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Looking for some experienced insight. I am looking into a pocket carry setup. My primary carry is a glock 19 worn in a raven concealment phantom holster worn owb. Sometimes due to work I have to tuck in my shirt or just don't feel like the cover garment due to the heat. I have a Bersa Thunder .380 which is a great gun, but think it may be too big for pocket carry.

Guess my two questions are:
1. Anyone ever pocket carry a Bersa Thunder .380?
2. Can anyone recommend a setup they have, preferably in 9mm? I want a reliable pistol but don't want to spend a ton on a BUG. Would like to stay under $400.

I just sold my LC9 that I thought would be the best solution for pocket carry but turned out to be a bit bigger and heavier than I liked for what I wanted it to be for. sold it for three hundred bucks...you could try one of those as it is a 9mm...I ended up getting a Body Guard .380 and it fits in my pocket better than my phone and keys so I really like the swap...paid $375 for the body guard...While shopping for the body guard I came across a Glock 19 in FDE that I really liked and picked that up too...waiting on a holster for that!

I pocket carry an XDs9MM in a DeSantis pocket holster with shorts and t-shirts all the time. Prior to getting the XDs, I carried a Kahr CM9 in the same style holster. I would never pocket carry without a good holster that covers the trigger completely. The Remora and the DeSantis models are slightly tacky on the outside so that they stay in the pocket when the gun is drawn.

glock27 wrote:J frame 38 special I believe are around $400.

This is actually one of the best options for pocket carry. The grip configuration allows the gun to come out of the pocket without snagging much more easily than any semiauto with a caliber above .380.

The Bodyguard and similar small .380's work fine in pocket carry as well, but don't produce the same terminal ballistics.

I have a Taurus TCP .380 for back pocket carry (Talon wallet holster) and a Taurus 709 Slim I sometimes front pocket carry in a Remora. The TCP was around $200 and the 709 was around $300. Both have shot everything I tried without a problem except for a few reloads.

Excaliber wrote:

glock27 wrote:J frame 38 special I believe are around $400.

This is actually one of the best options for pocket carry. The grip configuration allows the gun to come out of the pocket without snagging much more easily than any semiauto with a caliber above .380.

The Bodyguard and similar small .380's work fine in pocket carry as well, but don't produce the same terminal ballistics.

This is my preferred method as well...

J-Frame in .357/.38 Special.

Kahr PM9/CM9

You should be able to find a CM9 new in the box for under $400.

glock27 wrote:J frame 38 special I believe are around $400.

This is what I do, too.

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Kahr PM9/CM9

You should be able to find a CM9 new in the box for under $400.

For the win. CM9 is the "pocket 9" king.

For a while I pocket carried my .32NAA Guardian, but got tired of cleaning lint out of it and found that even a little bit of oil could stain right through the outside of my pants, so I got a "knife clip" for the grip. That was a little better, but with the weight of the gun dragging the pocket down and the butt showing ever so slightly, I gave up on that too. Now I carry it in a padded thingie that looks like a PDA holder.

The key to pocket carry is to get pants or shorts with big pockets. I pocket carry a Kel tec P11 to church most Sundays with no problems. I have also pocket carried a Glock 26, a M&P 9c and a couple of different 3 inch 1911s. The problem with each of those guns is that they get kind of heavy in the pocket and you need a really big pocket.

The second key to pocket carry is to get a good pocket holster that covers the trigger. I have made my own, used Galco, Nemesis.

Pocket carry for me is the XDs .45 with the DeSantis SuperFly. There are some other similar sticky pocket holsters out there and would recommend any of those for pocket carry. The DeSantis is great.

For me it is a Ruger SP-101, .357 mag. Most would probably find it a tad large and heavy, but it suits me fine for my needs.

SpringerFan wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:
Kahr PM9/CM9

You should be able to find a CM9 new in the box for under $400.

For the win. CM9 is the "pocket 9" king.

I can also vouch for this (Kahr PM9). Get a pocket holster. Choose a sticky variety like the Desantis Nemesis or Superfly, or a kydex one with the thumb release and pant hook like the Alabama, Fist K5, PJholster, Grandfather Oak etc.