Suggestions: 9mm pocket carry?

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misANTHrope

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So I'm planning on getting my CCW in the coming months. I've got a Ruger P94, which does what it's supposed to and such, but I can't see carrying it any time other than the dead of winter. For warm weather, I'm thinking pocket carry would be my preferred method, so I'm scoping out options. I know that a Keltec P-11 or Kahr PM9 would fit in the pockets of my jeans/shorts, no problem. I've also got the G26 and XD SC on my short list, though I'll have to handle those to figure out if they'll be viable for the pocket- my gut feeling is it ain't gonna work, even though my jeans have big pockets.

The end result is this- I'd like to stick with 9mm and keep my ammo buying simple for the time being, so are there any other ideas for pocket-sized 9s?

And on a related note, where do you pocket-carry guys (and/or gals) carry your spare mags? I guess printing's not so much of a issue with a mag, so maybe an IWB mag carrier? I'm really not into using the other hip pocket for a mag- gotta transport my crap somewhere...

Thanks!
 
Please use some type of pocket holster if you insist on going with the Glock.

I love my K9, but I've never carried it in a pocket for extended periods. It does fit nicely, though.
 
If price not a totally limiting factor then the Rohrbaugh R9 is worth considering. 6+1 9mm, std pressure. If you want to see more about it go to my FAQ link in my sig lines. Other links available there.


r9s2-374-s.jpg
 
For me, pocket carry is a last resort. Even in warmer weather I can easily hide a pistol strong-side, inside the pants. Actually, I have found that a good holster with the proper cant has more to do with comfortable carry than anything else (within reason). For summer I carry a Kahr k-9, which really isn't that light, in a good Alessi holster.

Carrying a pistol in your pants pocket depends a little on what type of pants you wear. Since I wear light-weight suit pants/shirt/tie (no jacket) to work I had to go with an ultra-light revolver. I chose the S&W 342-1pd. It's 10 ounces unloaded. Five shots of 38 spc. The reduced weight in a quality revolver was more important that simplifing ammo. Most folks shoot the ultra light weight revolvers for training - they are not that fun to shoot.

Regardless of what you choose get a good holster - even for the pocket. It aids in concealment and protects the trigger.

Good luck, stay safe.
 
For coat pocket carry, I don't think there is a better handgun than the S&W 642. It is almost designed for coat pockets. As it is a revovler with no external hammer, there is nothing to get snagged on anything and since there is no moving slide, it can actually be fired from inside a pocket. Try shooting an auto from inside a pocket and see what happens. :what: I did it with an old sweatshirt that had pockets and it created a serious jam than was not easy to clear. You would have only one shot from an auto if you needed to fire from inside your pocket where the snubbie would fire all it's rounds with no problem.

If you want a 9mm auto for pocket carry, the Kahr PM9 seems to be the logical choice. It is much slimmer and lighter than any Glock.
 
I have a P-11, and I had intended for it to be a pocket carry gun. I got a holster, and even though it's small, I don't think it will work for pocket carry for me.
 
Last summer, I carried a PM9 in my front shorts pocket almost every day. It worked very well. My Taurus 85UL also worked well, but I preferred the PM9 because of the 2 extra rounds.

I've also owned a P-11 and G26 and IMO, they are enough bigger than the PM9 to make a noticable difference for pocket carry.

The best choices for 9mm pocket carry seem to be the PM9 or Rohrbaugh, or maybe a 9mm snubby revolver??
 
For pocket carry of a 9mm (notice I am answering your question, not trying to talk you into another caliber! :) ), you have a few choices.

The only true pocket sized 9mm in my slightly biased opinion is the Rohrbaugh R-9. Check out my forum: www.rohrbaughforum.com.

Only slightly larger is the Kahr PM9 -- also a good choice.

You can also do a 9mm revolver -- like the Ruger SP-101 or S&W (I am drawing a blank on the model number right now...) j-frame. Taurus is coming out with a smaller than j-frame size Instant Backup revolver pretty soon -- or so they say.

