{"id":6297,"date":"2025-05-10T22:41:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T22:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/10\/the-pocket-pistol-and-lessons-learned-toting-them\/"},"modified":"2025-05-10T22:41:19","modified_gmt":"2025-05-10T22:41:19","slug":"the-pocket-pistol-and-lessons-learned-toting-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/10\/the-pocket-pistol-and-lessons-learned-toting-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pocket Pistol And Lessons Learned Toting Them"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/svg><\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>11<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019m not a pocket gun fan, or I wasn\u2019t a pocket gun fan. My opinion has evolved over the years, and I\u2019d like to dig into why and explain how I stumbled into pocket carry, why it\u2019s my chosen method of carrying most of the time, and the lessons learned along the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When and Why I Carry A Pocket Pistol\u00a0<\/h2>\n

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\u2019t seem like a risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Not quite pocket-sized<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I carry a pocket pistol when it\u2019s just me. I\u2019m moving to the larger, higher-capacity P365XL if I\u2019m with my family. If it\u2019s just me, I\u2019m only in charge of defending myself, and retreating is a viable option. Retreating with my family can be a bit more difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"holster
The included pocket holster isn\u2019t bad.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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\u2019ve become fairly quick and proficient with a pocket draw, and it\u2019s faster than you\u2019d think. Pocket carry, as a whole, has proven to be a very concealable, efficient, and comfortable way to carry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My First Pocket Pistol \u2013 The S&W Bodyguard .380 ACP\u00a0<\/h2>\n

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\u2019t very good?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Fiocchi
I was not a fan of the pocket sized .380 ACP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Between those three problems, I figured I had one accurate shot, but getting quick secondary shots just wasn\u2019t going to work.\u00a0 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019t great from these uber-short barrels.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How I Met .32 ACP\u00a0<\/h2>\n

I stumbled into a gun show and found something that has been often cited as extinct at gun shows\u2026a deal! Yep, it\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"two
Yep, the .32 ACP is one of my favorite pocket pistol calibers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"small
Yep, the little P32 occupied my pocket for a long time<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Our liaisons were kept secret from a jealous 9mm cartridge. I just couldn\u2019t 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\u2019s 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.)\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A KelTec? Really?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"P32
At 6.6 ounces the little P32 is a natural pocket pistol<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I eventually purchased a Tomcat, which started a new affair with Beretta tip-ups, but that\u2019s another story. I enjoyed both, but at 6.6 ounces and about half the width, the P32 won out for daily carry.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019t get expansion, but I could get rounds to the vitals.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Desantis
The Desantis SuperFly is an excellent pocket holster <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Shooting is a perishable skill\u2014we know that\u2014but it turns out it\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Pocket Pistol Wheelgun <\/h2>\n

All was good until I went by a local gun store and started chatting with the owner. We\u2019re 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\".32
A .32 revolver has become my current pocket pistol <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Results<\/h2>\n

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\u2019t have and talk myself into buying a new gun to shoot said ammo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019s a soft-shooting, super-accurate cartridge still used in shooting competitions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"small
Six rounds in a snubnose revolver isn\u2019t much, but more than usual.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Me and The 432 UC<\/h2>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Safariland
The Safariland Model 25 and the 432 UC were solid pocket carry partners<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Lessons Learned \u2013 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Sights
Easy-to-use sights are an excellent feature on a pocket gun<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With the 432 UC, my skills weren\u2019t 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\u2019s my current pocket-carry gun, but there is always a bigger fish.<\/p>\n

The New Bodyguard\u00a0<\/h2>\n

It seems poetic that my first carry pistol was a Bodyguard, and my latest under consideration is the Bodyguard 2.0<\/a>. 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

READ MORE: Beretta 92 Compact: A Classic Reborn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Small
It\u2019s poetic that my latest pocket gun is the sequel to my first, and worst. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lesson that remains to be learned, but it\u2019s one I can\u2019t wait to dig into.\u00a0<\/p>\n

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Travis Pike is a dedicated firearms writer, a Second Amendment Advocate, and a subject matter enthusiast for all things firearms. He is an amateur competitor with dreams of one day not coming in 4th place at a local defensive match. If he\u2019s not putting text to word processor, he\u2019s likely spending time with family, enjoying Florida\u2019s Nature Coast, or drinking hipster beer. As the resident Florida man he has a preference for obscure guns and calibers.<\/p>\n

Experience\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Hunter \u2013 Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida<\/li>\n
  • Instructor \u2013 Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats<\/li>\n
  • Wannabe Competitor \u2013 Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby.<\/li>\n
  • Marine \u2013 Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    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\u2019m not a pocket gun fan, or I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6298,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6297","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6299,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6297\/revisions\/6299"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6298"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}