I'm going to buy a pocket gun this week. What do you guys like and why? I'm leaning towards a 357 lcr, but am open to any ideas. I want a true pocket gun, not an IWB gun. Thanks for the help.

S&W 442

If I had the money, I'd get an XDs. Their footprint is about the same, and since I've had this 442 in my pocket for a while without issues, I'd like to think I could carry the 45 in similar fashion.

I was curious if the XDS would conceal well in a pocket.

Compared to the 442, it's slightly thinner overall, but thicker at the barrel, and has the area at the back of the slide that the hammerless revolver is missing, but I stuck one in my pocket under the watchful eye of the store owner, and it slid in and out OK (wearing jeans). Dress slacks would probably be even better.

just ordered an XDs with extras. i've shopped them all, the shield is really nice but hard to find and when you do, it's the same money as the XDs. i'll take the big .45

LCR all the way.


Travis

The LCR is excellent, but no way you will want to shoot .357 Magnum from a light little gun like that. Load it up with Buffalo Bore 150 grain, hard cast, short barrel formulated, full meplat, full wadcutters: Link

This round doesn't depend on expansion to do damage, but rather the sharp-edged, flat-front, full-wadcutter, destructively driving in deep. It's all I'd carry in a snubby .38 Special.

You like it in .22 Long Rifle, right? Get those extra rounds.

Yes, I would get the deuce-deuce. But if the OP is not comfortable with that, I still love the LCR platform.


Travis

The xds is heavier than a glock 19. How in the the world is that a pocket gun??? True pocket gun ruger lcp taurus lcp or Kahr p380 or keltec

Semi-Auto 9mm Kahr , Revolver Smith 36 38 spl

Would the 9mm kahr fit in the pocket?

What do you guys think of the 38 spl for a defensive round vs the 380? Thanks

Smith 642....five shots for sure.

Carrying a gun in your pocket is hard on the gun. It will collect dirt, lint and untold amount of crap. You will also bounce it off tables, chairs, walls and whatever else you can walk into.

Not that a revolver can't fail but it's less likely than a auto.

Dink

I've pocket carried both a keltec 380 and an lcr 38 spl. I liked how the 380 fit, would forget its there vs the lcr. I've since sold both but definetly want to get back into one. Just want to see what you guys are using these days and how you like em. Thanks

Travis, how accurate is the lcr in the 22? What is your defensive round of choice? Thanks

S&W 642/Galco pocket holster

^^This!^^. Every thing I've tried, and I've pretty much tried every pocket gun available, always get covered in dust & pocket lint. .380 autos are Definately smaller & lighter....
But I really really trust my hammerless S&W Bodygaurd .38 special revolver!!!

Also, consider this. If your carrying a handgun in the pocket jacket of a light jacket or hoodie, you could fire the hammerless revolver thru your clothing if you had too. Your hand is all ready on your pistol & you would not even have to draw your gun in a up close & personal type defense situation. Might set your jacket on fire... But it could save your life by not having to take the time to draw your defense weapon if your hand is all ready on your revolver.

I'd definitely go with a solid point high velocity were I to carry the LCR in .22 Long Rifle for defense. You need to maximize penetration. Tap any of that energy in the direction of expanding a bullet, and you seriously risk not reaching anything vital.

So true.

I carry all the time. I cannot see, much as I like them, how an XD is a pocket pistol. I have a couple of Kahrs and love them but do not really consider them pocket pistols. If ya want a 9mm in a pocket pistol, I think your choice is a Rohrbaugh.

I would go with a Colt Detective Special with shroud in a pocket holster. One extra shot compared with the Smith J-frame, able to fire from inside the pocket if necessary, and easier to shoot well than a J frame if I have to hit something at a little longer range. I remember shooting a concealed carry revolver match more than a decade ago with my Colt, while most of the rest were using 2 1/2" or 3" Smith K-frames. This was shooting out to 25 yards IIRC. I didn't win, but I finished in the middle of the pack, which made me feel pretty good, considering. Would probably load it with Doc Robert's recommended load of Speer Gold Dot 135 gr +P designed for snubbies.

