For several years I have front pocket carried a J Frame, and while the comfort is "ok", it is a bit bulky and bulges in my pocket because of the cylinder diameter.

So lately I've been thinking about a Glock 42. The overall dimensions and weight of the Glock are slightly less than the J Frame, plus the Glock has a slide width of .83" vs. the cylinder on my two J Frames of 1.31". That's a considerable reduction (1/2") in "thickness."

While numbers on paper can give some indication, there's nothing like a real world comparison. So, anybody own or have experience pocket carrying the two guns mentioned? Does the slimness of the Glock mean less bulk in the pocket? My math says yes, but as I said, I'm looking for first hand comparisons.

For what it's worth, I found this picture on the net with a J Frame overlaying a Glock 42. And another FWIW, I'm 140 pounds and take a 32" waist, wearing mostly dress slacks or casual pants. I don't do baggy pants, or cargo shorts, etc. Thank you, John.

I have J-Frames. I had a Glock 42 (sold).

For me, I found the square shape of the Glock 42 made it harder to pocket draw. The top edge of the sights/slide would get hung up on the front edge of my pocket. The rounder shape of the Centennial J-Frames makes pocket draw easier (with my pockets anyway).

The Glock 42 concealed better in the pocket than the j-frame. The j-frame looks like there's a golf ball in my pocket.

Best bet is to try a 42 in your pocket if you can to see how it will work.

I could shoot the Glock 42 more accurately. The pistol has almost no recoil. Nothing wrong with .380, but you give up a lot of cartridge power using the .380 over a .38 Special +P or .357 magnum.

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Vegan by proxy.

I have pocket carried a J frame for years. But recently I’ve carried a Glock 43 in the front pocket of my cargo shorts. No problems.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Seems to me the flat G42 would print the shape of a fun easier than the Jframe. Maybe more comfortable but I think the gun shape would be more easily made out. The roundness and bulk may actually break up the gun shape and nkt give itself away.

Std 38 special and 380 acp are what I would consider equal in terms of power. Wider gap with +p fir sure. But most people dont like the snap or are able to get great follow up shots with 38+p.

357 with less than 3” or 4” barrel just gains recoil with not an associated additional gain in power and further worsens follow up shot accuracy. Most of the extra powder is burned beyond the end of the barrel which is of no help to power.

Also if shooting from inside a coat pocket etc is a consideration, that too would be a benefit to the hammeless revolver. As a 42 or any semi auto the slide can get caught up in the fabric and jam.

I sold my 42, but I do find a Ruger LCP is much easier to pocket carry than a j frame for me. The 42 was a bit easier as well, but not as much as the smaller LCP.

I have both.

I'm not a Glock fan at all, but the G42 might be the last Glock I sell. It's kind of the perfect 380 IMO. That said, it lives in the safe.

While the G42 is flatter, I think the actual difference between the two will be minimal, and you sacrifice the ultimate reliability of a revolver.

If I carry a 380, it's my Bodyguard which is significantly smaller than both a G42 and a J frame. But 99% of the time I carry a J frame or my Taurus 445.

One thing to consider that may or may not be an important consideration, and I'm assuming, of course, that a pocket holster is a given: comfortable carry in the pocket is one thing, and a comfortable draw from the pocket is another. In my hands (and pockets) the cylinder of the J-frame provides just the right amount of offset to get both a fast and secure purchase on the stocks. Truthfully, I haven't tried it, but just imagining hurriedly clawing the much flatter Glock 42 out of my pocket with that light, short trigger kind of gives me the heebie jeebies. A J-Frame in the pocket, just feels right to me. So far, I haven't seen anything that would tempt me to change. But I'm pig-headed and set in my ways.

The Glock 42 lends it's self to a billfold type holster really well. I prefer the rear pocket carry. If carried in a front pocket I do not think there would be much difference. I would carry a Body Guard type J or a 642 in a front pocket without a holster. If I pocket carry a Glock it's going to have some type of pocket holster covering it or I won't carry it. Just too easy under stress to get ahold of a Glock trigger and get a discharge accidently IMO.

