pocket pistols

[mikeloc]

I carry a Glock 42 with a Remora holster in my front pocket.

Mike

[The Annoyed Man]

I always have wondered why some people tend not to carry when at home then ask about a gun for a quick run to the store. From my perspective the most valuable things in my life is who I live with and would want to protect them as much as possible, especially when at home. Not carrying at home the same way one would when going out to a "less secure" place seems very concerning to me. My handgun is on me from the time I step out of the shower until I get in bed at night, no exceptions. It does not matter what I am doing, cutting the lawn, crawling under the Jeep etc. I do not ever want to scramble to get a firearm and the only scramble would be to grab a shotgun if needed while the pistol is still in my hand as the first line of defense. The most important item is the holster even more so than the actual handgun. If it is not comfortable as a package under all situations one may be involved in during daily activities then they will not carry often. This basically equates to deciding when they would need a gun for protection and when they would not.

Salty, I'm going to disagree with you, but hear me out and here's why......

I look at it this way.....maybe I'm wrong, but I think it is just a matter of perspective. I am not "disarmed" at home. I have guns....loaded guns....all over the house. I am never more than a few feet away from a gun. I can always get to one of my guns faster than someone can get into my house. Trust me.... I've done the math. I don't answer the door to strangers (I can see who's outside before I open the door) without a gun either in my hand, or on my person.......not even during the daytime. If I am out working in the yard, I have that snubbie in my pocket.....so it's not just a grab-and-go gun. Inside my home are also found an AR15 and a tactical shotgun, and both are ready to rock. I have always believed in the dictum that a handgun is useful for fighting your way back to the long gun that you should have never put down. When I'm out and about in the world, either of my two Springfields is on my hip. So, to recap:

1. NOBODY can get into my home faster than I can grab a nearby gun and start shooting.
2. When I am outside the house in the yard, a snubbie goes with me in my pocket.
3. A pistol is useful for fighting my way to one of my long guns which is a superior weapon.
4. Since it is impractical to carry a long gun with me wherever I go, a higher capacity pistol serves as my daily carry for when I am out and about.
5. A "grab-and-go" pistol is just for quick trips to the Tom Thumb on the corner when I'm coming right home afterwards.
6. And lastly...... my wife is armed too and knows how to use it....so it's not like she is helpless. And, we are empty-nesters, so unless we are watching our baby granddaughter, there isn't anyone else at home to protect. We are good to go.

There is a very good reason why I don't carry inside the house if I don't have to: Pain. I live in it, every day. It's my back, which is in chronically bad shape and deteriorating. It often hurts to wear a holster, and I have tried a number of configurations, including all manner of IWB, OWB, shoulder, pocket holsters, as well as "man-purses" and EDC bags. Anything that either applies pressure against my pelvis or that loads weight onto my spine causes eventual pain. I prefer belt carry to pocket carry because I like to have my pockets available for other purposes, and OWB is less painful for me than IWB, but since carrying a gun in a holster all day adds considerably to my burden of pain by the end of the day, I don't strap a holster on until I have to to leave the house. Since I work at home, I spend a lot of time just wearing gym shorts and a t-shirt (no belts...belts cause pain), and it just isn't practical to carry a gun on my person that way. The snubbie in my pocket keeps pulling my shorts down. Believe me....I've tried it. So the alternative is to make sure that I can quickly reach a gun from wherever I am in the house. That snubbie happens to be sitting on a counter about 7 feet away from me as I am typing this. It would be literally impossible for someone to kick down my front door and get to me before I could dump all 5 rounds into him.

You make it sound like I don't care or I haven't thought it through, when nothing could be further from the truth. I wish I didn't have these limitations, but they are a fact of life. But beyond just me, I'll bet that I am not the only one on this board who has thought these things through, considered the risks, and concluded that they don't have to have a gun on their person inside their house in order to be adequately armed inside their house. For a mother at home with a toddler, keeping a gun up on the fireplace mantle where the child can't reach it may be the better alternative than having it on her person where maybe the child can reach it....even accidentally.

