Ankle or Back Pocket Gun

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LT1MCSS

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I have been kicking around the idea of getting another small concealed carry gun.

My main carry gun is a Glock 26. I really can't get used to having a gun in my front pocket. I just think its prints badly sometimes while wearing jeans. So I'm thinking of getting myself an ankle holster and a smalller carry gun than the G26. The seecamp and NAA seem like ok options, just toss them in my back pocket but the caliber seems small to me. I have shot J-frames and honestly I hate them. I think a lot of it has to do with the trigger but i would hate to spend the money on a J-frame, get a trigger job done and still hate it.

I was thinking about the

Sig P232
Seecamp 32
NAA Guardian 32
Walther PPS maybe???

Anyone else want to suggest something. IMO the glock is to fat for comfortable ankle carry. I was even thinking of the new Walther PPS for this. Which would be such a bad idea since it is 9mm and i already have a G26 and G19.
 
I say give the J frame another try

BTW watch your holster choice for the back pocket. There was a discussion a month or so back about those sweeeet holsters that look like a wallet when in your pocket, but actually conceal a small semi. Depending on how much of the gun it covers, it changes the gun to another category of firearm that requires a 200 dollar permit from the feds
 
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I picked up a 442 for pocket carry and summer concealment and had the same concerns about printing. I just got over it, as no one seems to care what your pockets look like. I'm not saying that to try and talk you into a J frame. You tried it and don't like it, so that settles it for me. If you are concerned about printing with the G26, though, I don't think you should be. Most people in this state don't even know that you can carry, so they walk around blissfully unaware of the slight bulge in your pocket that is probably just a Blackberry or something.
 
Oh i don't carry the G26 in my pocket. I carry that IWB in an MTAC. That holstser is by far the best i have bought to date. I love it so far.

I have a mustang pocketlite .380 I have tried to pocket carry. Since it is SA only i really don't want to carry a Single action gun cocked and locked in my pocket.

IMO a DAO would be better for pocket carry.
 
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NAA Guardian 32 is my back pocket gun... I wear jeans a lot, and the leather holster I have makes it look like a wallet, while not being one of those AAW holsters. A bit heavy, but it's great for summer carry.

I can just see the bad guys expression when I hand him my "wallet"...

Also I have a cheap ankle rig for it as well. With the right pants you'd never know I had it.

So the Seecamp or the NAA is perfect, not the best round (.32) but it's better than nothing...

I can pocket a J-Frame, but it's a bit big... Mostly it's my jacket pocket gun... But in the summer jacket less (and I always tuck in my shirts), the NAA is perfect...

BTW, I dumped my G27 for the J-Frame... SOOOOO happy I did. The G27 was a pain to carry!!!!
 
LT1MCSS said:
I have been kicking around the idea of getting another small concealed carry gun.

My main carry gun is a Glock 26. I really can't get used to having a gun in my front pocket. I just think its prints badly sometimes while wearing jeans. So I'm thinking of getting myself an ankle holster and a smalller carry gun than the G26. The seecamp and NAA seem like ok options, just toss them in my back pocket but the caliber seems small to me. I have shot J-frames and honestly I hate them. I think a lot of it has to do with the trigger but i would hate to spend the money on a J-frame, get a trigger job done and still hate it.

I was thinking about the

Sig P232
Seecamp 32
NAA Guardian 32
Walther PPS maybe???

Anyone else want to suggest something. IMO the glock is to fat for comfortable ankle carry. I was even thinking of the new Walther PPS for this. Which would be such a bad idea since it is 9mm and i already have a G26 and G19.
Click to expand...

I'm not a Glock guy so I dont know the sizes, but I ankle carry a S&W M&P9c on a daily basis, in a Bianchi Triad. My daily work clothes (suit-type) doesnt really permit IWB.

So if you're truly interested in ankle carrying, id recommend that.
 
I think my options will be as follows in no particular order

NAA32 or Seecamp ($450)
S&W 642 ($419 + trigger job)
Walther PPS ($589)
 
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Here is a Walther PPK listed in the classifieds that looks to be a good deal. I know you've already listed 3 guns that you're most interested in. I'm just tossing in another idea for you. FYI, I don't know the seller and have no personal interest in the sale, just trying to help out.
 
I carry a J frame hammerless in an ankle holster and love it. I understand that accessing the gun will be slower then other modes of carry. Since I started using this method of carry I have had my J frame with me constantly. a gun thats slow to access is better than a gun you left at home because it was uncomfortable to carry. I carry 12 rounds of additional ammo on speed strips. In the summer I usually carry it in my front pocket in a Mikkas pocket holster. Cargo shorts with deep front pockets make this set up just about disapear. Im a small guy 5'7 and 165lbs and for me this set up works well.
 
