Is it safe to pocket carry?

[MoJo]

Pocket carry is an excellent carry method. A good well designed pocket holster is mandatory. The Nemesis just mentioned is a good choice I like the pocket holsters made by Robert Mika, a retired Los Angeles police officer. His are designed to stay in the pocket until you want to remove it. LINK

[Paul's Shield]

I pocket carry. I have an M&P BG380 that also has a long trigger pull with a safety, however I never carry without the pocket holster i made for it. It basically covers the trigger but allows me a good purchase when/if I need to draw.

Additionally I can put my hand in my pocket and no one is the wiser as opposed to putting my hand on a holstered gun IWB/OWB.

I do carry both ways though. I feel pretty comfortable carrying OWB with my BG380, but depending on the shirt I'm wearing, I will then transition to pocket carry.

[JSThane]

Allow me to be a dissenter on the holster, with this caveat: this is what works -for me-, and is not intended to endorse, condone, or otherwise support holsterless pocket carry.

I cannot use a pocket holster. Whether I haven't found "the right one," my pockets are too small, my pants are too small, or what have you, I cannot use one. If the holster stays in the pocket, so does the gun. If the gun comes out of my pocket easily, I wind up drawing the holster too. I've had this with loose jeans, slacks, tighter "cowboy jeans," pretty much any pants I wear.

For this reason, I rarely pocket carry. It's not much extra work to strap on a holster and throw on a lightweight long-tailed shirt. But when I do, I generally carry a hammerless J-frame in my pocket (S&W 442). There's not much on it to hang up on the pocket, and the trigger pull is heavy and long enough that on the extremely long shot I brush against something exactly right to hit said trigger through the fabric, it's another long shot that it'll pull the trigger.

As has been pointed out, however, there is a chance, however slight, of brushing something that could press that trigger the wrong way; if you do go against advice and do what I do, be very aware of this possibility, and be prepared for Murphy to play the long odds.

[patterson]

pocket carry isn't for me cuz if you find yourself in a situation where you need your firearm in a hurry you have to pull it out of your pocket still holstered then remove the holster

Then you do not have the right holster. Real locket holsters will remain in the pocket when the firearm is drawn.

I don't have the right firearm either mine are considered full size

So you are commenting on something that you have no knowledge or experience with?

Most pocket size pistols I have looked at have small grips and the pocket holsters for them that I have seen look like it would be hard for me to get a good purchase on the grip

[cyphertext]

yes no experience with it but my comment is it is not for me the only way I feel comfortable carrying is OWB

So with zero experience, you feel qualified to comment on a particular carry method which you have not tried.

[bryan1980]

Everyone's pretty much already covered it. Get the right holster and it's fine. My daily method of carry is IWB, but when I'm just making a quick run to the store on the weekend or something like that, it's nice to be able to throw my TCP in a pocket and be done with it.

[MechAg94]

Regarding quick draw concerns, there are a number of carry methods that are not good for quick draw. Pocket carry may or may not be one of them. However even if you can't draw fast, having a gun is better than being unarmed under almost any circumstances.

[Jim Beaux]

yes no experience with it but my comment is it is not for me the only way I feel comfortable carrying is OWB

So with zero experience, you feel qualified to comment on a particular carry method which you have not tried.

I have zero experience with heroin; am I not qualified to express my preference until I try it?

[patterson]

yes no experience with it but my comment is it is not for me the only way I feel comfortable carrying is OWB

So with zero experience, you feel qualified to comment on a particular carry method which you have not tried.

I have zero experience with heroin; am I not qualified to express my preference until I try it?

Exactly, most people don't have experience in politics but it doesn't prevent them from commenting on it.I was just commenting that it wasn't for me

[cyphertext]

yes no experience with it but my comment is it is not for me the only way I feel comfortable carrying is OWB

So with zero experience, you feel qualified to comment on a particular carry method which you have not tried.

I have zero experience with heroin; am I not qualified to express my preference until I try it?

Exactly, most people don't have experience in politics but it doesn't prevent them from commenting on it.I was just commenting that it wasn't for me

Commenting that "it is not for me" is one thing, but making statements about the holster staying with the firearm is another...

As far as heroin, I think enough have tried it and we can see the negative effects. But on the flip side, when I told my son to eat vegetables, I didn't accept "I don't like them" from him until he tried them... and now my son is 14 yrs old and will eat cauliflower... yuck!

[patterson]

ive known other people that have tried pocket carry and have commented on the holsters not staying in pocket and not being able to get a good purchase on the grip because of the way the holsters were made and granted there may be holsters out there that these people weren't aware of that would be better. But still pocket carry is not for me and that's my opinion

[cyphertext]

ive known other people that have tried pocket carry and have commented on the holsters not staying in pocket and not being able to get a good purchase on the grip because of the way the holsters were made and granted there may be holsters out there that these people weren't aware of that would be better. But still pocket carry is not for me and that's my opinion

Fine, that is your opinion, based on zero experience... However, there are many folks, such as me, who pocket carry daily and don't have an issue with the holster coming out with firearm when presented, and can get a good purchase on the grip.

Some holsters work better than others. I have a holster from Blackhawk and a Desantis Nemesis. The Desantis is better made and designed to stay in the pocket. The Blackhawk can come out of the pocket, depending upon how you draw. Just like OWB holsters, some are better than others.

Like other carry methods, you must also practice to be effective. There are techniques to draw from a pocket that minimize the chance of the holster coming out with the firearm. With the Desantis, as I am drawing, I rock the gun back at a slight angle as it comes from the pocket. This insures that the "hook" on the holster grabs and stays in the pocket. The material that the Desantis is made of also aids in the holster remaining in the pocket.

The Blackhawk holster relies on a strip of material catching the pocket lining or seam edge at the top of the pocket to keep it from coming out. This is not as effective, but I can still draw and leave the holster in the pocket.

But to get back to the OPs question, yes, it is safe to carry in the pocket. Carrying with a holster goes further to minimize the risk. Keep other items out of the pocket where the firearm is being carried. The greatest risk, as always, comes from handling the firearm. If you draw from your pocket, remove the holster from the pocket before reholstering. Reholster the firearm and then put the holstered firearm back into the pocket.