Is Pocket Carry Fast Enough

[Bald1]

I don't know about the Clantons but me with my gun in my pocket and my hand on my gun, 3 fingers and thumb on the grip and one finger on the trigger is going to be difficult to beat. Larry

Larry, someone is going to scold u for the finger on the trigger comment. LOL but most of us know what your saying lol

 

[Ingramite]

Drawing against an already drawn weapon is not the place you want to be in.

I guess a notable exception in the favor of pocket carry would be a jacket or vest. In that situation a shot fired from the pocket might just prevail.

 

[majick47]

Like any other carry method you have to put some thought into it when choosing the pistol/revolver, holster, pants/belt and pocket. Add to that the build of the person and how appropriate is the clothing for the occasion/climate. Inconspicuous is the keyword.

 

[BB57]

Pocket carry is fine, for people who carry but rarely shoot.

At best pocket carry limits you to what is more often than not a marginal sized pocket carry gun, usually in a marginal caliber.

Don't get me wrong, I like pocket carry. I like it so much I sometimes pocket carry a back up.

But my primary will always be a more capable gun in a more capable caliber carried IWB, OWB, or in some rare circumstances in a shoulder holster.

It will also be a gun that gets shot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

For example a friend showed me his LCP a couple years ago.
- It had the greenest ammo I'd ever seen and he admitted he hadn't shot any carry ammo in years.

- He also admitted he hadn't shot his LCP (or any other handgun in months, and

- when he does it's usually less than 50 rounds of range ammo.

——-

Way too many people get wrapped around the axel about what handgun or ammo to carry and what to carry it in, while ignoring the much more important issues of becoming and remaining proficient with it, so that they can actually hit an assailant if they are ever faced with an imminent threat.

When you choose a small pocket sized handgun in a marginal caliber you greatly increase the need for precise bullet placement. Shooting once or twice a year isn't going to cut it with a full sized handgun and it's not nearly enough for a pocket sized handgun.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

...Does pocket carry slow down the draw and by how much?...

With more practice, you would know the answer to that question. The old saying is, "Train the way you fight."

 

[oldiegoldie]

My P365 in a DeSantis Nemises pocket holster has been my edc method for many years now. I still do use a Kramer OWB holster, however since I've moved and the weather dictates shorts and a T shirt most of the time, pocket carry is my prime method.

One great advantage of pocket carry is that if trouble looms, you can put your hand on the pistol and be ready without being conspicuous, so I'm some instances pocket carry can be an advantage. The biggest disadvantage is while sitting down and if driving. But hey, for standing walking and casual dressing it can be fantastic and relatively fast/practice is essential with any carry method! IMHO there is really no perfect 100% of the time best carry method if carrying concealed.

my choice of pistols are a little different, but i'm in the same camp as Chief. i pocket carry 6-7 months of the year and in cool months an OWB Wright Predator holster with a 9mm of various manufacturers. this is a law abiding area with very little violent crime. that said, i'm always armed.

 

[crstrode]

Pocket carry isn't fast enough for walking down the street to the OK Corral and shooting it out with the Clantons ... for that you want...

A full-auto high-capacity assault rifle locked and loaded - with a grenade launcher and flame thrower for backup.

 

[crstrode]

Depends on the pants.

This assumes you are wearing pants

 

[Old cop]

The real advantage of pocket carry is being able to stage your gun w/a firing grip w/o alarming anyone. Cooler weather provides the additional advantage of jacket pocket carry & the ability to shoot your J Frame through the pocket should it become necessary.

 

[hyena]

Pocket carry isn't fast enough for walking down the street to the OK Corral and shooting it out with the Clantons ... for that you want...
" Open Carry " and a fast draw holster and belt .

There is a lot to be said for "Legal Open Carry " and getting in a shootout with the bad guys .
I'm lucky ...Louisiana has always been a legal Open Carry state for law abiding citizens ... no permits required !
Gary

Not being a police officer, if I knew the Clantons were waiting for me down at the OK Corral I would just stay away from it.

I carry every time I step out of the house, and it's been months since I carried other than in my pocket. I'm comfortable with it. And it's limitations.

 

[Echo40]

I've never had to draw my LCP in a hurry, but I honestly cannot imagine that the time it takes to reach into my pocket and draw it would be excessive, and the very thought that it might be to slow just seems to border on paranoia.

