Clip draw for J frame?

[JERRY]

With summer time quickly approaching the hot and extremely human southeast I'm considering clip draw carry for one of my airweight j frames. When just putzing about in the back yard a little 22 magnum that weighs less than 11 oz unloaded is great for the pocket. However, I don't care for the way it slaps my leg as I walk around in sweat shorts.

I already have one ordered and in route it was an impulse buy while I was on midway USA ordering ammo.

What say you and do you carry this way?
Pix are always welcome.

*edited to add, I'm going to be appendix carrying this way. AKA 1 o'clock.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

CLIP-GRIP

Desantis Holster is an online store for inside the waistband holsters, pistol holsters, Taurus, pistol, pancake holsters, holsters for springfield XD, walther, handgun, GLOCK IWB, GLOCK 22 and leather holsters for 1911.

www.desantisholster.com

I installed a Desantis Clip Grip on my S&W lightweight J frames, and carry them in the front pocket of my Levi's. Really comfortable, secure, and easy to draw.

It's being discontinued and it's on sale at the link above for $19.

Whereas on my Ruger LCRs, I installed the Hamre Forge Hook Grip. It's works great. The only problem I've encountered is the hook can print if I don't choose the right shirt.

Shop - Hamre Forge LLC

All the products of the Hamre Forge line

hamreforge.com

 

[Col. Harrumph]

I wouldn't trust one of those, and I speak from experience. I was carrying my M36 that way when I squatted down to clear snow from under the tires. My ample belly wasn't enough to hold the gun down as my leg pushed the barrel up (I was carrying at about 2 o'clock). So, into the snow she went, as I discovered when getting back behind the wheel: no gun. No luck digging around either; I figured I'd have to wait until spring, but this was in a public place. Luckily I found a rent-a-center the next day, that had a beachcomber's mine detector available. I found the gun and "lost" the clip grip thingy.

Of course if you don't carry yours at 2:00 you might have a better experience.

 

[RKRCPA]

I've been using an original Barami Hip Grip for a very long time. Simply disappears under a t-shirt just behind the hip.

 

[Shodan]

Round-butt S&W J-Frame: Boot Grip - Hamre Forge LLC

hamreforge.com

Check out Hamre Forge.

 

[JERRY]

Yeah I'm not a hip grip guy anymore. Thx

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I put a Desantis on my 642. It seems to be pretty secure but I haven’t carried it enough to totally trust it yet. It is definitely more secure than the Sticky I tried and had one get loose. Luckily no harm no foul. I will say the Sticky in a pocket has worked well for me but the 642 is a bit much for me in a pocket

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

I don't have experience with the clip draw but I have a different solution to the problem they solve which has served me well for a decade or so.

An alternative to carrying without a holster IWB with a small revolver is to use a strong hair tie under the belt and around your chosen belt loop (I use the loop at roughly 1 o clock). The upper end of the hair tie is pulled up and goes around the barrel of the gun which is then put into your waistband as you would if you were carrying it dummy style with no support. The belt keeps the gun secure from falling up and out and the pressure applied on the cylinder from your belt and pants keeps your junk safe from an AD. The hair tie prevents the gun from falling down your pants.

Beware, depending on your front sight height and shape you may find the hairtie doesn't let go of it so easily on the draw. You may have to practice to break the hair tie on the draw and not let it rip the gun out of your hand, and this also means you want hair ties which can take the weight of the gun and hold up for a week or two but also ones that aren't way too strong so as to prevent you from breaking them on the draw if need be.

It's arguably easier to deal with an IWB holster of some type, or pocket carry but this has worked well for me so far.

 

[JERRY]

I don't have experience with the clip draw but I have a different solution to the problem they solve which has served me well for a decade or so.

An alternative to carrying without a holster IWB with a small revolver is to use a strong hair tie under the belt and around your chosen belt loop (I use the loop at roughly 1 o clock). The upper end of the hair tie is pulled up and goes around the barrel of the gun which is then put into your waistband as you would if you were carrying it dummy style with no support. The belt keeps the gun secure from falling up and out and the pressure applied on the cylinder from your belt and pants keeps your junk safe from an AD. The hair tie prevents the gun from falling down your pants.

Beware, depending on your front sight height and shape you may find the hairtie doesn't let go of it so easily on the draw. You may have to practice to break the hair tie on the draw and not let it rip the gun out of your hand, and this also means you want hair ties which can take the weight of the gun and hold up for a week or two but also ones that aren't way too strong so as to prevent you from breaking them on the draw if need be.

It's arguably easier to deal with an IWB holster of some type, or pocket carry but this has worked well for me so far.

Not wearing a belt with sweat shorts.

