5.11 shorts

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b79holmes

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Thinking pocket carry of a j-frame I have tried various cargo pants and found them lacking. Lots of pockets but nothing deep enough for the j-frame. Also some pockets catch on cabinet handles.

I have had the best luck with golf shorts. Very deep front pockets and easy access for my large hands.

I bought a pair of 5.11 from Cabela's. Quality pants and again lots of pockets but your belt in within the pants for 95% of your waist so you can't use any form of belt holster and the hidden zippered pockets hold a j-frame but the openings are so small I can barely get my hand in there. The 'normal' front pocket is so shallow the grip of my 642CT is visible.

Are these pants really just tactica-cool only or am I missing something?

Bill
 
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Beats me, but your review has some good data for those of us who were considering trying out a pair. Thanks - you may have saved me some money.
 
Along the same lines, anyone know of conceal carry pajama's with footsies? I get cold in winter.
 
I bought a pair of 5.11's a couple of years ago and thought they were a little gimickey with pockets that didn't really fit anything and loops and straps that I had no use for. The quality was nothing to write home about, either. They have been retired for work in the yard.

So I tried a pair of the Tru-Spec 24/7 shorts and felt like they were designed for me - everything works for me. I can carry a 638 or 36 in nearly any pocket - front, rear or cargo. However, I usually carry a CS9, 908 or 6906 in the cargo pocket. The secret there is a cheap nylon pocket holster that "wads up" in the M16 size magazine pocket in the cargo pocket and keeps the weapon from falling over. The other magazine pocket is just right for a spare mag, too.

The Tru-Specs come in short or long pants and that's about all I wear year round. IWB holsters work well with the belt loops, but the cargo pockets are so handy that I rarely bother with anything else. One advantage is I can still get to my weapon while sitting, even in a car.

Did I mention that I'm well satisfied with the Tru-Specs? <G> The quality seems better, too.
 
When I'm shopping for new shorts or pants, anyone watching me would think I'm a nut. I go around sticking my hands into the pockets to find out if they're deep enough. If so, then they go into the changing room for verification.
My 5.11 pants have plenty deep pockets for even my G26.
 
They make many models, The ones I have the pockets can fit a 2 liter bottle in and yes the front pockets are a little shallow. Maybe they have changed have had mine for couple years bought from police gear dot com. I have a pair of Columbia that I love but cant find again and they are better made than the 5:11 shorts. The Columbia front pockets are 6"s deep did measure with a tape measure and on the right side has a pocket that had to be made for a spare mag 1911,GLOCK both fit great.
 
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I have a couple pair of plain ol' Wrangler cargo shorts and the front pockets are plenty deep to conceal my 642 with pocket holster. Got 'em at Wal-Mart, I think. I don't use the cargo pockets for carry, as the gun flops around too much there. And with front pocket carry, I can easily put my hand on the grips if I need to (dark parking lot?), appearing to just have my hand in my pocket.
 
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I have a couple pair of 5.11 shorts myself. I believe they are Tactical Series "Academy Shorts". I have had them for probably 5 years or so.
The belt loops are fine for holster carry.
The front pockets are plenty deep.

They were plenty high for being made in Vietnam, as best I remember. Paying for that 5.11 tag. I would be much more impressed if the tag still said Royal Robins.

The quality has been ok on the ones that I have. I did have a snap break. My wife replaced it with a Big button. I like that better than the snap.

My guess is 5.11 has more than the one pair of shorts they sell. As I remember the Tactical Series came in two lengths.

Bob
 
APS said:
When I'm shopping for new shorts or pants, anyone watching me would think I'm a nut. I go around sticking my hands into the pockets to find out if they're deep enough. If so, then they go into the changing room for verification.
Click to expand...
In my experience, this is the answer. It has been a while since I bought Dockers, but they at least used to have very deep pockets, and would easily conceal a 2" J frame, RB or SB, in a Don Hume JIT slide dropped into the pocket. Right now I have a 2" RB Model 12 in my pocket, and I have even carried a 2" Model 15 with Safariland/Rogers grips this way. Again, JIT.
 
b79holmes said:
Thinking pocket carry of a j-frame I have tried various cargo pants and found them lacking. Lots of pockets but nothing deep enough for the j-frame. Also some pockets catch on cabinet handles.

I have had the best luck with golf shorts. Very deep front pockets and easy access for my large hands.

I bought a pair of 5.11 from Cabela's. Quality pants and again lots of pockets but your belt in within the pants for 95% of your waist so you can't use any form of belt holster and the hidden zippered pockets hold a j-frame but the openings are so small I can barely get my hand in there. The 'normal' front pocket is so shallow the grip of my 642CT is visible.

Are these pants really just tactica-cool only or am I missing something?

Bill
Click to expand...

Are they really 5.11?

My pockets are huge. I can fit just about anything in them and I am under 5'6".
 
APS said:
When I'm shopping for new shorts or pants, anyone watching me would think I'm a nut. I go around sticking my hands into the pockets to find out if they're deep enough. If so, then they go into the changing room for verification.
My 5.11 pants have plenty deep pockets for even my G26.
Click to expand...

And I thought I was the only one who did that!
 
Patagonia Stand Up Shorts are pricey but the front pockets will consume a S&W J frame in a Blackhawk pocket holster and still allow you to put your hand in the pocket without any kind of "print".
 
The 2 kinds of shorts I use have already been mentioned(Tru-Spec and wrangler cargo shorts) these are pretty much the only kind of shorts that I wear anymore due to pocket size. Like a couple others mentioned I check for pocket depth on every pair I buy and the wrangler cargo shorts from walmart have very good sized pockets for carrying. they are relatively inexpensive at around 15 bucks per pair, and availability is only limited by the number of walmarts in your area:rolleyes:, the other type is the tru specs and why they are more expensive, they do feel very well made and again plenty of pocket space. I buy the tru specs when the army/navy store has a sale which makes them way cheaper than 5.11s
 
Nobody wants to see me in shorts. I assume the wrangler cargo pants have the same deep pockets?
 
I don't do the shorts, but I've found the EoTac Operator line to have been designed for folks like us. They also lack some of the frustrating things about 5.11s and also come in a summer weight fabric. We had 5.11 as authorized limited use when they were still Royal Robbins and about the only thing 5.11 did was move the one pocket to the left side and raise the price.
 
I pretty much live in 5.11 shorts when I am not at work and am overall pretty happy with them. I always go around with my shirt untucked so the slash cut back pockets aren't really an issue for me. I have a couple pairs that are several years old. The all cotton ones (particularly navy) will fade over time but the TacLite blend holds the color well. I have been gradually losing weight and noticed that with the smaller sizes the magazine pockets in the thigh pockets on the Taclite short are there sometimes, and not others. The fit seems to vary a little also, so maybe they are being made in different factories or something? It makes them hard to order online. I will probably order some of the 24/7 shorts once these wear out.

I have been wearing the 24/7 Pants to work a lot and overall really like them. I could live without the flaps on the back pockets, but they are comfortable, cool, fit well, let me carry just as much stuff as my 5.11s (better thigh pockets than 5.11actually) and look more like normal cargo pants.

5.11 pants around here instantly brand you as LEO ( although they are normally referred to as 'those 911 pants' by the locals) thanks to some of the city PD 'plainclothes' guys working all the parades in khaki 5.11 pants and 5.11 sports shirts untucked.

I have several pairs of the Wrangler shorts, and generally find the front pockets too wide and shallow for pocket carry, and the velcro on the thigh pockets is not very strong, so I mainly just use them for working in the yard.
 
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