In 5.11 pants, the size 13 DeSantis Superfly pocket holster and the Walther PPS seemed to be a perfect combination. However, a weekend trip which included driving eight hours, walking, sitting in a horse carriage, and sitting other places found this practitioner less than pleased. The weight of the PPS swung the pants leg, and the bulge in the cargo pocket was noticeable if only rectangular. The swinging pistol required cinching up the 5.11 belt frequently, to keep the pants from becoming a prisoner fashion statement. Reaching into the pocket, with its flap, required more coordination than I would have in a stressful event. All in all, I would have to reject this particular expression of pocket carry.

However, I would consider a very lightweight weapon in this form of holster. The PPS is just too heavy.

I use the Kangaroo Carry holster for my P250SC 9mm. It is deep concealment but carries very well.

Yes, seems a little big for pants/shorts pocket carry. Now in a jacket of sorts, more workable.

I do have the 'Kangaroo' type harness for under the arm type carry. That's my preferred carry for a medium/smallish size gun. Yes it takes more planning to get to it.

The LCP has serious limitations but really shines for pocket carry.

PPS is a heavy little gem due to it's internal steel frame that also account for it's accuracy, soft shooting, and durability.

I don't do pocket carry but if I did I would probably look at something like the Glock 42.

Carry my classic PPS in a Galco iwb and it's perfect.

That's too big a gun to pocket carry.

I tried the same with a KT PF9 and it lasted about half a day.

Pocket guns need to be small, light and FLAT.

The PPS is only one of those attributes; flat

I tried again, but this time removed the panel that folds over the front of the holster. I carried in a front pocket of 5.11 shorts. I used the 7-round magazine also. Much better experience. I can see carrying this way again.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
The swinging pistol required cinching up the 5.11 belt frequently

Well, that's your problem too.

You need a stiff, sturdy thick gun belt even with shorts, like a Beltman belt:

This gun strikes me as being much too big for a pocket. It isn't enough that it goes in, you need room to grasp it, too. But I really want to talk about carrying in a thigh cargo pocket. (I assume this is what you meant.) To me, this negates a big plus for pocket carry. In your front pocket, you can already have your hand on the gun without appearing threatening or telegraphing your intentions. Most people watch faces, not hands; watching hands is something that has to be drummed into new police recruits. You can't do this with a cargo pocket. It would also be dreadfully slow to draw.

quote:

Originally posted by 4MUL8R:
I tried again, but this time removed the panel that folds over the front of the holster. I carried in a front pocket of 5.11 shorts. I used the 7-round magazine also. Much better experience. I can see carrying this way again.

I wound up doing the same thing and found pocket carry to be much more comfortable.

For a single stack subcompact, the PPS struck me as one of the larger models of that class. Even the G43 doesn't strike me as particularly small.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
For a single stack subcompact, the PPS struck me as one of the larger models of that class. Even the G43 doesn't strike me as particularly small.

G43 and P938 are tiny.

Ruger LCP, et cetera are too small to be considered guns in my book. Gun implies some shootability. The LCP and its peers are what you carry when carrying a gun is not possible.

I bought a pocket holster for the PPS thinking that it might fit in a cargo pocket role, however the weight had it banging around into my leg, so I never did much more than try it around the house.

It's too large for normal sized people to pull off in a front pocket IMO.

LCP is easy, you can forget it's there in either front or back pocket.

J-frames aren't hard in slacks or shorts, but in most jeans they don't work.

I'm trying the G42 since I happened into one. It seems to work ok thus far.

For me the 9MM are easy to IWB at 3 with no effort, so I don't see the need to pocket them.

I've been carrying a 9mm PPS for going on 7 years. It carries IWB beautifully but the one time I tried it in various pockets (just for a second or two) it became obvious that would never work.

The 5.11 shorts I own were from a weird lot. They have an extra piece of fabric sewn inside the thigh pockets, with an additional vertical seam up the middle. This creates a perfect place for a single stack mag or two. They will stay vertical and not clang together at all. That is almost too much weight, but it still works OK. A single double stack mag works weight wise, but is bulky enough to make it fairly obvious to anyone paying attention that you're carrying something with a little weight there. Two double stacks is ridiculously weighty, swaying back and forth, banging into your leg with each and every step. Those pockets are OK up to a point, but just not a great place for much non-flexible metal object weight to be carried IMO. I can imagine how badly a PPS would carry in that pocket since I tried it for about three steps. I won't even carry a Leatherman Wave in there.


I have found the P239 mags, regular or +1 extended, can be carried pretty well there. None of my PPS mags did well in these pockets. Especially the chunky ended larger size (8 round in 9mm) mags. They also stuck out almost as bad as the double stack 15-rd PPQ mags I tried.

I've had my PPS for years. Even with the 6 round magazine, it's just a little too big for pocket carry.

For me, the best solution was a thin all kydex IWB holster. Got one from PJ and another one from Dara. The holsters are so thin and light, I don't have that constant reminder of "hey, there is a gun on your hip" like I do when I carry a larger gun in crossbreed, etc.

I don't think I'd try to pocket carry anything larger than a P3AT or LCP.

LC9s will work better. It's lighter, an the slide is sloped at the rear instead of being a Glock Block.

I usually carry in my cargo shorts front pocket as my primary mode. I've been doing it with a Glock 26 for about three years straight now.

IMHO it isn't the "which gun" question that makes it work - it's the "which shorts and which holster" combo. What I mean is that often, I have to swap pocket holsters to best fit the cargo shorts that I'm wearing. I've found that the holster has to be big enough to occupy most of the volume of the pocket. If it's too small and there's too much room in the pocket, it won't work. The holster also can't be too sung on the pistol or it'll come out in the draw.

For me, most of my Glock 26 carry works best with a Galco Pocket Horsehide. My S&W 642 works best with an Alessi One Piece.

YMMV, but try several different holster / cargo short combos before you give up.

I carry my S&W 638, or LCP in my right front pocket of shorts quite often during the summer months.

The PPS carries just fine in the front pocket of my jeans or cargo shorts in a DeSantis pocket holster. A lot of people make the mistake of carrying it in the cargo pocket and it will flop around if you do that. The front interior pocket is where the gun should go - closest to your body. Put the phone or wallet in the cargo pocket.

With jeans I put my phone in the same pocket as the gun but in front with the glass facing outward. The phone breaks up the print of the gun and it doesn't interfere with the draw. I recommend those Lee jeans from Kohl's because they have nice big pockets.

The PPS is totally doable as a pocket carry gun if you're willing to wear a gun belt nice and tight and choose the right clothing. Then again, my last pocket piece was a Glock 26.