Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tell me what's wrong with Pocket Pistols/Carry

I'll start by saying I am not by any means a pistol guy. I have zero against them, they just never captured my imagination like other firearms, mainly rifles.....and if I get scared enough in the house, I'm grabbing my 12 gauge.

I own one pistol, a Ruger P90 in 45 ACP. I bought it in the 90's when Bill Clinton got elected, took a gun class with it, and pretty much have not shot it since. Its a nice pistol though, works very well and it is huge.....real scary looking.

Fast forward to today. Given the current state of affairs, I have decided to get a carry license......its in the works. Made a quality decision that I am NOT gonna get Reginald Dennied or otherwise beat on. I have learned in the last few days about how its done.....inside the pants, outside the pants, etc. It seems to me my best bet is gonna be pocket carry.....with another pistol of course. Reason being is that 7 to 9 months out of the year its too hot for a jacket or over shirt to hang down and hide my piece....and I am a very hot natured person. Most of the year I am either in jeans or work pants and a t-shirt or pullover "golf shirt" type deal.

I'm thinking about picking up a compact 9mm and carrying it in a pocket holster when my license goes through. Good or bad idea?

Did you really just say a Ruger P90 is huge and really scary looking?

The 9mm pocket pistol beats the heck out of not carrying.

It's just a bit slower to get in action from the pocket. And being smaller doesn't help handling/shooting.

Is it the best choice for you? Only you can decide.

Didn't you find it kind of demeaning to ask permission to defend yourself? I mean asking for a license and all?

If I were looking down the wrong end of it, I would be scared so I would say that there is an intimidation factor for the bad guy that is not there with a pea shooter. Am I myself scared of it? Hardly.

A golf or polo shirt, untucked, is all you need. I can conceal a full sized 1911 that way, and a compact gun like a Glock 26 or Glock 43 virtually disappears under such an arrangement. I carry IWB at the 4:00 position.

That said, you should avoid pocket carry. Most of the time when you need your handgun, you need it quite quickly, and you have to be able to go from a relaxed posture to having your hand properly positioned on the grip of the gun pretty near instantly. That's just not possible with pants pocket carry.

Sure, it's a lot better than nothing, but belt carry is a lot better than pocket carry. A lot better.

OK, I got ya.....grin

It's even more intimidating when it is of the .4x caliber variety.

Might consider a compact in .4x caliber.

While the smaller pistols are generally easier to conceal it is also true that he smaller the pistol, the harder it is to master.
That being said, my daughter who has nearly zero experience with a handgun recently bought a S&W m&p shield 2.0 (a sub compact) in 9mm and is shooting it surprisingly well with just a couple of weeks of practice. I find it (as did she) to be an amazingly easy shooting gun that is very concealable with just a loose hanging t shirt and iwb holster.
I believe that the Shield is a pistol you should strongly consider.

I don't know if demeaned is the right word. Annoyed maybe.....like paying a speeding ticket. I'd rather stay on the right side of the law if at all possible. Georgia is a "shall issue" state which means that if you don't have a criminal record or are otherwise ineligible they have to give you the license.......if you give them $85 every 5 years. Like most "law enforcement" its a revenue raising tool for them. They have never gotten constitutional carry through here......yet, and they probably never will because they would have to give up that money.

I've been carrying a Polish P-64 in 9 X 18 chambering for several years. It's a virtual clone of a Walther PPK, with a slightly hotter round. I use a Remora inside the waistband holster which conceals nicely with an untucked shirt tail. My favorite cover garment is a Cuban Guyabera (cigar) shirt, the one with a squared-off tail and several pockets. Put a set of Wolf springs in the P-64 to correct the horrendously stiff trigger pull. It can be carried hammer down on a chambered round because the safety disengages the trigger, and the first shot can be double action after moving the safety lever to "fire". It's got a 6+1 capacity and the sights, although tiny, are very accurate. A spare magazine carried in my off-side front pants pocket gives me 13 rounds available- - - -plenty to resolve most social-distancing issues! The P-64 is also a C&R eligible firearm, if you happen to have that type of permit.
Jerry

I was in the same situation. I decided on a ruger lcr 38. I like the idea of just pulling the trigger & the gun goes bang. I picked up a lcr 22 here on the fire. I practice with the 22 but carry the 38.

I carry a Sig Sauer 238 in my pocket 24/7 - 365. I have other pistols but that is always in my pocket along with a spare loaded magazine in my little change pocket. I’ll also wear my G20 if I’m going anyplace that has a potentially increased threat level....ex, going into the city, going on vacation, going into the backwoods (cougar, bear, wolves). I also have a AR pistol with the SBA4 adjustable brace for increased range, accuracy and fire power. My wife carries a S&W 36 .38spcl in her purse EVERYWHERE.

While the .380 isn’t a “perfect” (whatever that is) self-defense round it’s far preferable to nothing. It’s small and light enough that it fits the pocket of my Wranglers without imprinting and because of that it’s ALWAYS by my side. I’ve always been of the mind that the pistol you have in your hands is better than the Kimber-Wilson uber-magnum that’s in the center console of the truck.

There are a lot of choices in the sub-compact carry market. Every good manufacturer usually has several models to choose from. If LIGHTWEIGHT and small is the biggest factor then a Ruger LCP is the ticket.

Good luck.

Dirty dogs. As far as I'm concerned its just another way to track gun owners.

Pocket carry is the comfort animal of the self defense world. It will be about 107* here today. Glock 19 aiwb with shorts and a polo shirt. If you were to get some training or practice rigorously you would be able to work out a system that works and is practical.


mike r

"As far as I'm concerned its just another way to track gun owners."


So you're going to refuse to take advantage of a "good" option in pursuit of "perfect"- - - - - -good choice!

"Here lies the body of Solomon Gray - - - -
He died defending his right of way- - - - -
He was right, dead right, as he sped along- - - -
But now he's as dead as if he were wrong!"

In as much as the first rule in the lawful defensive use of firearms is to "have a gun", pocket carry can make a lot of sense, its what I do.

In 9mm autos the Sig P365 appears to be the latest and greatest and is well spoken of here.

OTOH the compact nines weigh cabout 25-30oz loaded, which IME is definitely hefty in a pocket, weighing down your pants.

I prefer a .38 "Airweight" j-frame revolver which runs about 17-18oz loaded, a downside being only five rounds vs. 10 in the Sig.

Whatever you choose, an inside-the-pocket holster makes a lot of sense, a good one will keep the gun from moving around inside the pocket so it will be in the same place it always is if you need it in a hurry.

Also, a good pocket holster that covers the trigger is essential, I used to know a guy who carried a compact Glock loose in his pocket, along with whatever else he might happen to put in there. Something loose in a pocket could easily press against that Glock "trigger safety" and it only takes like 5.5lbs of pressure and a quarter inch of movement to set it off

JMHO

It gets pretty hot here . Smith and wesson 380 bodyguard in front pocket pretty much all day. Very comfortable. edit after reading birdwatchers post, yes a pocket holster that covers trigger is essential. and get used to putting keys change and stuff in other pocket.

I carry a full size 1911 at 4:00 IWB. In the summer time I wear shorts and a T-shirt, you can't tell. A smaller weapon is easier to conceal IWB carry. Nothing wrong with carrying in you pocket except quick access.

Whatever you decide go to the range and get proficient with it, and by practice I mean each time you shoot you go through at least 50 rounds.

Practice often and you just may be able to save to life of a loved one or yourself.

i stopped at that too