Is a revolver REALLY the only choice for a 'pocket gun'

M

MikeGoob

New member
As in, a gun that may need to be fired from a coat pocket?
As the weather gets cold and we put on those big heavy coats with big pockets, its understandable that we may keep a gun in our coat pocket and be expected to shoot from the pocket if jumped by someone.

I've seen the 'shoot from the pocket tests' online (theboxotruth.com) and it seems all the semi autos get the slide caught up in the pocket liner after the first shot. Is a revolver really the only choice for this application?
 
A derringer would also work.

Seriously, moving parts with sharp edges get snagged in cloth. Revolver hammers are at risk as well, but since they are smaller, they are a little less likely to snag.

Until someone comes up with an auto completely enclosed in a housing all the time, a revolver seems a better choice if you have to shoot through a pocket.
 
I had forgotton about the derringer types.

I think I remember there are some top-break open type revolvers (single shot?) that shoot rimmed cartridge calibers. .45 ACP 10mm etc...

might be interesting..
 
ive fired my keltec p32 from the pockets of a denim jacket. i was able to fire a full mag. it was not comfortable with a pile of hot brass around your hand, but it didnt interfere with the gun.

id imagine a coat with poofy lined pockets would cause some problems.
 
When it gets really cold on occasion I carry a spurless DOA RIA 206 .38 3" bbl in the pocket of my parka, just carry a speedloader in the other pocket.
 
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If you intend to fire from inside the pocket, a hammerless revolver would be the best choice. If you want to carry a mag-loaded pistol, I would suggest drawing before firing.
 
ain't it a little hard to aim, in the pocket? Just saying....you don't really know where that bullet is going, do you?
 
Well if you are firing from the pocket, it's most likely because your threat is right on top of you and you don't have time to draw. In which case, it should be hard to miss.
 
Not sure Id recommend it, but I read somewhere about a guy who keeps his pistol INSIDE his glove (mitten?) but of course without his finger on the trigger.

When you're out in the cold with layers of clothes on, its not like you can get to your belt holster in under 2 minutes in an emergency.
 
Another solution is to wear a topcoat with pocket slits, made so you can reach your pants pocket. But you can also reach a strong side holster or just keep the gun in your hand under the coat if you think there is immediate danger. You don't need to fire through the coat, just flip it aside. If it is cold enough for a topcoat, no one will wonder about you keeping your hands in your pockets.

Jim
 
My pocket gun is a semi auto. I carry it in my pants pocket. Needless to say I draw before firing as to the fact if I shot it in my pocket It would shoot me in the leg, or foot:eek:. It is a P-64 chambered in 9mm Makarov.

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As stated earlier on this thread, you could use a hammerless snubbie with 357 mag HP's, a round that will likely do the job. Another advantage of revolvers over semi's is that the casing stays in the gun. If you were ever in the position of not sticking around after the shooting, its a lot easier if you don't have to search for brass on the ground that might lead back to you.
 
I can envision situations such as a legal concealed carry license holder is passing through a place such as NYC and is confronted with a self defense event. Shots are fired, possibly no one hit but the event is ended. The shooter might want to exit the area without notifying authorities and facing a serious arrest charge merely for having the gun that saved them. I am not advocating criminal behavior, just recognizing that sometimes a good person can be caught in a bad situation.
 
A legal concealed carry license holder "passing through" NYC is now no longer a legal concealed carry license holder.
If you don't report it and they find you they will never believe the rest of your story about it being a legitimate act of self defense.
I won't ever put myself in that position but my guess is that a legitimate act of self defense with an illegally carried firearm = less jail time than an illegal shooting with an illegal firearm.

My vote is for the hammerless revolver for less chance of malfunction.

Always notify law enforcement.
 
The concept that one should have to accept jail time for legitimate self defense, merely because the locality prohibits individuals from having the means to effect that self defense is repugnant and unethical. I agree that the best solution is to seek changes in local laws that would make a defender with a firearm legal, in the interim each person would have to make what seems like the best judgment under the circumstances. The choice isn't always between "carried by six or judged by twelve" but may also be where, to paraphrase a saying, "deception is the better part of valor".
 
The concept that one should have to accept jail time for legitimate self defense, merely because the locality prohibits individuals from having the means to effect that self defense is repugnant and unethical.
Click to expand...
Some of the gentlemen on this forum may be too young to remember the case of Bernie Goetz summarized here. Legal fees and jail time for defending himself against an unprovoked attack by thugs wielding sharpened screwdrivers. Sometimes the law doesn't utilize common sense IMHO.

Edit; Just re-read the article and refreshed my memory. No mention in the Wiki of the sharpened screwdrivers. IIRC at the time news media did report the screwdrivers.
 
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I would think that a semi was better than a revolver with exposed hammer. It's way easy to get a wad of fabric, Kleenex or similar under the hammer and stop the gun from firing. Yeah, a semi would only get off one reliable round, but if the threat is laying on top of you, that would certainly even the playing field a bit.

Now a revolver with no exposed hammer... I'm guessing that would be about optimum for an inside the winter coat pocket carry.
 
How is a revolver in the pocket any different from an autoloader in the pocket?

You can't fire them very easily when they're in a holster, if you can fire them at all. Maybe if the holster is loose enough to allow the cylinder to rotate.

Nah.
 
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