What works as a pocket gun depends entirely on your style of dress and which pocket(s) you're talking about. About the only thing I can get away with carrying in a pants pocket is an LCP size gun. I like my S&W snubbie, but it seldom gets chosen for pocket carry over small, flat-sided pistols.

I carry a S&W model 60 in a desantis nemesis all the time. It's loaded with 148gr wadcutters. I don't worry about the hammer one bit, I could see where someone would prefer a 642 or an LCR though, no hammer and less weight.
I certainly don't want to get shot with a wadcutter, They tear a nasty hole in things. My wife carries a .380 but is looking to switch to a 9mm , she doesn't have a lot of faith in it. I don't either, but she carries it because it's small.

A .22 for self defense is laughable.

http://www.snubnose.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/640_3_rotated_450.jpg

I'll take my .357 mag.

You guys must have big pockets to carry these revolver in pants pockets.

Tight pants could cause a problem. I carry a 642 everywhere in my front pocket with no problems.

The M (micro) series Kahrs - PM9, CM9 or PM40 and their little P380 - will disappear into a typical jeans front pocket. If your jeans are somewhat tight they can be seen but the outline is nondescript. If they are in a pocket holster it looks like a big wallet. The larger CW9 will fit in a front jeans pocket but it shows the outline pretty plainly, especially the butt.

I definitely recommend a pocket holster of some kind since a pistol carried loosely shifts around and might not be in the best position for a draw. A pocket holster keeps it in one place with the butt presented properly.



Roger that on a pocket pistol picking up lint. I carried a Kel-Tec P32 extensively in a DeSantis Nemesis pocket holster and every now and then had to blow out the lint that accumulated at the bottom of it. The newer Nemesis holsters have an open bottom so lint isn't trapped there but I'm guessing it could still find its way into a barrel.

S&W 340 CT in 357. I carry it left front pocket in a DeSantis Nemisis. I'm right handed. I carry it in the left pocket so that if my right hand/arm is out of commission and I can't draw or fire my primary gun (1911) I'm still in the fight.

Alan

Guys thank you so much for the great info. Very big help. Anybody else, feel free to chime in.

I prefer a full sized weapon. But sometimes the circumstances dictate a very discrete carry. In that case, this is THE weapon for me.

S&W M&P Shield





Don't hurt that it's the small version of my primary.

Either the 642 or the XDs is always in my pocket. Sometimes I have one in each pocket. Always STAY READY.

Ruger LCP.

Good thought.

From a power standpoint, the .38 Special is just a better performer than a .380 from a short barreled pocket gun; and quite a bit better. If I were carrying a .380, I would carry it either with FMJ�s or Buffalo Bore�s Lead Round Nose Flat Point load to ensure adequate penetration. In .38 Special, there are loads created specifically for the snubbies that provide adequate penetration even with an expanded bullet; hard to beat that.

I don�t care for .357 magnum out of a snub nosed revolver. Yes, it does have the power advantage, but recoil, muzzle flash, and noise are massively increased as the barrel is bobbed down. All of those things are liabilities in my book if you have to shoot more than once.

I don't wear my pants as loose as a gang banger, but I like them roomy. If a person is honest with themselves, even a Kel Tec 9mm or a Kahr prints pretty bad in a front pocket.

Back when I used to regularly carry a front pants pocket gun I figured out that a square of thick leather (big enough to cover the entire print of the gun/holster combo) placed in front of the gun obscures the print, making it look like you have a thick wallet in that pocket.

I just can't deal with the pocket carry deal.
I think my J frame in the light weight version is my most carried. That is in an ankle holster, IWB, OWB or shoulder harness.

For pocket carry I will drop a Seecamp or Baby Browning in a pants pocket. Kinda' my version of a New York reload.

Funny how a guy will be meticulous in keeping his pocket pistol clean, but will never think to clean the lint out of his pockets.

