Carrying Ruger SP101

Status
Not open for further replies.

Trent

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2010
Messages
25,151
Location
Illinois
I've heard people mention "pocket holster" before on here.

I've been shoving my SP101 in my inside coat pocket. But I'm worried I'm going to snag the trigger on something and blow my nipple off, or worse. :)

Having no experience with such things, how does a "pocket holster" work, does it make carrying in a pocket safer and/or faster, and what would be a good reputable brand for one?

Thanks in advance.
 
Good questions.

Pocket holsters cover the trigger to increase carry safety. They keep the handgun positioned muzzle-down in the pocket, and they help keep the gun cleaner -- out of pocket lint and junk.

Pocket holsters are a must for safe carry, and for a safe and efficient draw. They don't have to be expensive: I use the Uncle Mike's pocket holster for carry of a P-32. The Nemesis is another inexpensive holster that I suspect a lot of people around here use.

You may need a heavier pocket holster of leather and/or kydex, as the SP101 is beefier than many other pocket choices. I'm sure we'll see some good suggestions from other members.

If you're handy with leather, a pocket holster is one of the best holsters to start holstermaking with. It doesn't have to look pretty, and it doesn't need belt attachments.

All my best,
Dirty Bob
 
Simply rugged offers a nice leather one for the SP101, even the 3" version. I have one for my 3" and it works very well, provided the pocket is large enough. They are only $25 + shipping last time I checked. Dirty Bob covred all the reasons why.
www.simplyrugged.com
 
I'm using a Sticky holster as a combination pocket holster and IWB holster. Remora is a similar deal.

Both the Remora and the Sticky holsters are made of a textured, rubber-like material that's supposed to help it stay in place. I wouldn't say my holster is exactly "Sticky," but it does work well IWB. Just need to watch it in pocket.

Most pocket holsters have a bit of material on the bottom that's intended to hook onto the pocket during the draw to make sure the holster doesn't come out with the gun. The Sticky's version of this is more streamlined, and not that useful. You'll need to practice catching that on the edge of the pocket while drawing. Or in the case of my Sticky, I can use my middle finger to push it loose before drawing.
 
Now that made me giggle a bit.

I've grown attached to my nipples over the years, I can't bear the thought of losing one. :)

Despite the stiffness of the DA trigger pull on this SP101, I grimace every time I put it in my pocket. Being in IL I have to keep it unloaded in the center console. I drop a speedloader in it when I get to work, and toss it in my jacket (allowed to carry indoors at my office). Then the reverse on the trip home.

Every day though, it worries me that I'm gonna shove that iron in my inside coat pocket and have it go "BANG". With the muzzle pointed down it'd blow right through my left leg if it ever did, since I'm sitting in the car when I'm pocketing it. Would be a rather crappy way to start the day, ya know...

However, if I could load it, shove it in a holster, then pocket the holstered weapon, that seems like a much "safer" task, and less prone to early morning fudgery.
 
Wow, I love my SP101s, but could not imagine pocket carrying a 30 oz gun. I much prefer a pancake holster but agree there are times that clothing doesn't allow.

Also, is your hammer bobbed, to me, the hammer catching on my clothing during a draw would be a concern with a SP101.
 
Desantis Nemesis is a good one. Your concern is valid and you should definately look into a pocket holster. Galco makes some good leather ones. There are a lot of options.
 
Desantis Nemesis is a good one.
I like the Nemesis and the similar Super Fly from the same manufacturer. I think, though, that with a heavier gun like the SP101 I might prefer to go with a good quality leather pocket holster. With a leather pocket holster, I like those with the "thumb push" feature (a protrusion above the hammer area that allows you to push the holster off the gun with your thumb as you draw. I know both the Galco Ambidextrous Front Pocket Holster and the El Paso Pocket Max have this feature.

Galco
99292736-260x260-0-0_Galco+Galco+Ambidextrous+Front+Pocket+Holster+For+.jpg


El Paso
EPPMJ2lg.jpg
 
think, though, that with a heavier gun like the SP101 I might prefer to go with a good quality leather pocket holster.

Yeah, I agree. The nemesis is probably better with a lighter gun given it's construction.
 
How can a revolver with a 12 pound DA trigger pull go off accidentally in a pocket, especially considering it has a hammer transfer bar?
 
I read somewhere (sorry forgot where) that some SP101 holster(s) may work with a Springfield XD-S. Any idea who would make that?
 
I was wondering the same thing...if nothing else is in the pocket you shouldnt have a problem.

I pocket carry my lcp but wouldnt dream of doing it with my sp101s. I carry my 4 inch model in a full size bianchi 1911 iwb holster and it fits perfectly with no snagging on the front fiber optic sight.
 
How can a revolver with a 12 pound DA trigger pull go off accidentally in a pocket, especially considering it has a hammer transfer bar?

I was worried about the pocket flap folding over and catching the trigger when it's inserted. Read too many stories of people negligently discharging in parking lots over the last year or so, has me concerned.

My brain is TELLING me "dude, it has a super-heavy trigger". But my brain is also telling me "something could snag that trigger."

If the gun is in a holster, and inserted in to the pocket together, then nothing can grab that trigger, period. The chances of an accident goes down from a remote possibility to zero possibility.

It IS a relatively heavy gun, but this is a heavy winter coat so I don't really even feel it once it's in.

Spring/summer/fall carry will be IWB, under a shirt. But I'm uncomfortable holstering a sidearm in a sitting position in a car, in an IWB holster, for the reasons mentioned above (except it's not my nipple in the line of fire, but my kojones). So I tend to carry the gun inside, in a bag, and make a trip to the restroom first off, to assemble myself there.

