Pocket Carry Maybe not for Me

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  • wcd

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    No secret it’s been hot around here lately. So in an effort not to become set in my ways I have been pocket carrying on a limited basis. Seems like there are too many trade offs. Granted I have been experimenting with a Ruger LCP Max Strong side cargo pocket. Sure it’s small and light but for some reason I want to reach iwb to draw.

    Seems like drawing from a pocket adds an unacceptable amount of time, and is difficult to draw efficiently and seems like this is too much effort just to have a 380.

    Anyone have similar experiences? Anything I might want to try short of resorting to a iwb holster?
     

    SheepDog4Life

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    When I pocket carry my LCP Max, it's strong side front pocket and although the included Ruger pocket holster is ok, I opted for the Desantis Nemesis as it has more "tacky" on it to stay put so the draw stroke is more hand in then out, not so much in and out to the back to hook the holster on the pocket.

    I agree, carrying it in the cargo pocket is just way too slow... first it's that much further, second is the cargo pocket flap, third is the bounce and fourth is the space in the cargo pocket just doesn't reliably "stick" for the sticky style pocket holsters.

    I've not tried IWB carrying it, because if I'm going to IWB, it'll be a Shield or bigger.
     

    Mij

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    In the corn and beans
    I have a one word response, practice.

    Now a more in depth response. Reading, read a lot, now forget about all that tactical stuff put out by armchair SWAT guys. Your emphasis should be on getting you and yours home safely EVERY EVENING. With modern self defense ammo IMO, a 380 should get you home. With the proper amount of training and practice. JMO, others may, and do have other opinions, they will be here in a moment, to tell me how wrong I am. Good Luck.
     

    wcd

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    I have a one word response, practice.

    Now a more in depth response. Reading, read a lot, now forget about all that tactical stuff put out by armchair SWAT guys. Your emphasis should be on getting you and yours home safely EVERY EVENING. With modern self defense ammo IMO, a 380 should get you home. With the proper amount of training and practice. JMO, others may, and do have other opinions, they will be here in a moment, to tell me how wrong I am. Good Luck.
    Practice may well be the Key? But it was kind of an experiment. And the outcome has yet to be finalized.

    Thing of it is to have to practice with something just to have marginal results at best seems to not be a good return on investment for me.

    Honestly I am far more proficient with My 1911 and draw speed and shots on target are much faster as well. Caliber aside it seems like the cons are outnumbering the pros.
     

    wcd

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    When I pocket carry my LCP Max, it's strong side front pocket and although the included Ruger pocket holster is ok, I opted for the Desantis Nemesis as it has more "tacky" on it to stay put so the draw stroke is more hand in then out, not so much in and out to the back to hook the holster on the pocket.

    I agree, carrying it in the cargo pocket is just way too slow... first it's that much further, second is the cargo pocket flap, third is the bounce and fourth is the space in the cargo pocket just doesn't reliably "stick" for the sticky style pocket holsters.

    I've not tried IWB carrying it, because if I'm going to IWB, it'll be a Shield or bigger.
    Kind of what I was thinking, for me it seems I have to almost take the whole holster out of my pocket to draw. I am thinking it may get relegated to just use on the property? It may be able to fill a role there.

    I have been carrying more often when working out back lately, we seem to have had a bumper crop of venomous snakes this year.
     

    SheepDog4Life

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    Practice may well be the Key? But it was kind of an experiment. And the outcome has yet to be finalized.

    Thing of it is to have to practice with something just to have marginal results at best seems to not be a good return on investment for me.

    Honestly I am far more proficient with My 1911 and draw speed and shots on target are much faster as well. Caliber aside it seems like the cons are outnumbering the pros.
    Honestly, the pro (and really, the only pro) for me was 100% "compliance"... I was not 100% before I got my LCP II, then upgraded to the Max.

    And when I'm out at the country property, I OC M&P 2.0 in a paddle holster.
     
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    BigRed3588

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    No secret it’s been hot around here lately. So in an effort not to become set in my ways I have been pocket carrying on a limited basis. Seems like there are too many trade offs. Granted I have been experimenting with a Ruger LCP Max Strong side cargo pocket. Sure it’s small and light but for some reason I want to reach iwb to draw.

    Seems like drawing from a pocket adds an unacceptable amount of time, and is difficult to draw efficiently and seems like this is too much effort just to have a 380.

