Pocket Carry -- things to watch for

[Henry]

This thread was inspired by the "Exposed weapon!" thread. I pocket carry a KelTec P11 and carry everywhere. Has anyone ever had an experience with pocket carry that caused someone else to discover that they were carrying? My purpose in asking the question is to be aware of what I need to be careful for before Murphy strikes!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[havegunjoe]

Get a good pocket holster made for your gun and you shouldn't have any problems with your gun being discovered. MN allows open carry so this isn't much of an issue here.

[Redneck Repairs]

Make sure that in no light , from no angle your pistol prints as a right angle . Any pocket bulk can be explained away without showing except the distinctive right angle of a pistol grip . If you feel non confident in your pants drape and holster for conceal then simply fold a couple of sheets of typing paper so they cover the pistol and slip them outside into your pocket , and they may or may not show out the pocket depending on your work environment and persona none the less a couple of sheets of paper turns a definable lump into a bulge and takes little room , throw them away at the end of the day .

[rlkraatz]

I do not recommend pocket carry. I have heard of several accidental discharges while pocket carrying. One was last week. Man hung his jacket on the back of his desk chair. He was at work in a cubicle. The gun went off and shot himself through both legs. If you are going to pocket carry use a pocket holster so the trigger and hammer are protected.

[AirForceShooter]

When all is said and done you have a CCW.
You're not doing anything wrong.

AFS

[frank]

I pocket carry a Kel-Tec P32 in a Nemisis or a S&W 442 in a Mika every waking hour just about. I usually carry the P32 when wearing tighter jeans and the 442 When wearing regular pants but even with the 442 in my jeans pocket, nobody has ever said "what's in your pocket".
Not my wife, my kids when I am at their houses or they are at mine, relatives, company ,strangers nobody.

When someone worried about "printing", I responded you could probably duct tape a Glock to your forehead and nobody would notice or say anything.

Most people are just not observant.

[blueyedevil]

I think most issues you have to be carefull of with pocket carry aren't related to printing. If your pocket is tight enough to print, you probably have a much more important problem with actually being able to draw.
Having a pocket holster is very important, not only from a safety standpoint but also related to draw, if you don't have a holster that keeps your piece butt up in the same place, it's going to be mighty tough to have an effective draw.
As for the printing I think the right angle has less to do with it than the skinny projection of the slide/barrel coming out of it. A pocket holster fattens the profile of the barrel/slide so that it looks more like a square object instead of that recognizable L-shape of a pistol.

[Henry]

If you are going to pocket carry use a pocket holster so the trigger and hammer are protected.

I absolutely agree, a holster, regardless of how or where a gun is carried, is necessary!

[longtooth]

I pocket carry my Tauras 85 UL. Have several friends that have a J-frame S&W that they pocket carry. None of us have ever had an issue w/ Murphy. Those guns are much bigger than your KT.

[Dan M.]

A loose pocket opening is important for a smooth unhindered presentation, but a loose pocket opening may allow your grip to be seen by someone behind you. Deep pockets are good, but if they are too deep your holstered firearm may flop around as you walk, even if it remains upright in your pocket. Also, a pocket holster with a rounded front edge will aid in disguising the bulge as just that--a bulge, rather than a firearm. I like my Mika pocket holsters very much.

[Dany]

I would like to pocket carry in dress attire, because having your shirt tucked in 1) makes a hip/waist holster obvious 2) an IWB holster would be terribly non efficeint with your shirt tucked in.

Massad Ayoob showed a really nice pocket holster on PDTV that was pretty much a sheath of suede that gripped the pocket fabric but the gun cleared quite easy.

I may have to buy a Walther PPK/S to try it out!

[Texas Yankee]

Don't play with your gun in your pocket!! It seems to me that most of the NDs I have heard about with pocket carry comes from someone playing with the gun in their pocket, putting their finger on the trigger and then surprise, suprise, there is an explosion and a hole in your foot or leg.

I pocket carry quite often and it is a real temption to grab that gun in the pocket. Just Don't!

[Tenacious1]

A couple of thoughts about pocket carry.

1) Hammerless revolver is best for it's DA and heavy trigger pull and nothing to catch on.

2) Do not put anything (keys, change, pens, etc.) in that pocket. Sooner or later you'll want to get something out of that pocket that seems "stuck."

3) A pocket holster will save your pocket linings as well as all the stuff posted above. It sucks when your peice falls down your pant leg.

4) Careful sitting down with shallow pockets as they can fall out (unless you have a pocket holster)

5) Be extra carefull about going #2 when dropping trow. I have had a very bad experience when pocket carrying in sweat pants at a truck stop this way.

Otherwise, I strongly recommend it.

[kentuckycarry]

Someone said "when all is said and done, you have a permit, you're legal. I work inside houses everyday and have regular customers I've been doing work for for years. If some of them knew I carried, I'd venture to say I'd loose half my business. Legal or not, I DO NOT want people to know I carry.
Use a good pocket holster and make sure your pocket is deep enough to cover the grip. I pocket carry a 642 in a Mika pocket holster and I don't have any pants that cover the grip well.. At work I put a sweat rag in my pocket covering the gun so the grip doesn't show, no one even pays attention to it.
Personally, I hate pocket carry. I don't feel I have quick access to my gun. See how long it takes you to grab your gun and draw. When I try to quick draw (even with cargo pants on ), I cant get a good tight grip on the gun until it is all the way out of my pocket. I feel if I have to quick draw with adreneline pumping, I'm going to drop it. I never pocket carry unless it's my only option , and at my job, it is the only option. But even when I go to lunch I swap from pocket to IWB , it's just better all the way around.
Maybe a smaller gun than a 642 would be better for pocket carry.

[xercise2nd]

This thread was inspired by the "Exposed weapon!" thread. I pocket carry a KelTec P11 and carry everywhere. Has anyone ever had an experience with pocket carry that caused someone else to discover that they were carrying? My purpose in asking the question is to be aware of what I need to be careful for before Murphy strikes!

No, I haven't been discovered.

I have two handguns I have pocket carried, both with pocket holsters: Kimber CDP II Ultra, and Kahr PM9. I bought the PM9 specifically for those times I could not carry the Ultra IWB, but only after trying to pocket carry that .45.

Having tried to carry both at separate times in my pocket, I can simply say that I have no qualms about this mode of carry, even with "one in the pipe." That said, I now avoid the Ultra due to its size and weight which makes me always self-conscious of showing the butt when the pocket occasionally flares open. (I wear 5.11 tactical pants for almost every occasion.) So I save the Kimber for whenever I can dress with cover. The PM9 disappears into the trouser's roomy pocket, and with all the other visual noise the pants exhibit, any print from the holster and gun is lost so I don't need to consciously be aware of its presence.

I never, repeat never, carry anything else in the carry pocket. No change; no pocket knife; nada. That required some behavior modification and re-orienting. I also practice, practice, practice the draw from the pocket, both dry and on the range. Otherwise it will be of diminished value, if not an outright hazard, if and when the time comes to use it.

Just my two Abe's.