front pocket pistol recommendations

[M1911]

Yes it is.....and just because it is done, doesn't mean its a good idea and I'll bet that nobody doing it has ever had to draw it in a hurry, nor could they.

Oh FFS. No, you are flat out wrong on this. You are viewing this situation emotionally without any logic.

Drawing a semi auto from a pocket holster in a hurry is no more dangerous than drawing from a hip holster in a hurry. You can shoot yourself either way if you get your finger on the trigger too soon. So don’t do that.

Furthermore, one of the great advantages of pocket carry is that you can put your hand in your pocket and grip the gun without anyone knowing, thus preparing yourself in the event that the situation goes south. In that case, you might draw it faster from your pocket than you could from a belt holster because you don’t have to first clear your cover garment and second grip your gun.

If you don’t believe me, try this. Get a semi-auto pocket pistol and a pocket holster. Verify that the gun is unloaded. Check it again. Put in the pocket holster and then in your pocket. Now start practicing draws. Do it a lot, fast and slow. You’ll find that not once have you accidentally pulled the trigger while drawing.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Unless you wear very baggy pants, carrying in your front pocket is a bad idea.

Carrying in your front pocket, especially a semi auto with no safety is insane.

The only gun I would even comsider for pocket carry is a 5 shot hammerless .38 revolver like an airweight or the like.

Not with a modern auto. I'm not sure I'd carry a cock'd'n'lock'd SA - only b/c I'd be afraid the safety would disengage somehow and now I've got a SA, no safety in my pants. But a standard striker-fired pistol is no more dangerous than a revolver.

No, it’s not. That is what a pocket holster is for. Just like a belt holster, a pocket holster covers the trigger guard and prevents the trigger from being pulled until you remove the gun from the holster.

I carry in a front pocket frequently. You don’t need to wear very baggy pants to do so. Skinny jeans are a bad idea in general, but also in particular for pocket carry.

Many of us have been pocket carrying small semi-autos in our front pockets for decades.

Hey hey hey - let's not revive the skinny-jeans thread now. LOL

I just ordered one of these. Waiting for it.

https://www.alabamaholster.com/product/front-pocket-holster/

Hmmm. I'm not I want kydex in my pockets. I'd want something a bit more flexible. In my pocket-carry days, it was either fabric or leather. Although FIST makes IWB holsters out of this ultra-thin kydex that I guess could work. But I wonder if the edges beat the hell out of the pockets.

I actually made a dandy molded J-frame pocket holster a pile of years ago. It came out pretty nice. Fit well in a pair of "tactical khaki's." A tad too big for jeans.

 

[92G]

Furthermore, one of the great advantages of pocket carry is that you can put your hand in your pocket and grip the gun without anyone knowing, thus preparing yourself in the event that the situation goes south.

^this
drawing from pocket is incredibly fast. it's also the only carry method that allows one to keep a hand on the pistol without drawing ANY attention to it. pocket carry may not be suitable for all the operators out other, but it's totally concealed and readily available. the only real limitation is size of the firearm. all the commandos like to trash pocket carry but it works.

 

[Buck F]

Drawing a semi auto from a pocket holster in a hurry is no more dangerous than drawing from a hip holster in a hurry. You can shoot yourself either way if you get your finger on the trigger too soon. So don’t do that.

Furthermore, one of the great advantages of pocket carry is that you can put your hand in your pocket and grip the gun without anyone knowing, thus preparing yourself in the event that the situation goes south. In that case, you might draw it faster from your pocket than you could from a belt holster because you don’t have to first clear your cover garment and second grip your gun.

^this
drawing from pocket is incredibly fast. it's also the only carry method that allows one to keep a hand on the pistol without drawing ANY attention to it. pocket carry may not be suitable for all the operators out other, but it's totally concealed and readily available. the only real limitation is size of the firearm. all the commandos like to trash pocket carry but it works.

I'll third that, you can have your hand on your gun ready to draw in your pocket without anyone knowing.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Yeah. It just looks like you're a perv.

"OK, this is a robbery! Everybody get over the. . . . dude. Are you jerking it to a robbery? WTF is wrong with you. Get out. Now!"

On second thought - good strategy.

 

[Buck F]

Not with a modern auto. I'm not sure I'd carry a cock'd'n'lock'd SA - only b/c I'd be afraid the safety would disengage somehow and now I've got a SA, no safety in my pants. But a standard striker-fired pistol is no more dangerous than a revolver.

Hmmm. I'm not I want kydex in my pockets. I'd want something a bit more flexible. In my pocket-carry days, it was either fabric or leather. Although FIST makes IWB holsters out of this ultra-thin kydex that I guess could work. But I wonder if the edges beat the hell out of the pockets.