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stinx said:
I carry a J frame hammerless in an ankle holster and love it. I understand that accessing the gun will be slower then other modes of carry. Since I started using this method of carry I have had my J frame with me constantly. a gun thats slow to access is better than a gun you left at home because it was uncomfortable to carry. I carry 12 rounds of additional ammo on speed strips. In the summer I usually carry it in my front pocket in a Mikkas pocket holster. Cargo shorts with deep front pockets make this set up just about disapear. Im a small guy 5'7 and 165lbs and for me this set up works well.
Click to expand...

Hey, you can practice falling to the floor and grabbing at your ankle to bring your weapon into action...

ever seen Taxi Driver? [laugh] [wink]
 
My wife is pretty good with a sewing machine. So she just made all my jeans pockets about 2-1/2" longer. Now they are perfect for pocket carry of my S&W 642 in a nice Mika pocket holster. It looks like I have my wallet there. Great for summer carry with the shirt tucked in.
 
I wear jeans 24/7/365 unless it is for a specific occasion. The PPS is for the obvious reason it is slimmer which is probably why 90% of the people bought them on this board. Seeing as i ow 2 other 9mm guns being able to stay within the same caliber is a plus too.

Even though the PPS is essentially the same gun as a G26, I am going to go look at the PPS and 642 then make my decision. I would honestly go with the 642 hands down but I couldn't shoot the 638 I shot. (same gun with shrouded hammer) I shot it a few times too. Just couldn't get the hang of it. It was uncomfortable to shoot, and my accuracy sucked!


This article compares the two with pictures.
http://www.gunblast.com/Walther-PPS.htm


DSC01599.jpg

DSC01600.jpg

DSC01602.jpg
 
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Timber said:
The trigger pull on the 642 is very heavy and very long. Considering you're in MA, an over the shelf PPS is going to have a very similar trigger pull. This can be modified, but I'd still recommend the 642 over the PPS for weight and concealability.

Accuracy at range on any gun with a 1 7/8 barrel like the 642 is going to be compromised, but remember this... a gunfight for Joe CCW is a very fast encounter that takes place at extremely close range. I'm not an instructor, but we used to train on the 3's principle. We had 3 seconds to draw and put 3 rounds on a target 3 yards away. That was a standard that LEO's were adopting based on statistics garnered from encounters when stopping motorists. The 642 did much better than the PPS when we tested it.

Again, only an opinion. The most important thing to do is train with whatever firearm you pick.
Click to expand...


I appreciate the input. I don't think I can go wrong with either or. Both seem to be good guns. Both will need trigger work. The PPS has the slimmer advantage and the 642 has the weight advantage.
 
I put a XS BIg dot Tritium front sight and CTC laser grips on mine. As long as I dont get sloppy and mash the trigger I can get hits on a silloutte target out to 10 yards pretty quickly. I think thats good enough for a belly gun.
 
I got a KelTec for this purpose. I too carried a G26 a lot, but it's too thick for pocket carry; for me at least.

I don't carry my Colt Mustang, its safe queen now. Unless I can find a holster that will specifically keep the safety in the on position, with a tab or rivet like I've seen done for HiPowers, I wont carry it in Condition 1.

-= chuck
 
I have both a s&w 442 5shot,and a kel tec p11 which is 10 +1 of 9mm.the p11 has a long tight pull much more than the 38 cal 442. all in all i like the 11 rounds of the p11. If i ever use it , the p11 will be taken from me by the PDand that will be of small loss. Four Seasons has one for sale,go check it out.
 
I did a couple google searches and some people suggest the Kel-tec PF9. Unfortunately they don't seem to be the most reliable gun in the world which imo for a carry gun isn't an option.
 
Over the past couple years I've experimented with a number of CCW firearms. I wear Levi 505 jeans just about every day in the cooler months. IWB just doesn't do it for me as I think it creates a definite print so I tried a few other methods.

I tried front pocket carry, ankle carry and 5.11 T-Shirts with the holster pocket under the armpit area. I tried carrying all three ways with a G26, a 642CT and a Kahr PM9.

First, ankle carry sounds great but it's damn hard to get used to. If you do it, get a good holster. One that has a retention strap that goes above you calf muscle. I tried one without and it just seemed like it was going to slip down all the time. The one with a strap made for a much better carrying experience. If you wear jeans a lot though, most taper down by the ankle. This is not good with an ankle holster and it will pattern. Make sure your pants or jeans are straight leg or boot cut. I don't like this method as the holster always was pulling my leg hair it was hard to get comfortable with it. JMHO.

