which pocket?

[Alpo]

For this evening's question, we shall presume that you are not dressed as a cowboy, and you are carrying two pistols.

 

The large frame automatic - I will let you carry whatever you want although I was thinking 1911 - in a shoulder holster under your arm (well of course under my arm - where the hell else do you wear a shoulder holster SHUT UP! I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!!) and the backup gun - again I will let you carry whatever you want although I was thinking a J frame 38 - in the pocket of your cover garment. Which, for the sake of this question, will be a leather flight jacket.

 

Would you carry the backup in your strong side pocket or your weak side pocket?

 

This scenario is in a novel. And the character in the novel has his backup in his strong side pocket.

 

But it just occurs to me that if I was going to wear two pistols, I would want to be able to get to at least one of them with either hand. If both my guns are carried strong side, and my strong hand is damaged, I'm in a bit of trouble. If I got shot in the right arm so I could not draw that 45 out from under my left arm, it would be nice to be able to take that 38 out of my left pocket with my left hand.

 

Just my thoughts on the matter.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

For me, I'm too fat for a shoulder holster to do me any good. One's waist has to be smaller than one's chest to allow the covering garment to conceal it. But if I WERE still in shape, (round is a shape, right?) for such an arrangement I would carry the J Frame Weak Side. 

If I were carrying such armament today, I'd carry the 1911 right of SOB, grip facing OUTBOARD, parallel with my belt. I find this carry much more comfortable and easier to get a decent grip on the pistol if/ when needed because I don't have to twist my wrist to access the gun. The .38 would be carried Weak Side the same way.

[Trailrider #896]

 

Probably would pack it in my strongside back pocket. That way I could reach it with my strongside hand, but could reach around behind me with my other hand. Not sure what pistol, but probably a Walther PPkS in .380.

[Pat Riot]

I don’t like carrying a gun in a pants pocket. I have tried carrying my S&W 442 and my Sig P365 and I don’t like it. In the past I tried my KelTec P3AT and it was just fine in my front jeans pockets but I didn’t like it in my cargo pants. 
It may be that nerve damage in my right thigh makes a gun banging into my leg makes it annoying. 
 

I have also tried other pockets and carrying a gun in a pocket just annoys the hell out of me. 

[Chantry]

Bored, so I'll play.  Strong side for the primary firearm.  Backup would be on my right rear pocket.

 

Being difficult, alternatively the back up would be in a cross draw on my left side, canted to allow for a cavalry twist draw.  Or maybe an ankle holster.

 

The problem with putting the gun in the covering garment is that it limits your ability to take the jacket off without losing at least some of the control over who can access the gun.

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Pat Riot said:

I don’t like carrying a gun in a pants pocket. I have tried carrying my S&W 442 and my Sig P365 and I don’t like it. In the past I tried my KelTec P3AT and it was just fine in my front jeans pockets but I didn’t like it in my cargo pants. 
It may be that nerve damage in my right thigh makes a gun banging into my leg makes it annoying. 
 

I have also tried other pockets and carrying a gun in a pocket just annoys the hell out of me. 

 

I will not carry a firearm in any pants pocket.

[El Chapo]

It's illegal in my state to carry more than one gun concealed.  Most of the time if you see me and I'm not at some kind of shooting event, there is a .357 Magnum J frame in my right front pocket.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

12 hours ago, Alpo said:

For this evening's question, we shall presume that you are not dressed as a cowboy, and you are carrying two pistols.

 

The large frame automatic - I will let you carry whatever you want although I was thinking 1911 - in a shoulder holster under your arm (well of course under my arm - where the hell else do you wear a shoulder holster SHUT UP! I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!!) and the backup gun - again I will let you carry whatever you want although I was thinking a J frame 38 - in the pocket of your cover garment. Which, for the sake of this question, will be a leather flight jacket.

 

Would you carry the backup in your strong side pocket or your weak side pocket?

 

This scenario is in a novel. And the character in the novel has his backup in his strong side pocket.