If anything, I would imagine that drawing from a pocket might very well be the smoothest, fastests, most instinctive, intuitive method of drawing a gun imaginable.
Honestly, we all have to reach into our pockets to draw out things of all different shapes and sizes on a daily basis. Wallets, Keys, Phones, you name it.
I dunno about you, but I've never fumbled having to pull my phone out of my pocket quickly to answer a call, and my phone is a lot less ergonomic and easy to grip than my LCP, so I'm not the least bit worried about having to draw my LCP from my pocket in a hurry.

 

[WR Moore]

I'm puzzled by no one mentioning the whopping drawback to pocket carry: getting the gun out if you're seated. OK, there might be some pants out there somewhere with pockets big enough, I'm talking about regular pockets-and not having to look like you're scratching it where it itches while doing so.

Now, if you're been paying attention but haven't had the time/smarts to leave the scene before festivities begin, I suggest you get both your hands in your pockets and try to look more clueless than you are.

 

[max503]

Good thread.

This can be 1) carried deep in a pocket, 2) clipped to the upper hem of the pocket with the grip sticking out, or 3) shot right through the pocket.

I like having options.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

Opinions are like............What works for one may not work for the other. Since 1996 I've pocket carried a 642 or 9mm Shield......I'm NOT worried about fast draw.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I only pocket carry. I am comfortable, confident and proficient with it. I have tried IWB and OWB and they are not for me.

I believe that if I am actually going to present my gun then the threat has probably already materialized and I am most likely playing catch up or my Spidey Sense tingled and I had already crept my hand into my pocket.

I don't dwell on 'hypothetical quick draw' scenarios. Just being armed puts me ahead of the curve.

 

[Onomea]

...At best pocket carry limits you to what is more often than not a marginal sized pocket carry gun, usually in a marginal caliber...

Well, when I do pocket carry, say for a quick run to the supermarket or a visit to the doc so I want to be able to take the gun off easily and leave it in the car, I more often than not carry a 640-1 in a Kramer or Mika pocket holster. Don't think I'd call either the gun or the caliber marginal..

 

[smoothshooter]

We walk 2 miles a day and 1/4 mile is on a busy road with enough questionable people driving on it. True, some pockets on the Levi shorts are slightly tighter. If the gun is needed i would not have time to have my hand in the pocket before pulling it out.

When traveling in the car the gun is propped with grip up between the seat track and the counsel, easily grabbed. Or it's on the counsel top in the front. No pocket carry here.

I feel the pocket carry is a little slower but not knowing what situation will develop there may be more then enough time. Better then nothing!

Lot of great replies so far, I like the different angles we all see on the question. The gun I decide to carry is with me 24-7, Larry

For CCW, if a gun won't fit in my pocket, I 'ain't carryin' it. Period.
If I am out in the woods, or fishing, working outside around my place or someone else's place and someone seeing me with a gun is not an issue ( no one around, or nobody cares ) then I may use a regular holster.

 

[smoothshooter]

Pocket carry is fine, for people who carry but rarely shoot.

At best pocket carry limits you to what is more often than not a marginal sized pocket carry gun, usually in a marginal caliber.

Don't get me wrong, I like pocket carry. I like it so much I sometimes pocket carry a back up.

But my primary will always be a more capable gun in a more capable caliber carried IWB, OWB, or in some rare circumstances in a shoulder holster.

It will also be a gun that gets shot on a regular basis to maintain proficiency.

For example a friend showed me his LCP a couple years ago.
- It had the greenest ammo I'd ever seen and he admitted he hadn't shot any carry ammo in years.

- He also admitted he hadn't shot his LCP (or any other handgun in months, and

- when he does it's usually less than 50 rounds of range ammo.

——-

Way too many people get wrapped around the axel about what handgun or ammo to carry and what to carry it in, while ignoring the much more important issues of becoming and remaining proficient with it, so that they can actually hit an assailant if they are ever faced with an imminent threat.

When you choose a small pocket sized handgun in a marginal caliber you greatly increase the need for precise bullet placement. Shooting once or twice a year isn't going to cut it with a full sized handgun and it's not nearly enough for a pocket sized handgun.

Nobody wants to be shot with even a marginal caliber.

 

[majick47]

Depends on the threat level, where you live work and travel. Around the clock violent crime large urban city or a quiet small suburban town where everyone is asleep by 9pm.

 

[Kanewpadle]

I would say, 'it depends".

I have pocket carried year round for years. My level of situational awareness is above average because of where I live. So pocket carry is to my advantage.

When the situation dictates I can have my hand on the gun whether it's in my jacket pocket or pants pocket. My draw is extremely quick.

The only time when my draw is slower is when I'm seated. But there are ways around that too.