The Feasibility of Pocket Carry for Those Who Usually Don’t

Pocket carry is quite popular and has a number of substantial advantages: Notably, you can pre-emptively acquire a grip on the gun and look like a dude that just has his hand in his pocket.  If you practice sufficiently, the draw is very fast if the grip is already established.  The other benefit is that pocket carry tends to be comfortable and it is easy to simply put a gun/pocket holster combo in the pocket as you walk out the door.

The down-sides of pocket carry, though, are substantial:  It is a very slow draw if you have not pre-emptively acquired the grip.  It is a draw that is difficult from the seated position, or when moving, or certainly when in-fight.  Also, pocket carry confines you to small guns only.

Therefore, what is my personal assessment of pocket carry?  Here you go: I think it works good for those who consistently use it, but it is sub-optimal for those who only occasionally use it.  If carrying a small gun in your pocket is what you do every day, and you are trained and conditioned for using your defensive firearm in this capacity, so be it.  The problem I see resides with the people who usually carry their gun on the hip but occasionally toss a gun in the pocket.

Most people who seldom pocket carry, and do just for convenience on the rare occasion, typically do not have the entire methodology that needs to go along with it in place.  If the ability to pre-emptively acquire the grip does not pan out, have you practiced the comparatively slow draw process of getting the hand into the pocket and drawing the gun?  Have you tried it from the seated position?  Have you tried it while in an entangled fight?  It requires a significantly different set of skills.

I think a small and lightweight gun, worn in a quickly attaching holster inside-the-waistband, is a better small-gun alternative for people who typically carry in that location all the time.  Familiarity of position and draw stroke are important, and a small gun in that position may offer the deep-concealment needs or simple convenience you occasionally look for, but you will be able to deploy the gun as you have trained to do.