    Anyone have similar experiences? Anything I might want to try short of resorting to a iwb holster?
    This is pretty much how I’ve always felt about pocket carry. I generally limit pocket carry to situations where I know it would be a close quarters encounter and I can keep my hand in my pocket with the gun slightly detached from the holster to prevent drawing the holster with the gun. For example, if I’m at a gas pump or ATM I’ll have a Colt Mustang or S&W 442 in a Remora pocket holster and “pop” the gun free by pushing down on the holster with my thumb while keeping my index finger alongside the holster. I’m ready to draw but I just look like a guy with a hand in his pocket.
     

    thompal

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    Honestly I am far more proficient with My 1911 and draw speed and shots on target are much faster as well. Caliber aside it seems like the cons are outnumbering the pros.

    The major pro is that you can carry in warm weather without being seen and not have to wear untucked shirts. A minor pro is that it's more comfortable than IWB carry.

    I'd not carry in a cargo pocket though.
     

    Born2vette

    Norm, Team woodworker
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    I tried the cargo pocket once and said never again. However, I do pocket carry my p365 9mm in my right front pocket with a remora pocket holster. One of the leys is there can be nothing else in the pocket. I have practiced at the range and have never had the holster follow the pistol out. I am not as quick on the draw as with my IWB holster but I get it out in a reasonable time frame.

    While doing yard work I use a hybrid IWB holster. Usually have a tool or 2 stuffed in a pocket. If I had a few acres and no close neighbors I would carry OWB.
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
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    I have "deep concealed" the G43 stowed in a Desantis Nemesis in jeans front pocket and shorts cargo pocket.

    It's slow and difficult to get to the jeans pocket sitting down. That said, it's a 9mm that shoots very close to as good as a G19. The mags change quickly and backups carry extensions.

    I don't need deep concealed very much. I have sweat gallons and gallons of perspiration onto the G19/G45 and double mag carrier on the the opposite side. Garden work, shoveling manure, paddling, fishing, doesn't matter. The gun belt is just that.


    .
     

    The Bubba Effect

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    May 13, 2010
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    I have carried an lcp in pocket and ankle quite a bit.

    Imho, lcp really shines in the support side pocket to give another option for a concealed draw. (While carrying a Glock19 iwb strongside)

    I also like the lcp on the ankle if i am going to be driving long distances.
     

    BehindBlueI's

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    1) I hate pocket carry. As a gentlemen of a certain girth about the thighs, I'd have to wear Hammer pants to carry anything I can shoot worth a poo.

    2) Draw times aren't the point. The point of pocket carry is the 'draw time' doesn't start until you've established your grip. It's a feining compliance draw or an unobserved draw, neither of which require hell-for-leather draws.

    3) Under-armor style undershirt, gun, outer shirt. The wicking undershirt makes the heat less burdesome and keeps the gun from contacting your skin, which is bad for the gun and for your skin...
     

    Route 45

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    I almost exclusively pocket carry, and have for years. Used to carry a gun on my belt OWB every day at work, and every day when off duty. Got tired of it, to be honest. Personally , I have never found carrying a pistol to be overly comfortable, and carrying on the belt is certainly more of a pain in the ass to me than pocket carry.

    While I've gone through a variety of EDC pistols, I have almost exclusively carried a S&W Shield Plus since they were released. Pocket carry used to be such a compromise, as there really wasn't much between the dinky .380s like the LCP and the baby Glocks. Then the 1.0 Shields came out, then the Walther PPS, the Kahrs, etc, etc. Still a compromise in capacity, but a big step up in effectiveness and shootablility. I would still belt carry a higher capacity compact if I was going into a more populated area, for capacity and shootability, but would often pocket carry whatever flavor of single stack subcompact I was sweet on at the time.

    Then the Sig P365 came out. Capacity issues gone. I bought one, then another one, and my belt carry days became fewer and fewer. Perfect for pocket carry, and nearly compact/service pistol capacity. Still not as inherently smooth to shoot as a real compact or full size, but more than able to get the job done in the vast majority of defensive situations that I figured I was most likely to encounter.

    Then came the S&W Shield Plus. Although I own several compact pistols that are perfect for belt carry, if I'm honest with myself, I don't need any of them. At all. My Glock 19 and M&P Compact hold 16 rounds. My Shield Plus holds 14 and fits in my pocket. If the pocket is a bit smaller, I pop the 10 round mag in and roll with 11 rounds of 9mm +P. And it shoots as smoothly, or even more so, than the old 3913 that I used to have.

    Does it print? Do I care? It doesn't print as much as you'd think. The Shield Plus has a fairly rounded contour where it counts. Probably looks like an oversized wallet in my front pocket, if the general population actually took their noses out of their iPhones long enough to even notice. With my body type, I guarantee it would print way more with any belt holster I'd use, because I've tried it. Besides, it's t-shirt or polo and cargo shorts in the summer for me. I ain't about to wear an extra garment to keep the gun off my bare skin, just for 2 more rounds or a modicum of shootability.

    As a bonus, I can have my hand on my gun and no one is the wiser. I don't have to rely on being quick draw McGraw when I can combine situational awareness with casual-looking readiness. The only disadvantage that I see to my chosen method of carry is drawing from a seated position. There's an extra hip thrust involved in getting a pocket gun into action quickly, but certainly doable. And if I'm not the intended target when the need for a firearm becomes apparent, the difference in draw speed is likely inconsequential.

    But if you're considering pocket carry, I'd say front pocket only, nothing else in the pocket, always use a pocket holster, never in a cargo pocket and fit your pocket to the gun, not the other way around.
     

    Mij

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    In the corn and beans
    1) I hate pocket carry. As a gentlemen of a certain girth about the thighs, I'd have to wear Hammer pants to carry anything I can shoot worth a poo.

    2) Draw times aren't the point. The point of pocket carry is the 'draw time' doesn't start until you've established your grip. It's a feining compliance draw or an unobserved draw, neither of which require hell-for-leather draws.

    3) Under-armor style undershirt, gun, outer shirt. The wicking undershirt makes the heat less burdesome and keeps the gun from contacting your skin, which is bad for the gun and for your skin...
    Yes sir, let me give you my wallet, by that time all I have to do is sit and cry while my wife dials 911. I don’t wear short pants. What in the h*** is a cargo pocket? How do you get to an ankel holster inside your boot? You carry a gun or you don’t, all that other stuff is for
     

    gregkl

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    Route45, those are good points you make.

    I did some pocket carry when I had my S&W 442, but even then it was in a jacket. I just can't fit a gun in my regular pants pocket. And I don't wear cargo pants unless I'm going to the range. Strictly jeans and the occasional khaki.

    I also don't like IWB so I carry OWB. I never tuck in my shirt and I'm broad enough across the shoulders that my shirts tend to hang straight down leaving some room around the waist.

    Do I print? Sure. But not much and I haven't been called out yet. I seriously doubt I will either.

    BTW, that is with a Shield which I have been carrying since the first ones came out. I'm on number three now, lol.
     

    Tactically Fat

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    There are trade-offs / plusses / minuses to all manners of carrying.

    Pocket carrying of a firearm is kind of a niche.

    If you understand the niche and understand the plusses & minuses - it can be and is an effective method.
     

    92FSTech

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    As a bonus, I can have my hand on my gun and no one is the wiser. I don't have to rely on being quick draw McGraw when I can combine situational awareness with casual-looking readiness. The only disadvantage that I see to my chosen method of carry is drawing from a seated position. There's an extra hip thrust involved in getting a pocket gun into action quickly, but certainly doable. And if I'm not the intended target when the need for a firearm becomes apparent, the difference in draw speed is likely inconsequential.

    But if you're considering pocket carry, I'd say front pocket only, nothing else in the pocket, always use a pocket holster, never in a cargo pocket and fit your pocket to the gun, not the other way around.
    Came here to say exactly this, but it's already been said, and better than I could have. A big +1 from me.
     

    Trapper Jim

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    Disclaimer: Professional Responsible Carry Gunowners Aside…..

    All others…

    Pockets are for change and keys. Quality Holsters are for guns. Responsible Gun carry is not complete without both. If you can’t dress to wear a holster, stay home.

    In purple of course.
     

    scout5

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    I mostly pocket carry and have for decades. I carry a J frame airweight with a factory bobbed shrouded hammer. Comes out slick and I have the option to fire in single action for accuracy if it's needed. Yes there are faster draws if one is trained and practiced, but my draw is not slow and the gun is always there if I need it, a very important factor.
     

    NHT3

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    Moisture wicking sleeveless shirt with at minimum of a T-shirt for cover is my year round carry and if I have my pants on I'm carrying a gun. Same basic gun in the same location seems to work for me. I've been told in more than one class, carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting not comfortable.
    YYMV but carrying a different gun in different locations and training to be proficient from different locations with different guns is a bridge too far for my small crainum.
     
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