7 Best Pocket Pistols

Size matters, and it goes in both directions. Sometimes you need a big gun. Sometimes you need a small gun. Small guns come in various sizes, and we have subcompacts, pocket pistols, and mouse guns. Today we are going to be talking all about pocket pistols. We’ve gathered the very best pocket pistols, and we are going to break down what a pocket pistol is and leave you with a little advice on how to best use your pocket pistol. 

What is a Pocket Pistol?

The name explains it, right? A pocket pistol is small enough to fit in your pocket! As such it has to be very small, relatively lightweight, and thin. If it’s hard to draw from your pocket, it’s going to be tough to call it a pocket pistol. Pocket pistols can be found in calibers like 25 ACP, 22LR, 32 ACP, 380 ACP, and 9mm. 

What’s A Pocket Pistol Good For?

Why would you ever want such a small gun? If you’ve handled firearms before, you know that small guns are often more challenging than large guns. However, there is a time and a place for everything, and small guns fill a certain niche. 

• Deep Concealment: When hiding the gun is the most important consideration, then a small gun is the best option possible. Pocket pistols print less and are easier to conceal in tuckable holsters, belly bands, on the ankle, and of course, in the pocket. 
• A Backup: Some people carry more than one gun. Carrying one decent-sized firearm can be tough to do. Carrying two is a major hassle. Choosing a pocket pistol as your backup gun ensures you have a spare rod, but you don’t need to be weighed down by a second Glock 19. 
• Convenience Carry Guns: Let’s admit, sometimes you have to run a quick errand, and you don’t want to strap on a proper-sized holster and gun. A pocket pistol allows for the convenient carry of a small gun for those quick errands. 

How I Chose The Best Pocket Pistols

When it comes to choosing the best pocket pistols, I bring more than just a passing interest to the table. I’ve clocked in hours at the range, scrutinizing and testing these compact guns, ensuring they pack a punch in performance while fitting snugly in your pocket.

My journey in selecting these pistols didn’t start at the counter. It began with an understanding—having a reliable, easily concealed firearm matters. I’ve handled a variety of models, delving into their features, ergonomics, and most importantly, their reliability when it counts the most.

But expertise doesn’t flourish in isolation. I didn’t just rely on my own experiences. I sought insights from my peers in the field, tapping into their preferences and putting their recommendations to the test. Anything I hadn’t laid my hands on, I made sure to acquire, because a comprehensive review demands no stone left unturned.

After meticulously examining and firing these pistols, I’ve distilled the top contenders. These aren’t just numbers on a spec sheet; they’re the ones that impressed me with their accuracy, ease of use, and ability to maintain precision in critical moments.

So, rest assured, this list isn’t a shot in the dark. It’s a result of hands-on experience and collaboration, ensuring that when it comes to selecting a pocket pistol, you’re getting the insights of someone who’s walked the talk in the world of concealed firearms.

Best Pocket Pistols

• Glock 42
• Ruger LCP 2 380
• S&W Bodyguard 380 
• SIG P938 SAS 
• Kahr PM9 
• Ruger LCR 327 Magnum 
• NAA Guardian 380 ACP

Best Pocket Pistols

1. Glock 42		Glock Brand Glock Reliability Full-Size Sights Easy to Find	Check Price
2. Ruger LCP 2 380		Great Improved LCP Affordable Teeny-Tiny	Check Price
3. S&W Bodyguard 380		Optional Integrated Laser Manual Safety DAO Trigger	Check Price
4. SIG P938 SAS		Snag Free SAO Trigger 1911-like Design	Check Price
5. Kahr PM9		Super Small 9mm Big Sights Smooth DAO Trigger	Check Price
6. Ruger LCR 327 Magnum		Powerful Cartridge Smooth Trigger Modern Revolver Option	Check Price
7. NAA Guardian 380 ACP		All Metal Frame Smooth Design DAO Trigger	Check Price

Best Pocket Pistol Specs

Best Pocket Pistol Reviews

In the following section I will be reviewing each individual product listed above and discussing the pros, cons and pricing of each pocket pistol.

Glock 42 Review

Glock made a lot of 380s before the 42, but the Glock 42 is the first we saw wide release stateside. It was also the first single stack 380 ACP they designed. It was Glock’s pioneer single-stack 380 ACP, strategically targeting the growing concealed carry market. 

