Questions for those of you who havd Mika pocket holsters

[ccm]

I have a S & W 642 and am considering a Mika pocket holster. Have read nothing but good things about the holsters and the guy but I need some advice from someone who owns and uses one. My questions are:
1. Do you like the square or rounded bottom, and why?
2. Do you have any trouble getting enough hand on the butt of the gun
for an efficient draw? Looking at the pictures the holster covers
100% of the gun metal and there is no trigger guard showing. Looks
like it might be a little better if the holster was cut just a
little lower near the trigger guard. Keep in mind that I have never
owned a pocket gun or pocket holster so I am certainly not telling
Mika how he should be building his holsters. I just want to
be sure I can get enough hand on the piece for a good draw.
3. Last question, with the gun in the holster what are the dimensions?
I am going to need to add some length to my pants pockets so I
need to know how how long the (measured from butt of gun
to bottom of the holster)the gun and holster are. Need to know how
much pocket length to add. And I need to be sure the width will
fit my pockets as well.

Thanks in advance for taking time to reply.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[zacii]

1. I have the rounded bottom. It suits me just fine. Mileage may vary according to pocket types

2. Holster presentation is very effective with this holster. It's designed so that you can get a complete combat grip on your weapon, and index the slide/cylinder at the same time

3. The length added by the holster is negligible. It does make your gun seem a bit wider, because it has a rather large opening to facilitate the presentation as noted in #2.

Robert Mika designed the holster to be deployed from; that was his primary goal. Give him a call, he'll explain all about it

[rustynail]

1. I have the round butt I use it with levi jeans and 340m&p,same size as your 642 the butt sticks out of the pocket alittle but a untucked tshirt covers it.
2. Its not as good to draw from as a holster. With the but out a some its not bad, I would buy it agian.
3. See #1

[dhshark]

I have the round holster and I chose it because a majority of my pants pockets are round. I don't have trouble getting a good grip on the gun and it depends on the type of pants that you wear. I find some pants pockets deeper than others but I have never had any trouble carrying my S&W J frame in my pocket. When I first got my holster I thought that the holster looked thick too and was worried about it. After a few weeks of carrying it I found that the holster "molded" to my gun and seemed to flatten down a bit.

I always have my J frame with me on and off duty in my pocket. Prior to ordering the holster I too was concerned about the length, thickness and whether I'd be able to carry my J frame while using the holster. Now that I have it I can't believe that I waited so long. Give it a go. The worst that can happen is you won't like it and I'm really sure you'd be able to sell it really quick.

[Goldstar225]

I have the round cut. It works just fine in my Levi's and Wrangler jeans as well as dockers. With the Dockers a person could seel the butt if they were standing next to me looking down into my pocket.

The speed of draw won't be fast if you start with the hand outside of the pocket. My concept of use is that if I find myself in a situation where I'm apprehensive, the hand is on the gun, strolling along. There is no faster draw and no one is alerted.

The bulk added to the gun is insignificant, maybe 1/4" to length and about the same to the width. The outline of the gun is smoothed over.

[BadgerMan]

1. I have one round bottom and one square bottom for my 442 so my bases are covered. They both work well in th pocket types they were designed for but if you had only one I would go with the rounded bottom as I think it would work alright for both but the square bottom probably won't fit in rounded pockets. At that price I would just buy both like I did if you plan on carrying in both types of pockets.

2. I can get a good grip on my 442, obviously it will never be as fast a belt holster but it stacks up well to other pocket holsters. The inside of the holster doesn't hold on to the firearm tigther than the outside of the holster sticks to your pocket so when you do draw the holster stays in and the pistol comes out easily.

3. It doesn't really add any length , but it is kind of a wide holster at the mouth. What I did with mine to sllim it up a bit is I put the holsters with my 442 inside of it between my mattress and box spring to flatten it out a bit.

Overall I'm happy with my Mikas and I would buy them again, hopefully that helps.

[Ivan]

1.I have the round bottom.
2. No issues drawing. The opening is plenty wide to get a good grip on the gun.
3. As others have said the increase in length is minor. I have no issues with it fitting the majority of my pants pockets.
These are quality holsters at a very reasonable price. Definitely superior to a Nemesis or Uncle Mike's. It is unlikely you would be disappointed with a Mika holster.

[The Thin Man]

Most of the pockets in the pants (dockers-type slacks) I wear favor the round cut. Other pocket types favor the square cut. The idea is for the bottom outline of the holster (either square or round) to match the bottom curve of the pocket so that the holster does not shift inside the pocket. In cargo pants, or in square pocket safari or army jackets, use the square cut. For rear pocket carry, use the square cut. It might be good to get both if you try one and like it.

The MIKA is vastly superior to DeStantis and other fabric holsters and relies on a very loose fit. The loose fit favors a fast draw. If you pick up the holster and turn it upside down, the gun will fall out. The tight fit desired on a belt holster is not required in a pocket holster.

Pocket holsters, such as "boned" leather, with a tight fit require a "hook" device integrated into the design to allow the holster to snag on the pocket during the draw and to free the firearm. They can be disconcerting until you get used to them. I have a few leather pocket holsters, but I still prefer the MIKA overall. A close second to the MIKA might be the High Noon. Among the leather tight-fits, I prefer the DM Bullard. Some leather pocket holsters (like the RKBA) come in round and square cut.

What I like about the MIKA is that its rounded (non-stitched) front edge (the edge along the barrel), prints less when sitting down and, in the pocket, does a better job of disguising the shape of the firearm, either small revolver or small auto. It looks like a fat, worn leather wallet when printing in the front pocket of slacks. A tight-fitting leather holster resembles a small pocket book when printing.

The MIKA round cut holster measures about 4" wide and about 5" high at the max (near the top of the backstrap). With a 442 inside the entire package is 4 1/2" wide max and 7" long max and about 1 1/2" thick measured at the cylinder.