Considering a pocket revolver -- but do they actually fit in pockets???

[Cheapshooter]

If you are talking pants.
Same as "pocket" autos. Some pockets yes, some no. Of course my LCP disappears in most any pocket, and is easy to draw. The size of my Kahr CM9 is more in line with my LCR, and only works well in some pockets as does the plastic Ruger 38 Spcl.
Most often the LCP is put to use as a pocket revolver in a Winter coat pocket during the colder months.

[ifithitu]

I PC my S&W 442-2 & 638-3 .38 SPL+P all the time when i'm not CC'ing.

[OhioGuy]

Originally Posted by USNRet93

I owned a 642 and it's a little shorter than that BUT, it's also lighter with a 'slimmer' cylinder..since its a 5 shot .380..also DAO..no no 'hammer' to be snagged.

Reason I sold the 642 was that is was NO FUN to shoot..the M380 is a breeze..fun, reliable and accurate little snubby...I use G9 defense ammo, very effective.

I had the chance to shoot a Ruger LCR today in .38 special, and dang, that little sucker really kicks!

That has Hogue rubber grips, so I imagine the stock Smith 642 with its exposed metal backstrap must be a truly miserable experience. So the .380 recoil must be much less. Of course the .380 from a pocket pistol is already pretty low in velocity, so from a snubbie barrel must be even less?

[Omaha-BeenGlockin]

I have a 642 in a cheapie Uncle Mikes pocket holster from Walmart ($2.50---yes $2.50) that works reasonably well in cargo shorts----make sure you wear a belt to hold your pants up.

[OhioGuy]

Well I came to learn that someone I already know has been looking to sell his 7 year old 442 (with Hogue grips installed) for a while. I'll go to the range sometime and shoot with him. Maybe I'll pick it up.

Even if I never end up carrying it, it gives me something new to do After watching YouTube it looks like it's no small effort to get good with reloading revolvers. I can reload a semi-auto in about 1.5 seconds (and have another 8-15 rounds ready to go -- not 5) so I think a revolver is gonna take some work.

Lucky Gunner is such a fun channel to watch!

[Carmady]

One advantage of revolvers is you don't have to run a couple of boxes of your carry ammo through them to make sure they'll feed.

If you get a chance to shoot the 442 you might want to take your Pico along so you can compare how they fit in your pocket. I can't imagine the Pico causing a problem that the 442 will cure, but you never know until you try. Stranger things have happened. Good luck.

[dahermit]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue711

Personally, I would make sure the revolver has a covered hammer. They look silly, but that hammer won't be snagging on any clothing as you draw it out.

Or, you could just bob the hammer spur or get a gun with a bobbed hammer.

[reteach]

Can't remember where I learned this, but with a revolver with an exposed hammer, when you draw from your pocket, put your thumb in the space under the hammer, on the back strap. That prevents the hammer snagging on your pocket. Once clear of the pocket it's simple to let your thumb drop over into your firing grip.

This will work with any gun you draw from your pocket. With your thumb in that position, you're reducing the width of the your grip, which makes it easier to get out of your pocket. Just takes some practice.

[jmr40]

I know some guys who carry full size 1911's in their front pocket. Not for me, but it has been done.

I believe in the KISS principle. Spend as much as you want, but the small neoprene holsters like this work IWB with guns like a G43, Ruger LC9s, or Sig 365 just fine. I've even gone as big as a G29. It is a little thick with the double stacks, but I can forget one of the smaller single stacks are there They hold the gun secure, and don't break the bank.


https://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Holste...A3DBPI3OGAZSQL

[KyJim]

This is the revolver I carry when I carry one in the pocket, which I don't do much anymore. The SW Model 38 with those small grips fits in almost all pants pockets. The unusual shape doesn't shout "gun!" especially in a pocket holster. In addition the small grips do not print very much. A t-grip would help with gripping it while not making it print any more. http://www.t-grips.com/

[MR.G]

S&W J frame in a good pocket holster, all day every day.

[1MoreFord]

It all depends on your revolver and your pockets. The only revolver I have that fits in most of my pockets is a NAA .22LR. However if you wear pants with big enough pockets you can carry K-Frames or larger.

[Buckeye!]

Charter Arms Aluminum framed 38Spl ... Mine weighs at 11.5 OZ

You can buy one DAO or buy a DAO hammer for $20 and in 5mins you have a DAO

[stormyone]

I agree with 44 AMP- a 642/442 is perfect for a coat or jacket gun.
A 442 works great (for me) as a pocket gun, but the Ruger LCP is unbeatable as a pants pocket gun.

[ZEBRARANGER]

I also have a 442 and occasionally carry it in a pocket holster, it works well for me even in jeans. I do wear relaxed fit jeans though, not skin tights.

[labnoti]

Originally Posted by reteach

Can't remember where I learned this, but with a revolver with an exposed hammer, when you draw from your pocket, put your thumb in the space under the hammer, on the back strap. That prevents the hammer snagging on your pocket. Once clear of the pocket it's simple to let your thumb drop over into your firing grip.