 

But it just occurs to me that if I was going to wear two pistols, I would want to be able to get to at least one of them with either hand. If both my guns are carried strong side, and my strong hand is damaged, I'm in a bit of trouble. If I got shot in the right arm so I could not draw that 45 out from under my left arm, it would be nice to be able to take that 38 out of my left pocket with my left hand.

 

Just my thoughts on the matter.

1911 in a left side vertical shoulder rig, two  mags on the right, a Colt .38 Detective special right side over my hip pocket.....and sometimes a 9mm Star M-43 in my left boot. 

 

It's getting harder to carry so many because I'm old and just can't deal  with the weight.....and I just don't go out  much at night or in iffy places any more.

[DeaconKC]

Okay, my actual guns and holsters, S&W Scandium 1911 bobtail Commander in a Galco Jackass rig with 2 8round mags on the right. In the right front coat pocket my S&W 442, so if i have to shoot through the pocket I can without even drawing the gun. Right front pants pocket has my "always" gun, a Sig P238 in a Galco rough out pocket holster. Although you have given me something to think about, carrying the 442 in the left front jacket pocket.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

25 minutes ago, DeaconKC said:

 Although you have given me something to think about.

Don't say THAT! You'll give him a swelled up head and he'll start thinking that he's making SENSE!

[Rye Miles #13621]

I used to carry a NAA .22 mag as a backup and just put it in my front pocket. I now carry a Ruger LCR in .38 with no backup.

[Alpo]

2 hours ago, Chantry said:

The problem with putting the gun in the covering garment is that it limits your ability to take the jacket off without losing at least some of the control over who can access the gun.

If you were wearing a cover garment, for its intended purpose of covering up your concealed firearm, would you take it off?

 

I recall one time, during the winter, a friend and I went to Ryan's steakhouse. I was wearing a heavy jacket because it was cold outside. I was also wearing a Miami classic with a 1911. And I sat there and sweated all through dinner because I could not take that heavy coat off. If I did I would be exposing my holstered pistols to one and all.

 

Why would you take your cover garment off?

 

Unless you are home, or some other place where it does not matter if someone sees your holstered pistol.

 

If that were the case, and I was worried that someone might be able to access my backup pistol which is in my cover garment's pocket, I would remove it from the cover garment pocket and put it in my pants pocket, for that short period of time that I was uncovered.

[Chantry]

1 hour ago, Alpo said:

If you were wearing a cover garment, for its intended purpose of covering up your concealed firearm, would you take it off?

 

I recall one time, during the winter, a friend and I went to Ryan's steakhouse. I was wearing a heavy jacket because it was cold outside. I was also wearing a Miami classic with a 1911. And I sat there and sweated all through dinner because I could not take that heavy coat off. If I did I would be exposing my holstered pistols to one and all.

 

Why would you take your cover garment off?

 

Unless you are home, or some other place where it does not matter if someone sees your holstered pistol.

 

If that were the case, and I was worried that someone might be able to access my backup pistol which is in my cover garment's pocket, I would remove it from the cover garment pocket and put it in my pants pocket, for that short period of time that I was uncovered.

 

You pretty much made my point about not putting a back up in gun in a covering garment.   That's very much a situational thing have a plan when and when not removing a cover garment becomes an issue.

 

 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

probably be wise-ish to use a pocket without a hole in it.

[watab kid]

my pocket has no nole less i put it there for a reason , but to topic i carry my backup on my weak side , the strong side has my car fob and i seldom have anything but a bottle opener in my weak side pocket , besides if i need it it wilkl mean my strong side is no longer strong 

[Alpo]

15 minutes ago, watab kid said:

besides if i need it it wilkl mean my strong side is no longer strong 

That was my point.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

7 hours ago, Alpo said:

That was my point.

If you wear a hat it won't show.

[watab kid]

20 hours ago, Alpo said:

That was my point.

OK i get that , 

[Alpo]

El Dorado. Duke has a spasm and his right side is paralyzed, and he hears somebody coming and he's trying to reach his strong side gun with his week hand.

