Speaking of Pocket carry

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gus3836

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Have read the threads on pocket carry but one area I have not seen addressed is drawing while sitting. I carry my wallet in the front pocket and can hardly get that out sitting so how do you draw the handgun? If you are at a restaurant eating and someone comes in to do harm if you have to stand to draw not good. So are most pocket guns backups or main guns that you never sit down with. Riding in a car would be another problem. Looking for answers. Gus
 
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I understand your concerns. To me it has much to do with your cut and style of pants. Looser pants with low pockets make it easier. Snug pants with high openings make it impossible. Test fit your pants before you buy or wear. Sit or pretend to sit in the dressing room if you have to and see if you can get it out. I also have some tru-spec 24/7 pants that have lower pockets that enable the pocket draw nicely.

One thing I will do wearing the wrong pants is slide the holster out as I am sitting and tuck it under my leg. Discreetly of course.Sometimes I will slip it into a jacket pocket. I will do the same as I enter my vehicle. Try those suggestions and see how they might work for you.
 
Well I'm not going to wait for trouble to start and then just sit there and try to draw.
I know that pocket carry slows draw time from a seated position so I do every thing I can to make that part a non issue.
Sit where you can see trouble coming.
If you're sitting in a chair slide your butt off one side so that you can straighten your leg.
If you're sitting in a booth slip it out of your pocket.
In the car take it out of your pocket and put it under your leg.
 
I guess I never pocket carry in a pants pocket ( I wear regular jeans most of the time ) I guess I usually, if I'm going to pocket carry, put mine in a light jacket or vest pocket... & I don't have any issues drawing from those locations, while seated
 
Dress to Carry:

Some people choose their carry method around their clothes and some choose their clothes around their carry method. I am retired so I get to do the later which is much easier to do.
 
Have read the threads on pocket carry but one area I have not seen addressed is drawing while sitting.
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It's perhaps the biggest weakness of pocket carry. You can't be responsive when you're sitting, whether it's in a restaurant or a car.

You could try a rear pocket holster.

You could surreptitiously take it out of your pocket before you sit and put it in a jacket pocket, if you're wearing one.

I'm not a big fan of pocket carry as I believe there are more negatives to being able to draw quickly enough in the event of a spontaneous attack, than there are positives. Yet I routinely pocket carry a Seecamp .32 in an Grizzle pocket holster when I step out to run a quick errand. After a great deal of research and trial and error the Seecamp is the only pocket pistol I could quickly draw from my pocket regardless of which pants or shorts I was wearing.

Good luck!
 
If you spend a lot of time in the sitting position (i.e., in a car, at a desk or eating at a restaurant), a cross-draw, ankle or even a shoulder holster will offer a better (quicker) access to your handgun. Of course, like everything else, these options come wth their own brand of disadvantages. Nothing is everything.
 
I can draw from my pocket while sitting in a plain chair; i.e., without arm rests or wings. I'm not as fast as when I stand and have discovered I can pull my SW Model 38 Airweight out faster than my semi-auto pocket pistols (using DeSantis Nemesis holsters). That may be because it has absolutely no sharp corners and the grip frame rides higher than my small pocket autos and is therefore easier and quicker to grab.

It is more difficult for me to draw from the pocket in a car or a chair with arm rests. I have to twist my body around and pull using an unnatural motion, hardly ideal in an emergency situation. However, it's still better than having no gun which would otherwise often be the case.
 
Drawing while seated in a car, especially behind the wheel, is difficult. Some people solve that problem by putting the gun somewhere else while driving, but with-in reach - say a cubby hole or such. Drawing while seated when one is able to twist the hips or stretch out one's legs is much easier. There's no "fast draw" while pocket carrying, but one can access a firearm pretty quickly when motivated.
 
For me, pocket carry is always as a backup to something else carried some other way.

Pocket carry is great while walking/standing as you can have your hand on that pistol if you deem the circumstances warrant it. For that reason alone, I've always felt there's as good a chance my pocket backup will be the one that" saves the day" as my more powerful primary weapon. I do a lot of walking, and am often approaching/being approached by strangers at close distances. Hand on the pocket gun happens frequently.

But never while sitting can I envision going for the pocket piece first.
 
This is the reason I have gotten away from pocket carry. I find that if wearing slacks where the opening is more on the side it is easier to get the gun out. But, when wearing jeans the pocket is more in front and I have not found a good way to get it out while sitting. It's even worse in the car with your seatbelt on. Inside waistband at about 4:00 is best for me.
 
Perhaps the pocket youre looking for, isnt in your trousers. ;)

I find a Smart Carry works a lot better, and is a lot more comfortable/concealable. Its a lot easier to draw from, from the seated position, than it is from a pocket.

I also find this works well too, especially under a tie. Works great under a fleece/sweatshirt as well......

ry%3D400
 
Usually pocket carry is more about having a gun with you than a quick draw. No matter how you look at it, unless you have loose pants, standing with your hand in your pocket there are challenges pulling your FA from a pocket.

I have had a couple of occasions where I thought a situation was moving toward a potential shooting. In those instances I simply removed my FA from my ankle holster or pocket for a tuck in the waist band. At that point I was not concerned with hiding it, but getting it out quickly if needed. Usually having a good situational awareness of your surroundings will give you enough time to make the adjustment circumstances develop.
 
gus3836 said:
"Have read the threads on pocket carry but one area I have not seen addressed is drawing while sitting. I carry my wallet in the front pocket and can hardly get that out sitting so how do you draw the handgun? If you are at a restaurant eating and someone comes in to do harm if you have to stand to draw not good. So are most pocket guns backups or main guns that you never sit down with. Riding in a car would be another problem. Looking for answers."
Click to expand...
The issue you're missing is 'which pocket' you're referring to.

When you're seated in a restaurant or seated in a vehicle, (with your seatbelt fastened, naturally,) its difficult to draw quickly from TROUSER pockets. And forget jeans.

So what you wear is a vest. The crossdraw out of an inner vest pocket is rapid and effective, seated in either a restaurant or a vehicle.

Here are some options. The inner pockets are designed for concealed carry, the pistols won't print. They work well:

http://coronadoleather.com/c-744866-mens-store-vests-jackets.html
 
I go with it depends on the fit/cut of the pants. Might want to buy a size larger, or a looser fit. I mostly pocket carry in cargo pants. The cargo pocket is lower, and easy to access.
 
Half of the problem can be solved by having a second gun in the vehicle. I know, theft could be a problem, but if it's concealed well in the car a "smash and grab" artist would probably miss it.
 
If you pocket carry in your front pocket, you simply can't draw while sitting. You will need to stand up or lay sideways to get your gun out. I front pocket carry; I've practiced drawing from a seated position. You will need to work around this if you wear slacks or jeans. Cargo pants/shorts - no problem.
 
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