Pocket Carry with the Hellcat .380

By Kevin Creighton

Posted in
#EDC #Skills

Choosing the right defensive handgun for you means finding the right blend of size and features for your lifestyle. This can take some time, and just when you think you’ve settled on the right gun, your needs can suddenly change and you’re out gun shopping once more.

The correct holster makes all the difference when carrying a compact pistol like the Hellcat .380. Shown left to right are the DeSantis Pocket Partner, DeSantis Suede Nemesis and the Elite Survival Systems Mainstay.

Deeper Cover

This was my case many years ago when I found myself in a situation where the need to be discreet trumped all other considerations regarding choosing a handgun for concealed carry. I was legally able to carry a firearm with me, but the social implications of someone discovering I was armed would have unpleasant consequences. I weighed my options and decided that, under those circumstances, pocket carry was the right choice for me.

The first reason why I chose pocket carry was for concealability. A pistol in a pocket holster looks like a formless shape that could be your keys or wallet or whatnot. Ankle carry also offered me some measure of concealment, but with greatly reduced draw times and an increased risk of exposure every time I sat down or crossed my legs, it was off the list.

author showing his Hellcat 380 with a leather pocket holster — Leather holsters for pocket carry are very popular, and it’s easy to see why when you pair one with a pistol as small as the Hellcat .380. The gun disappears, and the draw stays clean.

The second reason I went with pocket carry was for logistical reasons. Tuckable inside-the-waistband (IWB) holsters were around when I made my decision, but while they let me carry a larger handgun, I ran into two issues with them. The first was getting them on in the morning and then making sure they were still concealing my firearm throughout the day. The second was that all that extra concealment significantly affected my draw time as I moved my clothing out of the way. Add in the fact that the motion of drawing from a tucked-in holster is almost impossible to conceal, and pocket carry started to make a lot more sense for me.

Aside from concealability, one of the biggest advantages of pocket carry can be speed on the draw. As noted trainer Mike Seeklander once said, the easiest way to cut your draw time in half is start with your hand on your gun, and pocket carry makes that easy to accomplish.

The Flip Side

The disadvantages to pocket carry? Well, first and foremost, your gun needs to fit in your pocket, so unless you’re wearing cargo pants that can hide a fair portion of the country of Portugal, your gun choices will be limited to something with a 3” barrel (or less).

A close-up image shows a Springfield Armory Hellcat .380 pistol fully seated inside a leather pocket holster. Carrying the Hellcat .380 requires a holster that fits the pistol precisely to ensure proper retention and trigger protection. A well-fitted leather pocket holster wraps closely around the frame of a compact defensive pistol. — A close look at how the Hellcat .380 sits in a leather pocket holster. Fit matters. Too loose, and the gun shifts around. Too tight, and your draw suffers when it counts.

However, in my experience, pistols as large as the Springfield Armory Hellcat 3″ Micro-Compact OSP .380 pistol can easily be carried in the front pocket of most pants — even with a red dot optic attached (more on that later). It’s chambered in .380 ACP, which means it is easy to shoot, but that also means you’ll need to pay close attention to your ammo choices to make sure it can effectively stop a threat.

[Don’t miss Jeremy Tremp’s Hellcat .380 review for more information on this compact pistol.]

The second disadvantage is the draw from the holster. Now I know a lot of you are saying right now, “Wait, didn’t you list that as an advantage just a few paragraphs earlier?” and you’d be correct. Bear with me on this. Let’s assume your gun is in a holster in your front pocket, and you’re sitting down. Anyone who’s ever tried to pull their car keys or wallet out of a pocket while seated will understand what’s coming next: It’s almost impossible to deploy your gun from this position, at least while seated. In addition to this, once you put your hand in your pocket to grab onto your gun, it’s very easy for someone (and by “someone,” I mean “the bad guy”) to grab onto your wrist while your hand is in your pocket and foul your draw.

Whoops.

Hornady Critical Defense ammo for the Hellcat 380 ACP — Not all .380 ACP ammunition performs the same way. Hornady Critical Defense is a purpose-built defensive round that gives the Hellcat .380 a better chance of stopping a threat.