The Glock 26 can be carried in a pocket -- if you have the right pockets -- but its pushing it a bit.

When pocket carrying I carry a spare mag in my weak side pocket in a mag carrier.
 
My "pocket carry" pistol is a CZ RAMI. Like most of the double stack sub compacts it's too large (IMHO) for a jeans pocket. It works very well in my coat pocket with 2 mags in the opposite pocket to balence the weight. It would possibly work with baggier jeans than I wear.

For warmer weather I prefer loose shirts over t-shirts anyway so IWB with a good holster is my 1st choice. My experiance is very limited so take my comments with the price you paid for them in mind ;)
 
To address some questions/ concerns:

First off, a pocket holster is a given- a non-negotiable thing for me if I'm going to carry. As for the benefits of pocket carry vs. other options, well, I'm teetering there myself. The primary reason I'm looking at pocket carry is that I nearly always wear my shirts tucked in, and don't really go for the "untucked button-down" look that a cover garment would require. So pocket carry is the appealing method that keeps me from having to look like I don't want to look.

Of course, there are other options- ankle carry comes to mind, or a tuckable IWB, but ankle carry has some access issues I'm iffy about- how can I discreetly be ready to draw in orange without appearing to have a stomach cramp? And tuckable IWB has minor access issues all its own, though it's a more viable option than the ankle.

The sole reason I'm looking for a 9mm is this: At this point, I still have a meager gun collection, consisting of a shotgun, a rifle, and one pistol, the aforementioned Ruger P94. I'm also a cash-strapped college student, so my collection's not likely to grow exponentially within the next year or two. It also makes it appealing to me to keep things simple, ie have both my pistols use the same cartridge. It's definitely not set in stone- I know that limiting pocket pistols to 9mm restricts my options, where looking at .380 or .32 broadens thing a lot.

So, in summary, I'm not 100% sold and bent on pocket carry or 9mm. There's a passing chance I'll end up deciding to get an XD SC or G26 and work on IWB or something along those lines, despite the difficulties it may pose.

Thanks again for all the help and advice.
 
My pocket-carry pistol is a Kel-Tec P11. It rides in a Ted Blocker pocket holster.

I have found it to be extremely reliable. The trigger, while long and heavy in pull, is likely the smoothest you will ever encounter. Service from Kel-Tec is exceptional.

While the Kahr has a better trigger, the Kel-Tec has at least three advantages: second strike capability, greater capacity, and, well...it's cheaper!

As far as carry of an extra magazine, I don't. However, I have thought about modifying the watch pocket on a pair of jeans, making it deep enough to accommodate a magazine. I believe watch pockets are only located in the right front pocket of most jeans, so this would only work for southpaws, like me. :neener:
 
misANTHrope:

If you stick with 9mm, probably the best pistol for pocket carry is the Rohrbaugh, but you are limited to standard pressure ammo. This, IMO, greatly reduces the 9mm's effectivness as a defensive cartridge, especially out of the short barrel. Both the Kahr & the Kel-Tec can handle +p & +p+ ammunition. I have had a Kel-Tec (actually 3 of them) & think they're great pistols, but they never worked, for me, in a pocket.

Again, if you stick with 9mm, the Kahr PM9 is your best bet, with premium, defensive ammunition.

If you move up to .40 S&W, there is the PM4043/44 which is dimensionally the same size as the PM9, but in the .40 S&W caliber, fully rated for all .40 ammo. There is also the KPS4043 from Kahr, more commonly known as the P-40 Covert. which is the Covert barrel (3.5") and the PM's grip, weighs only 1 oz. more than the PM40.

I carry the P-40 Covert in a Ky-Tac front pocket holster, BUT, if I were going to do it all over again, I'd opt for the PM40 and gain that 1/2" of space in my pocket.

