Recommendation for "pocket carry", please.

[jercamp45]

My prefrence for CCW, as mentioned above,....

Is the Colt CCO.....but it does not fit into a pocket well.
I have tried many designs over the years to find the perfect pocket piece...from High Standard Derringers, Beretta 32a's, AMT Back Ups, various .38 snubbies, etc.
One of the best is and always will be the Jayframe .38...take your pick of models and features...I like the Bodyguard, but the 442/642 is great too. The balance of a small revolver in a good holster, is excellant...it is a great American concealed classic!
My lady friend recently picked up a Kahr PM9 and I must say that is one sweet little gun!! And if I was in the market for another pocket piece(one day I will be), I'd get that one. Expecially in the military...at least there will be Nine ammo available, if only ball(yuck). I'd load it with Plus P JHP's myself. It's easier to shoot fast and accurate that the Jay(on average), less recoil, more power, more ammo, faster reload, etc.
I suppose the dinky .380 has it's place too, though under powered, it beat throwing rocks. I fired the Keltec and did not much care for it...but for deep concealment/extreme close range emergency....
Personally I'd love to find a Colt Pocketlite Mustang...that would be my .380 flavor of the month.
The Baby Glocks are good guns, but rather chunky for the average pocket.
.02
Jercamp45

 

[greg531mi]

The best thing to do, is to check out a couple of pistols, carry them around the house in your pants and see which one you would carry, day in and day out. Too many people have CCW's and don't carry, because it is too uncomfortable. It also pays to have a good pocket holster.....

 

[Warhawk]

Howdy Aviator ... I'll bet we know some of the same people.

Another vote for the Kahr here, mine is a P9 but I'm planning on picking up a PM9 one of these days.

 

[ruger357]

I usually have my NAA .380 or my S&W 637 in my pocket. When I wear my sweat pants with really shallow pockets I throw my NAA .22 lr mini in them.

 

[Fred Fuller]

AV8R,

Hope you are enjoying the salubrious climes of summer at Mother Rucker. I spent a couple years there in a previous lifetime when the Italian helicopters were still flying (Hueys that is).

Pocket carry is an interesting proposition, people buy handguns with the intent of pocket carrying them and often wind up leaving them at home because they are too heavy, too bulky, too abrasive etc. So find something light, small and smooth, and by all means use a pocket holster to keep the beastie oriented properly and help keep it from printing.

The Kahr is a popular 9mm choice, I have a P9 and like it a lot but it is a bit large for true pocketability. The smaller PM9 should be just the ticket. Hope I can find as good a deal on one as I did on the P9... .

Lots of people like the Kel-Tecs. I just bought my wife a P3AT for her birthday, it is still in the break-in period but she likes it a lot. I do too. By all means get K-Ts hardchromed for pocket carry. The company will do it for $20.

Traditionalists have an ongoing love affair with S&W J frames in one or another alloy. They have worked well for decades, and continue to do so.

So many choices, so few $$$...

lpl/nc

 

[ninjaj448]

The 642 is my choice. It is truely a point and shoot device...and with the totaly enclosed hammer, can be fired right through the pocket if the situation calls for it. I replaced the rubber grips with some old S&W wooden J-frame grips I had laying around for smoother draw. Not that the rubber grips bad, just my preference.

 

[Chubbo]

Sub compact

If I'm not mistaken, none of the pistols your friends mentioned are realy sub compact. My all time favorite sub compact pistol is a .32 cal. seacamp.
I bought it several years ago when Seacamp couldn't keep up with the demand, and had to pay the money up front, and wait three years fore dilivery. I think it was well worth the mony and the long wait. The construction and finish is second to none, and it is realy small, maybe the smallest in it's class. It is strictly all business, no sights, strictly double action, and probaly the safest gun available. Don't overlook it, when making your choice.
Chubbo

 

[Gunmeister]

