The Pocket Carry Draw

I used pocket carry quite extensively for a long time, although I rarely pocket carry anymore, save for some circumstances around the home.  Over time I found that I prefer to keep my gun in the same body location at all times possible, and I have used a variety of belly bands, and more recently a Phlster Enigma, to simply keep my snub revolver in that location when I need deep concealment that my primary carry gun cannot accommodate. 

So, with that said, I am well acquainted with the particulars of carrying a gun in the hip pocket.  My preference for this was always the small revolver as the tiny autos chambered in 380 ACP always proved less-than-ideal for reliability when carried in this mode.  There are enough articles out there discussing the pros and cons of pocket carry, I will not go through all of that here.  On the presumption that you want to pocket carry, I will offer you some tips on actually drawing the gun from the pocket:

The Pocket is Important

I have seen a lot of videos where guys show their new pocket gun, and they squeeze two fingers into their skinny hipster jeans, grab the grip of the gun in a pincer grip, and struggle to pull the gun out.  How sound does that approach seem?  Imagine trying to deploy that gun when under stress.  The pocket must be cut properly to accommodate the insertion of the hand and the withdrawal of the hand with the gun.  The pocket itself must be loose enough and deep enough to hold the gun/holster combination so that it does not peak out over the pocket rim and so that it is actually loose enough to facilitate a fast acquisition and draw of the gun.

The Pocket Holster is Essential

You must use a pocket holster, no exceptions.  Even with a double action revolver, it is simply not safe enough to leave the gun naked in the pocket.  The holster serves three important purposes in terms of pocket carry:  first, it covers the trigger.  Second, it keeps the gun oriented in an upright and predictable position in the pocket.  Third, it actually improves concealment in the pocket as the holster breaks up the signature outline of the gun in the pocket. 

The Claw Grip

When actually drawing the gun from the pocket you should use a claw grip so that the thumb rides over the back of the slide, or over the hammer shroud of a revolver.  This makes the profile of the hand smaller and thinner so that the gun can be withdrawn from the pocket with minimal binding. 

Pre-Emptive Grip

The most obvious advantage of pocket carry is that you can get a grip on the gun and nobody in the environment is the wiser as standing with your hand in your pocket is pretty natural looking.  This should be the go-to strategy when employing pocket carry.  With that said, you need to practice drawing the gun from a hands-up starting position as well.  The draw from a grip already established will be the fastest draw from concealment possible.  The draw from a hands up position will be much slower than anything possible from the waistband. 

Watch a demonstration of pocket carry technique:

Watch a demonstration of first shot from pocket carry: