Your gun for when you can’t carry a gun
Average Joe’s Handgun Reviews looks at pocket holsters. And it includes some must haves and must knows.
The thing about pocket holsters and guns is they suck. And you have to understand that. I have a KelTec that I keep in a pocket holster. I carry it quite a bit. But it is limited. The reason they suck is that pocket holsters are slower and more difficult to draw from. But if you can’t strap a hogleg to your hip, you may not have much choice if you choose to go armed. I’ve never timed my draw from a pocket holster but it feels like it’s a good bit slower than a holstered draw. I have found that cargo style pants pockets make the draw a bit easier but my wife tells me those are out of fashion these days.
If you carry in a pocket holster, practice. Getting that litte BUG out of your front pocket can be tough.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:16 am
I use a Blackhawk! holster for my P3AT. When I practice drawing, there’s a good chance the holster is coming out with the gun, so I ‘flick’ it off once it’s clear.
I find carrying it in my back pocket to be easier to retrieve than in my front, but I also find the front pocket to be easier to conceal (back pockets can be a bit short). So it’s a damned if you do / don’t thing.
Practice, however, is greatly advised. That’s how I know about the holster coming out with the pistol.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:17 am
Cargo pants are out of fashion? Somebody tell that to all the gun nuts I know (myself included).
December 30th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Speaking of “pocket” guns, anybody have any experience with a Walther PPS?
I was leaning to upgrading my PPK/S for normal carry to a 9mm (I also have a P3AT for pocket carry with a JSHolsters pocket holster). I was leaning originally to a Keltec PF-9…then I held the PPS this weekend. The feel (to me…which is a personal preference thing) was perfect. And it’s just slightly larger than the PPK/S I currently carry.
This may be off topic…but since I’m here. 🙂
December 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Blake, GeekWithA45 picked up a PPS a while back. What I’ve read from him since has been positive. Search seems to be broken over there right now though, so I can’t find the specific posts…
It’s mostly personal preference though. I already had a PM9 when the PPS came out and it wasn’t worth the change. That PM9 is my daily carry, often in a back pocket holster. Drawing does suck. But better than not having anything to draw.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I carry the PPS daily, tucked, in a Milt Sparks VM2. I tried pocket carry for a month or so in a desantis nemesis/superfly with/without the extra concealment flap, and didn’t like it. It’s just a little to big to really work as a pocket gun. Unless I wore the aforementioned cargo pockets, it printed badly- either I was carrying a book in my pocket, or a gun in my pocket. Not good. In the Milt Sparks even my wife can’t tell if I’m wearing it under a light, white cotton dress shirt (daily attire for my work). My 2c.
On the original post, pocket holsters do suck. Practice, practice, etc. I can now get my LCP/Crimson Trace out of the pocket quickly, but about 1 time out of 10 the leather comes with it.
December 30th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Ditto to the practice requirement, as with any aspect of carrying concealed. One of my pet peeves is seeing students at defensive handgun courses wearing vests– few of them will actually carry that way on a daily basis (yes, I have had this discussion with them; they ordinarily say that they carry under a garment such as a pullover an untucked shirt. Then why aren’t they dressing that way for the course? Because they can’t do the drills– and most importantly, test– as quickly. Doh!).
I sometimes carry a Kel-Tec in a Mitch Rosen Pocket Softie, in the hip pocket of a pair of khakis or jeans; with a little practice this configuration works quite well for either a backup gun or when my usual 1911 is not at hand (not often).
Just my opinion, but I have not run across any finer leather than that Produced by Mitch Rosen.
December 30th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Dunno ’bout that, Unc.
I can get my S&W 360PD out and ready pretty quick…
I’ve got a similar video on YouTube with the P3AT; it’s even a little faster.
The advantage to pocket carry, IMHO, is that you can already have your hand on your piece in a very natural-looking manner should things go pear-shaped.
Assuming you’re not in condition white, if you were to find yourself in a position where you need to draw from concealment, you would already have your hand on your gun should you be pocket-carrying.
December 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I carry a S&W M442 in a Bianchi pocket holster. The design of that holster is very important. You want one that stays in the pocket when the pistol is drawn. I’ve had others that remained with the pistol and blocked the trigger when drawn—a BIG NO-NO!
You do have to practice and also find a holster that works for you—not your bud or reviewer. Each person has unique characteristics that can make one holster better than another for you, but not your bud.
December 30th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
WTF is fashion? Sturdy I understand. Comfortable I understand. Fashion? Feh.
December 30th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I seem to recall that one of the Old West gunfighters – – Earp, perhaps – – had a tailor or seamstress reinforce his trouser pockets for gun carry, and it seems as if it might actually be the proper solution; not to wear a holster inside the pocket, but to alter the pocket itself to facilitate an easy draw. A thin piece of closed-cell foam might work if stitched to the interior of the pocket, for example.
This would, of course, be expensive if done to every pair of trousers you own, but might be worth discussing, at least.
December 30th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
pocketholsters.com . I use one with my .38Sp S&W Bodyguard.
Guru’s products are actually easy to draw from, as opposed to that Uncle Mikes thing. You will need to move to a money clip if you use one, as they pretend to be a big wallet.
It also fits in the inside vest pocket of my motorcycling jacket perfectly.
December 30th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I have some 5.11 Covert Khakis that I can pocket carry a Glock 23 in. I wear ’em to church and such sometimes.
December 30th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
“…..but my wife tells me those are out of fashion these days. ”
Not nearly as out of fashion as bullet holes or knife wounds in a good guy.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Jay has a good point about how having your hand in your pocket is a natural thing. I carry at 4:00’ish, and that allows me to turn to ‘reach for my wallet’ in a very, very natural way.
Now, I generally wear untucked shirts so that eases my issues greatly with using my CTAC and the Glock. I also must practice drawing from concealment with only one hand (which I seem to favor over using my weak hand to lift my shirt).
Even though the CTAC allows tucking, the only time I’ve ever been ‘outed’ was while having the shirt tucked in. Dude at a Quickie Mart was instantaneous with the “Hey, watcha carrying?” Since then, I can’t help but feel it sticks out like a sore thumb.
December 31st, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Jay G. has a point about putting your hand nonchalantly in your pocket if your spidey senses are alerting you to something.
That doesn’t work so well with the SmartCarry holster. When your wife asks why you’ve got your hand down your pants it doesn’t come out right when you say “Because of that guy over there.”