I carry a Glock 42 most days, its my favorite carry pistol. My shorts are cargo shorts 365 days a year here in south Florida, so that works for me. If you wear dress slacks, I don't really think the Glock 42 will work for you. It has a squarish shape that is not conducive to pocket carry, in smaller pockets, in my opinion.

The holsters pictured are very thin kydex pocket holsters by Aholster.

The j-frame holster pictured is called their backbone holster, which is very thin around the cylinder as it removes the holster material from the cylinder area, making for a very slim concealed carry. This could be an option for your "thick" j-frame carry issues.

As you can see, the Ruger LCP is much smaller than the Glock 42, and likely a better carry option if the Glock 42 doesn't fit your dress slacks.

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I own the 340PD and LCP and the .380 carried better/easier b/c it is smaller and lighter. That said the LCP’s mag kept popping out when in my pocket holster so it went back into the safe. It should come down to which one you shoot best under simulated combat conditions.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

I own J Frames, old style LCP and G42. LCP is probably the easiest for pocket carry. I have no problems with the mag popping out.

That said, I carry the J frame (Bobbed hammer 637) most often. It is an old friend that I trust. A good pocket holster really helps. I like the Safariland Model 25 Holster.

I wouldn't carry any Glock in my pocket ( unless with an empty chamber). I'm not ready to be a castrated soprano

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John

I wouldn't either... unless it was in a holster.

Done it for 15 years, perfectly safe in a pocket holster. Nothing else goes in the pocket, just the gun and holster.

Look at the Aholster holsters I pictured above. He covers the magazine release with kydex, so its impossible to eject the magazine when its in your pocket. You could literally put 150 to 200 pounds of pressure on the kydex over the magazine release, and it will NOT release the magazine. Its a fantastic design. This assumes your magazine release is functioning perfect. I have inspected several LCP pistols that had defective magazine releases, that would eject magazines with a simple yank of the mag without pushing the button.

I had an Alabama pocket holster for another gun, and he does not cover the magazine button with kydex, so that gun was constantly ejecting the magazine in my pocket. I emailed him, told him about his defective holster and how to improve it by covering the magazine release with kydex, and he told me his design was sound and I was mistaken. Well no, Mr. Alabama, your holsters are not sound and the the cheaper Aholster pocket is of the most superior pocket design I have yet found.

See the attached pictures, the magazine button is completely covered, and cant be pressed, so no mags ejecting into the pocket.

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I wouldn't carry any gun in my pocket unless it's in a holster. There's no reason to not use a holster when cheap pocket holsters that cover the trigger can be had for $5-$10.

I've got a Kydex pocket holster for my LCP. I love Kydex pocket holsters, they are thin, lightweight, last forever, not very expensive, don't react to sweat, trigger protection is unparalleled. I really need to get off my butt and buy one for my j frame.

I’ve been carrying a lightweight J-Frame in my pants pockets since 2004. A second gun has been in my waist 99% of the time. When I buy pants. The J-Frame and pocket holster are tried for size. If the gun and holster don’t fit the pocket, I don’t buy the Pants. I can carry my 442 and pocket holster in every pair of pants I wear.

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Two Handguns every day

Pocket carry is my default method of carry. I have a Kahr CM9. It has been dead nuts reliable but I can draw much faster from the pocket with a Model 649. I have spent a small fortune on pocket holsters for the CM9 but for me the results stand. That factor and the ECQ advantages of the 649 means the CM9 sits in the safe. "Five for sure right now" is really important to me.

I post this foto with some trepidation because, usually, any mention of using a safety device on a Glock brings out the "you don't know what you're doing / you haven't trained enough" crew. With that out of the way, I really like the safe-t-blok doohickey for my Glocks. It is way over-priced - $17-ish - but they are pretty well made. And, they have a little adjustment screw on them to tighten up the fit between frame sizes. It doesn't even take a half-second to push it out with my trigger finger. It gives me peace of mind when I carry this G42 - nothing is 100% fool-proof but I like to use it...

Back on-topic - they're both good for pocket carry - just Depends , to me, what I'm wearing that day ...

