380, 38 snub or other for pocket carry?

CharlieFox42 said:

I occasionally pocket carry my LCP in a DeSantis pocket holster. It just lies flatter and prints way less than my 442.

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I like the De Santis but you must keep very clean lint free pockets because of the holsters design will allow lint and crud into your barrel. I switched to an uncle Mike's because of it.

keltec p32 or naa bugout1 22lr. in cold weather, wearing gloves, i would slip a triggerguard-less bond arms derringer in a jacket pocket for an afternoon walk. bigger rounds, e.g. 45lc, are also easier to manipulate with gloved hands.

a pocket sized 380acp (looking at you, ruger lcp) is grossly uncomfortable for me to shoot. a j-frame 38sp revolver is too big for my pockets.

In winter .38 special snub, usually 125gr +p jhp, but occasionally 150gr hardcast wadcutter or 158 swchp in standard pressure.

In summer .380 acp. Typically fmj these days as I just haven't been able to test enough jhp for reliability.

ThomasT said:

Which 380 do you own and carry?

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Soon to be an LCP

I haven't been able to wear a belt for several years due to health problems.

Pocket carry is fine, if you use the correct pocket, holster, and handgun.

It's convenient for me to wear overalls right now. The bib pocket is excellent for carry with the right size of holster and revolver (a Charter Arms, in this case) . I can draw quickly and easily with no fumbling. I can reach it easily standing, walking, driving, or sitting down.

When I wear cargo pants (can't really wear shorts right now), my LCR in its holster fits the cargo pocket perfectly. A perfect fit means the holster takes up the whole pocket and doesn't wiggle around. Otherwise the handgun can get turned around in your pocket, or be wiggly when you're trying to draw it. Again, I can reach it standing or sitting. In fact, my fingers touch the gun butt if I let my arms dangle.

Back pocket is fine for walking the dog. Again, you need a tight fit for the holster. My S&W 642 fits perfectly in there. I use back pocket carry only for walking.

The summers are very hot where I live, but the winters can be cold. Winter creates a new problems, with coats getting in the way and so forth. My preference for winter is an LCP in the breast pocket of a coat or padded flannel. I don't want to have to dig under my coat to draw something. Again, it is easily reached when sitting or standing.

I don't carry in the front pockets of my pants. It's slow enough to draw if you're standing. If you're sitting, it's WAY too slow (or impossible) to draw.

I was never in the military and I was never a LEO, so I don't have hundreds (or thousands) of hours of experience carrying a full-sized pistol on a belt. If that's what a person has trained with for years, it seems sensible to carry that way. Personally, when I practice that way I occasionally have problems with the cover garment getting in the way, so it's not my favorite.

I'm fine with 5-7 shots of 38 special or 380. It seems like plenty for an attempted mugging or carjacking. I prefer the revolver by a large margin because I shoot them better and I'm more confident with them, but I will settle for an LCP if I can draw it faster and more easily due to the clothing I'm wearing.

Hint: If the holster is a loose fit, turn the pants or shorts inside out and sew an extra seam down the pocket to narrow it. It takes just a few minutes.

Mr. Mosin said:

Soon to be an LCP

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I hope you get it soon given your new work hours.

I prefer to pocket holster one of my J-frames, but sometimes a short & tight front jeans pocket, or other slim pocket, makes one of my LCP's a better choice.

I prefer the heavier bullet weights of the .38SPL over the .380ACP.

I prefer the DA & DAO of the J-frames, but then I've been shooting revolvers, including diminutive revolvers, for a lot of years. The grasp of the small grip frame and consistent trigger press is something familiar, comforting and reassuring.

Bottom line, if belt carry isn't a choice for the day's clothing and activities, then pocket holster carry serves a very practical purpose ... for me.

I pocket carry mostly because it’s simple, and easy. And I can take on most of thugs down at the local UDF trying to get my second dip of Blue Moo!

When I do pocket carry, it’s a snubbie in 22lr or 38sp. But not this week, though. I’m headed back home to SEMO and the weather has me packing my P365 in an Alabama Pocket Holster for the drive. I don’t like how heavy it is in my pocket, but it’s just for gas and potty breaks for the Mals. I can live with that. Need something that is easy on/off since I’m going to be going into nursing homes and hospitals a lot.

Like others, I find weight to be the biggest limiting factor. Especially in the summer time. In fall and winter, a heavier snubbie or pistol doesn’t bother me in work pants.

WrongHanded said:

Currently a G43, so 9mm. A little big for a BUG, but I make it work. Actually I just got a Simply Rugged pocket holster for it. So far so good.

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Well I just switched it out today. This thread got me to thinking, and honestly the G43 is slowly wearing holes in my pants. So I decided to switch back to the G42 today. After all, warmer weather does tend to result in people wearing fewer layers of clothing. And the Underwood 68gr Extreme Defender .380 +P ammo I carry in it, does seem fairly impressive.

I'm sure once the weather turns cool again, the G43 will be back in my pocket.

I prefer a 38 snub for pocket carry. For me it's a S&W 442 with 135 grain Gold Dots.

I havent found a 9mm that I would call a good pocket gun. Maybe the small Kahrs or a G43. But Im hesitant to spend the money to try it.