Regards,
Sam
 
Pocket Carry

If you are a big guy with loose pants then one of the small 9's like the Kel-Tec P11 may be ok. I have had a P11 since they were first introduced 6 years or so back. I've always used either a belt holster or IWB holster. With a full standard mag of 10 rounds it is fairly hefty and weights my pocket down too much. Even with a holster that conceals the outline so that it doesn't 'print' I still feel conspicuous because my pants sag on one side. So, I do not carry it that way. Even with a Hogue HandAll on the grip it is not fun to shoot so I have tended to not practice with it...

Recently I bought a Kel-Tec P3AT for pocket carry. Fully loaded (6+1) it is still pretty light. The newer .380 ammo performs much like 9mm did a few years ago. For instance, the .380 HydraShock has velocity over 1000 fps from the little guns. At distances where one would need a pocket arm I have found it to be very accurate. At 5 to 7 yards it will group about 3" from my two-handed standing position. While I believe in regular practice with any carry gun I think that most people will not shoot a pocket gun very much. It should not be too much trouble to stock some white box Winchester rounds for practice and a box of HS or Silvertips for actual carry use.

Dave
 
My Springfield XD-9 subcompact fits nicely in my pocket. It is a little heavy but I usually have a cell phone and a digital camera in the other pocket so both sides are even. :p
 
I sometimes carry a Kel-Tec P-11 9mm in a front pocket holster. It is a light, reliable +P rated gun, that holds 11 rounds with the standard magazine. It will also take the S&W model 59 series 15 round magazines. I often carry one of them in my back pocket. For times when a lighter and more concealable gun is nessary, I use a Kel-Tec P-3AT .380. I bought them new, and only have about $500.00 in both of them.
 
Picky detail:

SHOOT1SAM,
It should be mentioned that there is a slight difference in width between the PM40 and PM9.

PM9 width = .90" PM40 width = .94".

The difference is very slight, but could make a difference to some, in pocket carryability.
 
Glock 26

The Glock 26 can be carried in a pocket -- if you have the right pockets -- but its pushing it a bit.
Click to expand...

The G26 was not designed for pocket carry despite it's initial introduction as "the pocket rocket"!!!

That said, I have a friend that has carried the G26 in his pocket for years!! He carries it in a Galco PH-286 pocket holster.

I myself have carried my G26 in the same place and holster. But, I'm not crazy about it!! It ties up a whole pocket and forces me to carry everything else in the weak side pocket. I'm used to reaching for car keys and such on the strong side and I found myself reaching for the gun instead of the keys (unintentionally) on more than one occasion!!

I prefer to holster carry my weapons on the strong side, either on the belt or in the waistband!! ;)

As a small holstered weapon, the G26 is a good choice!! :D
 
I tend to use a KT p-11 as my pocket "rocket", although only in certain pants...

PM or MK9 are good choices

I dont know about the Glock 26...Kinda wide, but if your willing to put up with the width of it, it would be hard to beat..
 
Kel-Tec has now made the 12 round (formerly LEO) magazine available to the public. This magazine is the same size as the 10 round magazine. The differences are the use of a P-40 follower and spring plus the addition of a 12 round witness hole. 13 rounds are always better than 11 in the same size package.
 
It's been my experience that pocket material in mens pants is extremely cheap and thin. Unless you are willing to retrofit your pockets with leather or canvas material, I suggest that you change your mode of dress to allow iwb or belt carry. :)
 
gbelleh:

You're right, I should have stated "essentially" the same dimensions, however I can't conceive of 4/100's of an inch making any measurable difference in a pocket-carry pistol.

Sam
 
It's been my experience that pocket material in mens pants is extremely cheap and thin. Unless you are willing to retrofit your pockets with leather or canvas material, I suggest that you change your mode of dress to allow iwb or belt carry.
Click to expand...

I've lined the interior of my pants pockets with a small piece of iron-on fabric because I noticed the rear sight of my PM9 was wearing a hole in them.

Other than that, I've had no issues with pocket carry of my PM9 in any style of pants or shorts.
 
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