Pocket carry is one of the most convenient methods of concealed carry, particularly for people who live in warm climates where shorts and a T-shirt may be normal attire for much of the year. It can be comfortable, discreet, and remarkably simple.
But like every concealed carry method, pocket carry involves compromises.
Students frequently ask me about pocket carry because I use it myself. After carrying a firearm professionally and personally for 47 years, I’ve experimented with plenty of guns, holsters, clothing, and carry methods. I’ve learned what works for me—and I’ve also learned that what works for one person may not work for another.
That’s an important point to remember throughout this discussion. There is no universally perfect concealed carry system. The goal is to find a safe and practical combination of firearm, holster, clothing, and carry method that works for you.
Think About Wearing the Gun
One thing I frequently tell students is to think about wearing a gun rather than simply carrying one.
If you carry a firearm every day, it effectively becomes part of what you’re wearing. Comfort matters. Most people won’t continually wear uncomfortable shoes, pants, or shirts. The same principle applies to a firearm and holster.
If your carry system is consistently uncomfortable or inconvenient, eventually you’re likely to leave the gun at home.
That’s why pocket carry can be attractive. With the right firearm and holster, the gun can practically disappear into your normal clothing while remaining readily accessible when you’re standing or walking.
Start With the Pocket, Not the Gun
People understandably spend considerable time choosing a firearm and holster, but clothing is an equally important part of a pocket-carry system.
When I buy shorts or pants that I might wear while carrying, I pay attention to the pockets. Are they deep enough to adequately conceal the firearm? Is the pocket opening wide enough for me to establish a proper grip? Can I get my hand into and out of the pocket easily?
I personally prefer a relatively wide pocket opening with more of a vertical slant. A narrow or horizontally cut opening can make accessing the firearm considerably more difficult.
Your body, hands, clothing, and firearm may be different from mine, however. Experiment with your own clothing and equipment rather than assuming somebody else’s solution will automatically work for you.
Use a Proper Pocket Holster
I strongly recommend using a holster designed for pocket carry rather than simply dropping a handgun into your pocket.
A good pocket holster should accomplish several things. It should completely cover the trigger guard, keep the firearm properly oriented inside the pocket, allow you to establish a usable grip, and be designed so that the holster remains in the pocket when the firearm is drawn.
There’s another safety practice I recommend: if you remove the firearm from the holster, don’t try to reholster it while the holster remains inside your pocket.
Remove the pocket holster first. Place the firearm into the holster where you can see and control what you’re doing, and then put the firearm and holster back into the pocket together as a unit.
That eliminates an unnecessary opportunity for clothing or some other object to interfere with the trigger while you’re trying to reholster.
The Advantages of Pocket Carry
The biggest advantage for me is comfort.
With a lightweight handgun and an appropriate pocket holster, there’s relatively little equipment to put on before leaving the house. The holstered firearm goes into the pocket, and I’m essentially ready to go.
Pocket carry can also provide excellent concealment. Depending upon the firearm, holster, grips, and clothing, the handgun may virtually disappear into the pocket.
Another characteristic is that you may be able to place your hand naturally in the pocket and establish a grip without making an obvious movement toward a firearm. That can be relevant when circumstances make you uncomfortable but do not justify drawing a firearm.
Of course, the fact that you can access a firearm doesn’t mean you should unnecessarily escalate an encounter. Avoiding trouble and de-escalating a situation whenever reasonably possible remain important.
Pocket Carry Has Disadvantages Too
There is no perfect carry method.
The most obvious limitation is firearm size. Whatever you carry has to fit safely and practically inside your pocket, which generally means choosing a relatively small handgun.
You also lose the use of that pocket for other things. Keys, coins, knives, and miscellaneous objects shouldn’t be bouncing around alongside a firearm.
For me, however, the biggest disadvantage is accessibility while seated.
Think about trying to retrieve something from your front pants pocket while sitting in a restaurant booth. Now imagine doing the same thing while seated behind the steering wheel with your seat belt fastened.
A pocket-carried handgun may be readily accessible while you’re standing but substantially more difficult to reach while seated. That’s a tradeoff you need to understand before choosing pocket carry as your primary method.
Don’t simply stand in front of a mirror and decide that your carry system works. Consider the positions and situations you actually encounter during your day.
Revolver or Semi-Automatic?
Either can work.
I’ve carried small revolvers extensively. One of my frequent pocket-carry guns is a Smith & Wesson 642-1 Airweight with an internal hammer. Its light weight and snag-resistant design make it well suited to this particular application.
I’ve also carried revolvers with exposed hammers. They can work, but an exposed hammer creates another potential snag point as the firearm leaves the pocket. A problem that occurs only occasionally during practice may become a very serious problem if it happens at precisely the wrong moment.
Small semi-automatic pistols can also be excellent pocket-carry guns. Again, the firearm and holster have to work together as a system.
The shape and stiffness of the holster can affect concealment as well as the draw. A rigid holster may create an obvious rectangular outline through the clothing or may have a tendency to come out of the pocket with the firearm. If your holster consistently interferes with the draw, find another holster.
Grip Size Is Another Compromise
Smaller grips generally conceal more easily. Larger grips may provide better control and fit larger hands.
I have large hands, so the tiny factory grips found on some small revolvers don’t work particularly well for me. Larger grips fit my hands better, but they also create a greater possibility that the grip will become visible near the pocket opening.
That’s another example of why there isn’t one correct answer.
Maximum concealment isn’t particularly helpful if you’ve created a firearm that you can’t control effectively. Likewise, a wonderfully shootable handgun doesn’t make a particularly good concealed-carry gun if you can’t actually conceal or comfortably carry it.
You’re balancing competing priorities.
Practice With the Entire System
Whatever combination you choose, practice with it.
Don’t evaluate only the firearm. Evaluate the complete system:
- Firearm
- Holster
- Clothing
- Pocket dimensions and opening
- Grip
- Concealment
- Accessibility
- Comfort
Try it with the clothing you actually wear. Determine whether you can establish a proper grip. Pay attention to whether the holster stays where it’s supposed to during the draw. Consider how accessible the firearm is while standing and seated.
And make sure you’re practicing safely and in accordance with the laws applicable where you live.
Don’t Be Surprised by the Box of Old Holsters
People who have carried concealed firearms for many years frequently accumulate a collection of holsters they no longer use.
That’s normal.
You may change firearms. Your clothing may change. Your lifestyle may change. You may discover through experience that something you thought would work simply doesn’t.
Eventually, most experienced concealed carriers settle on a few combinations that work particularly well for them.
The important thing isn’t to copy somebody else’s solution. It’s to learn from other people’s experience, experiment carefully, practice safely, and discover what works for you.
Practical Beats Perfect
Every firearm, holster, and method of concealed carry has advantages and disadvantages. Pocket carry is no exception.
For the right person, with the right firearm, holster, and clothing, it can be an exceptionally comfortable and practical way to carry. For someone else—or in a particular situation—it may be entirely inappropriate.
The test isn’t whether your equipment is fashionable or whether somebody on the internet approves of it.
The test is much simpler:
Is it safe? Is it comfortable enough that you’ll actually carry it? Does it conceal adequately for your needs? And can you reliably access it when necessary?
If the answer to those questions is yes, you’re probably moving in the right direction.
To learn more about concealed carry and firearms training, visit Practical Defense Systems at pdsclasses.com.