Re: thoughts on a pocket gun
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:40 pm
Lunchbox,
I too prefer pocket carry because I am almost always wearing shorts and T-shirt, the only acceptable attire here on the beach where I, now firmly retired, live, and I find that a pocket is the only place I can readily carry without advertising that I am carrying. Your choice will probably include the following factors, among numerous others, some known only to you, and only you can give the answer after looking at the options which might meet your requirements:
1. It must be of a size that it will be effectively concealed in your pocket. (In my case I have found pockets to come in many different sizes, and I now purchase my shorts with that in mind).
2. Cost - unavoidable consideration for most of us. This factor applies to ammo as well as the weapon.
3. It must be secure in your pocket. As pointed out above, if you are upside down under a car you do not want it to fall out into the grease pit.
4. While it must be secure, you also need to be able to present the weapon relatively rapidly.
5. What caliber weapon have you decided you would prefer? The ins and outs of this question are beaten to death on this forum, but you might consider the experience of others as laid out here.
6. What is the minimum number of rounds loaded for immediate use that you might feel comfortable with?
7. Related to #6 is the question of whether you would be more comfortable with a revolver or a semi-automatic.
8. Do you want to just stick it in your pocket, or do you want to use a commercially available pocket holster? I certainly would recommend the latter, for several good reasons.
9. Do you want to carry ammo in addition to that in the magazine or cylinder, as the case might be?
10. Will your choice be convenient to carry almost always, until converted into bedside? If it is not convenient to carry, you are likely to not carry it, and that defeats the purpose.
As I said above, there are bound to be other factors which need to be considered, and you have probably thought about some of them perhaps without having spelled them out to yourself.
After going through this list myself, I have two pocket-carry weapons which I use, often depending on where I am going to be and what I am going to be doing. When in my automobile I often carry one, with the other concealed from observation but readily accessible.
a. A Smith & Wesson mod. 38 Airweight, .38 special. It is loaded with 5 rounds of Buffalo Bore 20E20, and I stick a Bianchi speed strip containing 6 more rounds of the Buffalo Bore into the same pocket, in an IHL Speed Strip Wallet. The Airweight is equipped with a CTC laser for low-light and darkness. I bought the Airweight for my wife, who is licensed, but she chooses not to carry; I find it very convenient to stick in my pocket, and I often carry it. My only problem with the Airweight is that it is so unnoticeable that I very easily forget that I am carrying it. Oncet upon a time I got almost all the way into the inspection line (just 2 persons in front of me) at Hobby Airport (pre-9/11 and TSA) before waking up and quickly leaving the line to hustle back to my car long enough to lock it up inside. Nearly missed my flight.
b. A Springfield XD40. My carry magazine has 9+1 Corbon .40 S&W 165 gr. JHP, and I stick another longer magazine with 11 of the same in another pocker. I find the shorter magazine conceals the weapon better when carried in the pocket. The XD40 will soon be also armed with a CTC laser for low-light and darkness.
My carry ammo is expensive stuff, but I practice - practice - practice - practice with a less expensive variety.
While I have belt-supported holsters for both these pocket carries, I have worn long pants no more than half a dozen times since I retired some 8 years ago, so they tend to gather dust. I use an Uncle MIke soft pocket holster for both of these weapons. They meet my requirements, but they may not meet yours when upside down under a car.
I went at some length here to point out that your decision will need you to consider many factors, and that there is no easy answer to your question. I am certainly not recommending that my choices will meet your needs, but simply point out a couple that meet mine, and how I went about making my decision. I am very happy using pocket carry, and I silently and respectfully ignore cowboy experts when they belittle pocket carry and start talking about all the fancy holsters I could be using.
Any choice of a concealable defensive handgun demands that you choose one which is both concealable and defensive. All the other factors listed above boil down to these two.
Good luck on your choice,
Jim
I too prefer pocket carry because I am almost always wearing shorts and T-shirt, the only acceptable attire here on the beach where I, now firmly retired, live, and I find that a pocket is the only place I can readily carry without advertising that I am carrying. Your choice will probably include the following factors, among numerous others, some known only to you, and only you can give the answer after looking at the options which might meet your requirements:
1. It must be of a size that it will be effectively concealed in your pocket. (In my case I have found pockets to come in many different sizes, and I now purchase my shorts with that in mind).
2. Cost - unavoidable consideration for most of us. This factor applies to ammo as well as the weapon.
3. It must be secure in your pocket. As pointed out above, if you are upside down under a car you do not want it to fall out into the grease pit.
4. While it must be secure, you also need to be able to present the weapon relatively rapidly.
5. What caliber weapon have you decided you would prefer? The ins and outs of this question are beaten to death on this forum, but you might consider the experience of others as laid out here.
6. What is the minimum number of rounds loaded for immediate use that you might feel comfortable with?
7. Related to #6 is the question of whether you would be more comfortable with a revolver or a semi-automatic.
8. Do you want to just stick it in your pocket, or do you want to use a commercially available pocket holster? I certainly would recommend the latter, for several good reasons.
9. Do you want to carry ammo in addition to that in the magazine or cylinder, as the case might be?
10. Will your choice be convenient to carry almost always, until converted into bedside? If it is not convenient to carry, you are likely to not carry it, and that defeats the purpose.
As I said above, there are bound to be other factors which need to be considered, and you have probably thought about some of them perhaps without having spelled them out to yourself.
After going through this list myself, I have two pocket-carry weapons which I use, often depending on where I am going to be and what I am going to be doing. When in my automobile I often carry one, with the other concealed from observation but readily accessible.
a. A Smith & Wesson mod. 38 Airweight, .38 special. It is loaded with 5 rounds of Buffalo Bore 20E20, and I stick a Bianchi speed strip containing 6 more rounds of the Buffalo Bore into the same pocket, in an IHL Speed Strip Wallet. The Airweight is equipped with a CTC laser for low-light and darkness. I bought the Airweight for my wife, who is licensed, but she chooses not to carry; I find it very convenient to stick in my pocket, and I often carry it. My only problem with the Airweight is that it is so unnoticeable that I very easily forget that I am carrying it. Oncet upon a time I got almost all the way into the inspection line (just 2 persons in front of me) at Hobby Airport (pre-9/11 and TSA) before waking up and quickly leaving the line to hustle back to my car long enough to lock it up inside. Nearly missed my flight.
b. A Springfield XD40. My carry magazine has 9+1 Corbon .40 S&W 165 gr. JHP, and I stick another longer magazine with 11 of the same in another pocker. I find the shorter magazine conceals the weapon better when carried in the pocket. The XD40 will soon be also armed with a CTC laser for low-light and darkness.
My carry ammo is expensive stuff, but I practice - practice - practice - practice with a less expensive variety.
While I have belt-supported holsters for both these pocket carries, I have worn long pants no more than half a dozen times since I retired some 8 years ago, so they tend to gather dust. I use an Uncle MIke soft pocket holster for both of these weapons. They meet my requirements, but they may not meet yours when upside down under a car.
I went at some length here to point out that your decision will need you to consider many factors, and that there is no easy answer to your question. I am certainly not recommending that my choices will meet your needs, but simply point out a couple that meet mine, and how I went about making my decision. I am very happy using pocket carry, and I silently and respectfully ignore cowboy experts when they belittle pocket carry and start talking about all the fancy holsters I could be using.
Any choice of a concealable defensive handgun demands that you choose one which is both concealable and defensive. All the other factors listed above boil down to these two.
Good luck on your choice,
Jim
