Concealed Carry Holsters

A pocket holster is a small holster designed to carry an equally small handgun in a front pocket, trouser pocket, or jacket pocket.

Well designed pocket holsters should do the following:

• Provide a safe method to carry a weapon in the pocket - Covering the trigger area, not only protects this area during your draw, but it also keeps debris out.
• Conceal the weapon - A properly constructed pocket holster should break-up the outline of the weapon in the pocket, and minimize printing.
• Make the weapon readily accessible - The pocket holster should be wide enough to keep the weapon in an upright, accessible position within the pocket.
• Allow for immediate and deployment- It should allow for quick access, a full firing grip, and quick weapon deployment from the pocket.

What are pocket holsters made of?

Today pocket holsters on the market are usually produced from either:

Leather - About 80% of all pocket holsters on the market are made from leather. Some manufacturers use a stiff grade leather, while other use a softer style leather. The stiffer leather tends to be thicker in width, which can add to the overall bulk of the holster.

Nylon - Many of the lower priced pocket holsters are produced from nylon. Personally I don't feel that nylon isn't really strong enough for the daily rigors of a pocket holster, and feel that it lacks the rigidity to properly break-up the weapon outline. If you're on a really tight budget, than nylon pocket holsters are definitely going to be something for you to consider.

Kydex - As kydex continues to evolve in holster applications, a select few manufacturers are now using it to produce pocket holsters. As kydex is significantly more rigid and stronger than leather or nylon, the kydex pocket holsters tend to be very thin.

Concealability is an absolute must for CCW. Pocket holsters are specifically designed for and work best with small handguns. Please be realistic with your concealment expectations. It's going to be almost impossible to conceal a Beretta 92 in a front pocket holster. Choose the right size weapon, and pocket carry becomes much simpler.

I am always testing and trying out new holsters for both my own needs and for other people. If you have read any of this blog, you may have noticed that I have a fascination with pocket holsters. For me, they are an ideal way to carry concealed. Recently, I had the opportunity to try out a Don Hume front pocket holster (model 001).

I have to say that I was impressed with the performace for the price. I grabbed one for my Ruger LCP and have been carrying it almost everyday for the last 3 weeks. For the money involved (I paid $31.00 for mine from a company called Gunner's Alley), I was pleasantly surprised. Normally, pocket holsters tend to offer a great concept, but rarely do they actually deliver.

The 001 does a nice job of keeping the holster upright in the pocket as well as breaking up the outline. Even though I wear jeans quite a bit, I couldn't detect any printing issues. I even asked my wife (who has eyes like a hawk), but she couldn't accurately tell when I was using the holster for pocket carry.

The one aspect that I wasn't all that keen on involves the hook shaped release device. While that device does work, I really prefer to use a thumb push type of set-up. Aside from that small issue, I was impressed.