S&W Model 640 is my all time favorite, but the Colt 1903 Pocket Model is a very close second.

I shot this right out of the gate after I bought it. 25yds, strong side barricade.



I don't really have a defense ammo recommendation. I know Stingers kill the hell out of schit. I am in and out of town a lot, so a .22LR just makes a lot of sense for me. But I consider a pocket gun more for getting out of schit more than anything else. And I believe a .22LR can get you out of a lot of problems.


Travis

The really nice thing about a .22 is how fast you can fire them while holding dead on your target, i.e., no recovery time between shots.

I carry my springfield XDs in my front pocket....it is definately not the lightest thing around and it can print at times, but it carries just fine and I love the .45

I also have a Ruger LCP with a belt clip....its is my "church gun" as well as when I wear light clothing, especially shorts

Darn good shootin right there. Thanks

A couple beers help...


Travis

I've got a 357 LCR and I like it. It's a hand full but I can still hit in "rapid fire" or double tap type of situation, but it takes a lot of effort. I prefer a 38+P like the Buffalo Bore for short barrels. I also use just standard police issue LSWCHP 158 grain that was popular for so many years. They are hard to beat as they have a good trigger. I've had a 642 for years (no key lock) but the more I shoot the LCR the better I like it over the 642. When I get a holster for the Ruger that's what I'll be carrying now.

right now, my choice is this S&W 442. .38 Special, my hand loads. DAO, hammerless.

Ruger LCP with CT laser in a Desantis pocket holster is all I can get away with in my front pocket, at least with jeans. Tacticool pants might be different.

Same thing, with hand loads.

Mine's pre-lock though.

THIS.



WAS THIS FOR YEARS.

I have a S&W 432 PD, Airweight, 6-shot snubbie, shrouded barrel, internal hammer (DAO),
32 MAG. A good shooter and perfect for carry.

XDs = Big Power, less than 1" thick, 5 round mag, it disapears in front pocket. I wear normal pants, not too loose, not too tight...just right...did I mention .45, Big....+P still 900 fps out of short barrel, Winchester "short barrel" ammo, no muzzle flash...oh yeah....BIG POWER

What are its intended use(s)?

Definitely my S&W 360 PD

Pocket gun usually means for concealed carry, self defense.

Thats what I'm after

If it's a self-defense weapon, that would preclude a pocket gun. A gun that might be used to save your life ought to be up to the task. Bigger is always better.

I'd suspect that a .38 Special would be minimum.

Ideally, yeah, but with a pocket gun, you can justify going down even to .32 ACP, IMO. Hell, in most cases, a .22 would work well enough, at least as a deterrence to further aggression. No one wants to get shot, period. But, naturally, up to a point, the bigger the better.

.38 Spl snubbie for me....

Pocket guns can't be used for self defense.

I learn something new everyday.


Travis

Problem is, bigger guns typically get left home. I've carried every style, every which way and end up not bringing it along all the time. At least a pocket gun is always with me.

Diamondback DB9.
First off a pocket gun must fit into a real life pocket.
Or it will be left at home.
Then it must be reliable and useful.

Check out the XDs.....I am telling you that is a badass concealed gun.....kicks like a 9mm

Try it out

It's an amazingly compact .45 ACP, and reports are mostly positive as to its shootability and reliability. If you need the smallest .45 ACP available, that's a great pick. Personally, I'd rather have twelve rounds of 9mm than five rounds of .45 ACP in a similar sized package. Yeah, the S&W M&P 9c is a fraction of an inch thicker than the XDs, but since it conceals well, and carries comfortably, in a Milt Sparks VM II, I see no need for a reduction by a fraction of an inch in thickness, and no way I'd carry either of them as a pocket gun. For me, an "always carry" pocket gun means a "mouse gun," i.e., something like a North American Arms Mini-Revolver or a Seecamp-sized auto pistol.

Uh, no it won't.

