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Thread: Pocket Carry Advice

  1. #1
    Member feudist's Avatar
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    Pocket Carry Advice

    Those who regularly carry an auto in your pocket, how do you deal with the squared off back of the slide whilst drawing?

    Is there a particular holster or drawing technique to offset the snaggy profile?

    I'm aware of the LCP's fastback advantage, but I've had unacceptable reliability from both a LCP and a LCP2 in .380, as well as epidemic light strikes in a LCP2 .22.

    Contemplating a P365 in .380 as a possibility.

    I've always defaulted to my 442 for a pocket pistol, but advancing decrepitude makes practicing with it, even loaded with wadcutters, simply too painful, even with oversized rubber grips.

    I've watched the P&S eps on snubbies, mouseguns(miceguns?) and the one on the double deuce LCR with DB and Rhett. I found that last one quite compelling.

  2. #2
    I pocket carry pair of G26's with Kramer Pocket holsters.

    I would suggest standard CCW advice regardless of carry technique of getting couple different quality holsters and practice with EMPTY guns.

    Different holsters will have different nuances to what you need to do to snag holster in pocket, unless you go to length of using velcro or some such to secure holster to pocket, and you should also practice what to do if holster gets drawn with the pistol.

    I'm sure DB, Chuck, and Mas among others have better techniques for this than me.

    But what I do with the G26's, first like with IWB I find larger than otherwise pants helps in general with pocket carry of things bigger than P32/LCP (which I gave up on because couldn't shoot guns that small well except very slowly) and I use thumb on back of slide (bit different than what Mas has written about for J frames with hammer spur) plus angling draw so that the top rear of slide is moved towards open part of pocket vs edge of pocket. I don't try to do a proper belt holster draw from pocket, because like DB says about shooting revolvers different than pistols for grip, I have found smooth pocket draw at least with bigger pistols requires some specific differences.

    Basically I'm rocking floorplate of magwell towards center of pocket first, then rolling it back so slide is towards center of pocket while scraping the hook on the holster on the inside of the pocket.

    I used to pocket carry P32 before I gave up on that tiny grip not working for me under any pressure at all and switched to S&W 637 (Airweight with exposed spur hammer).

    Personally that J frame gave me more headaches with drawing from pocket than the G26's do, though I use thumb as wedge/snowplow on it like Mas has written about years ago.

    I eventually switched to G26 in stronghand pocket, always carried the J frame in weak hand pocket even when it was only gun.

    Eventually though I switched to pair of G26's because they are so much easier to shoot well than J frame.

    Also note because of injures and health issues concealed belt holsters don't work for me, I end up crippled for more than a day from back spasms if I use behind the hip. And Appendix doesn't work ether.

    Pocket works for me, so I lived with the limitations of it. Pocket carry with G26's is sometimes a PITA and on occasion I have to drop down to j frame but the difference in shootability makes it worth the headache for me YMMV.

    If your using a relatively small gun vs size of pocket you can use draw stroke more similar to belt holster draw.

    Also some holsters, like the Mika Pocket holster can provide pretty fast draw with smaller pocket guns. But it doesn't retain pistols well enough for me, I like a lot of things about the Mika, but I learned when I had crawl under my car to get it started that it would dump pistol out of pocket on me.

    If your not worried about laying or rolling on the ground in a fight or otherwise then it isn't a concern.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by feudist View Post
    Those who regularly carry an auto in your pocket, how do you deal with the squared off back of the slide whilst drawing?

    Is there a particular holster or drawing technique to offset the snaggy profile?

    I'm aware of the LCP's fastback advantage, but I've had unacceptable reliability from both a LCP and a LCP2 in .380, as well as epidemic light strikes in a LCP2 .22.

    Contemplating a P365 in .380 as a possibility.

    I've always defaulted to my 442 for a pocket pistol, but advancing decrepitude makes practicing with it, even loaded with wadcutters, simply too painful, even with oversized rubber grips.

    I've watched the P&S eps on snubbies, mouseguns(miceguns?) and the one on the double deuce LCR with DB and Rhett. I found that last one quite compelling.
    Do you reload? My practice load for most airweight shooting is about 2.5-2.7 gr BE under a 105gr moly coated lead bullet. It’s about as much recoil as a .32 Long, barely more than a .22 WMR.

    Do you have a steel center fire trainer for the 442, or a sub-caliber trainer? Either of those could keep you going. Shoot them a lot, shoot the 442 once in a while.

