What *You* Want in The Ultimate Pocket Gun

I like the heel magazine release, but it does wear a hole in my jeans from the inside out:






And here's a picture I forgot I had:

After adding the walnut stocks my TPH has everything I could want in a pocket pistol.

.45 ACP

Same size as a P365

Same capacity as a Glock 17

Zero recoil

Knock down power equivalent to an M102 Towed Howitzer.

Easy to conceal

Light-weight, compact and reliable-much of which the Ruger LCP brings to the table.

I do not think that I could improve upon what L.W. Seecamp designed, first as the LWS-25, which evolved into the LWS-32. I am not sure about the .380 version, as I have never had the opportunity to fire one of them. I use the LWS-32. Some have written that the .380 Seecamp recoils just a bit too vigorously, but I do not know whether it is a matter of discomfort, or is actually difficult to control. I would rather shoot .32 ACP with good control, than have difficulty controlling .380 ACP. The trigger’s pivot point is actually located rather far forward, which helps those with large hands cope with the pistol’s tiny overall size. Operating a Seecamp pistol is like using a much larger pistol; everything seems to fit well enough. Notably, a Kel-Tec .32 is a viciously uncomfortable pistol to shoot, in my case, because it just does not fit.

Of course, there are no sights, so, a Seecamp is not a gunfightin’ pistol, but a “get-off-me” pistol.

The designer had the experience of being wounded, in combat, during WW2, when he was serving in the German Army. As I recall the story, at the time he was wounded, one arm was put out of action, and this experience played a part in his design process. He earned a reputation as a builder of double-action conversions of 1911 pistols, before he started building pistols of his own design.

I do not normally use a Seecamp LWS-32 as a secondary/back-up pistol, but as an occasional/special-circumstances pistol, for the times I must, absolutely, not be seen as being armed with a firearm, in which case it might be the only pistol I have with me. Sometimes, I carry the Seecamp pistol in a pocket holster, as the only firearm concealed on my person, while I carry a larger weapon off-body. Sometimes, the pocketed Seecamp is accompanied by another weapon that is concealed on my person.

If I could custom-design a vest-like garment, specifically tailored for pistol carry, in a pocket, I would rather tote something like a Third-Generation S&W autopistol, with a single-column magazine, such as the Models 3913, 3914, 908, and derivatives. I owned a 3913, briefly, in the early Nineties, and foolishly let it get away, sold to finance the Next Big Thing. In 2018 or 2019, after retiring from LEO-ing, I decided to revisit DA/SA autos, for concealed carry, and started by buying a well-preserved Model 3913 TSW. I have since added a 908, a 3914 LS, and a 3913 NL, in that order. The long-stroke DA trigger pull, for the first shot, is something that I like, for private citizen threat management, especially if I am going to carry the weapon inside a waist pouch, chest pouch, or pocket. The safety/decocker levers provide a bit of traction, to help my sometimes-gimpy right hand to run the slide, when I shoot lefty.

As I have indicated in other parts of the forum, I prefer a small revolver, for pocket carry, but this being the Autoloaders section, I am keeping this reply framed within the autoloader context.

I own a Ruger LCP Plus , Taurus TCP , both 380, and a 642 .. all purchased with pocket carry in mind
Having said that I seldom pants pocket carry..
In the fall or winter I may coat or jacket pocket carry

To me a perfect pocket carry gun would be a revolver
32 H&R with the circumference and length cylinder reduced … 5 shot .. aluminum frame DAO & small grips .. weight 10oz

The lcp is very close to perfect for me.
Better sights would be nice.
I would like a manual safety or grip safety. At work I carry my lcp either in pocket...or iwb on the techniclip....but...I don't chamber a round. I want a safety or a trigger cover/holster to carry with a round chambered.
I would like my techniclip to be a little deeper for deep pocket carry with no part of the gun exposed.
So just a few tweaks would make my lcp ideal for a bug or pocket gun.


Just a FYI for pocket carriers...:
Ariat brand Rebar jeans have a watch pocket big enough to carry my lcp.

I think the Sig P938 fills the pocket pistol role well for me.Loaded hot it has some recoil but a pistol that's pocket sized isn't going to be shot very much.Despite their size,the 938 guns are very accurate.Another bonus is the fact that it's laid out like the 1911 as far as the controls go.

A couple of confessions:
1. I only scanned over the 3 pages of replies;
2. I am not trying to be a wizeazz (it comes naturally without trying);

What *You* Want in The Ultimate Pocket Gun

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1. a proper belt holster

-jb, my honest answer, no apologies

My quest is more for a holster setup, no the gun, as I have virtually every class of pocket-gun options covered.

What I want is a holster that rides higher in the pocket, perhaps has a stiff leather "blade" at the bottom about 1.5-2" tall, forcing the gun to ride closer to the pocket opening. I don't like having my entire hand inside the pocket past the wrist to get good purchase on the gun.

I've tried switching to a longer gun overall, but that has increased weight to the point of becoming impractical. A three-inch-barreled J-frame rides just about right, but has too limited a round capacity. So, I'm on the lookout for a holster setup that will push the LCP-MAX up a bit to just below the pocket rim in my jeans.

MedWheeler said:

What I want is a holster that rides higher in the pocket

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My gun must be concealed. I can't have people see the butt of a gun in my pocket. I'm up on ladders and sometimes under desks. Sometimes installing equipment in server rooms. I can't afford to have my firearm exposed if my shirt comes untucked.

The Rohbaugh R9 works well for that. I have the Kahr CM9 and it is a longer gun and the butt is closer to the top of the pocket

A few ounces, a few fractions of an inch in height and OAL really make a tremendous difference in your pocket.

I forget that my R9 is in my pocket.

The CM9 is constantly reminding me its there.

That's why I'm amazed when I hear people say they're pocket carrying a SCCY or a Glock 26.

Here is a top view of my pocket with the Rohrbaugh R9 in it:




Here is a top view of my pocket with the Kahr CM9 in it:



The CM9 isn't at the top of the pocket, but it does hold the pocket open a little more than the Rohrbaugh R9.

A Smart Carry will allow you to carry a larger and more realistic gun, with very little chance of it being spotted, and much better access than guns carried in most pockets.

I worked in NPE's for years wearing one, doing a very physical job, around a lot of people, in jeans and a tucked in tee shirt, and never had a problem. I started with a Seecamp, and soon realized I could carry one of my 26's in the same spot. The 26 has been the gun of choice there now, ever since.

GJeffB said:

A couple of confessions:
1. I only scanned over the 3 pages of replies;
2. I am not trying to be a wizeazz (it comes naturally without trying);

1. a proper belt holster

-jb, my honest answer, no apologies

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Fell into the wrong thread by accident, evidently.

NPE ?

Non Permissive Environment ?
New Political Economy
No Parent Expected
Nonyl Phenol Ethoxylate ?

The first one.

[QUOTE="GJeffB,]1. a proper belt holster[/QUOTE]

I agree. This gun is invisible at 3:00 under an untucked t-shirt. I have the same rig for my PPK.

I would like something very much like a KelTec P32, but double stack so it would end up a little wider in the grip and hold 10 rounds or so. I think the LCP Max is close, but a little smaller would be better in the pocket and I don’t need .380. Better sights than a standard P32 would be nice. I wouldn’t mind a change to a heel magazine release either.

Kel Tec does make a 10rd extended magazine for their p32. The extension (for me) makes the gun much more controllable. The problem is finding one! Ever since The Panic started they've been all but unobtainable. I managed to come up with all of one, so far.

Thot SIG missed a chance with their new .380. Had they made it just a bit smaller and lighter than the 9mm iteration, I'd be jonesing for one.
Have an LCP, it works all the time, but it's no fun for practice.
That's the big advantage of the 365 and the G42; they are pleasant to shoot, and will tolerate a whole lot of shooting.
Moon

Caliber 30 SC. Made thinner with double column mag. Tailored specifically around the dimensions of the 30 sc. Striker fired with a real 5.5lb trigger pull that is nice. Slotted for a miniature RDS and to be an accurate pistol. Polymer frame, properly coated with good stainless steel metallurgy on the slide and other metal parts of the gun; that means no mim parts on it. Barrel 3-3.5 inches long.
Magazine release to be small and on the heel of the gun.

gwpercle said:

Just to be in my pocket when I need it ... I don't care what caliber , revolver , semi-auto , S.A. , D.A.
it doesn't matter ... if something is in my pocket I will make it do the job ...it only has to be there .

In 2004 I came into my office , removed my 1911 45 acp and lay it on my desk and went to the kitchen for a cup of morning coffee . While in kitchen , I look up and see armed robber standing six feet away with a 22 automatic pistol in hand , aiming ...and there I stood with nothing in my pocket but car keys ...
I learned that day ...the best self-defense gun is any gun you have on you when things go South !
Gary

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Around the house as I am doing now I wear a bandoleer holster so the gun is always with me. And I have large dogs that prevent surprises.
I use a holster like the photo but with a full size 9 that I put on in the morning and wear all day long when around my property.

Always a couple of big headed rascals around. If he bites you, it will hurt a lot.

Still waiting for my holster.