Front pocket carry the best?

When I carry, I carry in the front pants pocket in the summer and in a jacket or coat when it's chilly or cold and I'm not at a social event. I prefer DAO hammer-fired pistols for pocket carry, round in the chamber. My current carry pistols are Beretta Pico (by far most of the time) and a Keltec P32 (skimpy clothes in highest heat). Previous to the Pico, I carried a Colt Pony (DAO version of the Mustang). With jacket pocket carry, my right hand is in the pocket ready to draw. Pants pocket carry is done with thumb hooked on pocket. I've practiced extensively with each.

To me the least practical pocket carry method is with no round in the chamber. A friend kept telling me that this was the safest way and that he could draw and rack the slide in the same motion. So one day I handed him a shopping bag with a pound weight in it. I told him the weight was eggs and to draw and rack (pistol was not loaded, we verified that several times) while holding the bag in his left hand. The resulting juggling efforts were amusing, and the point went home that by the time he had the pistol ready to fire he would already be dead. In fact, the eggs statement should have been a non issue- drop the damn eggs and get ready. Human nature being what it is, however...
 
With jacket pocket carry, my right hand is in the pocket ready to draw. Pants pocket carry is done with thumb hooked on pocket.
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We can do that some of the time.

It is difficult to refuel a car, pay for the fuel, open a car door, open the door to a building, select products from store shelves, put bags into an automobile, or to do a lot of other things while keeping one's hand that way.

It is really not a very natural position.

Even in a real close quarters violent encounter, you will likely not want to be keeping one hand out of action.

See this.
 
It is difficult to refuel a car, pay for the fuel, open a car door, open the door to a building, select products from store shelves, put bags into an automobile, or to do a lot of other things while keeping one's hand that way.
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:confused::confused:
Do you seriously always use both hands to squeeze the gas pump, swipe your credit card, open the car door or the door to a building?
And if something is heavy enough that it requires both of my hands to pick it up or put it in the truck I'll have plenty of time to draw while mr BG is trying to catch whatever it is I've got in my hands.
 
Do you seriously always use both hands to squeeze the gas pump, swipe your credit card, open the car door or the door to a building?
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Of course not, but I really do like to have one free, and one arm available for balance.

I do require two hands to get out my wallet and take out the card convenieiently.

And if something is heavy enough that it requires both of my hands to pick it up or put it in the truck I'll have plenty of time to draw while mr BG is trying to catch whatever it is I've got in my hands.
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I suggest that you avail yourself of some quality training.
 
Nicely veiled ad hominem attack there
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Not intended. My point was that to believe that throwing a package at a bad guy in the hope that he will take the time to catch it is not a valid strategy, and that some of the things that one will be shown in a good defensive training course will be valuable.

Pocket carry has its advantages under some circumstances.

In a Personal Defense TV episode some years back, Massad Ayoob showed how to use it in a situation in which one had to walk close to someone who did not look safe. IIRC, he fired from a jacket pocket.

In the scenario shown in the Rob Pincus clip I posted above, it appears that pocket carry would not serve a defender well.

I like the idea of having a revolver in a left-hand vest pocket in case someone violent and uninvited pops into the car after the driver lets someone out or in.
 
My point was that to believe that throwing a package at a bad guy in the hope that he will take the time to catch it is not a valid strategy, and that some of the things that one will be shown in a good defensive training course will be valuable.
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Oh let's see how taking stuff way out of context works.
"here wait a second while I put this bag down and show you my super fast draw from IWB"
Yep that'd be some good trainin'


ETA he doesn't need to actually catch it in his hand to "catch it" ;)
 
Oh let's see how taking stuff way out of context works.
"here wait a second while I put this bag down and show you my super fast draw from IWB"
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The statement was made that one can draw quickly from a jacket pocket with one's hand in it, or from a pants pocket with a thumb hooked in the pocket. I would agree.

The question is whether one can draw more quickly from concealment, OWB or IWB, than from a pocket without first having a hand in that pocket, which may often not be practical.

For me, and I suppose for most, the answer is yes.

And the next question is whether one can draw sufficiently quickly from a pocket under such circumstances.

I carried in a pants pocket for some time. That was before I took any training that involved drawing quickly from a holster.

It was also before I had really thought about how to draw while sitting.
 
It was also before I had really thought about how to draw while sitting.
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I get it your looking for excuses not solutions but it's quite simple you ask for a booth and when you sit down you slip gun and holster out of your pocket and under your leg, I do the same in a car.
 
I get it your looking for excuses not solutions....
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Not at all. Just looking at the practicalities.