I actually made a dandy molded J-frame pocket holster a pile of years ago. It came out pretty nice. Fit well in a pair of "tactical khaki's." A tad too big for jeans.

Agree re pocket carrying a cocked and locked SA like a 238 or 938 (I have owned both), I don't like the manual safety in this scenario (or the cocked hammer).

Re kydex, the Alabama Holtster Front Pocket Holster (posted link above) is curved and very comfortable for pocket carry and you can adjust the curve to your particular needs. It also has a small lip on the inside that acts as a thumb break which makes it super easy to draw. I have tried soft holsters but they're too bulky for my liking and not as easy to draw from, although in fairness I have never tried a good soft pocket holster, only the uncle mike's ones I keep as a backup in my car/desk just in case I forget my kydex pocket holster that day.

 

[GamemasterGuy]

Thirty-plus years later...after piles of unused holsters of virtually every type, style, configuration, etc. (not to mention a fine, and costly, array of “used very little” side arms) The final choice for me is a J frame S&W or Glock 43 in a Kramer Pocket Holster. Works for me in a hurry in any attire, clime or place. No more having to consider what clothing to buy to accommodate inside waist holsters, what if I have to shed clothing for whatever reason, will someone see my “Little Friend,” etc. It took a long time to learn of the Kramer, and it ain’t cheap. But then again, neither is my sidearm. Who can put a price on safety? I can gladly assure you’ll only have to buy one once. A real no-brainer for me.

A word of caution on those stupid clip-on belt holsters, whether inside or outside the waist. I had a quality brand-name one I used on occasion. One day in the winter while exiting my vehicle on a public street I felt the whole unit sliding down my leg headed for the pavement. The clip had somehow worked its way up and off my belt while I was driving/seated. If it weren’t for the long winter coat I was wearing I never would’ve caught it before it hit the deck...NOT GOOD! Never again.

 

[uwaeve]

Non front pocket carrier here so take this with a grain of salt, but I think if for some reason I decided it was a good idea I would go G43 or P365 in one of these with the hard clip removed and the static line tethered to the belt or something.

eta: probably a bad idea based on feedback further down in the thread.

 

[Buck F]

what if I have to shed clothing for whatever reason, will someone see my “Little Friend,” etc.

Sounds like a bit of a personal issue but most women say size doesn't matter...

 

[Retired-LEO]

Nice. Who makes that mag holder?

NeoMag makes the mag holder. (click on the brand, I added a link)

 

[Soundwave]

What are you guys doing with all your other EDC to free up an entire front pocket?

 

[SKumar]

What are you guys doing with all your other EDC to free up an entire front pocket?

Wallet and keys in the front, cell phone in the back. If I have cargo shorts (which is usually what I wear with pocket carry), then wallet and keys go on the side (gotta have quick access to phone )

 

[Palladin]

presently, I'm carrying a KelTec P3AT in a Sticky holster. I've also carried SW442, same holster and a G33 in a larger Sticky holster

 

[M1911]

Non front pocket carrier here so take this with a grain of salt, but I think if for some reason I decided it was a good idea I would go G43 or P365 in one of these with the hard clip removed and the static line tethered to the belt or something.

No. The RCS Vanguard would be a very bad choice for pocket carry.

Pocket holsters perform several needed functions.

First, the pocket holster covers the trigger guard, preventing the trigger from being pulled accidentally while in your pocket.

Second, the pocket holster keeps the gun correctly oriented with the muzzle down and the grip up, so that you can quickly grab the gun. Without a pocket holster, you will find the gun rotating in your pocket.

Third, the pocket holster obscures the outline of the gun, so it looks like you have a wallet in your pocket not a gun.

The RCS Vanguard holster does 1, but not 2 or 3.

If you are going to carry in a pocket, use a real pocket holster. The Vanguard is not a pocket holster.

 

[M1911]

What are you guys doing with all your other EDC to free up an entire front pocket?

Cargo pants. Wallet goes in right cargo pocket. Cell phone in left cargo pocket. Gun in right from pocket. Extra mag in left cargo pocket. Change and keys in left front pocket. Flashlight clipped to left front pocket. Knife clipped to right rear pocket.

 

[Soundwave]

Geez you guys only wear cargo pants!? And sitting on knives and flashlights can't be fun! I guess I'm destined to carry at 4 o'clock

 

[uwaeve]

No. The RCS Vanguard would be a very bad choice for pocket carry.

Pocket holsters perform several needed functions.

First, the pocket holster covers the trigger guard, preventing the trigger from being pulled accidentally while in your pocket.

Second, the pocket holster keeps the gun correctly oriented with the muzzle down and the grip up, so that you can quickly grab the gun. Without a pocket holster, you will find the gun rotating in your pocket.