This will work with any gun you draw from your pocket. With your thumb in that position, you're reducing the width of the your grip, which makes it easier to get out of your pocket. Just takes some practice.

I'm not saying this doesn't work, but before adopting this practice I would check with a shot timer if it meets your goals. I would not argue that timers are the ultimate judge of any technique, but they are one way to take an objective measurement.

An alternative is to have a holster than includes the whole inside mouth of the pocket. If the hammer spur is sliding on leather or kydex all the way past the edge of the pocket, it's not going to snag. Of course, this also means that other concealment garments have to be clear.

[reteach]

check with a shot timer if it meets your goals.

I haven't done that, but I can say that drawing from a pocket is always going to be slower than drawing from a holster. Pocket carry is a compromise that allows me to carry a lot more than I would otherwise. I'm not looking for a quick draw, I'm just using the pocket so as to have a gun rather than leaving the gun at home.

a holster than includes the whole inside mouth of the pocket.

I like that idea. Do you have an example of such? The Mika holster doesn't do that, but it comes closer than anything I've tried. Again, can't remember where I saw this but I have read about someone who lined a pocket with leather to turn the whole pocket into a holster.

[Obambulate]

I've always felt that J-frames were a bit too big for most pockets. Many are also too heavy. I own one of the lightest J-frames, the 351C at 11.5 oz, but I usually carry the 8.5 oz and much smaller NAA Black Widow. It's Florida so clothes are lightweight and nobody wears jackets.

[lunger]

My friends keep telling me I have short arms and long pockets. Especially when the check arrives. Not sure how that relates to revolver carry.

I have never found one larger that the NAA Mini that I could conceal in a pants pocket. .The small autos LCP , Keltec Etc. just seam to work better for me.

[OhioGuy]

I'm still of mixed feelings on pocket carry. Even my Beretta Pico leaves a curiously large rectangle printing in my pocket, isn't that easy to get out quickly, and in many of my pants causes the pocket mouth to bow outward allowing a view down into the contents of the pocket.

I've practiced a lot with this little gun and it's still hard to shoot well, harder still to draw effectively and come out with a good grip. With a perfect grip on a pocket gun like this, your results might be pretty good. But the gun is so small that it is unforgiving of even a slightly off-kilter grip on the handle of the weapon. Where has a much larger gun may give you more room for error, a little pocket 380 seems more likely to almost flip out of your hand if you don't have good purchase.

one of the things that is currently drawing me to the idea of a revolver is that the grip seems to conceal much more effectively under a shirt even when tucked in, and the somewhat rounded and hooked shape of a revolver grip seems to lend itself better toward getting a good firing grip on the first try.

if most of my dress pants make it hard to conceal the Pico in a front pants pocket, then I don't imagine any J frame revolvers are going to conceal their either. so for deep concealment I may simply have to find a better method like one of those pouch deep concealment carry rigs? I think Smartcarry is a popular brand of that style.

anyway, did anybody here switch to a small revolver because they found the pocket 380s simply too difficult to draw and control well?

[Carmady]

Have you considered a tuckable IWB holster for your Pico?

[OhioGuy]

I have a tuckable Remora holster for it that doesn't always stay put that well. Holster with clips have...well, clips that seem obvious to me but maybe I'm overthinking it. It's still not easy for me to reliably get a fast grip on that gun from IWB

[2damnold4this]

I'd recommend trying a hammerless J frame with a wood grip that fits you in your pocket. If someone is looking hard, they will notice you have something in your pocket but it doesn't necessarily scream "gun".

[2damnold4this]

What type of clothing do you wear, OhioGuy?

[dahermit]

Originally Posted by reteach

Can't remember where I learned this, but with a revolver with an exposed hammer, when you draw from your pocket, put your thumb in the space under the hammer, on the back strap. That prevents the hammer snagging on your pocket. Once clear of the pocket it's simple to let your thumb drop over into your firing grip.

This will work with any gun you draw from your pocket. With your thumb in that position, you're reducing the width of the your grip, which makes it easier to get out of your pocket. Just takes some practice.

Being an elderly person who anticipates that any attack on me will be a physical attack in perhaps in a Walmart parking lot, I look forward to drawing my S&W M36 snubbie with my thumb thoughtfully placed over the hammer as I draw while being kicked as I am lying on the ground. Yup, that should work.
I don't know what went wrong...putting my thumb over the hammer spur worked so well in practice. Or, I can just bob the hammer spur and give up on the fantasy of needing a hammer on a defensive revolver. [IMG][/IMG] The pocket holster in the picture is a Bianchi...one of the least expensive pocket holsters, one of the best. I have been carrying such for many years...two of them, one for my S&W 36 (I bobbed it.), and one for my Taurus 65 (came already spurless from the factory).