When I wear dress shirts I like the 5.11 t-shirts. Get one and extra size larger then you normally wear as these are skin tight shirts. I don't find them comfortable by themselves, so I wear a wife beater t-shirt under the 5.11. IT was comfortable that way

My main carry is front pocket carry with the PM9. A good stiff holster is a must. One that makes your CCW look like a wallet. I always think it patterns to much, but carrying like this for years no one has ever noticed. Plus when I look at myself in a mirror with me standing away a few feet, you really cannot tell.

I've thought about getting a Seecamp due to the size, but I'm not all that comfortable having a 32 caliber rnd for personal defense. I'm sure this is just me, but I feel that 9mm is the lowest I want in a ccw handgun.

Good luck with your choice. Finding the right gun is important. Finding the right holster is also just as important.
 
LT1MCSS said:
I did a couple google searches and some people suggest the Kel-tec PF9. Unfortunately they don't seem to be the most reliable gun in the world which imo for a carry gun isn't an option.
Click to expand...

This is why a 642 is ideal - no guessing whether the gun is reliable. Load gun, point gun, pull trigger, rinse, lather, repeat....[wink] I was never worried per se about my 1911's they all worked great, but in the back of my mind, I did wonder...With the 642CT there is no wondering - it just works. Even with a bad round, just pull the trigger again....

Rockrivr1 said:
Over the past couple years I've experimented with a number of CCW firearms. I wear Levi 505 jeans just about every day in the cooler months. IWB just doesn't do it for me as I think it creates a definite print so I tried a few other methods.

I tried front pocket carry, ankle carry and 5.11 T-Shirts with the holster pocket under the armpit area. I tried carrying all three ways with a G26, a 642CT and a Kahr PM9.

First, ankle carry sounds great but it's damn hard to get used to. If you do it, get a good holster. One that has a retention strap that goes above you calf muscle. I tried one without and it just seemed like it was going to slip down all the time. The one with a strap made for a much better carrying experience. If you wear jeans a lot though, most taper down by the ankle. This is not good with an ankle holster and it will pattern. Make sure your pants or jeans are straight leg or boot cut. I don't like this method as the holster always was pulling my leg hair it was hard to get comfortable with it. JMHO.

When I wear dress shirts I like the 5.11 t-shirts. Get one and extra size larger then you normally wear as these are skin tight shirts. I don't find them comfortable by themselves, so I wear a wife beater t-shirt under the 5.11. IT was comfortable that way

My main carry is front pocket carry with the PM9. A good stiff holster is a must. One that makes your CCW look like a wallet. I always think it patterns to much, but carrying like this for years no one has ever noticed. Plus when I look at myself in a mirror with me standing away a few feet, you really cannot tell.

I've thought about getting a Seecamp due to the size, but I'm not all that comfortable having a 32 caliber rnd for personal defense. I'm sure this is just me, but I feel that 9mm is the lowest I want in a ccw handgun.

Good luck with your choice. Finding the right gun is important. Finding the right holster is also just as important.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice Troy - I'm searching for an ankle holster and that helps a lot. I will only use it for two pairs of dress/cargo pants I wear that print when I pocket carry. I wind up leaving my gun in my car, or carrying in my back pocket, so the ankle option is better than no option. I have also thought about a Seecamp/wallet combo, but just can't bring myself to do it...
 
Good advice on the ankle holster. In my case the extra strap would be necessary. I have never used an ankle holster because I really dont know how it would work out for me.

My pants are straight cut but i had some problems with my left leg when i was younger. Nothing major but the calf muscle in my lef leg never really developed the same as my right Subsequently, my left leg isn't as strong. Now this could help me or hurt me. Not having a huge calf muscle might hurt as far as trying to keep the holster in place. On the other hand if i can find a good holster, i have extra room in that pant leg lol.

What i'm really going for is a good front pocket carry gun.
 
LT1MCSS said:
Good advice on the ankle holster. In my case the extra strap would be necessary. I have never used an ankle holster because I really dont know how it would work out for me.

My pants are straight cut but i had some problems with my left leg when i was younger. Nothing major but the calf muscle in my lef leg never really developed the same as my right Subsequently, my left leg isn't as strong. Now this could help me or hurt me. Not having a huge calf muscle might hurt as far as trying to keep the holster in place. On the other hand if i can find a good holster, i have extra room in that pant leg lol.

What i'm really going for is a good front pocket carry gun.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure where you are, but if you're in in the vicinity of exit 2, (Lee), let me know. I have my 642CT on me all the time and still have about 1200 rounds of GDHP +P - you're welcome to shoot it any time....
 

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