Go Shooting, in Texas

It's all very well to have firearms and some say that CHL holders have a duty to carry, but what's the use of that if you can't hit the side of a barn door with your weapon? With this in mind, I headed out to a friend's farm for some target practice.

First off, I wanted to see if a Glock 21 was effective against a cow skull. Guess what, it was. A small green paper eco-terrorist didn't do much better, either. Take that, green terr, and idolatrous heathen cow skull.

Then I clambered up on top of a derelict piece of agricultural machinery with an AR, and shot eco-terr #2. My groups, such as they were, were falling low right, which I blame on sloppy trigger pull and the sight's zero.

Don't Use This as a Helmet, Jackass

I shot better against an old metal bucket, curiously, but obviously need to put in some more range time to tighten things up.

Word to the wise. Don't use a zinc bucket as a helmet, it's not going to protect you, and the same goes for cow skulls. Sure, strap one on in the hope of terrifying your enemy, but don't be surprised when it fails to stop a bullet.

I love getting out in the clean country air and shooting.

Gun rights,

LSP

Labor Day Pistol Shoot

To celebrate Labor Day I went to the range for a pistol shoot. I wanted to get more familiar with the Glock 21 and see how the pistol worked with its new Blackhawk SERPA TECH holster. Would the holster improve my accuracy with the famously smooth shooting piece of Austrian engineering achievement? To find out, I lined up against a 12" steel plate at around 20 yards.

Sure enough, the holster worked, and so did the Glock. Encouraged by the satisfyingly swinging plate, I unloaded a few 13 round magazines of .45 ACP against the pockmarked steel opposition. Big fun, then, on my last but one shot, remember to count your rounds, kids, the pistol fired, the plate swung, and a piece of shrapnel  fired back at me at lightning speed. 

I could see it coming, just, and there it was, a bit of steel embedded in my support hand. I looked down at the offender, holstered my gun, and picked the metal out of my hand, as though it was a bad heretic, getting excommunicated from the Church.

I fired off the rest of my Winchester White Box Value Pack against a paper silhouette. That didn't shoot back, fortunately.

Moral of the story? Be careful shooting against steel plates; I wasn't hurt, but that same bit of steel that found my hand could have chosen an eye, which might have made for a much less happy ending, sunglasses notwithstanding.

Watch out for the bears,

LSP

Blackhawk Holster For The Glock 21 Review

I was looking for a holster for my Glock 21 that, in a word, worked, didn't break the bank and could be used at the range and for open carry. I settled on Blackhawk's Serpa Concealment offering.

It comes with two mounting options, a paddle, or a belt loop attachment, and both allow several cant positions for the holster itself. Assembly is easy, simply screw the holster into the attachment you want to use at the position you like. Don't be an idiot and overtighten the supplied screws, or you'll bust your new holster. 

Back of the Paddle. Note Cant Positions

The paddle comes with two snap in retention hooks that fit into the back of the paddle and stop it coming free. The belt attachment has two detachable snaps that adjust the attachment to the size of your belt.

What are the benefits of this holster? 

Its special SERPA Technology locks your pistol into place in the holster and it can't get out unless you depress the special SERPA Auto-Lock Release on the outside of the holster. This gives you weapon security. According to Blackhawk, your pistol isn't going to fall out of the holster, which is important, but you also have to be able to draw your pistol. How does that work? 

Mysterious SERPA Tech

Press the special SERPA Auto-Lock Release and out it comes, ready for action. To that end, Blackhawk advertise the holster as having a "speed-cut design for rapid draw, target acquisition and re-holster," as well as a "full firing grip for draw and immediate retention upon re-holster."

Is all this true, or just another exercise in marketing flimflam, flummox and smoking mirrors?

Don't Believe The Hype

I'd say it's true. Blackhawk's holster holds the Glock 21 tightly, in a mechanical Serpa grip. The pistol's not going anywhere unless you use the holster's release. And sure enough, its design makes for a quick draw, placing your index finger naturally over the trigger well, ready to shoot. That done, the pistol fits back in its holster easily and clicks authoritatively into place. Serpa Tech seems to work.

SERPA Auto-Lock Release

But there's a catch. If you have a stroke while you're drawing your pistol and allow your index finger to slide ineluctably from Auto-Lock Release to trigger, you might have a negligent discharge and shoot your foot off, or your buddy, or whatever. Don't do that, keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Personally, I don't see this as a problem, some PDs and competition shoots do.

So, if you want a holster that works, consider Blackhawk's Serpa. It costs around $40. You can conceal it, too, somewhere.

Gun rights,

LSP