highly impact resistant fully enclosed electronics for weapon recoil and drops





One of the great features of this light is that it can be installed and uninstalled very quickly with one hand.






In the photo below shows the light unmounted with the lock open. You can tighten or loosen the mount to the gun by turning locking tab clockwise or counter clockwise. When your ready to lock the light to the gun all that have you to do is press the locking tab down as seen in the photo above.





The Xiphos Night Ops has become a joy to operate and it's a light that I can trust my life with. Most days the level 3 holster, the glock and the Night-Ops go everywhere I go. The total package might seem costly to some but by having a weapon light as extra security, it's well worth the money. I no longer have to worry on where the flashlight disappeared to and if ever a need might arise, I will have complete control of my handgun because both hands will be on it.

When I get a chance I will add some photos with the holster mounted on my belt...

[synergy]

What inspired you to buy a duty holster for non-duty purposes?

[Delerius]

What inspired you to buy a duty holster for non-duty purposes?

After getting rid of the Laserlyte RS-1 sights, I put some serious thought into building a network of components that would be fully functional with the glock for home defense and it had to be wife friendly. We both agreed that having a weapon light was more useful so I started there. In looking for a light that works with a holster, there really aren't very many options and having a holster that worked with the light was a must have. When I came across the level 3 I really didn't pay much attention on how "duty like" it would be because it had everything else I was looking for. For my wife, she loves it because she can keep both hands on the gun and knows that the light will there at night if she needs it.
Since I mainly open carry the extra bulk in having a light mounted hasn't phased me one bit. Although if I would had to use the original belt mount, I would have probably sent the holster back because of the "duty" feel.

[synergy]

We both agreed that having a weapon light was more useful so I started there. In looking for a light that works with a holster, there really aren't very many options and having a holster that worked with the light was a must have.

All of these holsters will accomidate Glocks with popular weaponlights, none are "duty holsters".
http://www.ravenconcealmentsystems.c...cPath=82_85_93

http://www.opticsplanet.net/safarila...8-832-411.html

http://www.shop.peterscustomholsters...8&categoryId=2

http://blade-tech.com/Holsters-w-Tac...ght-c-280.html

http://www.comp-tac.com/product_info.php?products_id=66

[SCBaldr]

I have the same holster and weapon light for my P220 Stainless Elite. Its a dedicated duty gun and I carry it on a blackhawk thigh platform. It allows me to open up some space on my duty belt so that I don't have to have everything crowding in there and to avoid pushing several items to the back. (where they can be painful getting into the patrol car) Works great, has the fastest level III draw in the market and it also has the best retention of any level III on the market.

I have to agree with Bill though, what possesed you to get a duty holster for EDC? Its hard enough for me to conceal my P229 Elite with no light in a normal SERPA CQC and I'm 6'3" & 240 lbs.

[Delerius]

I have the same holster and weapon light for my P220 Stainless Elite. Its a dedicated duty gun and I carry it on a blackhawk thigh platform. It allows me to open up some space on my duty belt so that I don't have to have everything crowding in there and to avoid pushing several items to the back. (where they can be painful getting into the patrol car) Works great, has the fastest level III draw in the market and it also has the best retention of any level III on the market.

I have to agree with Bill though, what possesed you to get a duty holster for EDC? Its hard enough for me to conceal my P229 Elite with no light in a normal SERPA CQC and I'm 6'3" & 240 lbs.

Like I stated above, I really didn't pay much attention to the "duty" part of the holster since it had everything else I wanted. I probably would have looked at other brands (thanks synergy for listing them) but since I liked the Blackhawk CQC so much, The odds were that I would like the level 3 just as much. Even now knowing how much of a "duty" holster it is, it doesn't change my opinion of it.

[Delerius]

Here are some additional photos of the holster in use with the CQC belt mount.