Some folks have lost sight of the fact that you are looking for suggestions for a pocket pistol.
The Seacamp is a great pistol but pretty much limited to Silvertip ammo in a rather anemic .32acp caliber. Kel-Tecs, I've owned three of them, are just OK. They have had many reliability issues and I would not trust one to save my life, God forbid the need should arise. S&W J-frame revos are great guns also but carry only five rounds with speed strips and speed loaders as your "quick"reload options, these items are clumsy to carry and awkward to use especially if you are in a panic situation. Also a revo tends to "print" through your clothing. The Colt CCO like the smallest Glocks are fantastic weapons but are just too big to be considered pocket pistols, much like carrying a brick in your pocket. Glocks are hard to beat, great price, totally reliable and light weight. If you decide that I.W.B carry is OK for you then a Glock is the way to go.
Where does that leave you? The answer is simple, the Kahr PM9! It carries 7 rounds on board with all the spare magazines you care to equip yourself with. The gun is very thin, very light, very accurate and totally reliable.
There are dozens of tiny "Saturday Night Specials" available that look great but aren't worth their weight in cow dung so be careful when making your choice.
Good Luck in your military career, I crewed a Navy HU16-D during two tours in Viet Nam, love them helos.

 

[NMshooter]

Unless you are wearing your flight suit, you may find your pockets a bit lacking. Sometimes this can be rectified by going up two or more inches in the waistband, you need enough room in the pant leg for both your leg and the pistol, with a little extra so you can still move. If the pants are otherwise OK but the pocket is too small you can make your own pocket to fit the gun of your choice.
The heavier steel framed pieces tend to move around a lot and will pull your pants down if your not careful, but are easier to shoot. The plastic and alloy framed ones can be a real pain in the hand if they don't fit just right, so handle and shoot as many as you can before buying, and don't be afraid to switch or modify the grips to make it fit you. The better the fit, the more accurate a small pistol gets.

 

[Bill B.]

Ditto on the S&W 642 being great as a carry gun! Mine is very, very accurate and the trigger was fine from the box. I also carry a Beretta Bobcat 21-A in stainless sometimes in .22LR. Yes I know its a .22 but this small pistol is acceptable accuracy wise, don't jam with the right ammo, and I have yet to feel unarmed when carrying it. There is times the best carry gun you can get is the one you will have with you when it's needed. Both of my choices are small, accurate and reliable and I hope I never ever have to use them!

 

[JNewell]

Also a revo tends to "print" through your clothing.

Depends on your clothes and how/where you carry. I've pocket carried both an MK9 and various J-frames and the J-frames are hands down (1) less likely to print and (2) faster to get a firing grip on in the pocket. YMMV...

 

[Series 70]

I carry a 442 as backup to my 1911. I've carried the 442 both in pocket and on ankle and find I like it better on my ankle. What then for the pocket? I'm thinking real hard about a P3AT. For the money, I can't go wrong given what I've read about it.

My only issue with the 442 in the pocket is the bulk in a pair of jeans - seems a flat auto would be better there. .380 is really less than I'd like, but this is a backup not a primary.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

I don't think the slight buldge around the cylinder makes it obvious you have a revolver in your pocket. You might even impress onlookers who think it is caused by something a bit more organic.

I shot a hundred rounds of .357 through my 605C last night and I have to say that by the end of the 100 rounds I felt like I had a nose bleed from the vibration. I probably won't shoot too many more .357 rounds, mostly because I don't want to stretch out the frame. I think I'll stick with +p .38s for the most part.

 

[JNewell]

slight buldge around the cylinder

I should have elaborated a little. In the pants of my khakis, the sharp corners of the MK9 are more visible than the cylinder of the J-frame. Most of the rest of the J-frame is thinner and/or rounded and seems to melt better into the fabric.

 

[Shane333]

I'll have to agree with Zeke Menuar. Go with a CZ-83.

 

[incursion]

Rohrbaugh R9s handsdown

 

[Brass Balls]

I prefer not to dip below the 9mm for a carry gun. The PM9 fills this role well. It is relatively light and flat and carries well in a pocket or ankle holster. Mine has been reliable with the Gold Dot 124 +P cartridge that I use for carry.

 

[Gunmeister]

JNEWELL, come on now. You say the "sharp" corners on a Kahr PM9 print more visibly than the cylinder on a J-frame revo? Man I find that hard to believe unless you are wearing skin tight clothing in which case anything will print. What's sharper than the business end of a revo cylinder or the front sight on a revo?
Are you pocket carrying without a holster? If so, that's not too wise.
I own both the PM9, and three other Kahrs, also an assortment of 5 S&W J frames. The only revos that are easy to draw are the hammerless models but nothing slides out of it's holster like my PM9, nothing could be easier or much quicker. Not to mention that the PM9 reloads much more quickly than bulky and clumsy speed strips or speed loaders. I love every one of my J frames but for everyday carry the Kahr PM9 is my favorite.
As for Rorbaughs, they still have to face up to the test of time and I feel certain they will do just fine but consider this, for the price of one Rorbaugh
you could have 2 Kahr PM9s, one in each front pocket. Balistically they should prove to be about the same. 9mm over .38spl anyday.