Lastly, pocket carry demands you dedicate an entire pocket to nothing but carrying your gun in its holster. Your keys do not go into the pocket with your gun, nor do your wallet, a pen, or anything else. A pocket holster keeps your gun oriented the proper way and helps protect from a negligent discharge. Having other bits and pieces inside your pocket increases the chance of something defeating those precautions and creating a very bad situation, so don’t do it.

The Criteria

A holster for your pocket pistol needs to do the same things as a holster located on your waistband does. The first is, hold on to the gun. It should also be built so that it reduces the possibility of a negligent discharge by covering the trigger. Finally, a pocket holster needs to let go of the gun on-demand and allow for safe re-holstering.

concealing your Hellcat 380 ACP in a pocket — Concealing a pistol in your pocket sounds simple, but the gun, holster, and pants material all have to work together smoothly.

You would think that it would be easy to find holsters that fit these criteria, but you’d be wrong. Many pocket holsters are “one size fits all” affairs, and as a result, wind up being too big or too small for your gun. A pocket holster is unique in that it needs to be grippy enough to stay in place by hanging onto the sides of your pocket, yet release the gun quickly when needed. Good pocket holster brands to look for include DeSantis, as the company’s Nemesis and SuperFly holsters are a go-to for me.

Ideally, if the exterior of the holster is not a particularly “grabby” material, a pocket holster should be constructed with a small “hook” on the bottom of the holster to grab onto the bottom of the opening of your pocket as you start your draw. This helps arrest the motion of the holster and leaves it behind in your pocket as you draw.

The Elite Survival Systems Mainstay holster (and others) rely on a combination of a super-sticky material on the outside and a slicker material inside up against the gun to achieve the same effect, but I like that physical contact between holster and pocket edge when I’m forced to deploy my firearm.

Setting Your Sights

Slide-mounted red dot sights are increasingly common on larger defensive pistols, but are only now starting to show up on pocket pistols. The Hellcat OSP (Optical Sight Pistol) .380 has a slide that is cut for Shield RMSc-patttern optics, and mounting one on top dramatically changes what you can do with the gun. 25-yard headshots are theoretical for most pocket guns. However, the smaller, more precise aiming point of dot sight versus irons improves your precision and makes longer shots easier to accomplish. The tradeoff is that there is now a bumpy thing on top of your slide that can snag on your clothing as you draw your pistol.

author draws Hellcat 380 from his pocket — Getting your pistol into play from a pocket means clearing your cover garment smoothly and cleanly.

Snagging your clothing on the draw can happen with pretty much any pocket pistol as you are moving your gun past more clothing than if you carry on the waistband. An efficient draw from the pocket starts the same way all good draws from a holster start, with a firm grip on your pistol. After I grip the pistol, I like to use the middle finger of my shooting hand to slightly bump the pistol out of the grip of the holster, which helps smooth out the draw.

The Ideal Process

The motion of a draw from a pocket is almost identical to a draw from the waistband. The gun comes up out of the holster and once it is clear of both holster and cover garment (in this case, your pocket), the pistol is then rotated up and pushed out towards the target. I have found that this is easier to accomplish with vertical “slash” or diagonal front pockets than it is with pockets which open across the top of your trousers, but I encourage you to do your own research on this.

concealing a Hellcat 380 pistol with a red dot sight — Even with a mounted red dot sight, the Springfield Hellcat .380 still conceals easily in a pocket.

Speaking of which, even though your gun may disappear in your pocket, it doesn’t mean it should be absent from your practice sessions. If anything, smaller guns require more work in order to achieve and maintain competency. Dry fire practice done safely in your home should be a regular thing, as should live-fire drills like Lee Weems’ “No Loader” drill and other low-round count drills.

Conclusion

So there you have it — the ups and downs of pocket carry, and why and when I choose it for myself. So, pick out your gun, the right holster, and get to training so you too can efficiently and effectively employ this handy mode of carry.

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