The 380s definitely fit the bill but my experience with 380s in shootings has been pretty "meh".

Blue1 said:

The XDs is an inch wide and carries 7+1 of .45 ACP, no need to downgrade to a marginal caliber.

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I IWB carry my XDs .45 when I go to the big city. It is way too big to pocket carry for "me". I do REALLY appreciate having the extra hitting power when I am in unknown areas where I might accidentally find myself in a bad part of town not knowing any better.

I can barely get my XDS into a pocket... I would hate to have to get it out of one in a hurry.

A while back, I would have voted for the .38 if it was going to be my only gun. The Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard carries quite nicely, and I expect a Ruger LCR would carry similarly. My Undercovers also fit easily; one of them was my off-duty gun back in the day, and spent quite a bit of time in a pocket.

Now, there's the LCP-MAX...

I didn’t read all of the replies but for pocket carry I would suggest the LCR 327 using 32 Magnum. 6 rounds, low recoil, reliability.

I vote 380 because it does have some good usable advantages over any pocket revolver. They shoot easier, have better sights generally speaking, hold considerably more ammo, are much easier and faster to reload and are simply smaller and lighter. Take the LCP MAX, I've had mine for about a month and so far it's be absolutely reliable and surprisingly accurate. You get 11-13rds of 380 in the pocket with usable sights where 25yd 8" poppers are no problems, shoots really well and while it's not as soft shooting as some larger 380's, it's still easier to shoot than any small 38 revolver. I will always say a revolver is better than nothing but in this day and age there's really no good logical reason to justify one over a smaller autoloader.

It just reminds me of how subjective all of this is. I had a max and couldn't hit squat with it, while I can draw and ring steel at 25 yards with an airweight j frame.

Even with less capacity and slower reloads, I am better armed with the five shooter

I carry a S&W 340PD, in a Desantis pocket holster. Sometimes in an ankle holster too.

I have been a 38spl guy forever. I just bought an EC9s and it will be a pocket gun most days. I let it ride today in front pocket just to see how the weight and size felt and was very pleasantly suprised. My answer up until the start of this month would have been 38spl. Now it’s 9mm. The gun I got gas the same basic footprint as a j frame but thinner, with more ammo on tap, faster to reload, and lower price tag.

I have a 38Spl Model 642, but these 380s are my main go-to in the summer time.

MikeInOr said:

My usual pocket carry is my Diamondback DB9.

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I like my LCP and think it is a GREAT pocket gun but I can carry a 9mm instead of a .380 for very little weight penalty. The LCP IS a smaller pistol and as such it gets carried sometimes, usually during the summer. Both the LCP and DB9 have NEVER malfunctioned on me a single time. I was very hesitant about the reliability of the DB9 initially but it has definitely proven itself over the years.

The DB9 is the largest pistol I have been able to effectively pocket carry. I know my Kahr CM9 is a better pistol but the extra weight and bulk push it over pocket carry size for me. NO, the DB9 is not fun to shoot but it has been very controllable for me. I have no problems scoring multiple sequential kill shots at 15 yards. My hand definitely recognizes the power difference between the DB9 and LCP but it has never been a problem for me. Other people might find that the DB9 is too much in too little of a package to be a reasonable self defense weapon.

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Swap out Sig 938 for DB9 and you and I are in perfect tune.

Plus - when the 9mm gets into a short barrel - like a pocket revolver - it's much closer to a .357 mag than a .38 special and/or .380.

I voted "other" because, when I pocket carry, it's mostly my Kahr CM9, loaded with 124 gr. Gold Dot +P. This is superior to anything from a pocket .380 when it comes to terminal ballistics. My second choice would be a SW J-frame .38 special, loaded with 125 gr +P Remington Golden Sabers. Again, terminal ballistics are superior than anything from a pocket .380, but it is a little bulkier than my Kahr.

I carry my Ruger LCR only when clothing mandates it---such as shorts with small pockets or with an elastic waistband, rather than a belt.

Recently I revisited this very question as I wanted to upgrade the magazine capacity of my .380s, from 6 to 10/12. I also wanted it to be small enough to be carried in my pocket if the need to ever arose. Looked at the SIG P365 .380 but that was nearly the same size as my P365X, which was already a bit of a stretch to conceal in my front pocket. Then I saw the Ruger LCP MAX and I knew that this was the answer (at least for me) to my .380 pistol quest.

Extremely compact and just a little bit longer than a comparable LCP, it is still less than an inch wide and weighs in at 10.6 oz. Another nice thing about the LCP MAX is that almost all of the pocket and belt holsters that I already have for my other .380s easily fit the new Ruger!

AMT backup in 45ACP.

You know how I voted @WisBorn ...

I pulled this from my pocket to take a pic for this thread. The techniclip is great. It becomes an iwb or pocket gun, vest pocket....and still fits in a Desantis holster.
The extended mag makes all the difference in shoot-ability....plus an extra round.

Rounded corners, 7+1 capacity, flat profile, make for a great pocket gun or bug.

Mrs and I will be hitting the interstate highways for a quick trip to Florida. I will be carrying my lcp, and Mrs has hers too.