Pocket Carry Scenario

[35Rem]

Had a thought yesterday. Pocket carry seems very popular, and easy. I've got a S&W 637 on the way, a companion to my wife's 642.

I was at the grocery store, walking out, other people walking in. I got to my car and this guy was walking to the store along the back of the parked cars (normal procedure) and I thought "What is someone just walking by changes their mind and grabs you?"

What do you do, if, say, you are getting into your car, keys in the door with your strong side and someone grabs your strong arm? Your weapon is in your strong side pocket.

Is there a better place to carry where the weapon is accessable to both hands?

I know, don't let someone get that close, etc, etc...but what if...(and you can't fight them off, or your strong arm has been disabled (broken or shot))

 

[Daemon688]

That someone would be getting a knife in the chest from me pretty quickly. Only method of carry that would be easily accessible to both hands is probably ankle carry. But that wouldn't help in a situation like this. If my right arm was broken immediately in a confrontation, I would be reaching for my primary that I carry at the 12 o'clock position. It'd be weird pulling it out with my left hand but can be done.

Strong side: gun
Weak side: knife

 

[35Rem]

12 o'clock, like thunderwear?

 

[Linda]

Two guns? Strong side holstered, weak side pocket carry!

 

[1911 guy]

That's why they invented knives.

I carry a general purpose folder where I most need it, on my right side, same as my handgun. However, I also carry a small fixed blade knife on my left. It's only purpose in life is scenarios like you describe.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I carry my revolver in a weak side holster when I'm out in the woods. I've run into Cotton Mouths too many times with my strong hand already busy climbing or holding something. It's faster to draw & fire weak-handed than to completely regroup with my strong hand. Maybe I should think about that in CCW situations as well.

 

[indie]

i think thats the point where we fight until i can safely get to my weapon.

i would think it would be riskier to introduce a weapon into the struggle and mishandle, drop it or have it taken from you.

 

[mbt2001]

I always have one of these on my shoulder as backup...

 

[roo_ster]

When right-hand pocket-carry is my primary carry, I always have a quick-open folding blade in my left hand front pocket.

I may not draw & use it, depending on the circumstances, as it may be more advantageous to use some other technique.

 

[the naked prophet]

If I'm carrying my primary, I keep my BUG on the opposite side, accessible to the other hand, for just such a situation.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I'm an oddball on this one.
I'm a southpaw (lefty) and prefer to use the left side but have trained to use both hands with decent results. However I seem to always pocket carry on the right. I think it's exactly because my left hand is usually the one tied up with keys or whatever.

 

[jt1]

If you are caught off guard you might not have time to go to a pocket or holster, a small quick fixed blade will buy you some time to deploy a primary weapon. This set-up works well for me, the TDI is very fast and can be deployed with either hand. It disappears under any cover garment. Mine is modified for horizontal carry.

 

[scubie02]

you know, it's going to sound weird, but years and years ago I used to carry a nicer little pocket knife that would have scratched up easy, so I started carrying my keys in my left pocket, even though I'm right handed, so as not to scratch it up. I eventually switched to synthetic handles if it's going into the pocket or pocket clip style most of the time, but just with left keys anyway because that's what I was used to, plus it dawned on me one day that that meant my right hand was more likely to be free, or hopefully a badguy hoping to have the advantage would go for my left arm/hand in that scenario. If I'm lucky haha.

 

[karz10]

It's funny, I started CC recently, and even today, I noticed I was compelled to walk out of a restaurant w/ a to-go cup in my weak hand, semi-conciously, to keep my strong hand free (carry IWB 4:30 which is strong side), it was middle of the day, no real perceived threats, but just getting in the habit of using weak hand more for non essentials.

It's interesting, I would certainly gravitate to do these common tasks w/ the strong hand by default, without even thinking about it before. But now, I'm more aware of what I'm doing.

I also started carrying a folder clipped to right front pant/shorts pocket, maybe I'll have to think about having something on the left side...

Karz

 

[Mtnvalley]

I love the TDI knife for its intended purpose (basically, cutting someone off your gun). I took TDI's defensive knife class, which obviously featured use of their knife quite a bit, and found it to be close to a half-second faster (from the start signal to the balloon popping) on my SUPPORT side, than a folder carried strongside. YMMV, of course.

That said- I carry a Spyderco Delica Wave folder clipped inside my support side front pocket, since my state's laws covering fixed-blade concealed carry are a little ambiguous. I do practice draws/opens from the weak side without relying on the wave to do the work, just in case the wave doesn't catch due to body position or whatever.

I'm not that far up the learning curve, but I do believe that it's important for us civvys who carry to learn and practice gun retention techniques, as well as actually practice with the knives we might carry as secondary weapons. I think that if I just slap a knife in my pocket and delude myself that I'm covered for situations such as the OP described, I'm as likely as not to get that knife shoved someplace I won't like when it's taken while I'm struggling to get it deployed. Same goes for OC, kubaton, or any other options we may carry. JMHO, anyhoo.

 

[Green Lantern]

Here in NC there's nothing "ambiguous" whatsoever about our fixed-blade knife carry laws. Anything but a folder is verboten.

Still, some GOOD food-for-thought in this thread.