I had several Glocks over the years. Got rid of them all. I would never pocket carry one. As we saw a few months back with the drunken, dancing, FBI agent. Too easy to touch off IMO.

The Model 60 is an extremely easy gun to conceal; however, I've never carried it in pants pockets. I have carried it just about every way possible.

Were I going to buy a new self-defense handgun, I'd give a very, very long look at Performance Center 1911 3" 9MM.

I own an EMP 3 9MM that has replaced my Model 60 as my primary carry weapon that I don't carry ;-) I know. I'm complacent. Anyway, the EMP 3 is actually smaller albeit heavier than my Model 60. It holds twice as many rounds.

I'm very satisfied with my EMP. However, I ain't yet experienced a single problem with ANY S&W semi I've fired.

This is my opinion & only my opinion: I like vertical too much to trust that angle to a .380. I'm good with others who do. Self-defense is personal with individualistic parameters. What's right for me might be all wrong for another. Anyway, it's one reason I'd look long & hard at the PC 1911 3" 9MM.

I don't like Glocks, personal preferance, but, ALL guns are designed to FIRE WHEN THE TRIGGER IS PULLED.

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Certified Curmudgeon

OP I weigh less than your 140 lbs and I carried a dehorned S&W mod 37
in the front pocket of my 31" waist Levis for several years. I never got
used to the bulk of the cyl and it always felt uncomfortable against my
thigh. I have a G42, G43 and a Ruger LCP and any of them are more
comfortable in my pocket than the 37 but the 43 does seem a bit
heavy sometimes. Most of the time these days I carry the LCP because
I don't really expect trouble where I go. But between the G42 or the 37
the G42 is an easy choice. The 37 is light and handy to have with me
at home but I doubt I will ever use it for CC in public again. I use a
cheap thin pocket holster and have zero fear about pocket carrying a
Glock.

I prefer my G42 to my 442. I get two extra rounds in the pistol (6+1). The sights and trigger are better. The recoil is lower and I'm more accurate with it- especially in strong hand only rapid fire. The G42 is about an oz heavier but also thinner. Reloading is faster and the spare magazine is easy to carry.

I use Hornady XTP JHPs and a Uncle Mike's #4 pocket holster.

YouTube

Ammo Quest: Hornady Custom .380 ACP test in Taurus TCP 738 and ClearBallistics gelatin

I sold my 42 because it was a big larger than I wanted. I find a Ruger LCP much easier to pocket carry for me than a j frame. In jeans, a J frame stands out like a big lump, but the flat LCP pretty much blends in.

It may be that this is so obvious that it's not worth mentioning, but I'll do it anyway! There are a lot of folks who say they pocket carry, but seldom do we who read that have a clue about the size and shape of those pockets or the same for that person! And that does make a big difference! As does the type of britches that are worn! Some jeans, for example, have a fairly large sized pocket that is maybe deeper and wider than others. Some jeans are relaxed fit and some fit more like my Wrangler jeans (pretty snug). It also makes a big difference who is wearing any of this stuff and whether or not they are a husky shape or a slim size.

Most of my life, the legs of my Wranglers were snug enough around my thighs that if I had a quarter in the pocket, you could see from the outside whether or not that coin was heads or tails in my pocket. If I had a pocket knife in my pockets, there was no question about it, and in time, my pocket would have the shape of that knife in a sort of white outline and you could see it even if no knife was present ... like the ring of a snuff can. Even today, when my Wranglers are not so tight on my old body, I don't do much pocket carrying in them. On the other hand, I have some Duluth cargo pants made of stretchy Firehose material in which I can carry a J Frame in a pocket holster just fine. And those pockets are deep enough so that the grip of the revolver is well below the opening of the pocket. Yeah, there is a lump there, and that lump will be more or less evident with any pocket carry at times.

Another issue is the shape of the bottom of the pocket, which will dictate what pocket holster fits the pocket best. On top of that, maybe you can carry in that pocket pretty well, but can you reach inside that pocket and get a grip on that gun to draw it in readiness to fire it without readjusting it in your hand?

