I call my airweight j-frame "the cricket" after Will Smith's gun in the first MIB. Very unpleasant to shoot.

A "pocket gun" is a BUG and I've never considered a J-Frame-sized weapon as such if you have functional stocks on it instead of those fucking lame-assed  boot grips.

Small wonder peeps can't shoot them worth a shit. If you don't have a extra .50" below the grip frame you are shorting yourself on multiple levels.

IMHO....KT P-32 for the win as a "pocket gun". 7+1 rounds of .32 Fiocchi 60 gr SJHP is no joke. You will also have better control over those 8 rounds as the P-32 is much milder shooting than the P3AT .380 and Ruger clones, not to mention it holds a extra round.

J frame for me, but I shoot revolvers quite a bit.

You need to shoot a J frame for a while to become comfortable with it.

I have an Ulm made PPK in .380. It functions perfectly!

It doesn´t get used any more.

I LOVE my G 42 AND my G 43!!!

Hermann

All steel j-frame. I want a belly gun that I can actually jam into someone's belly while we're rolling around on the ground and have the gun actually work.

A Walther PPK invented in the 30s blows a snub j-frame out of the water for pocket carry in almost every aspect.

That is what Little Pony did and his custom has been perfectly reliable. I would disagree that the LC9s/Pro are anything close to too big or heavy to pocket carry though, but to each his/her own.

Do people practice their draw?
There is a huge difference between an auto and a revolver out of a pocket when it comes to getting a grip on the gun and clearing the pocket.
I can get a "combat grip" on a pocket carried revolver, not so on a pocket auto without clawing at it for a few valuable seconds.
These are things that matter in a CCW.
I'd never carry in a holster I can't get a good grip on my gun from, why would I compromise for pocket carry?

For those that are coming from a viewpoint of comfort or concealability over effectiveness you should try some comparative dry-fire draw practice with each against a timer. You really won't need a timer for the difference to become clear though.

Cheers!
-JC

I pocket carry a S&W Bodyguard .380 alot. It's an early one that is extremely reliable. The magazines are so small its nothing to carry 3 extra.

I own one of the old original Colt mustangs . To be honest it is quite a bit heavier than some of the newer 380s . Grip is pretty small so it is difficult to just draw and get fast good hits with it . sights are pretty small and my eyes are not getting any better. Quite some time ago I tried and found it to be heavy and the wrong size for pocket carry.

Shot a few other 380s at the range that belong to friends but have never grabbed anything that struck me as being easy to shoot and get decent hits with .

I have a 642 that fits most of my pockets quite well and I shoot it with confidence .

Worked a gunstore for most of two years and my friend , who was owner wanted us to carry . I tried most of my guns and many of the store guns in pocket and different holsters and everything was a PITA except for the 642 . I ended up with the 642 in the pocket with the store AR tucked away in its hiding spot .

Bottom line is the airweight works well for me and I have confidence in my ability to shoot decent with it .

This however is not one size fits all . Each person has to work out the best answer to this question

same here, which results in the j-frame sitting in the safe while the Kahr PM9 or the G26 go out for the day.

What type of holster is everyone using? It seems that anything that would really break up the outline would be hard to get a grip and draw. Are most of you using the more minimalist designs that only cove up to the trigger guard? Also do the softer, sticky-sided holsters work or are the rigid designs with the "hook" the better way to go?

By the way, this has been extremely informative. Thank you.

Nothing. Toss my J-Frame in a pocket and go. It prints a bit in jeans, but in a light jacket it's not noticeable. During the summer it goes in cargo shorts.

SW M&P340CT


 

I'm pretty slender, so I'm limited to what I can realistically conceal. My work dress generally consists of polo or dress type shirts and khaki pants.

Been carrying an LCP since they first came out. The sights suck on it but at the ranges I would expect to have to use it, that's almost irrelevant. During controlled range firing, I have no problems hitting COM or head shots at 10 yards.

I mounted a Crimson Trace Laserguard as soon as it was available and really like that setup. The drawback is that it's very hard or sometimes impossible to see it in daylight conditions.

I carry it in my right rear pocket where most people carry a wallet using an Uncle Mikes sticky pocket holster. I practice drawing and dry firing regularly.

I keep it loaded with Hornady Critical Defense.

The .380 round is not as powerful as I would like but I always have it, regardless of what I'm wearing. Although I've never had to use it I'm confident that the total combination will work out for me in any realistic scenario I can come up with where using it is my only option.

I wish I had gotten it in the stainless version for corrosion resistance. It's still 100% reliable for me and goes bang every time, but after all these years it looks a little rough.

there's a lot of good pocket holsters out there.
I like the Galco offerings. The cheap cowhide one works just fine. The horsehide one is stiffer.