Notice the word "most." A truly determined attacker, himself armed with an effective weapon, will not (short of a brain shot) be prevented from seriously harming or killing you if all you have is a .22 Long Rifle pocket gun. That said, most criminal threats do not rise to the level of a truly determined attacker such as to disregard being shot with a .22 Long Rifle pocket gun. That statement, however, is not a recommendation on my part of a .22 Long Rifle pocket gun as a self-defense piece.

Self defense means just that self defense which means up close and personal. I'm not in the military and I am no longer a police officer therefore, a big honking offensive handgun is no longer needed to be carried on a daily basis.

I'm thinking a Sig P232 or a Seecamp myself.

When a bad guy who wants to kill you starts shooting at you, you'll learn to clean crap out of your pants with your hands.

Maybe a trip to Chicago will accord you practical knowledge you need. You can watch those Stingers penetrate heavy winter coats.

Never been to Chicago. Sounds scary.

Thankfully there are no thick winter coats in Montana. Color me safe and sound.


Travis

I completely understand and respect your thoughts and more ammo is always a good thing, but there is no way around the fact that caliber+capacity=size and the bigger the caliber and/or larger capacity means the gun is larger.....I personally like nothing less than .40...I do have an LCP for the utmost conceal-ability and my main carry gun used to be the LC9, but I like the advantage (at least IMHO) of the .45ACP. It holds 5+1 which is no more than any carry revolver short of .22 and I have a 7 and another 5 round mag as backup

Everybody there goes about in Bermuda shorts, Hawaiian shirts, Birkenstock sandals, and sunglasses, I hear.

Carrying a handgun is a last resort attempt to escape danger. You merely have to determine what handgun is most likely to accord you best opportunity to live.

First resort is Nike-Kwan-Do!!

I have a 431, same thing but exposed hammer. Good little carry gun.

I have a S&W 637, LCP, p7m8, Sig 232. North American mini and Sig 938. Normal attire in S/E Texas is cargo shorts and boat shoes. My fav. Right now is the 938. It's a little heavy and the trigger leaves a little to be desired but it shoots surprisingly good. Not as good as the p7m8 . Hasbeen

It's a 27 ounce pistol BEFORE you fill it up with .45's. That would tug my britches off.

I thought you carried a smith 1911? thats gotta weigh as much or more

Manufacturer states 21.5 oz

I used to carry a LC9 at 17.1 oz, at 8 rounds of 9mm vs 6 of .45 I know I am gaining an oz or two on the ammo so maybe, just maybe I am up to 6oz. heavier than I used to carry....noticeable, but definitely easily carried

LOL!!

Well guys, I brought one home from the local shop today. S&W 642. Should work fine.

Non lock gun too. Fits well in the pocket. Will be shooting her very soon. Thanks

Is that a scandium model?

Great pick regardless.


Travis

It think Kevin is confusing the XDs with the standard XD.

Travis, its aluminum frame with stainless barrel, crane and cylinder. very light, like 15 oz I believe.

Nice.


Travis

Well duh.. everyone knows that! Lol

dubya,

Just an FYI, they are especially worthless in Chicago due to the common use of jackets in that region.


Travis

The thread is about POCKET GUNS.

Good choice,gunchamp. You will be very happy with your great looking Smith. .38 +P is great. I belive you can get the "short barrel" load in .38, cuts down on muzzle flash in tiny guns. made by Speer I belive. Got some coming from Natchez in .45 for my XDs.

I got a few boxes of the short barrel gold dot. I just ordered a couple boxes of the BB heavy 158 lswchp. They should bite a bit.

Good choice.

Guess im SOL here in MN too....
Maybe a 6" S&W 629 is what i need to start packing!

Besides my S&W 360 PD (scandium alloy j-frame 357) which is a good front pocket gun, i like to carry a Glock 36 in my cargo pocket while im wearing shorts. It's borderline almost too heavy but it's do-able. My buddy recently bought an XDs and although its a little smaller and lighter i would way rather have my G36 and after shooting them both side by side, he is planning on selling it already and getting a G36. Small is good for carry but the XDs is too small to be comfortable for me.

