Snub nose revolvers are a bit bulkier on paper but they draw out of the pocket easier due to the shape of the gun and the size of the grip. Autos may "sit flatter" but they tend to print more because of the distinctive shape of the slide. For me, they hang up on the draw because of that rear beavertail portion of the slide which is missing on the j frame.

I owned a S&W Airweight, Kel Tec P32, Ruger LCP, Sig P365. The J frame is just the best compromise in my opinion. Five shots for sure. Wish I still had it. Will probably buy another one some day.

 

^^^This. The snub nose S&W aluminum ones are the best for pocket carry and you won't even feel the weight. If and when I do pocket carry, I carry my S&W 642.

 

I go with a pistol, but in 9MM rather than .380. I pocket carry a P365 daily. If you need to go smaller there is the Sig P938 which is a single stack 9MM configured like a 1911, single action with a safety. There are also many other choices nowadays that carry about as well as a .380.

 

For my needs, the small semi-auto or snub nose revolver are for what I call my "I'm not carrying a gun" gun role or for a BUG role. I don't use either of them for my EDC role.

I find that for me, the J frame snubby is just a better fit for those roles. I think that the J frame is just more versatile.

As to reliability, if you are going with a small semi-auto, proper vetting for reliability would be "job number one", otherwise, dump it and find something else.

 

I've carried every day because of my P3AT for 16 yrs., even with swimtrunks. Haven't tried with my 70's bikini, though. I'll pocket a 638 when convenient.

 

Your wife will think you're glad to see her

 

I don’t know about pocket 380s….but pocket 9mm and 10mm, and 40cal work just fine.

 

As CTfam mentioned, a snub revolver will draw out of the pocket easier, especially a DOA revolver. IMO my G42 feels better in a pocket than my 442. It all comes down to what fits and feels best to you. Reading will help but you won’t know until you try it. My G42 weighs slightly less than the 442. I like them both in different ways.

I agree with your comment on reliability. I had a reliability issue experience with a 1911 style 380. Could have been just that one particular 380 but that done it for me. So for me, all I will carry are Glocks or Revolvers.

 

Revolver for me, but I haven't carried since the 80's.

 

S$W 442 EDC for me. I live in a pretty good area and feel safe running to the store etc. If I'm headed to a sketchy area the I carry my Sig P365 with 12 rd. mags.

 

Last night my wife and I went out with some friends for dinner
I carried both

The P7 isn't exactly a "pocket pistol" but it has class so


Oh no, now you did it
3... 2... 1...

 

The goal is to carry everywhere everyday. Long as it's legal to do so. The little j frame has become my default option for when either I can't dress around a gun or I'm just running to drive through pharmacy whatever.

I have given away or sold a sig 938. A sig 238. A s&w bodyguard and another small 380 that I can't even remember atm.

The 642 just works. It sucks to shoot but it works.

 

The 642 just works. It sucks to shoot but it works.

I agree with this statement. The "sucks to shoot" part is why I much prefer the Glock 42 (see my avatar) because, after all, the ability to shoot the gun is the most important criteria. Twenty-five yard shots are no problem for me with the 42, while I would struggle to stay in the USPSA C Zone with the 642 at that distance. Follow up shots also are much faster with the 42, reloads are quicker and easy to carry, my aftermarket Ameriglo Agent sights are awesome, and I am starting out with 6 plus 1 compared to five. It also has been very reliable for me. I haven't carried a J frame in many years. It does take practice with an unloaded gun to learn the correct draw stroke from the pocket with the Glock.

 

The smallest revolver that works for my is a Charter Arms Bulldog 44. I carry it in my coat pocket in the winter. I don't pocket carry, it just does not work for me.

My primary CC pistol is a LW 1911 commander.

 

 

I rarely pocket carry. When I do it is in my heavy leather motorcycle jacket pocket or winter coat pocket. In either case it is a J-frame.

It just seems easier to access and present. I like the slightly 'round' wood stocks than the flat grip of a little auto. Easier to grasp and control.

 

You can pocket carry a SA but you need to clean it often and make sure the slide is well lubed or it will Mal function.

 

I carry either at times; usually a size consideration - snub if possible, if not then LCP.

 

I've got too much stuff in my pockets one way or the other. The only true pocket pistols I have are LCPs and they only get carried when absolutely nothing else will do.

 

The only “pocket pistol” I own anymore is a hammer fired LCP. I use it with a belt clip to slide inside my shorts waistband without a holster when I go running to keep the dogs and coyotes away. Only time it gets carried.

To and from work and around the house it’s usually a J or K frame. 638 in my waist right now as I eat breakfast and get ready for bed.

 

I found the autos harder to draw because of this rear portion. You need a more square grip on the gun vs a J frame. Plus my LCP was UNRELIABLE and the Kel Tec was a 32 so they're all gone now. I am tempted to try a Ruger LCR in 9mm. Haven't seen .38 on the shelf in a long time. No interest in these odd calibers anymore.

Ruger LCP II vs Smith & Wesson Model 642 size comparison | Handgun Hero

Compare the dimensions and specs of Ruger LCP II and Smith & Wesson Model 642

www.handgunhero.com

 

I'll occasionally pocket carry a 38 snubby w a kydex pocket holster only when it is pretty much the only practical option.
Snubbies are certainly not easy to be accurate with, not a great round, but better than carrying a rock in your pocket.

