Pros and Cons of Pocket Carry
I really had to fight the urge to go with the “is that a gun in your pocket” cliche. Wait…did I technically just make that joke? I mean, I didn’t just flat out say it. By not saying it and instead making fun of it, I avoided making the joke itself but by referencing it, I might as well have just lead with it because it’s in everyone’s head now but just because it’s in people’s head doesn’t mean I said it and oh now I’ve gone cross-eyed.
Logical paradoxes aside, I love pocket carry. As long as you go with a pocket carryable gun, the chances of you ever accidentally showing your gun is almost nil. Other than your pocket tearing and the gun falling out of your pants leg, I really can’t think of a scenario where you could expose your firearm to an unsuspecting public. On top of that, with IWB, you have to plan your outfits but with pocket carry, you only need big pockets.
Another added benefit is that pocket carry isn’t dependent on body shape. I’m not exactly skinny and, as a result, there’s only some guns that I can comfortably carry IWB. I can always carry in my pocket, however. Just make sure your pants aren’t super form fitting. Sorry, hipsters, your skinny jeans will be a bit prohibitive to pocket carry.
That’s not to say pocket carry doesn’t have its downsides. For starters, the more pants-friendly the pistol, the smaller the gun. While there aren’t many pants that you could pocket carry an XDs .45 pistol with, little .380 pistols can fit in pretty much any pocket but a lot of people don’t like that tiny round. Granted, it’s no .22LR but still.
Keep in mind, you’re going to need to clean a pocket pistol more than other options. There is a lot of moisture, lint, crud and more that will get into every nook and cranny in your gun and if you want it to be reliable, you’re going to pull it apart every other month at the very least to keep it reliable.
Speaking of pockets, you also lose the use of a pocket in the process. You don’t want your keys, or cash or cellphone in that pocket because it can cause a safety issue as well as impede the drawing of the gun. If you’re like me, who carries a bunch of other stuff (Leatherman, flashlight, keys, cellphone, cash, stylus, etc), losing that storage real estate is a big deal.
Also, drawing the pistol isn’t as fluid. You have to contend with the pocket and the potential for getting snagged on the draw. It’s also almost completely impossible to draw from a sitting position…or crouching…or pretty much anything that isn’t standing straight up.
Finally, the tiny guns are snappy as heck. With the exception of the XDs, I’ve yet to find another pocket pistol that was pleasant to shoot. That means you’re probably not going to get as much practice on a regular basis with it as you should.
So make sure you take into account your lifestyle, body shape and fashion preferences before diving into pocket carry.
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