 

[halfmoonclip]

I've been happy with an Alabama kydex pocket rig, and a 340SC.
Have had the ones that replace the right stock, and never found them especially effective.
Inside the waistband holsters have always worked better; appendix carry, it's where I had a Centennial the night I had to shoot a deer (she'd been thoughtless enough to smash into a buddy's new pickup).
Moon

 

[RevolvingGarbage]

Not wearing a belt with sweat shorts.

I missed that part of the requirements. My first instinct is to to tell you to put on a proper pair of cargo shorts or something with a belt, you slob!

But I say that in jest, of course. No offense meant!

The hair tie thing can work with sweatpants (or shorts, you heathen ;]) by using the draw string coming out of its hole as the anchor point for the hair tie. This is way less secure than with a belt, but I've done it and it works well enough for bumming around the house with an aluminum frame gun.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Yeah, we had a former pro QB, trying to shake a tail feather in a club, with a G19 carried 'Mexican style' in his waistband. IIRC, there was an ND. Anyway, even a really light gun wants something a little more substantial than gym shorts.
No disrespect, just sayin'.
Moon

 

[JERRY]

Yeah, we had a former pro QB, trying to shake a tail feather in a club, with a G19 carried 'Mexican style' in his waistband. IIRC, there was an ND. Anyway, even a really light gun wants something a little more substantial than gym shorts.
No disrespect, just sayin'.
Moon

Yeah shaking my tail feathers is not what I'm gonna be doing in the backyard with sweat shorts on

 

[Shodan]

I know you mentioned just putzing around in the yard, but a Phlster Enigma would open up a lot of wardrobe options for you.

 

[fastbolt]

I have an older type of clip draw gadget, which I tried on one of my J's back in the 90's, I think it was. Before that, I'd been trying the old school method of wrapping some large rubber bands around the top of the grip, to 'catch' on the top of the jeans/slacks hem and whatever t-shirt was being worn. I carried it underneath a tucked-in shirt in those days, between the outer shirt and a t-shirt. It worked okay-ish, although I didn't like the lack of stability if I was engaging in some physical activities. So, I tried a clip draw widget I saw ...

That particular older style clip draw gadget mounted to 2 screw holes on the snub frame, and came with its own screws (including a yoke screw). The clip of that version was long enough reach near the front of the cylinder.




I used it with some range work, and you can see by the discoloration on the side of the clip facing the cylinder, that the muzzle blasts left some markings.

Bottom line? I didn't care for the way the snub could tip and shift a bit within my waistband with my upper body movement.

Also, I noticed that whatever (soft?) metal was used for the yoke screw plunger, it was getting deformed by battering against the yoke button with a surprisingly small amount of trigger time. The widget sits in one of the drawers of one of my small parts cabinets.

I have no experience with any newer design, which only use one screw to mount the clip to the side of the frame, but a lot shorter clip seems like it might not require much 'lift' pressure exerted against a snub in the waistband to lift it free of the belt/waistband.

If it were me, based only upon my own experience with that older clip, I'd rather invest the money to pick up a IWB clip-type holster. At least the pocket of the holster would restrict the tipping and movement of the snub to some extent, although a soft, open pocket-holster might still allow for lower body pressure (sitting, crouching, etc) against the muzzle to possibly 'lift' the snub upward within - or from - the soft holster. Then again, that might happen with an 'open' (top and muzzle) belt slide under inopportune conditions, so it's always prudent to consider holster design against anticipated conditions and activities.

Just my own thoughts.

 

[Steve Milbocker]

I didn’t catch the sweat pants either. No way In hell would I trust the clip grip with just sweat pants. Jeans and no belt…maybe?

 

[JERRY]

Installed on my lightest revolver. Going to give it a try around the house.

 

[Dan-O]

With summer time quickly approaching the hot and extremely human southeast I'm considering clip draw carry for one of my airweight j frames. When just putzing about in the back yard a little 22 magnum that weighs less than 11 oz unloaded is great for the pocket. However, I don't care for the way it slaps my leg as I walk around in sweat shorts.

I already have one ordered and in route it was an impulse buy while I was on midway USA ordering ammo.

What say you and do you carry this way?
Pix are always welcome.

*edited to add, I'm going to be appendix carrying this way. AKA 1 o'clock.

Big fan. Especially on a humpback.

 

[Speedo66]

I had one on an LCP, took it off quickly, not a fan.

I’ve seen here @Armored farmer has one on his LCP, maybe I’m missing something.

 

[JERRY]

For the weekend trial it works as advertised. Gym shorts and a 351C were a good combination. Even got on a treadmill (walking only) for a mile... no problems.

So for a putzing around the house, yard... in gym shorts etc without a belt this works for me.