front pocket pistol recommendations

You read that as "professional advice." I read it as irrelevant ... "I am a young cop who wears tight pants and never has to worry about concealment because of my badge. And when I am at the gym, I carry a wheel gun that weighs twice what a pocket pistol weighs, is 50% thicker an inch longer and you will have a hard time buying, but I don't have to worry about it because I can just take off my hoodie at the gym with my gun in the pocket, because I am a cop." You don't own, and have never carried a pocket pistol

It carries about as much weight as me telling the OP I was an Expert in rifle and pistol, combat Marine and carried an M16 with 6 mags and a full sized 1911. I don't "compete" regularly, and wouldn't really call combat a "defensive shooting" but did wear a CAR ( combat action ribbon). Like you, my experience is irrelevant to someone asking for advice about a pocket pistol.

When I can't carry a big ass gun, I carry a PM9 because it is surprisingly accurate out to 50 feet or more, is crazy reliable, can be reloaded twice as fast as any wheel gun and there are literally more varieties of ammo than Baskin Robbins has flavors. It is also the most comfortable pocket pistol available in 9mm, which means faster follow up shots.
If you have never fired 357 magnum out of a 2" snubby, it is very uncomfortable, kinda like slamming your hand in your car door.

When Sig fixes the 365 I will buy one, for sure. The 238 and the 938 have too many reported reliability issues and a Sig rep actually told a buddy of mine he wouldn't carry one for anything other than a backup
I don't like the Glock platform, grip angle, trigger etc. but would recommend one to those who do like Glocks. You almost can't go wrong with a Glock if you can shoot them well.
The Bodyguard is horrible to shoot and the LCP is a Ruger. Both shoot 380 which is a non starter for me, as ammo is more expensive and less effective. Recoil from the BG is worse, the LCP is about the same.


Ur cute. Not sure why you are attacking me for a pretty relevant opinion. Experience and technical skill matters when giving advice... no? Its ok though Ill play along.

Your whole post is incorrect and off base.

1. I'm not a cop.. I work for DHS in an armed capacity via contract.

2. Ladies like my pants bro ;)

3. I have only been in LE for a short time.. before that I carried as a civil for 13 years while living and working in Springfield.

4. I carry a wheel gun at the gym because it has distinct advantages for pocket carry, can be shot from inside the pocket etc. Maybe its not your favorite model, but its one of the few smaller wheel guns I shoot well. If you don't like that one buy a different one, there are tons. Don't be jelly cause I can buy whatever I want in MA.

5. I can just take my hoodie off cause I have a badge? WTF are you rambling about. I leave my hoodie on at the gym to promote a less intimidating environment for goofs like yourself. I follow the rules just like you. Quite frankly if I got jammed up I can't even show my work ID to the police. Id more than likely be fired.

6. Id shoot and fight circles around you.. like a breeze.
 
Last edited:
When Sig fixes the 365 I will buy one, for sure. The 238 and the 938 have too many reported reliability issues and a Sig rep actually told a buddy of mine he wouldn't carry one for anything other than a backup

I’m curious what reliability issues the rep told your friend. I EDC a P238 and shoot it at the range at least once every two weeks and haven’t had a single issue. I have between 500-800 shots through it and not a single hiccup. I do a thorough cleaning pretty often, but in between those is just use a bore snake and wipe down the exterior. If you don’t want to go into that here, feel free to PM me. I’m genuinely curious because I’ve been considering a P365 as well, but just picked up a G19 Gen 5. No reason I can’t have both though.
 
When Sig fixes the 365 I will buy one, for sure. The 238 and the 938 have too many reported reliability issues and a Sig rep actually told a buddy of mine he wouldn't carry one for anything other than a backup

Just curious, what are the issues you are waiting to be fixed on the P365, I thought they were on gen3 as of around June 2018, and everything has been addressed. My December 2018 P365 has been flawless through 1008 rounds to date without cleaning. Yes, the striker drag marks are still there, but Sig insists they are not a cause of concern.
 
Ur cute. Not sure why you are attacking me for a pretty relevant opinion. Experience and technical skill matters when giving advice... no? Its ok though Ill play along.

Your whole post is incorrect and off base.

1. I'm not a cop.. I work for DHS in an armed capacity via contract.

2. Ladies like my pants bro ;)

3. I have only been in LE for a short time.. before that I carried as a civil for 13 years while living and working in Springfield.

4. I carry a wheel gun at the gym because it has distinct advantages for pocket carry, can be shot from inside the pocket etc. Maybe its not your favorite model, but its one of the few smaller wheel guns I shoot well. If you don't like that one buy a different one, there are tons. Don't be jelly cause I can buy whatever I want in MA.

5. I can just take my hoodie off cause I have a badge? WTF are you rambling about. I leave my hoodie on at the gym to promote a less intimidating environment for goofs like yourself. I follow the rules just like you. Quite frankly if I got jammed up I can't even show my work ID to the police. Id more than likely be fired.

6. Id shoot and fight circles around you.. like a breeze.

Not attacking you at all "bro", and I am not jealous, I can buy whatever I want in Mass too, and can afford it. The thread was a request for "pocket pistol" recommendations. Your reply of " Well I carry a wheel gun in the pocket of my hoodie" when I am at the gym, and " Federal Officer.. tight pants" is only relevant to you.
As far as shooting and fighting, maybe, as I am probably old enough to be your father. When I was your age MMA did not exist, I got my black belt from Billy Blanks when he still had a school in North Quincy, then the Marine Corps taught me a few things. I am not nearly as fast as I used to be and can't bench press 350 any more, but at 6'1" and 250lbs, most people leave me alone, even with a lot of gray hair.
I do think its cool that you leave your hoodie on at the gym as not intimidate goofs and old guys like me, but really Junior, you should wear a muscle shirt, so that all of the goofs can be inspired by you. Stop being so humble.
Congrats on being able to count to 6 and that ladies like your pants. Just wondering, when you did your tours in Springfield, did you ever carry a pocket pistol that you can recommend to the OP?
 
I’m curious what reliability issues the rep told your friend. I EDC a P238 and shoot it at the range at least once every two weeks and haven’t had a single issue. I have between 500-800 shots through it and not a single hiccup. I do a thorough cleaning pretty often, but in between those is just use a bore snake and wipe down the exterior. If you don’t want to go into that here, feel free to PM me. I’m genuinely curious because I’ve been considering a P365 as well, but just picked up a G19 Gen 5. No reason I can’t have both though.

I like the way you roll! Maybe my buddy just got a lemon, but he has been having issues with rounds FTE about every third mag. At first he thought it may have been a magazine issue, but ruled that out. He just dropped it off at a good gun plumber's shop to see if he can figure it out. He has a 938. I will ask him for more details tomorrow. He works for me.
 
I like the way you roll! Maybe my buddy just got a lemon, but he has been having issues with rounds FTE about every third mag. At first he thought it may have been a magazine issue, but ruled that out. He just dropped it off at a good gun plumber's shop to see if he can figure it out. He has a 938. I will ask him for more details tomorrow. He works for me.

Cool - thanks. Is he using Sig factory mags or another brand? With the exception of my 92FS, I’ve found my guns to be partial to the manufacturers’ mags. I could probably stuff an AR mag in the 92 and it’ll shoot!
 
Just curious, what are the issues you are waiting to be fixed on the P365, I thought they were on gen3 as of around June 2018, and everything has been addressed. My December 2018 P365 has been flawless through 1008 rounds to date without cleaning. Yes, the striker drag marks are still there, but Sig insists they are not a cause of concern.

There are a bunch of videos on youtube where folks see the firing pin break at about 2000 rounds. It would be awesome if they worked it out. I would really like to pick one up. Yours is obviously very recent production and is very encouraging!
It is still just a little larger and heavier than the PM9 but the extra capacity is awesome.
 
Do you guys really carry a g42/43 in a soft pocket holster with one in the pipe and totally trust it?
I carry a shield with the apex trigger in a nemesis about 1% of the time. I totally trust it because nothing else goes in that pocket.

We have to remember that no matter how you carry you’re going to sweep someone else or yourself when it’s in the holster.
 
Just curious here. Aren't there 2 types of Ruger LC9 now, the hammer and the striker? Which is better? Which is safer? Is safer=better, or is there more to it?

I would imagine for size/weight, the Keltec 32 is the one to beat. Correct me if I'm wrong.

As for 9mm, I am guessing maybe the Kahr PM9 would be the point of reference, at least for me.

Thanks.
 
Just curious here. Aren't there 2 types of Ruger LC9 now, the hammer and the striker? Which is better? Which is safer? Is safer=better, or is there more to it?