    I have a P32. I only carry it when absolutely nothing else will do. I have big hands, so it is a cramped little compromise gun. Better than any pocket .25 or .22 I’ve tried, better round, more reliable.

    I have 2xG42s. SWMBO shoots and carries one. I can shoot one even on my worst wrist days, but I rarely pocket carry one due to the slide hang up on the draw. Nothing beats the 640/642/442 (or a bobbed hammer 60/637) for a smooth pocket draw, and that is really what I need from a pocket gun, so I have accepted that they are where I’m going to live for most pocket carry.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by feudist View Post
    I've always defaulted to my 442 for a pocket pistol, but advancing decrepitude makes practicing with it, even loaded with wadcutters, simply too painful, even with oversized rubber grips.

    I've watched the P&S eps on snubbies, mouseguns(miceguns?) and the one on the double deuce LCR with DB and Rhett. I found that last one quite compelling.
    Just so you know your not alone with pain issues from age/disease.

    My normal practice ammo for 38/357 revolvers is 130FMJ which I think is on par anemic wise with Wadcutters and I can shoot that in my 637 but 2 cylinders full last time I shot it left me with severe hand pain for 3+ days.

    If I wasn't so budget constrained at the moment I'd get a S&W 640, Kimber K6s and maybe a 2" K frame to try and see how that went.

    On the positive side 38's in my 4" S&W 28 are fine, even 38+p though I gave up on magnums in it.

  5. #5
    Member EMC's Avatar
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    "advancing decrepitude". That's an awesome phrase that I'm stealing. [emoji1][emoji106]

  6. #6
    Member feudist's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Duelist View Post
    Do you reload? My practice load for most airweight shooting is about 2.5-2.7 gr BE under a 105gr moly coated lead bullet. It’s about as much recoil as a .32 Long, barely more than a .22 WMR.

    Do you have a steel center fire trainer for the 442, or a sub-caliber trainer? Either of those could keep you going. Shoot them a lot, shoot the 442 once in a while.

    I have a P32. I only carry it when absolutely nothing else will do. I have big hands, so it is a cramped little compromise gun. Better than any pocket .25 or .22 I’ve tried, better round, more reliable.

    I have 2xG42s. SWMBO shoots and carries one. I can shoot one even on my worst wrist days, but I rarely pocket carry one due to the slide hang up on the draw. Nothing beats the 640/642/442 (or a bobbed hammer 60/637) for a smooth pocket draw, and that is really what I need from a pocket gun, so I have accepted that they are where I’m going to live for most pocket carry.
    I do have a 640 and it's too much. I don't reload. I didn't realize you could load them that lightly.

  7. #7
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    I have pocket carried either a Glock 26 or Sig P365 for years, and have only rarely experienced the issue of the slide catching the pocket. When I hook the back end of the pocket holster on the lower portion of the pocket lip to separate the gun from the holster, it brings the gun back far enough so that the back of the slide does not snag. The answer is practice and awareness of where the obstacles lie.

    Most of my pocket carry is in relaxed fit, pleated dress slacks with vertical pocket openings. The roominess not only helps concealment, but likely also helps my draw.

    I am currently using a Pocket Concealment Systems Tomahawk holster.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by feudist View Post
    I do have a 640 and it's too much. I don't reload. I didn't realize you could load them that lightly.
    Just has to be moving fast enough to get it out of the barrel. I’ve shot those out of 2, 4, and 6” barrels with no trouble.

    You can even load a .38 Special case with a Hornady round lead ball for a .36 Navy, which only weighs about 80 grains. Load it to the speed and recoil you need.

    I had one of those light 105 gr mouse fart loads bounce back off a 50 gallon plastic drum. Didn’t even hurt when it hit, it was going so slow by then, but this is not recommended.

  9. #9
    I have read of, and watched YouTube videos, where the .380 365, unlike the 365 in 9mm, experienced reliability issues.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by feudist View Post
    I do have a 640 and it's too much. I don't reload. I didn't realize you could load them that lightly.
    https://www.hornady.com/ammunition/h...efense-lite#!/

    Hornady makes a “Lite” loaded 38 special round with their FTX bullet.

    https://www.sgogunsandammo.com/product-p/90300.htm

    It’s milder than the 158 Federal wadcutters.

    I use it in my Taurus View.

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