Estimated reading time: 11 minutes
My carry gun plops right into my pocket most days of the week, and I go about my day. If you told me a few years ago that I would be carrying a pocket pistol, I would have hit X to doubt. I’m not a pocket gun fan, or I wasn’t a pocket gun fan. My opinion has evolved over the years, and I’d like to dig into why and explain how I stumbled into pocket carry, why it’s my chosen method of carrying most of the time, and the lessons learned along the way.
Table of contents
When and Why I Carry A Pocket Pistol
A new position at the day job, made carrying IWB/OWB difficult due to dress requirements. I started looking at other options, and pocket carry seemed the simplest method. I work in a pretty low-crime area and a fairly secure environment, so reducing my carry gun from an optic-equipped P365XL to something more pocketable didn’t seem like a risk.
I carry a pocket pistol when it’s just me. I’m moving to the larger, higher-capacity P365XL if I’m with my family. If it’s just me, I’m only in charge of defending myself, and retreating is a viable option. Retreating with my family can be a bit more difficult.
One of the big advantages of a pocket pistol is a pre-staged draw. I can put my hand in my pocket and grab my gun, and no one knows any better. I’ve become fairly quick and proficient with a pocket draw, and it’s faster than you’d think. Pocket carry, as a whole, has proven to be a very concealable, efficient, and comfortable way to carry.
My First Pocket Pistol – The S&W Bodyguard .380 ACP
About a decade ago, I tried toting a pocket pistol. I picked up a laser-equipped S&W Bodyguard. It was super easy to carry, but I hated it, and it instilled a hatred for pocket pistols and .380 ACP in general. The recoil was stiff, the sights sucked, and I quickly learned the downsides of a laser. Did I mention the trigger was long and heavy and generally wasn’t very good?
Between those three problems, I figured I had one accurate shot, but getting quick secondary shots just wasn’t going to work. After that, I ditched pocket pistols for nearly a decade. I never came back to the concept and swore off pocket-sized .380 ACPs. After researching the round, you realize it was never really meant for pocket guns anyway.
Lessons Learned: The .380 ACP sucks in micro-sized pistols. The recoil makes fast and efficient follow-up shots difficult, plus you have hardly any real effective range. Even ballistically, the .380 ACP isn’t great from these uber-short barrels.
How I Met .32 ACP
I stumbled into a gun show and found something that has been often cited as extinct at gun shows…a deal! Yep, it’s a legitimate deal. A seller had an Astra 600/43 and a FN M1922 for sale. After chatting, he offered me both for a killer price, and I left with both. The Astra was a 9mm, and he told me the M1922 was a .32 ACP.
I grabbed a few boxes of .32 ACP, and it turns out the FN M1922 was actually a .380 ACP, which, funny enough, is the right size for a .380. So, I had several boxes of .32 ACP and nothing to shoot them through. This led to the purchase of a Colt M1903 and a Savager M1907, and I became enamored with the .32 ACP.
Our liaisons were kept secret from a jealous 9mm cartridge. I just couldn’t keep away from the micro-sized .32 ACP. Our torrid affair took me to a subreddit called OneTrueCaliber. These guys love the .32 ACP, and I quickly became an acolyte to what some called John Browning’s greatest caliber contribution. (We live in a constant state of war with the .45 ACP guys, but we expect victory as .45 ACP becomes .45 AARP.)
That subreddit talked me into purchasing either a Beretta Tomcat or a KelTec .32 ACP. I found the KelTec first, and the little gun became my first pocket pistol in a decade.
A KelTec? Really?
Yeah, a KelTec. KelTec habitually uses its early owners as beta testers, but the P32 has been out since 1999. In 1999, I watched Dragonball Z, and chocolate milk was the pinnacle of my day. Over the last few decades, any issues with the P32 have been ironed out. Still, I shot the hell out of it.
My .32 ACP tanks were drained quickly, resulting in a few more boxes each paycheck. I may scoff at paying .26 cents a round for 9mm, but paying .60 cents per round for .32 ACP was a no-brainer. It became my pocket rocket.
I eventually purchased a Tomcat, which started a new affair with Beretta tip-ups, but that’s another story. I enjoyed both, but at 6.6 ounces and about half the width, the P32 won out for daily carry.
It disappeared in my pocket and rode comfortably in a Desantis SuperFly holster. It had hardly any recoil, carried seven rounds, and provided me the reliability of a centerfire cartridge.