None of these questions are normally addressed when we hear or read someone say they pocket carry regularly. I always wish I could see that person doing so in person! Some of my life involved a time when I had some excess flesh hanging out over my belt line, and that really complicated IWB holster carry ! Each of us has different requirements for anything that resembles comfortable carry of a firearm that also allows for anything like quick and safe acquisition of that firearm for serious social encounters! So what I can do or you can do does not mean that it's a good idea for others. We all have to try things to see if they work for us!

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So long ... Ken

I have had both and still have the j frames for all of my lite weather carry needs. I am very happy with the 38 round in the package of the j frame. I think the j frame lends itself very well for pocket carry, be it a coat or pants, cargo pocket. In the end it is going to be what fits your needs and it is hard for any of us to tell you how anything would work better or worse for you. I wish i could save you time and money but only way to see is try them out for yourself. Goodluck

I'll amend my post. I wouldn't carry any Glock in my pocket, with or without a holster. IMHO ( I own a 17 & 19), they are a wonderful tool for their intended purpose, but the Glock firing mechanism is not safe where it can be jiggled, joggled, bumped, or handled inside your pocket

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John

G42 vs J Frame
which gun provides the highest level of proficiency for you?
which gun provides the greatest amount of confidence for you?

there's your answer

Are you sure about this? I remember when the G17 first was
offered for sale in the US and there was a lot of concern about
the safety of Glocks when bumped or dropped. One of the
things that Glock reps did to demonstrate the safety of the
firing mechanism if bumped or dropped was to toss loaded
Glocks onto concrete parking lots from helicopters to prove
they wouldn't fire accidentally. If you get"jiggled,joggled or
bumped" hard enough to fire your Glock in your pocket
you're hanging out in the wrong places.

i have personally owned both, and carried both in a pocket holster. my 442-1 wins for me. even though the 42 is slim, i found it more difficult to draw from the pocket. the rear of the slide would hang up inside my pokets. the rounded profile of any centennial j frame seems to work better for me. i have larger hands, and found the hogue g-10 grip is the best grip for me.

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why? why not?

I can't imagine a scenario where a G!ock in a proper holster that completely covers the trigger guard, would fire by being bumped or jostled inside of a pocket.
Pocket carry has it's down sides but as far as safety goes, I consider it one of the safest forms of carry (if done following the basic safety rules, ie; holstered, no other items in that pocket).I
Drawing the handgun from the pocket is probably the least safe thing about pocket carry, but if you have to draw your gun in self defense you've got bigger issues going on. Other than that, the gun is holstered when you put it in the pocket, it's holstered while in the pocket and it's holstered when pulling it out of the pocket.

Pockets are also available in jackets ..... and a Snub with an enclosed hammer is most likely to grant a second shot or more.
The HS D101 Derringer still has its use as a reliable double!
Try it.

You have a misunderstanding of the Glock firing mechanism . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

I ccw a Glock M42 in a Desanta pocket holster (right front pocket) as a "Backup/Second gun". Takes up very little room or bulk. Sometimes depending on dress mode it is a "Primary". I practice facial and crotch shots up to 21 feet. At 50 feet all shots in the kill area of a B-27 target.
Flawless function if kept lub the first 100 rounds.
I use Perfecta .380 FMJ ammo

After shooting a friend's G19 accurately, I rented a Glock 42. I shot 50 rounds, and couldn't shoot it accurately, no matter what I tried, even at 10 yards. (And I never shoot at less than 15 yards.) I've rented lots of pistols, and the 42 was the only one that I couldn't improve with as I shot. Thus, my suggestion for you is to find a SIG P250 subcompact in .380. I own one of those, and it has many advantages over the 42. It is only slightly larger than the 42, but it carries 12+1 rounds. It is way more accurate, and it has a super-smooth double action only trigger. That should make for a much easier and safer transition from your J-frame. The only downside is that SIG has stopped making them, but I'm sure that there are a few new ones or some good used ones out there to be found. Good Luck!

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What, me worry?

42 inaccurate? What is acceptable accuracy? A few groups at a bit more
than seven yards sitting in a lawn chair resting the gun on my knee.

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Been there done that went back to the J frame.