....but it's quite simple you ask for a booth and when you sit down you slip gun and holster out of your pocket and under your leg,...
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Seriously? That sounds outlandish to me, and risky.

... I do the same in a car.
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I've done that once or twice when the situation got really iffy.

Stopped, of course. Not gonna drive with an unsecured firearm.
 
I confess that I don't have hand on pistol in pocket when I am in the store. I also figure that in the supermarket a robber is more likely to go for the cash registers than after me in the aisle. Similarly, I find it more likely that a robber in a drug store is more likely to be going for drugs behind the pharmacy counter rather than for my wallet. In most situations it's better to escape than defend if possible.
The parking lot, on the other hand is a more likely spot for robbers to wait. That's when my hand is on the pistol. I do not need my keys to open the door or the hatch; a rub with the back of my hand will open either as long as the key is in my pocket (not the same one as the pistol). Keyless unlock/keyless go is a handy set of options.
I think that ultimately situational awareness is more critical than type of carry (up to a point). This includes going back in the store if you see guys hanging around the lot near your car or ending the fuel fill early and leaving if a carload of guys whooping it up pulls into the gas station (or some other situation that should create some suspicion if you're keeping your eyes open). If someone farther away starts moving toward you, or if a car starts racing up the aisle where you're parked, get in your car and drive; leave them the eggs if you have to.
 
Keeping one hand in your pocket is a pretty clear sign there is a weapon there, especially when that person is obvious about watching his surroundings. It's not something a lot of people do naturally unless they're standing still or nervous, at least in my observation.

If I was going to pocket carry I'd most likely keep my hands free until I became aware of a potentially dangerous situation.
 
The issue with firing from a jacket pocket is there is a good chance of jamming the gun. It would obviously be point shooting so hopefully your target is very close and there are not a lot of innocent bystanders. The other thing to consider is that very few people carry a gun without any type of holster. That said, you would still need to get the gun out of the holster.

When it is all said and done, if that is the only way you can carry a gun comfortably and consistently, it is far better than not carrying a gun at all.
 
Most of the time I carry a DAO pistol in my front pocket while at work, anytime out of work I carry at the 3 or 4 o clock position.

I carry my gun in this pocket position because I need max concealment at my work, I don't care if its not the fastest or its not being taught by some training tactics school, I do what I need to do to carry a gun for protection. That is priority number 1, it is a lot better than a "hey I don't have a gun under here vest" and better than not having one at all. :rolleyes:

Just do what works best for YOU and remember the advice you get on the internet is worth every penny you paid for it. Do what works best for you!
 
gun or no gun, I frequently have my hand in my pocket - to keep it warm if nothing else. Many people keep their hands in pockets.

I always have a pocket-carried pistol in a pocket holster. The pocket holsters that I use always have a tacky side so that the holster stays in the pocket if the pistol is drawn. For those whose pockets are too slick for the tacky stuff on the holster, glue a small Velcro strip to the holster and sew or iron on the counter strip in the pocket.
 
gun or no gun, I frequently have my hand in my pocket - to keep it warm if nothing else. Many people keep their hands in pockets.
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Those who study body language have a number of opinions on that. One common belief is that having one's hands in one's pockets indicates a lack of confidence. That is not what one wants to show what one is out and about.

For me, a bigger disadvantage is the impairment of balance. Better to have both hands available to help manage body dynamics. And to catch one in a fall, for that matter.

I always have a pocket-carried pistol in a pocket holster. The pocket holsters that I use always have a tacky side so that the holster stays in the pocket if the pistol is drawn. For those whose pockets are too slick for the tacky stuff on the holster, glue a small Velcro strip to the holster and sew or iron on the counter strip in the pocket.
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That's the way to do it, for those who choose pocket carry.
 
One common belief is that having one's hands in one's pockets indicates a lack of confidence. That is not what one wants to show what one is out and about.
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And yet you readily admit the reason you don't is that you don't have confidence in your balance.:rolleyes:
 
At the risk of starting another caliber war, a lot pocket guns have gone up to 9mm including Kahr, Glock, and Ruger (among many others). We are not talking about mouse guns chambered in .22 LR or .25 acp. Some feel comfortable with .380 acp which is borderline in my book. While Glen posted some interesting links, the main thing is to carry what you can based on your circumstances. I would love to have an assault rifle if I got attacked, but unless I am at home, that is highly unlikely. I do carry 2 spare mags most of the time so my total round count goes up to 21 rounds. I practice reloads, so I'm not that slow should I need more than the 7 rounds in the gun.
 
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