I would imagine for size/weight, the Keltec 32 is the one to beat. Correct me if I'm wrong.

As for 9mm, I am guessing maybe the Kahr PM9 would be the point of reference, at least for me.

Thanks.

Yes, I got an LC9S for my wife a while back and it has been a great little carry gun. From what I understand the Lc9 (Hammer) has a horrible trigger, heavy and a very long pull. I haven't personally shot one, so I am not sure it is just what people have told me.
 
Maybe I’m biased because Kahr....Made in Worcester,MA

But I love my CM9 and need to get a pocket holster soon for the summer carry. It’s very undetectable right now.
 
What are you guys doing with all your other EDC to free up an entire front pocket?
Car keys and phone that would normally go in my "gun pocket" end up in a jacket pocket or in my work bag.


Never understood these threads. Everyone is just gonna tell you what horrible gun they carry. You have no reference of how good they are at shooting, if they know what they are talking about etc.
...
I don't usually pocket carry.
Irony.


6. Id shoot and fight circles around you.. like a breeze.
Consider taking your own advice and not spouting off as if your opinion is all that matters and no one else knows what they're talking about. In my experience, most guys that talk tough and tell everyone about how well they shoot tend to be mediocre at best.


Do you guys really carry a g42/43 in a soft pocket holster with one in the pipe and totally trust it?
I'm a strange case. I don't think twice about carrying appendix with the gun pointed at things I really don't want to put a bullet through, but for some reason I can't get past carrying a semi-auto in a pocket so I stick with wheel-guns in a Nemesis.
 
One benefit of the S&W Bodyguard is the double strike capability.

Much quicker to pull the trigger again, than to clear the round (now your down one round) and re-charge the pistol.

I personally have shot over 1000 rounds from 380 Bodyguards.

Once you get usto the HEAVY trigger; it can be shot well (for what it's designed for) A close distance pocket pistol.
 
One benefit of the S&W Bodyguard is the double strike capability.

Much quicker to pull the trigger again, than to clear the round (now your down one round) and re-charge the pistol.

Double strike capability is typically discussed in reference to auto-loading pistols, and is used to distinguish single-action or striker-fired from double-action or double-action-only pistols. With a single-action or striker-fired pistol, if you have a failure to fire, pulling the trigger again will not cause the hammer or striker to hit the primer again -- instead you need to cycle the slide to remove the round and insert a fresh round into the chamber (or manually cock the hammer on a single-action pistol, which would be a rather foolish and time consuming action to take).

With a DA/SA or DAO pistol, pulling the trigger again will result in the hammer being cocked and released again, striking the primer again.

There are folks who suggest double striker capability is a good thing. I think they are misguided. First, with quality defensive ammunition, how often do you have failures to fire, and of those failures, how often are they misfires (where the hammer strikers the primer, but the primer does not ignite)? In most semi-auto pistols, if the gun doesn't go bang, it is more likely a feed failure than a misfire. If it is a feed failure, what is the right course of action? The right course of action is tap-rack-bang.

If the cause is actually a misfire, the chances are slim that hitting it again with the hammer will cause it to discharge. So in my opinion, if the cause is a misfire, the best course of action is tap-rack-bang.

So, back to double strike capability for semi-autos. If the right thing to do when you have a failure to fire is tap-rack-bang, then is double strike capability a good thing or a bad thing? In my opinion, double strike capability doesn't help. With a striker-fired or single action gun, if you pull the trigger and it doesn't go bang, you end up with a dead trigger. That is yet another clue that you need to do something different (i.e., tap-rack-bang), rather than just stand there pulling the trigger again.

So when people claim that double strike capability in a semi-auto pistol is important, I say they are mistaken and haven't thought it through. I'd say that double strike capability in a semi-auto is at best not useful (outside of dryfire practice).

When it comes to revolvers, pulling the trigger a second time when you have a failure to fire is sort of a different thing. If it was caused by a misfire, then you just rotate the cylinder to a different chamber, which is a good thing. In my experience, though, most of the time you have a failure to fire with a revolver is because you miscounted, ran dry, and now need to reload.
 
Last edited:
One benefit of the S&W Bodyguard is the double strike capability.

Much quicker to pull the trigger again, than to clear the round (now your down one round) and re-charge the pistol.