 

[denfoote]

First, thank you for your service!!!
Welcome to the board!!
The issue of pocket carry is a straightforward, yet complex issue.
Guns small enough to fit (both size and weight) are usually small in caliber and guns that are of sufficient caliber usually kick like the proverbial Missouri mule!!! The size of your pocket is also a factor. BDU's have bigger pockets than Wranglers!!! The cost of the gun as size and weight are lowered is a significant factor as well due to rare strategic metals being used in the construction. (eg. titanium and scandium) Common ordinary polymer is, in my opinion, the best bet for a pocket frame material.
This leads back to the above mentioned Glocks and Kel-Tecs. I understand that Kahr has all but perfected their "PM" line of pocket guns.

I have a Glock 26 and a Kel-Tec P3AT that serve well as pocket pistols.
My stainless Kahr MK9 is small enough, but is a bit on the heavy side for pocket carry. As touching revolvers, my only experience has been with the aluminum framed Taurus M85UL. (The 'UL' stands for ultra lite.) It's a decent little gun in .38spl that can be had for somewhat less than it's more expensive S&W cousin. It's drawback is that it kicks like the aforementioned mule and only holds five rounds, thus forcing you to carry at least one speed-loader.

Like I said, straightforward, yet complex!!!

I hope this slight dissertation has provided you with some insight and not confused the heck out of you!!!

 

[rolltide]

I carried a pocket revolver for years, but I decided to go to auto for the following reasons:
1. Much quicker reload.
2. Better ballistics in the same size gun (40S&W vs 38 Spec.)
3. Similar reliabilty with similar care and maintenance.
4. Very small options for times when nothing else can be carried.
5. More shootable guns in a greater power range.
6. Can carry more spare ammo in smaller packages

I know many like them, but I have not warmed up to the plastic guns.

I own and carry a NAA Guardian in 32 ACP and a AMT Backup in 40 S&W.

I am still happy with both those choices.

Roll Tide

 

[JNewell]

You say the "sharp" corners on a Kahr PM9

No, I said the sharp corner on an MK9...dunno about whether the PM9 is more or less "melted" than the MK pistols. But if they're the same, yes, that is what I said. The corners at the rear of the slide and the corners at the end of the grip section are much sharper and more prominent in my pockets than the aft section of a Centennial and its grips.

I find that hard to believe unless you are wearing skin tight clothing in which case anything will print

Nope, I wear very loose-fitting khakis, with pleats too boot, to provide extra fabric so the fabric is loose around all the stuff in my pockets.

What's sharper than the business end of a revo cylinder or the front sight on a revo?

There's nothing sharp about either when they're in a pocket holster, which is how I've carried this one for years. The front sight on the J-frame is actually less prominent than the front sight on my MK9, by the way.

Are you pocket carrying without a holster? If so, that's not too wise.

If I were, the sharp corners on the Kahr would be even more prominent than the J-frame, which is mostly curves. I don't carry handguns that aren't in holsters.

Unless someone's got huge pockets, the Centennial will come out faster with less need for a grip adjustment. I can get an almost perfect firing grip on a J-frame in my pocket. I can't do that with my MK9 -- with any pair of pants I've owned.

 

[Gordon]

Another vote for the weird S&W 296 .44spl.. With 5 rounds of Hornady 180grain XTP , which does 950fps in mine (and prints 2" 15yard groups!), it weighs 22oz. IN it's thin horsehide Kramer pocket holster. It is smooth and fits concealed into the front pockets of BDUs or in the back pocket of most anything ,or in a jacket pocket (esp nice inside a leather flight jacket). Most controllable bang for the weight I know of. I shoot it twice a month 20 rounds per outing , I think it will hold up indefinetly at that rate ( I shoot other guns many hundreds of rounds in that time period). Next size DOWN for me is a slicked up Colt .38spec Agent in same type holster,that weighs 18oz loaded & holstered. Forget .357s that weigh less than say 27 oz unloaded unless you are talking emergency bear medicine(dream on!). The next step UP for me is a lightweight Officers .45acp which weighs about 30oz loaded without holster.

 

[DF357]

J frame 6xx or 3xx series

My SW332 - they don't make em any more.