There are a few "black or white" calculations in this world, but only a few. For the vast majority of these kinds of problems, "one size fits all" is a worse answer than the individually considered and implemented solution. BEING armed inside the home IS a "black or white" decision. HOW one goes about arming themselves inside of their home is not a black/white decision with a one-size-fits-all answer. For me, being armed is obvious. Yes. But how to implement that in a way that I can live with it might not fit your requirements, but it makes it possible for me to be armed in some manner. And at the end of the day, isn't that the common goal?

[Cummins24]

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I agree. Not that I don't wana carry at home but even after trying many different holsters they all bother at the hip when I'm carrying. when at home a gun usually is within a few feet away but I'm not holstering a gun when I'm outside working on my truck underneath it etc but I do keep one close. My idea is lets say I need to run to the auto parts store I can just go inside grab a gun n stick it in my pocket rather than put on a holster to carry my xd9sc.

[carlson1]

J - Frame all the way.

[couzin]

While some disparage it - the Kel-Tec P3AT is a great little pocket pistol (or great little OWB holsters like DeSantis Quick Snap). Do a little fluff and buff, run your chosen ammunition (or just stick with ball) and it is ready to go. Extra mag in another pocket is a plus up. Added benefits are you can leave in your vehicle if needed and theft is only about $250 or less, and if you work where you frequently get soaked (rain, sweat, humidity) and some small parts get rusty, meehhh!

[Salty1]

TAM, I expect disagreements with posts, that's why there is a forum. If everybody agreed it would be a pretty boring place. I understand that some people have different concerns and conditions that they need to consider and adjust accordingly. I speak to a lot of people who disarm as soon as they arrived home and we have bantered about the reasoning behind it. It seems that for the most part it was comfort related which is why I stated what I did in my first post on this topic. Many have made adjustments and now carry all times in the house, ultimately it is up to the individual to decide, I just point out the obvious which many have not really thought about.

The holsters that I use for my 2 primary carry guns (Ruger LCR 357 & Sig P938) became invisible to me after a short period of time and I tend to stay rather active doing various projects. I guess some consider these pocket guns as well, both are carried IWB at 1:00. A friend regularly claims that I carry where the girls do. This allows me to not have to stay in condition yellow when at home. Should something happen I do not have to walk any steps to have the tool that may be required to defuse a situation.

To each their own.............

[gringo pistolero]

I think first you have to define pocket pistol. I think the gun must fit in the front pocket and you have to have room to have you hand and you gun inside that pocket at the same time. If you carry in a cargo pocket that doesn't equal pocket gun.

It seems like a lot of people carry in cargo pants or shorts even if it's not your idea of pocket carry.

[rdcrags]

Don't think anyone has mentioned the holster. I pocket an S&W 442 (12 oz empty, but of course I don't carry it empty). Recently changed from an Uncle Mike pocket holster to a Desantis. Nice!! This is a small light weight application that is hard to beat, IMO.

[EEllis]

I think first you have to define pocket pistol. I think the gun must fit in the front pocket and you have to have room to have you hand and you gun inside that pocket at the same time. If you carry in a cargo pocket that doesn't equal pocket gun.

It seems like a lot of people carry in cargo pants or shorts even if it's not your idea of pocket carry.

I'm not running down the idea. It's a great way to carry. I just don't consider a pistol I cant fit in a reg pocket a pocket pistol.

[Seabear]

For really small, I like my Kel-Tec PF9 I can also pocket my M&P 9c it's just a little bulkier. I used to carry a snubby but started feeling like 5 shots might be less than optimal. I still love them though.

[Excaliber]

A hammerless snubbie revolver has a grip shape that allows it to come out of a pocket more quickly and reliably than a semiauto because the semiauto's square grip corners can snag and drag on the pocket. This is a consideration, particularly under stress.

[gthaustex]

S&W 442 in a Nemesis hoster works great for me.

[dryfly]

I haven't seen anyone suggest Beretta Nano 9mm yet. I don't personally own one, but it's on my short list for the same reasons as the OP.

[SpringerFan]

LCP, P3AT, CM9.

[Wtxchooter]

RugerLCP gets 5 gold stars. I have a Glock 27, an XDS, Sig 938, and a full size 1911, but my LCP in a superfly holster sees way more carry time from simple ease of carry. Throw it in your pocket and forget it. No matter what your dress, it conceals.