 

He does it, but just barely.

 

 

Just think how much easier that would have been if he'd been carrying crossdraw.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

9 minutes ago, Alpo said:

El Dorado. Duke has a spasm and his right side is paralyzed, and he hears somebody coming and he's trying to reach his strong side gun with his week hand.

 

He does it, but just barely.

 

Just think how much easier that would have been if he'd been carrying crossdraw.

If he carried crossdraw, he wouldn't have been as fast. Unless he started his draw the way Val Kilmer did, hand on the gun, he'd have to move his hand and arm a longer distance that someone carrying strong side.

And if you notice, they had to move his holster much further to the rear to accomplish the draw at all.

[Alpo]

1 minute ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

And if you notice, they had to move his holster much further to the rear to accomplish the draw at all

And here I thought I was the only one that saw that.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

1 minute ago, Alpo said:

And here I thought I was the only one that saw that.

Nope. "Eldorado" is my favorite Duke movie. Seen it MANY times.

[Alpo]

4 minutes ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Nope. "Eldorado" is my favorite Duke movie. Seen it MANY times.

At movie's how come I have this.

 

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

6 minutes ago, Alpo said:

At movie's how come I have this.

 

I met a guy in Tombstone that had a similar rig. He had the chambers plugged to accept .45 Colt blanks. He said that way it considered to be a handgun, and not a short shotgun, so he didn't have to worry about problems with the BATFE.

And my .45 Colt gunbelt carries 25 shells, 12 on one side, 12 on the other, with a .45-70 in the middle.

Edited April 9 by Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770

[watab kid]

On 4/7/2026 at 9:21 AM, El Chapo said:

It's illegal in my state to carry more than one gun concealed.  Most of the time if you see me and I'm not at some kind of shooting event, there is a .357 Magnum J frame in my right front pocket.

what stae uis that - im not going there , as i always carry a backup , why in the world would they limit you ? 

[Alpo]

1 hour ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

He had the chambers plugged to accept .45 Colt blanks. He said that way it considered to be a handgun, and not a short shotgun, so he didn't have to worry about problems with the BATFE.

Friend of mine got in trouble with the law, and as a result could no longer possess a firearm. Some bright person told him that if they removed the firing pin from his grandfather shotgun - a family heirloom - it would no longer be a gun and he would be able to have it.

 

I don't think so.

 

Now if your friend had that 12 gauge barrel and he had some 45 Colt adapters - the things that have both a chamber and a rifled barrel attached to it - and they were permanently (as in welded) installed in that cut down shotgun then that might - MIGHT - be considered a pistol.

 

But if all he did was have chambers installed that would take the 45, and the barrel was still smoothbore - that's NFA. And if he had the chamber adapters put in but they were not permanently installed - that's also NFA.

 

But, as long as he's happy and he doesn't get caught, all's well.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

8 hours ago, Alpo said:

Now if your friend had that 12 gauge barrel and he had some 45 Colt adapters - the things that have both a chamber and a rifled barrel attached to it - and they were permanently (as in welded) installed in that cut down shotgun then that might - MIGHT - be considered a pistol.

That's what he said he did. He isn't somebody I know, just a guy I met one time down in Tombstone.

[Rip Snorter]

When I was in Law Enforcement I carried backup Agent on my weak hand side.  Most of my co workers did the same if they carried a spare. Haven't carried a BUG since I changed careers.  The habit stuck thoiugh.  When I need to carry low profile it is a J frame in left front pocket, speedloader in the right front.  Reload will be with the right hand and I shoot about the same with either hand if I don't switch.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

11 hours ago, Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 said:

Nope. "Eldorado" is my favorite Duke movie. Seen it MANY times.

Look at The Big Trail ca about 1925.  Lots of things that Hollywood didn't make until later, lots of genuine antiques, real snow (no  soap flakes), great story line, some poor but acceptable acting, and really great story line.  My favorite JW movie.

 

El Dorado is second and Rio Bravo is a close third.