I personally have shot over 1000 rounds from 380 Bodyguards.

Once you get usto the HEAVY trigger; it can be shot well (for what it's designed for) A close distance pocket pistol.

My BG380 has been riddled with light strikes, so I have some experience with its double strike capability. Probably 3 different types of rounds, all had the same results.

Trigger is heavy as you mentioned, but I actually don't mind that part. I don't like how long it is though. Feels weird to have such a long trigger on such a small gun, like your finger is almost curling at the end of the pull.

Maybe I just have a dud. I was thinking about getting a short stroke flat trigger and new springs installed to see if that helps. If not, I think I'm putting this one up for sale. I want to like it as a pocket gun as the size is as small as you can make a controllable gun with 7+1 (magguts), but mine hasn't been reliable.
 
My BG380 has been riddled with light strikes, so I have some experience with its double strike capability. Probably 3 different types of rounds, all had the same results.

Trigger is heavy as you mentioned, but I actually don't mind that part. I don't like how long it is though. Feels weird to have such a long trigger on such a small gun, like your finger is almost curling at the end of the pull.

Maybe I just have a dud. I was thinking about getting a short stroke flat trigger and new springs installed to see if that helps. If not, I think I'm putting this one up for sale. I want to like it as a pocket gun as the size is as small as you can make a controllable gun with 7+1 (magguts), but mine hasn't been reliable.

I put a slightly heavier spring in, and a short stroke trigger from Galloway Precision.

Also added: Williams fire sights, talon grips and a CT green laser.

I only usually have ammo issues with PMC, TULA and other crappy ones.

I have not had any issues with any type of carry ammo.

Personally I think it's a good pocket pistol.
 
Ur cute. Not sure why you are attacking me for a pretty relevant opinion. Experience and technical skill matters when giving advice... no? Its ok though Ill play along.

Your whole post is incorrect and off base.

1. I'm not a cop.. I work for DHS in an armed capacity via contract.

2. Ladies like my pants bro ;)

3. I have only been in LE for a short time.. before that I carried as a civil for 13 years while living and working in Springfield.

4. I carry a wheel gun at the gym because it has distinct advantages for pocket carry, can be shot from inside the pocket etc. Maybe its not your favorite model, but its one of the few smaller wheel guns I shoot well. If you don't like that one buy a different one, there are tons. Don't be jelly cause I can buy whatever I want in MA.

5. I can just take my hoodie off cause I have a badge? WTF are you rambling about. I leave my hoodie on at the gym to promote a less intimidating environment for goofs like yourself. I follow the rules just like you. Quite frankly if I got jammed up I can't even show my work ID to the police. Id more than likely be fired.

6. Id shoot and fight circles around you.. like a breeze.
hilarious, be honest this was practiced in front of a mirror
 
I put a slightly heavier spring in, and a short stroke trigger from Galloway Precision.

Also added: Williams fire sights, talon grips and a CT green laser.

I only usually have ammo issues with PMC, TULA and other crappy ones.

I have not had any issues with any type of carry ammo.

Personally I think it's a good pocket pistol.

Yes..that's the one. Galloway Precision short stroke. Figure I'll put the heavy spring in too. Don't get me wrong, I do like the features of this pistol. Just the reliability is a huge factor for me, and it hasn't been yet. My only mods have been a tritium front sight and the magguts springs for the extra round, and the gun is otherwise stock, so I think it is just factory light on the hammer.
 
Yes..that's the one. Galloway Precision short stroke. Figure I'll put the heavy spring in too. Don't get me wrong, I do like the features of this pistol. Just the reliability is a huge factor for me, and it hasn't been yet. My only mods have been a tritium front sight and the magguts springs for the extra round, and the gun is otherwise stock, so I think it is just factory light on the hammer.

Its a pistol that you gotta practice with to stay good with it.

Most medium size or full size pistols I can pick up for the first time and shoot well with.

I find I do best with it, if I do (1) box / 50 rounds every 4-6 weeks...

Before I listed that I have 1000+ through it, it's actually more like 2000+
 
Do you guys really carry a g42/43 in a soft pocket holster with one in the pipe and totally trust it?

Only pistol that fits in my pocket is BG380 and I trust it (although I hate it at the same time.) Totally trust G42, Kahr P380. Don't trust 45 carry style P238 so it's a safe queen (although I love the way it handles)
 
Back
Top Bottom