Help me set up my 1st CCW

How about a S&W Shield 9mm or .40 with the safety carried appendix or pocket carry?

Some opt for Kahr pistols with a longer trigger pull than on striker fired pistols for a measure of safety rather than having a manual thumb operated safety.

The pocket carry would also depend on how big your pockets, how you wear your clothes, your body type and so on. Same with appendix carry. I wear my clothes somewhat loose and I’m a kind of a big guy (6’3 / 240lbs), so I’m able to get away with pocket carrying larger pistols than some.

Most would probably go for appendix carry if the pocket carry option doesn’t work for them.

Pocket carry guarantees no accidental exposure. Not too many of the micro-pistols for pocket carry have a manual safety. A couple that do are the SIG P238 and P938. Some people don't like carrying a cocked-and-locked single-action in their pocket, but it never bothered me.

The Shield is nice but IMO it's on the edge of too big for pocket carry, but could work well if you decide to go with an IWB set-up.

Ditto the SIG P365. The version with a manual safety is supposed to be out soon. That might be another to look into.

Lots of people carry either a NAA micro revolver in a pocket holster or a lcp/keltech.380 in the popular dessantis pocket holster.

I heartily recommend a Sig P938! I carry mine in an alabamaholster.com front pocket holster. It's a small, very thin package and it disappears in most pants front pockets. The holster is kydex and adds almost nothing to the width of the P938. I also recommend the P938SAS version (Sig Anti-Snag) that has all the sharp edges melted. It's a lightweight, quality 9mm that shoots like a much larger pistol in my opinion. You should be able to find the pistol in the $600 range if you shop around. The holster is $50-60. Mags are sometimes on sale at the Sig Store... I prefer the 6-round mag because it conceals better in a pocket but the 7 rounder with pinky extension is possible. I think you'll be pleased with the setup. No-one will every know you are carrying!

I also recommend the Shield. It's available with a safety. IWB with a Crossbreed Supertuck or Minituck you can conceal with a tucked in shirt if you need to. (I recommend the V clips and matching belt if you tuck the shirt.) Remember that for IWB carry your pants need to be 2" oversize to allow room for the gun/holster. Your total cost for this set up shouldn't exceed $700.00 or so.

The S&W M&P Bodyguard 380 is small, reliable and can be purchased with or without the manual safety.

It is Double Action only for increased safety. Moderately long trigger pull with crisp break. I added grip tape on the frame to make racking the slide easier particularly in a stress situation.

I also added a Hogue HandAll for increased grip security again, particularly when under stress.

The pistol will likely cost about $200.00, the grip sleeve around $10.00 or less, a couple bucks for the grip tape and about $100.00 for the Alessi pocket holster. That might seem a bunch for a pocket holster but I've been using mine for almost a quarter century and it is still almost like new. It always positions the pistol for presentation, breaks up any regular lines, stays in my pocket and works both right and left side carry.

I have a Shield and it's a no-go for pocket carry, unless you want to wear cartoonishly large pants and don't mind big printing. Carrying on your belt with a tucked in shirt also isn't a good option unless you are okay with people knowing you're carrying, unless you're trying to use one of those inside the pants carriers that I have no experience with. To me your best option if you want to carry actually concealed in a business casual environment with a tucked in shirt is a small pocket pistol. Think LCP, Bodyguard, Pico, etc. Then put it in a pocket holster in your dominant front pocket, or ankle carry if you have looser pants. A Bodyguard is the only gun in the class I know of that has a manual safety, but if you use a positive retention pocket holster I'm not sure a safety is totally necessary.

Easiest pocket carry would be something like the Ruger LCP; I can carry it while wearing basketball type shorts (only a drawstring for a "belt"). Put it in a Desantis pocket holster and you're GTG. Kahr CM9 can be done, but, IMO, that's starting to get too big for a pocket without "printing", depending on your clothing. Obviously, loose pleated type pants over "skinny" help whether in the pocket or IWB.

Pocket carry holster that prints like a wallet in the front pocket. Whatever handgun works in this thing for your purposes.

I would suggest going and checking out and putting your hands on any of the small single stacks or micro guns. Many would agree that the ones that do offer safeties, the safety is so small it's useless. Most of the time when this issue gets brought up folks say just to leave it off, but since you actually want a safety to use I would check them out for yourself.

Also if you've never pocket carried you might to check into that as well, as far as accessibility. If you dont normally wear pants with huge pockets or if you have huge hands you may find the method undesirable. Dont count out a IWB set up. Depending on your body type you may be surprised at what you can conceal and where on you person.

IdaD said:

I have a Shield and it's a no-go for pocket carry, unless you want to wear cartoonishly large pants and don't mind big printing.

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I have both the S&W Shield in .40 and a Walther PPS M1 in 9mm that I carry in two of the exact same DeSantis Nemesis pocket holsters. I seem to manage it without cartoon pants.

