1. Does any of you actually pocket carry on a consistent basis?
Pretty much every workday. I can't carry IWB at work because of the type of work I do.
2. If so, what sort of gun do you carry? J-frame, micro 1911, something else? (I'll be sticking with something in either 9mm or 38 Spl, and I'd prefer it to be DA or have a 1911 style safety)
So far I have only found two 9mm pistols that will fit, fully covered, in a jeans pocket. I've tried with the Shield, XDS, Glock 43, and Kimber Micro 9. They all are partially exposed when in the pocket. In many places that'd be fine, but where I work, while it's legal to carry, if management found out that I was carrying, I'd probably lose my job. I need the gun fully concealed.
The two that will fit are the Rorbaugh R9 and the Bond Arms Bullpup9. They're very different guns, but both are all-metal DAO pistols with an OAL of about 5 inches (all the guns above are at least 6" long, which is why they don't fully conceal). They're both in the $1100 MSRP range, so getting into a 9mm that completely fits in a jeans pocket won't be cheap.
The Rorbaugh is thinner, carries 6+1, is not +P rated, and has a 2.9" barrel. It's not designed to be fired much; the manufacturer recommends replacing the recoil spring every 200 rounds. I believe it's currently out of production.
The Bullpup has a quite unique action that lets them squeeze a 3.4" barrel into a frame that's actually shorter than the Rorbaugh. It's slightly thicker, holds 7+1, and is +P rated. Unlike the R9, you can shoot it as much as you want; however, one thing to note is that because of the unusual action, certain ammunition won't work (specifically, reloads and really cheap target ammo that don't have the bullet crimped into the shell will separate under recoil, causing jams). Bond has an extensive list of ammo on their website that's been tested to work (WWB is their recommended target ammo, and practically any self-defense loading is good); feed it anything on that list and you'll never have a problem.
I carry the Bullpup. It's actually pleasant to shoot, compared to other subcompact 9mms. The trigger pull is long, but relatively light and
very smooth (think "S&W revolver with a trigger job" smooth). I've said my piece elsewhere as to what I think of the gun, but let's just say I don't foresee changing it up anytime soon, if ever.
If you want to fully conceal in a jeans pocket but don't like either of those options, you'll probably have to make the jump down to .380 or look at snubby revolvers.
3. Finally, what sort of holster do you use/recommend?
I carry all of my pocket guns in
Bear Creek "back pocket" holsters. I like them because the "anti-print" panel can be removed if I want to carry in the front pocket, but with it on, it just looks like I'm carrying a big wallet in my back pocket. For me, front pocket carry is more comfortable, but drawing from a front jeans pocket is not fast or easy.
I'm not comfortable carrying any gun in a pocket without a holster of some sort, even if there's nothing else in the pocket. I realize some folks have done it for years with no issues, and that's fine; I just can't do it.