It would be worlds easier if we had concealed carry, as I wouldn't have to fiddle-fart around with loading / unloading weapons every time I transition from a vehicle to my office or back again.
 
Well, I've looked at photos on the various suggestions, and since I've still got Betsy rolled up under the couch, I think I might give a shot at making my own. (Betsy = a full cowhide I bought a couple years ago for tinkering with leathercraft.)

Will post pics when the project is underway. :)
 
I use a Mika pocket holster for carrying my J-Frame 642. While he doesn't seem to show a pocket holster for an SP101, I think that he would be willing to make one. Others, and I have found him to be a very honest and accomodating businessman, and I think that he has made some custom for others.
 
Revolver holsters go by barrel length more than the model of the gun. If a pocket holster fits one revolver with a 2.5" barrel it will fit virtually all revolvers with a 2.5" barrel. There are always exceptions. But there are few small revolvers with an octagon barrel or 8 shot cylinder that would make the gun over sized. Sure they are out there but they are few and far in between. Such guns would require a custom made holster and they defeat the purpose of owning a gun with a short barrel, so they are rare.

I use the same Blackhawk pocket holster for my Kel Tec P-3AT, Charter 357 mag and my Kel Tec P-11. It covers the trigger and keeps the lint out of all three guns. Brand does not matter. If the holster fits the gun and is made of durable materials it works. No matter if you bought the holster at Walmart or custom made holster from El Paso saddlery. In the end the Walmart holster might last longer than the custom holster. Enough saddle oil to keep a leather holster pristine for 20 years is unacceptable for pocket use.
 
Last edited:
How can a revolver with a 12 pound DA trigger pull go off accidentally in a pocket, especially considering it has a hammer transfer bar?
It’s probably less likely than an AD with a 3-5# trigger on a pocket semiauto, but I figure why take a chance? In any case, covering the trigger is IMO only one thing I want a pocket holster for. They generally hold the gun in the proper orientation for quick presentation, break up the "silhouette" of the gun, and help keep pocket lint and other dirt out of the gun.
 
Last edited:
A pocket holster should fill the pocket, holding the gun properly oriented for a draw stroke, and cover the trigger. The more securely the holster fills the pocket, the better.
 
The ruger sp101 is like carrying a brick in your pocket! Plus you need to wear suspenders to keep your pants from falling down.
 
Ed,

Actually, I don't even feel it when it's in my coat.

The Carhart I wear has inside chest pockets, they're sturdy coats and the weight is distributed well. If I were wearing a lighter jacket, I grab the 38 snubbie.

The 3" SP101 is about an inch shorter, overall, than most of my other hand guns. With the exception of the cylinder, it's MUCH thinner than any of them, which means it prints much less. I also don't feel "underpowered" with it. In fact, after shooting that SP101 and finding out how accurate the thing is, I feel a heck of a lot better knowing I've got 5 357's in the chambers, instead of umpteen 9mm's. I'm totally comfortable making 25 or 50 yard aimed shots with that SP101, and could step it up to 100 yards if I'm braced. :)

All of my semi-autos are full sized and print horribly. Depending on what I'm wearing I can get away with the Tarurus PT92 in an IWB holster, but for reasons mentioned above I'm uncomfortable loading / holstering that while sitting in a vehicle.

I *do* have one small 45, a Taurus PT145, great little 10 round pocket job, but the accuracy isn't all that great. And, although it's short, that PT145 is a squat deal, having a double stack 10 round magazine, so it doesn't conceal on a person any better than a normal full sized semi-auto. But, due to it's length and width dimensions, it fits places other guns just don't fit (small drawers). It's one of the go-to-guns in my house; it sits hidden in my reloading bench in the basement. Would hate to have a bad guy kick in the door only to find myself surrounded by half-made ammo and no firearm handy!

Anyway, for 18 years as a firearm owner, I was a "semi auto guy", it wasn't until I bought this SP101 last month that I really started paying any attention whatsoever to revolvers.

It took exactly one trip to the shooting range to change my mind completely and totally.
 
I have a S&W 642 that I pocket carry all the time in a Robert Mika pocket holster. I also own a SP-101, I tried pocket carrying it once and it felt like a ton of bricks compared to the 642.
 
At work or not I'm surprised you can carry concealed in Illinois. I assume you have thoroughly looked in to this?

Yup fixed place of business or private abode is allowed, it's an exemption to UUW laws. (I own the company.)

I also allow my employees to carry at work, if they choose to do so.

EDIT: Also, this has withstood my State's Attorney and local PD's scrutiny. I pulled a firearm on an angry guy who was trying to jump our counter, once. He went down later and filed a report - should have heard the desk sergeant that called me. "I've got this man, down here, he says he was going to jump the counter and attack one of your technicians, and you pulled a gun on him." I laughed, said "yup, that sounds about right."

After the call, I got a visit from the supervisor on duty, he wrote a report, and cleared me of the complaint. Didn't POINT the weapon at the man, just brandished it, which was enough to send him on his merry way.

If I had POINTED the weapon at him, I would have been charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and would have had to go to trial to justify my actions before a judge/jury.

But since I'd only brandished (muzzle never swept a human), I was in the clear. No charges could be filed against me.

I explained to the detective that arrived my philosophy. "If I'd pointed the weapon at him, I would have fired my weapon, and we'd be having an entirely different conversation right now. I don't point a gun at anything I don't intend on shooting."

The detective offered me advice, saying "If you ever DO fire your weapon in self defense, make sure you explain to the responding officer immediately, that you did so in fear of your life. Tell them you were scared, and felt you had no other choice."

State's attorney followed up with me later, expressed the same sentiment.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top