1911s are slim and easy to conceal.

I'll add to the pocket carry chorus. I prefer revolvers to autos for pocket duty; I carry a .357 LCR.

sig p238 in a Sneaky Pete holster works for me or a good pocket holster if you prefer a revolver the Ruger LCR in 38 or 357 will fit the bill nicely small and light enough for pocket carry

I have one of these (the extra pocket is for a magazine not a phone) I forgot where I got it, mail order. It's comfortable enough but I just use a normal holster instead. Still it might be an option for you. Holds a larger gun than a pocket carry, mine holds my p229 no problem.



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For that situation, I carry a Kimber Micro 380 in a sticky holster.

Browning said:

I have both the S&W Shield in .40 and a Walther PPS M1 in 9mm that I carry in two of the exact same DeSantis Nemesis pocket holsters. I seem to manage it without cartoon pants.

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Very convenient that you're behind the post when you start to shoot. Not trying to be an A hole but that's a pretty poor video to try and bolster pocket carry.

BG380 is my edc. I like compact 15 round 9mms when i can carry them. However the BG is always with me.

Good Ol' Boy said:

Very convenient that you're behind the post when you start to shoot. Not trying to be an A hole but that's a pretty poor video to try and bolster pocket carry.

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Actually thought I was in view.

At any rate you can see that I am in fact pocket carrying a Walther PPS (you can see the holster fly out on the draw at one point), I’m wearing non-cartoonish pants and I’m able to put the holstered pistol back in my pocket (while walking no less).

So while I’m hardly Paul Harrell, it makes the point I wanted. Like it and agree with it or don’t, I’m good either way. :Shrug

When you absolutely, positively gotta keep it concealed, hard to beat a LCP, TCP, CM380, 911, pico, p238...something in that vein. And remember, you can pocket carry in the rear pocket as well. A good wallet style pocket holster in the back pocket can make a micro pistol completely disappear.

Browning said:

Actually thought I was in view.

At any rate you can see that I am in fact pocket carrying a Walther PPS (you can see the holster fly out on the draw at one point), I’m wearing non-cartoonish pants and I’m able to put the holstered pistol back in my pocket (while walking no less).

So while I’m hardly Paul Harrell, it makes the point I wanted. Like it and agree with it or don’t, I’m good either way. :Shrug

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I really am not trying to crap on your video.

I must be watching a different vid. The guy I'm seeing is almost completely covered by the post. You see a pistol come up and shots off, but you dont see any part of the draw, which to me seems an important part of a pocket carry drawing and shooting vid.

Yes I see the holster fall out in both cuts, which is also an issue when talking about pocket carry. The whole reholstering aspect. I dont pocket carry so I dont know how often that happens but being able to reholster without having to pick up your holster off the ground bears talking about.

For a better shot of showing off your pocket drawing skills I might suggest a complete 180 view of where the camera was in that video.

Good Ol' Boy said:

I really am not trying to crap on your video.

I must be watching a different vid. The guy I'm seeing is almost completely covered by the post. You see a pistol come up and shots off, but you dont see any part of the draw, which to me seems an important part of a pocket carry drawing and shooting vid.

Yes I see the holster fall out in both cuts, which is also an issue when talking about pocket carry. The whole reholstering aspect. I dont pocket carry so I dont know how often that happens but being able to reholster without having to pick up your holster off the ground bears talking about.

For a better shot of showing off your pocket drawing skills I might suggest a complete 180 view of where the camera was in that video.

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The video I made several years back wasn’t to talk about how great pocket carry is. It was to track my improvement as a shooter.

DeSantis Nemesis holster flying














The video wasn’t meant to highlight my pocket drawing skills. I posted it merely to show that it’s not some feat of magic to pocket carry a single stack 9/.40 of that size or to draw it.

As far as reholstering goes if you have to draw a pistol to either cover or fire at someone doing something that they shouldn’t be doing you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to reholster.

That’s still a dangerous situation.

Bad guys sometimes have friends. He or she may have ran away from the scene to reload, get friends or to gather their courage again.

Up to you, but I’m not putting my pistol away the second the shooting stops. I’ll reload, reassess, communicate with whoever I have with me and make sure that the police are actually on their way. Once police start to arrive I’ll worry about having my hands empty.

There’s also a bit of a learning curve in drawing on some pocket carry holsters to keep the holster in your pocket. At the time of that video (Feb 2015) I hadn’t learned that trick yet.

Once you clear the grip of the pistol from your pocket you drag the edge of the holster against the bottom edge of your pocket. I still end up pulling the holster out completely in order to reholster the pistol and then reinsert the whole thing back into the pocket like a wallet. At least you wouldn’t have to kneel down and pick it up after the shooting stops (presuming you’re alive and well enough to do so).