I know that, but I sir do consider the XDs a pocket gun

Im no little fella though

Yeah, but I doubt Kevin considers his 1911s to be pocket guns. I think that's what he's referring to.

I know that lol....he said the XDs would pull his pants down and thats why I mentioned his 1911....but I guess a good holster setup isint the same "feel" as pocket carry

Buy pants with bigger pockets & that way bigger guns become an option.

And stay out of Chicago.


Travis

I was going to say that some of you guys have really big pockets.

That's a good picture in the other thread on pocket pistols comparing the size of XDs and the CW9. Technically my CW9 will fit into my jeans front pocket completely and when I'm standing it doesn't show hardly at all. But as soon as I sit down and stretch the pants leg a bit the outline is very obviously a gun. Same with the CM9 which has a smaller butt. Standing up you can�t see it in a pocket at all but even it will print when you sit down. FWIW I�m 5� 9� and wear a 35 or 34 inch waist.

I can see how a person could hide a bigger gun in a front pocket but you�d need not only bigger pockets but much, much looser pants all around to not print anything bigger than an LCP or Kel-Tec P3AT type of gun when you�re sitting.

A pocket holster is a good idea for several reasons but it really does hide the outline of the slide and butt. But even one of those still leaves you with a big square bulge in your pocket when you sit down.

That�s why I started a thread asking for folks to post pics of how they carry but it didn't go anywhere. Everyone says how they carry their pre-64 Model 70 Alaskan in a bathing suit and nobody sees it but I sure can�t. Seriously though, I really would like to know how folks manage to carry these larger handguns totally hidden from view under all circumstances - where do you carry and what wardrobe choices do you need to do this?

I've been trying various ways to hide a CW9 completely, all the time, sitting or bending over, and the only thing I can come up with is IWB with a shirt untucked or wearing a jacket or outer garment of some kind. That's fine and dandy but you have to then wear your jacket sitting at a restuarant table, in a theater, wherever - you can't take it off without exposing your butt (pun intended).

Put some smooth wood grips on her and she will slide in and out just like a hot knife through butter.

Probably what I'm going to do.

Travis, or any of you guys who have had a chance to handle/shoot both the LCR and the 442, why a preference for the LCR? The most mentioned item i've seen is the good trigger on the LCR. And why not stay with the 38 +P? (If I want more horsepower than that I'll just stick my Commander under my shirt.). I'm specifically looking for a pocket weapon and trying to learn what I can from you all.

Dave

The LCR is lighter, and has a lighter double action trigger pull, not to mention you can grip it higher in relation to the bore axis. The 442 is the more tried and true weapon, though.

The original keltec

Jim, I dont know that there is any true effective way to conceal 24/7 in ALL positions

I will try to describe to you what I do and it may or may not help....I am 6'6" tall and wear a 38 pants....I have a Ruger LCP and now a Springfield XDs which replaced my LC9. My LCP is pretty easy to hide (obviously). It has a belt clip which makes pocket carry very easy. It is small enough that it does not print and anyone that "notices" it thinks its a small pocket knife and ive even had a buddy ask to borrow my "knife". I carry the LCP when I have loose shorts on or any other more comfortable or light clothing....it is also my go to gun when I carry in places that I want the utmost concealment...last time I went to the movies it was clipped inside my boot

Now, with the Springfield I currently have 2 options.....I pocket carry or use the included paddle holster. I do pocket carry the XDs and it can and does "print" depending on how I am standing and sitting. I tried one pocket holster but it made a very large buldge

The stock paddle holster is not a good option for me....its little, uncomfortable, and makes a rather large bulge on my side....I am having a customer leather holster made right know for it that will keep it OWB but canted and tight to my body....that will be they way I carry it 95% of the time...I do not ever tuck my shirts in and I have never loved IWB carry so I think this will fit me best.

With all of that being said, I am sure that people at times will notice I am carrying, I try my best to conceal, but as long as I am within the law, I do not worry too much if 1 out of every 20 people or whatever, notice that I am carrying