Third, the pocket holster obscures the outline of the gun, so it looks like you have a wallet in your pocket not a gun.

The RCS Vanguard holster does 1, but not 2 or 3.

If you are going to carry in a pocket, use a real pocket holster. The Vanguard is not a pocket holster.

Thanks for the corrections, I would have started in the wrong place then.

I'm leaving my ignorance up for the class to learn from lmao

 

[richc]

Been carrying a Kahr PM9 in my front pocket for years.

Carried a Keltec P3AT before that. The Keltec is a lower quality firearm IMHO. The Kahr is a nice piece of kit.

 

[M1911]

Geez you guys only wear cargo pants!? And sitting on knives and flashlights can't be fun! I guess I'm destined to carry at 4 o'clock

I don’t sit on my flashlight — that is front left pocket. My knife is in right rear pocket when I pocket carry, but that pocket is high enough up that I don’t sit on it. And I carry a small Spyderco Delica, which is a pretty small knife.

 

[jasonj84]

Kimber Solo with CT grips in a Remora pocket holster.

 

[massgun]

Carrying in a pocket is totally dependent on what style of pants or shorts you wear and what minimum caliber you are comfortable with. Jeans and some types of "casual" pants may have a fairly small pocket opening and, depending on how tight you like to wear your pants, may make it somewhat difficult to pocket carry anything but the smallest of guns. If you wear cargo or "tactical" pants and shorts, you have more and probably larger pockets to hide larger guns and access them more easily/quickly.

I have recently switched to a P365 and find pocket carry in jeans (Wrangler regular fit) a little snug, but doable, when the hot weather hits and I switch to cargo shorts, there should be plenty of room and easier access. When I was looking at changing from snubbie carry to a 9mm pistol, I would ask the sales person wherever I was looking at several candidate pistols, if I could momentarily put the pistol in a pocket holster I brought for the purpose of testing fit and put it in my pocket and remove it a few times, my request was never refused.

 

[LuvDog]

Kahr PM9.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Thirty-plus years later...after piles of unused holsters of virtually every type, style, configuration, etc. (not to mention a fine, and costly, array of “used very little” side arms) The final choice for me is a J frame S&W or Glock 43 in a Kramer Pocket Holster. Works for me in a hurry in any attire, clime or place. No more having to consider what clothing to buy to accommodate inside waist holsters, what if I have to shed clothing for whatever reason, will someone see my “Little Friend,” etc. It took a long time to learn of the Kramer, and it ain’t cheap. But then again, neither is my sidearm. Who can put a price on safety? I can gladly assure you’ll only have to buy one once. A real no-brainer for me.

A word of caution on those stupid clip-on belt holsters, whether inside or outside the waist. I had a quality brand-name one I used on occasion. One day in the winter while exiting my vehicle on a public street I felt the whole unit sliding down my leg headed for the pavement. The clip had somehow worked its way up and off my belt while I was driving/seated. If it weren’t for the long winter coat I was wearing I never would’ve caught it before it hit the deck...NOT GOOD! Never again.

That’s what I modeled my J Frame after. Even got that Lou Alesia hammer nails finish on it.

What are you guys doing with all your other EDC to free up an entire front pocket?

I know. Cell phone is my killer. As long as I have a shirt with a pocket I’m ok.

No. The RCS Vanguard would be a very bad choice for pocket carry.

Pocket holsters perform several needed functions.

First, the pocket holster covers the trigger guard, preventing the trigger from being pulled accidentally while in your pocket.

Second, the pocket holster keeps the gun correctly oriented with the muzzle down and the grip up, so that you can quickly grab the gun. Without a pocket holster, you will find the gun rotating in your pocket.

Third, the pocket holster obscures the outline of the gun, so it looks like you have a wallet in your pocket not a gun.

The RCS Vanguard holster does 1, but not 2 or 3.

If you are going to carry in a pocket, use a real pocket holster. The Vanguard is not a pocket holster.

I just watched Noir talk about that on YT. Interesting.

 

[MFSP101]

LC9S in sticky holster with added clip. Left handed but shoot right. Sits in left pocket. Really winter carry until I switch to my SP101 357.

 

[Soundwave]

Whoa never seen that kind of pocket carry

 

[MFSP101]

Sorry the pic is sideways. Good with a long shirt or jacket. Will be switching to my 357 with a modified Urban carry holster for the summer.

 

[enbloc]

Sorry the pic is sideways...

OH! That is making me dizzy....

 

[Canndo]

FIFY. Sorry, OCD. LOL

 

[enbloc]

Nope. Still dizzy...

 

[MFSP101]

Nope. Still dizzy...

LOL. Just because it’s a great carry.