I've pocket-carried J-frames for twenty years. I would never consider carrying one of them, much less any striker-fired autoloader, in a pocket without a holster.

Having said that, however, I use the holster to hold the DAO revolver positioned for the draw and to keep pocket lint and crud away from the trigger. It also helps break up the outline of the gun. I don't worry at all about an accidental or negligent discharge on the draw because of the heavier trigger pull. Firing a DAO J-frame requires a definite decision, which is how I like it.

As to concealability, I don't think anyone but cops and bad guys pays attention to what I have in my front pocket. I don't worry about the LEO's, and noticing it might have a salutary effect on a bad guy. I've never, thank God, had to draw my gun; but on three occasions, casually sliding my hand into the right front pocket has caused someone to make a decision to be elsewhere pretty soon.

I'll stick with my J-frame EDC in a good pocket holster, usually a DeSantis Nemesis.

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Oh well, what the hell.

I have a J-frame airweight that I thought would be too bulky for pocket carry (as compared to a Colt pocketlite 380, and a Double Tap 9mm.deringer. The J-frame's rounded, "organic" shape make it less noticeable considering my skinny build.

I will take the j-frame. I guess because of the revolver butt shape it is easier for me to draw it out of my pocket than the semi auto.

For me, a hammerless Airweight J-frame is strictly a pocket revolver. With a leather pocket holster it stays properly oriented in the pocket to be grasped for a draw if needed. The lack of square corners enable it to be drawn smoothly as opposed to my G27 which was much heavier and blocky. I have little experience with the “slimline” Glocks, finding them somewhat more difficult to manipulate than the G26/27 guns.

My experience with my 649 and glock 26 is the same as Kframerbluvr. I wouldn't mind trying a single stack glock, but I don't think they will clear the pocket as smoothly as a J frame.

There's something about the rounded shape of a revolver that lends it well to pocket carry. On paper it may be a little longer or a little thicker or a little heavier than a single stack 9 but for some reason a j frame still seems easier get a purchase on and draw from the pocket. To find a semi that carries and draws as easy from the pocket you would have to go down in size to one of the small 380s. For pocket carry, that's not an unreasonable step if you think you need a couple more rounds.

Don't have an alloy J-frame or a 42. I do have several steel Js, including a 640, and a 43. The 43 conceals better than my G26 or M&P9c, but I believe the overall profile of the J-frames conceals a lot better. The downside of the revolver is that the quickest method of reload, i.e. speedloaders, do not lend themselves to easy concealment. I also find that its easier to carry my 640 appendix style than even the 43 - and that is with a holster designed for AIWB. You really have to play around with the guns and holsters to find what works best for you.

It seems to me that carrying in the front pockets of a jacket in cool weather or in the pocket of a "shoot me first" vest in warmer weather is an option to consider. Outside of a few times under a Tux I have never worn a vest, but, I have been thinking of getting one suitable to carry in. Seems natural to put your hands into the front "handwarmer pockets", in an "iffy" place get a grip on your handgun. I may give it a try this winter and follow up with a light weight version for warmer weather.
Have any of you tried it? How about some feedback?
Thanks Steve W

I used to carry my dehorned S&W md 37 in the pocket of a hooded
jacket and the gun naturally would always lay upside down and butt
forward in the rounded bottom pocket. I found that it was impossible to
draw it quickly because there just wasn't enough room in the pocket for
me to grasp the butt and turn the gun over easily. Had to give up that
mode of carry.

They have a cure for that - a pocket holster!

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Tony

I use a pocket holster when I carry a gun in the front pocket of
my jeans but there is a big difference between a jeans pocket
and the handwarmer pockets of a light jacket. Try drawing a
gun from the snug side pocket of an unzipped jacket with or
without a holster and see what happens. You'll draw the jacket,
not the gun unless you use both hands.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on that, a properly fitted holster will release the gun as you draw it. If your j holster is that tight, and doesn't grip the pocket lining, you need a different type of pocket holster for that pocket.


Have you tried a fabric/composite type holster such as a Sticky, Uncle Mike's or one of Mika's designs?

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Tony