J-Frame Pocket Carry

[Blue Jays]

"…I know everyone disparages pocket carry, but we all have to do what works best for us. You don't need to apologize and you don't necessarily need to carry your p365 if it isn't working for you in the summer…"

Thank you for the reasoned, reasonable, and thoughtful post.
It does get rather tiresome with the endless "You need WAY MORE ammo capacity!" reminders.

One would think some members do not take the dog outside at midnight or drag garbage to the curb at dawn.
Sometimes a reliable, slick, and sweet revolver in a coat pocket holster is the best surprise defense.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I really like this holster but it is wider than most with the spare rounds in it and my 642 rides a bit high in it. My Elite holster keeps the gun probably a good half inch lower in the pocket. But this one does not pull out of the pocket, in fact, i have to pull the gun out, then bend the holster hard to pull it out of the pocket. So, the spare ammo is not going to be easy to get to but you will have spare ammo vs. forgetting to toss a speed strip in your other pocket. The gun should sit lower but the sewn seam blocks it at the trigger guard.

........

If you wear jeans like I do you can put that bullet strip in the watch pocket of your pants. I find it extremely easy to access and it's out of the way and not noticeable.

 

[aaaaa]

If you wear jeans like I do you can put that bullet strip in the watch pocket of your pants. I find it extremely easy to access and it's out of the way and not noticeable.

Great Idea. But all I have worn the past 20 years are these and there is no watch pocket. These pants seem to last forever and I have never had a pocket hole through. Now I will be giving them a tougher test with the 642 EDC.

 

[aaaaa]

I am still sticking with my cardboard and Gorilla tape holster. Works great. Been carrying with it for a week or two now. Can custom fit to your pocket. Even if it comes out with the gun, it will fall off as soon as it is out of the pocket. No joke, I love this holster. Gun sits lower in the pocket, and it always covers the trigger area. Helps make it look like a wallet is in there.

 

[357 Terms]

I am still sticking with my cardboard and Gorilla tape holster

Holster made from cardboard, now that's thinking outside the..... box!

.....I'll leave now

 

[willb]

So the holster is open on three sides? You find that this is sufficient to consistently keep the trigger area covered? No shifting of the revolver side to side?

You know, if you applied a strip of tape sticky-side-out that holster would stay put.

Very resourceful!

 

[aaaaa]

So the holster is open on three sides? You find that this is sufficient to consistently keep the trigger area covered? No shifting of the revolver side to side?

You know, if you applied a strip of tape sticky-side-out that holster would stay put.

Very resourceful!

Thanks, I just wanted something simple that works. I have the bottom side partly closed to keep it from moving up in the pocket and off the trigger. Learned that from experience. No need for stickiness, it stays in the pocket. The cardboard is pretty slippery against metal. I got the inspiration from someone who posted they don't even use a holster, just puts the J-frame in their pocket. I then thought, really all we need is to ensure the trigger is covered. Tried a single piece of cardboard and that sort of worked but slid around more and the cylinder chaffed my leg, so I cut a new one with two sides. The gorilla tape will help it last. We'll see how long it lasts.

 

[Blue Jays]

"….Tried a single piece of cardboard and that sort of worked but slid around more and the cylinder chaffed my leg…The gorilla tape will help it last…"

But aren't these holsters very expensive?

 

[bannockburn]

willb

Very ingenious!

I like it!

 

[westernrover]

No pocket holster will work well if it doesn't fit the pocket. Either custom-make the holster for each pocket type, or custom-tailor the pocket for the holster.

You can make holster prototypes from cardboard and duct tape, and you can make them out of leather or kydex fairly easily. I made my first one out of posterboard and tape, but have used my subsequent leather holsters as patterns for successive ones, refining, adapting, and improving the design with each iteration.

If you take a holster already made -- for the J-frame, I liked the Galco horsehide pocket holster -- you can stitch the pocket around the holster to hold it securely. It doesn't have to be totally stitched in or un-removable, but if you have a huge pocket in your shorts, you might need to put some stitches in it to locate the holster and keep it from easily coming out. You can also enlarge pockets with extensions -- lots of video tutorials out there by people lengthening designer jeans pockets to fit their giant cell phones. For a j-frame, you'll probably need to reduce pocket size by stitching around it. If the pockets are sewn on the outside of the garment, like the back pockets on jeans, just stitch through the pocket and leg from the outside. With matching thread, it will hardly be noticed. If the pockets are sewn inside the garment, like the front pockets on jeans, flip the garment inside-out and stitch through the pocket flap and not the outer leg of the garment.

Try on and try out the customized pocket to hold the pocket holster and if you want to make adjustments, pull stitches with a seam ripper and rework it until you have what you want. I like to have the stocks or handgrip sticking out of the pocket and then covered by a cover garment. If you tuck your shirts and don't wear another layer outside, you'll want the holster deeper in the pocket. It will be harder and slower to get a full grip and draw.

 

[aaaaa]

Try on and try out the customized pocket to hold the pocket holster and if you want to make adjustments, pull stitches with a seam ripper and rework it until you have what you want. I like to have the stocks or handgrip sticking out of the pocket and then covered by a cover garment. If you tuck your shirts and don't wear another layer outside, you'll want the holster deeper in the pocket. It will be harder and slower to get a full grip and draw.

Excellent advice in your whole message, but to focus on this last part. You are right, for fast draw, need the grip sticking out. I tend to like my shirts tucked in and so want the gun totally in my pocket. The J-frame is sitting just below the pocket opening. I may pull my shirt out to go in stores, but otherwise keep it tucked. Definitely hard to get a shooting grip from inside the pocket.

 

[Zeabed]

Whenever I carry my S&W Chief's Special 60-7 it's usually in this stiff, pocket holster with a stitched-in leather lining, from Blade-Tech. It has remained useful for a couple decades or thereabouts.