 

Yes.
A j frame or similar is always a good option.
But for a semi auto my Lc9s works very well. The shape just tends to lend itself to a good draw from the pocket. I mostly use it for an around the house pocket gun.

 

I'll roll with my S&W 640Pro snubby regularly. Using a Desantis Clip Grip.

I like the revolver as it won't go out of battery when pressing the muzzle against an 'obstacle'... It's my around town carry and the Clip Grip carry works well for me.

The G27 is too big for pocket carry, but rides along with me and the wife at times.

 

Kimber micro .380 is my pocket gun in jeans.
Sig P365 in cargo pants/shorts.

 

I liked my Micro 380acp a lot. The safety seemed very small, I changed to a Kahr CM9, and never looked back. Kimber was a nice quality firearm.

 

I've had a 442 from when they were first introduced (not even +P rated) and carried it IWB in a soft suede holster for a long time. Have two speed loaders for it as well. I think of this gun as an up close and personal defensive weapon. I stopped carrying it long ago when all sorts of new guns hit the market. After coming to Idaho 28 years ago, I went back to pocket carrying my Beretta 950BS .25 auto and later went with the LCP as pocket carry is my preference but I've been rethinking that 442 and have a couple different holsters for it, including a Bob Mika pocket holster. It's the 5 rounds thing and not having a good reload (which are so slow compared to a semi-auto) option other than a couple speedloaders on my belt.

I guess it all boils down to the what fors, whens, and whys as to what a guy carries. In 50 years, I've had a gun out 4 times and two of them were when I was a young deputy (6 shot revolver). The other two times, no shots were fired. One time was to scare off a couple dudes who were hassling a friend and me when we were hippie looking and shot off our mouths in a logging bar up in Leggit, CA. I only presented it when we were in our car and wanted to break contact. The two dudes freaked and went back inside. The last time, I was on an RV trip with my wife and kids and we'd parked the RV on a weekend night by a school in Oregon, IIRC. I first heard some noise and then smelled cigarette smoke outside the 5th wheel. Turned off the lights, grabbed my G17 and sat there quietly for a minute. I thought I heard one dude say, "let's go" and heard movement away from the RV. After, a couple more minutes, I opted to go outside and clear the area. I decided these were probably kids wondering if the RV was a possible mark. Turning off the lights gave them a clue, I suspect. It was weird.

Bottom line, I've fired a weapon one time in a defensive situation and it was when I was on the job. So a 5 round snubnose or 6-10 micro pistol are probably all most people would ever need seeing as though your likelihood of ever drawing a handgun for self defense is so remote for the majority of citizens, especially those who have and practice good situational awareness. Carry what you feel comfortable carrying and are proficient with. Don't think of engaging multiple targets at longer distances, that's just not going to happen unless you really f'ed it up. Think more about "Get away from me!" as the more common experience. Just my opinions on this stuff not being a Tier 1 Citizen Operator...

 

Don't pocket carry either semi nor revolver.
Carry whatever in IWB holster, all year, every day.

 

While I do own a couple of DAO LCP's, that's only because some of my jeans have front pockets that are too short and tight to conceal my J-frames. I spent my fair share of years having to constantly dress around my off-duty weapon choices as a younger man, and nowadays it's not as high on my daily list of things I wish to do.

I much prefer my J-frames for the heavier bullet weights I can use.

However, having been a longtime revolver shooter, my experience and choices may understandably be quite different from those of a lot of newer, younger folks. Or those folks who never really liked DA or DAO revolvers, in the first place. Different strokes, right?

When I (grudgingly) decided to own a .380 again - after about 25 years since owning the last one - I chose the LCP because it was just enough smaller than the S&W Bodyguard .380 to make a difference, for me. If they had made a LCP of exactly the same dimensions chambered in 9mm, I'd have bought it. Yes, I briefly looked at the slightly larger Ruger plastic 9's first released back then, but the first couple of them that came through our range couldn't make it through a qual course-of-fire without problems. One of them continued to exhibit failures-to-fire even after coming back from a trip to Ruger for the problem. I've long since decided to leave checking for teething problems with new models to other folks. Also, the slightly larger subcompact 9's are larger than the original generation of the LCP, by quite a bit.

I looked at the PM9 for a bit, but again, some of our folks experienced more issues with some than I cared to risk experiencing, and they're too large for some of the pockets in my jeans and slacks.

It's probably fair to opine that the very attributes that make the diminutive DA/DAO snubs so attractive for CCW in tight carry situations also tend to make them harder to shoot well for the average person, too. Compromises. It always seems to come down to compromises, and where someone wishes to draw their own line.

 

I have pocket carried both and like them both. Women's clothing often has only tiny flat pockets and I have to carry what will fit. I do not like purse carry at all and I don't wear a belt. Sometimes my small S&W .38 revolver will fit but often only my tiny M&P Bodyguard .380 will fit because it is much flatter/slimmer. Neither has ever had a malfunction with any ammo or anyone who's shot them. I carry Gold Dots 135 SB in the .38 and Hornady XTPs in the little .380.

If I were able/willing to carry anything larger, though, it would be my 9mm Shield Plus, but you carry what you can or are willing to carry. I've carried a Shield a few times in a larger winter outwear pocket that it would fit.

As someone said, a small pocket handgun is much better than a rock and also much better than hitting them with my purse, or the firearms I left at home. I think everybody just has to figure out what will work for them and that they will actually carry.