Lessons Learned: I researched and learned that with heavy 71-grain FMJs, the gun had good penetration, even for the super short P32 barrel. I wouldn’t get expansion, but I could get rounds to the vitals.
Shooting is a perishable skill—we know that—but it turns out it’s even more perishable with a smaller gun. Every little mistake results in a big failure. Little problems with sight alignments equal inches of miss. Drawing a small gun from the pocket is a skill you have to practice daily to maintain speed.
The Pocket Pistol Wheelgun
All was good until I went by a local gun store and started chatting with the owner. We’re friends, and he offered me a grab box of ammo. It was an eclectic mix of partial boxes that had come in with trades. We came to a deal quickly, and I walked out with all sorts of fun stuff, including a few boxes of .32 S&W Long.
Results
Three things happened simultaneously that made me a fan of this old cartridge. First, I had four boxes of it, and nothing to shoot it through. Second, a S&W M1903 came into my possession for a measly 130 dollars. The ammo I had was worth more than the gun. If you can tell there is a pattern here. I buy ammo for a gun I don’t have and talk myself into buying a new gun to shoot said ammo.
The third thing that happened was meeting fellow YouTuber and firearms writer Terril Hebert. It turns out Mr. Hebert has a thing for wheel guns and .32s. He quickly became a terrible influence on me and took me into a new world of .32 revolvers. I was set and happy with old .32s and loved shooting the .32 S&W Long. It’s a soft-shooting, super-accurate cartridge still used in shooting competitions.
Then, Lipseys and S&W unveiled their Ultimate Carry revolver lineup. The 432 UC, a .32 H&R Magnum gun, was nestled into this new line. The .32 H&R Magnum cartridge is a longer, hotter version of the .32 S&W Long. The two share the same relationship as the .38 Special and .357 Magnum. I jumped on an S&W 432 UC, and after a few range trips, I became a convert.
Me and The 432 UC
Like the consumer I am, I tossed the P32 in the gun safe and got a new pocket pistol. The 432 UC became my favorite new gun. It was bigger and heavier than the P32, but I could hit a 10-inch gong at 25 yards and even take advantage of JHPs. I carried it in a Safariland Model 25, and it worked brilliantly. Not only did the 432 UC shoot better than the P32, shoot further, and hit harder, but it was also easier to draw.
Lessons Learned – The shape of a revolver lends itself well to pocket carry. The cylinder pushes against my leg and presses the gun outward, but that prevents the grip from laying flat against my leg. This makes it easy to draw the gun with a good firing grip.
With the 432 UC, my skills weren’t as perishable. The big, easy-to-use sights made it easier to use. The draw was easier, and I could draw and land an accurate shot on target from seven yards in a second with a pre-staged draw. It’s my current pocket-carry gun, but there is always a bigger fish.
The New Bodyguard
It seems poetic that my first carry pistol was a Bodyguard, and my latest under consideration is the Bodyguard 2.0. The Bodyguard 2.0 is bigger than the original Bodyguard. They ditched the DAO trigger for a striker-fired design, increased capacity to 10 rounds, added easy-to-see sights, and kept it roughly pocket-sized.
READ MORE: Beretta 92 Compact: A Classic Reborn
It’s not replaced my 432 UC yet, but it looks to be a potential contender. The Bodyguard 2.0 is the right size for a .380 ACP and doesn’t seem too harsh in the recoil department. I plan to also shoot the hell out of it to see if I will reject my hipster .32s and come back into the .380 ACP pocket pistol fold.
That’s a lesson that remains to be learned, but it’s one I can’t wait to dig into.
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Using the descriptor “Rocket” was a stretch for all the calibers you got acquainted with. Lol. You probably lost a few folks when conditions of your usage tempted fate with them being the primary/only defensive firearm. Your call. The unspoken silver lining of this article is its application for “backup (BUG) guns”. There are many other carry and caliber options for BUGS options depending on the handgun format. Anytime you stir interest, its a win.
Even better I have a CZ P10+M 9mm. About the same size of my Glock 42.
Good story!
I carry an LCP(very similar to the Keltec) every day using a side clip and Wrangler pants that have a “phone” pocket in place of the watch pocket that fits it perfectly. It’s so well concealed I’ve never been given a second look even tucked in. IMO there is no ideal or perfect carry, and going full spy mode works in the professional situations I see every day. I don’t plan to win any quick draw contests with this, which was a decision I made long ago. As B. Maverick would say… Don’t be stupid. You really aren’t that fast, and I’m not fast.
The pretty little Beretta 84fs in my work bag along with a couple extra mags is also about the right size for .380. I think if you need a backup plan it better be a good one. I have bigger and badder but that one slides into a bianchi belt loop slip real nice and doesn’t weigh me down if things are looking extra sketchy, or weigh my bag down things are fine. I figure it it was enough to deal with real mafia gangs for decades it’s probably enough for most shitty situations in town or the Doom levels that pass for factories I visit these days.
Thank for posting this article Travis! I too have a safe full of ‘pocket-rockets’ I’ve purchased over the years. From several NAA mini revolvers, a NAA Guardian .32, a Guardian .380, two pocket Glock 9’s – a 43 & 43X, a long-since-retired 3″ Bull Dog .44, and two J frames – a 642, and a ’76 model nickel 36. I always drop one of the NAA mini revolvers – or two – in my pockets whenever I walk out of the house.
I have a G43 and G43X but still can’t get away from carrying my fav the little S&W 36 in my front pocket. After reading your opinion piece, I just ordered the S&W 432 in H&R 32 mag from my local dealer to try out. What concerns me is ammo availability. After doing a quick online search for ammo I’ve discovered it’s scarce, especially the heavier rounds like the 95’s and up.
As I’ve reached my late 60’s I’ve become more and more sensitive to recoil due to arthritis. For years I carried a G29 in 10mm in an SOB holster but I no longer enjoy practicing with that thing. If I can’t practice with it I no longer feel comfortable carrying it. THATS why I want to give the 32 H&R a try! Hell, who knows, it may end up in the safe next to all the other ‘toys’. BTW – the street price on the S&W at my local dealer was $645. A hundred off retail!
My pocket carry is a Beretta Tomcat in .32. Alternately, a Colt 1903, also in .32, depending on what pants I might be wearing. During the winter months when jackets are worn, it’s usually a Ruger LCP, IWB. Otherwise, it’s too warm to worry about clothing being an issue. If I go back up North during the colder months, things change, but right now it’s warm 8-9 months out of the year, and people around here just don’t think about pocket guns like they do OWB, IWB, and whatnot.
For me, I carry my Sig Sauer P238 in the summer months. For winter I use my S&W 360PD loaded with 357 mags for additional power against heavy bulky clothing.
The .380 now beats the .32 ballistically.
I get 12” of penetration into a ballistic gel covered in four shirts from all of my .380’s. Pocket carry is my preferred method of carrying for the 9 warm Florida months.
Personally, I think the Ruger LCP Max is a very nice pocket 380. Yes, it’s a little snappy on the follow-up shots, but it’s manageable and surprisingly accurate. I’d rather carry a 380 than a 32.
I pocket carry a P365 and I will continue that in the future.
I’ll bet a donut that if you catch all these “combat shooting experts” that proclaim one must always be armed with a high capacity battle pistol and a dozen spare magazines, in thire driveway leaving the house and ask them what they are carrying right now….it will be a pocket pistol/ revolver of one stripe or another!
If I am not carrying my tiny Ruger lcp lite rack 22lr pistol (which fits perfectly in my blue jeans watch pocket) then its the Diamondback DB9 9mm (which is the same size as a 380 and also fits in the watch pocket). No interest in the 32 or 380.
I got a brand new colt 1903 pocket in 32 app through my grandfather. He bought it in 1932 and shot one magazine through it and didn’t like it and put it back in the box and put it on the shelf. 60 or so years later it came down to my dad. He never shot it and when my dad passed it came to me. I’ve put 7 or 800 rounds through it and I absolutely love it! I’ll take it all day long to 15 yards and I can ruin your day with it at short distance. Thank you Mr. Browning
Great piece Travis, I enjoyed reading about your pocket sized journey. I have a big safe full of big guns, but the one I carry more than any other is my S&W j frame .38 in a pocket holster. If you’re looking for a good pocket holster check out Pocket Concealment Systems.
Great story, thanks for sharing. I have had my BG 2.0 for 3 months now with 3K rounds, sweet gun! Previous micros owned: Hellcat, P365X, P938 Legion, FN Reflex, Glock 42, LCP Max.