 

[TriTone]

Pocketing a j frame is not a bad idea, ignore that junk.

I have tried many, and the tec-Grip from Blackhawk is excellent, drop $20 bucks on it and have it tomorrow.
BLACKHAWK TecGrip Ambi Pocket Holster 2 in Barrel J Frame_Concealment_40TP03BK
https://a.co/d/gIAKvzF

Also, I highly recommend the Tulster RATH AIWB holster for j frame. A little pricey, though they offer a 20% responder discount so I have bought many of their holsters and am slightly biased, now. Spend the extra couple bucks and get the wing kit from their accessories, easy on off option to add, only takes a couple minutes to change on/off.

Don’t know your age or condition, if you have arthritic fingers, get the DeSantis Slim-Tuk for j frame.

Both though work really nicely for myself and many I know (I have given several as gifts, and it’s hard to gift holsters. You gotta really know, unless it’s quality OWB leather) I wear between 1-3:30, whatever is most comfortable.

The Tec-Grip won’t disappoint, except for being frustrating to get out of the pocket on its own, and I generally avoid Blackhawk! Products, but this one’s a winner.

 

[lee n. field]

The last couple of weeks I’ve found myself carrying my 340 (also my BUG on duty) in the front right pocket of my shorts. I get it’s generally a bad idea and I should be packing the 365XL but it’s been freaking hot here causing me to be lazy.

Anyhow, what pocket holster would you all recommend that stays in the damn pocket when drawing? My Desantis Nemesis certainly isn’t working well in that regard.

Mika. Actually hard to get out of the pocket.

 

[tws3b2]

I carry a 642-1 in my $7 pocket holster from amazon. Shorts or jeans. Sometimes I forget it's there.

 

[velocette]

+10 for the Mika pocket holster. Been using them for many years. Made by a retired cop. His service is excellent and his holsters are not expensive. I've tried others and always returned to Mika's. My S&W 640 is happily concealed and readily accessible to ruin some miscreant's day.

 

[entropy]

While I do not have one for my S&W BodyGuard 38 (mostly because it's not a carry gun anymore, and when it was I didn't know of the brand) I have Boraii pocket holsters/trigger guard covers for several autos. Here's their S&W selection, revolver and semiauto:

SMITH & WESSON

Quality American made pocket holsters. Hand crafted with a unique design to conceal carry comfortably without compromise.

www.boraii.com

If you want one that covers the gun, I recommend the Vedder Pocket Locker holster:

Pocket Locker Holster

Vedders' Kydex Pocket Locker Holster is great for carrying small sized pocket pistols. No belt needed! Complete concealment right inside your pocket.

www.vedderholsters.com

I have one for my TP 738 and of the 3 I have for it, (Boraii trigger cover and a Remora being the others) it gets used the most.

The Remora only stays in the pocket if the pants are tight on me, which is only one pair.

 

[TriTone]

I held off on getting a RASC for my ammo strip because of the cost. I’d advise biting the bullet and getting it. I love my RASC and it makes loading from a speed strip easier (better grip) and faster (quicker access).

 

[GRIZ22]

The Nemesis works fine if the pocket isn't too large for it.

One row of stitches will size a pocket down just fine and takes about five minutes.

My suggestion too.

 

[L-2]

Post 37's holster looks great, but Blade-Tech discontinued many holster models over the years.

S&W J-Frame Holsters | Smith & Wesson 442, 637, 642 Holsters

View our collection of Smith and Wesson holsters for S&W 442, S&W 647 and S&W 642 J-Frame revolvers. Shop custom fit S&W Holsters for concealed carry.

blade-tech.com

Blade-Tech's current, perhaps only, J-Frame holster is the "Klipt" which, although not a pocket holster, is an IWB or AIWB style and works great, as long as the gun isn't the newer larger frames as with my 640Pro.

My pocket holsters are from UncleMike's or DeSantis:

Buy Inside-the-Pocket Holster And More | Uncle Mikes

Shopping for the Inside-the-Pocket Holster? Learn more about the latest Alternative Carry and more at Uncle Mikes.

www.unclemikes.com

Search-result - DeSantis Holsters

www.desantisholster.com

(Note, my DeSantis "Nemesis" is made and used for my Glock 43, however, there is one made for J-Frames.)

I do have two other holster which will work for pocket carry, but were actually made for concealed body armor carry.

N.Y.C. VEST HOLSTER (NAVY)

Desantis Holster is an online store for inside the waistband holsters, pistol holsters, Taurus, pistol, pancake holsters, holsters for springfield XD, walther, handgun, GLOCK IWB, GLOCK 22 and leather holsters for 1911.

www.desantisholster.com

I believe UncleMike's discontinued its body armor holster. Sometimes these holsters are still found particularly on Ebay.com.

 

[JCooperfan1911]

The Nemesis is a junk holster.

BOB MIKA will get you sorted out.

None finer made.

 

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

A cheap Uncle Mike's for my 642------but, since I got a LCP Max, it will probably get the nod--smaller-lighter--more shots

 

[Monster Zero]

The last couple of weeks I’ve found myself carrying my 340 (also my BUG on duty) in the front right pocket of my shorts. I get it’s generally a bad idea and I should be packing the 365XL but it’s been freaking hot here causing me to be lazy.

Anyhow, what pocket holster would you all recommend that stays in the damn pocket when drawing? My Desantis Nemesis certainly isn’t working well in that regard.

Mika

 

[J-Bar]

Uncle Mike's #3 and my Model 60 are in my pocket whenever I leave my home. Suit yourself.

 

[aaaaa]

Elite Survival J-Frame pocket holster is working great for me, though I had to trim the flap some as my pocket is rounded at the back.