The little Glock 42 took everything people love about the Glock series of pistols and shrunk it into manageable pocket rockets, perfect for self defense. This little fella is the smallest Glock available and brings you the Glock reliability you know and love in pocket pistol form. It’s super small, a mere 5.94 inches long, and only .98 inches wide. It’s super small, and when loaded, it weighs only 15.87 ounces. 

Glock’s little 380 ACP is terrifically simple and employs Glock’s safe action system that shuns manual safeties like thumb safety in favor of multiple internal safeties. This makes it quite simple to pull from your pocket and engage without any extra steps. Besides its small size, the simple design means it can be easily pocket carried and you can even get a small red dot sight to carry it with, as long as you are not deep carrying. I recommend getting a Kydex pocket holster as it can accommodate a Glock 42 even with a red dot sight on it.

Glock might have taken their time to produce a single stack, pocketable, 380 ACP, but they did it right. It’s one of the few guns that’s pocketable but doesn’t sting, ping, or hurt your hand when firing. It’s quite comfortable, except for fellas with big hands. Admittedly I get some slide bite from this little gun, but I’m also a gorilla. You can read my full review here.

Pros and Cons

Ruger LCP2 380 Review

Ruger’s original LCP was sold by the millions when it arrived. Ruger was proactive in producing a pocket pistol, and the LCP flew off the shelves. The LCP was great but could be better, so Ruger refined the design with the LCP 2. 

At its core, the LCP 2 is a micro-sized pocket pistol chambered in either 380 or 22 LR. My suggestion would be the 380 ACP variant as the round is more reliable and penetrates deeper with wider expansion. The LCP 2 features a much better trigger than the original LCP. It’s light and crisp with a short reset. Also, the bigger sights provide an easier aiming option and make getting on target much easier. 

An LCP 2 utilizes a more aggressive grip texture to help keep the gun from fighting out of your hand. Along with better slide serrations, we also get an easy rack slide that’s friendly to those with bad hand strength. At only 10.6 ounces, this gun will never weigh you down, but be prepared to feel the full recoil from a 380 ACP cartridge. It provides a nice little hand slap with every shot. 

The LCP 2 is ultra-reliable, lightweight, and super small. It comes in numerous configurations with lasers, Hogue grips, and a multitude of color options. When you want the lightest little gun out there, then you gotta go with the LCP 2. Read my full Ruger LCP II review here.

Pros and Cons

S&W Bodyguard 380 Review

The Bodyguard 380 ACP was my first experience with pocket pistols, and admittedly, I wasn’t a fan initially. I wasn’t used to the rough recoil, small sights, or long trigger pull. However, over time the little guy grew on me. It’s super small, and S&W trimmed a ton of corners and edges off to make it ultra-smooth. Smooth guns are easy to draw, and pocket guns can be tough to draw when they snag. 

The Bodyguard’s snag-free design and integrated red laser made it a capable, quick-on-target firearm. Unlike many pocket pistols with minimalistic nubs for sights, the Bodyguard boasts proper sights, facilitating easier aiming—a welcome feature. Holding six rounds of 380 ACP ammo and weighing just 12.3 ounces, it’s a lightweight, potent choice for concealed carry.

For those looking for a manual safety on their pocket pistol, the Bodyguard has you covered. The little safety is frame-mounted and similar to the 1911, just much, much, smaller. The little Bodyguard packs a punch on both ends, and be warned its thin grip punches back into your hand and isn’t super comfortable. 

Now, let’s talk practicality. This gun is absurdly small—it practically disappears in your pocket. However, its diminutive size has drawbacks. The grip is so short and thin that it’s not the most comfortable to hold. My fingers struggle to find purchase, and I have to consciously adjust my grip for a clean draw.

Operating the safety isn’t a breeze either—it’s tiny and challenging to engage swiftly. While the slight beavertail prevents slide bite, the ergonomics could use some tweaking.

Priced at around $400, it’s not the worst deal for a reliable firearm, but there are better options out there at this range.

However, the S&W Bodyguard is super reliable. Ammo picky it is not, and the restrike capability of the DAO trigger is a comforting feature. Read my full review here.

S&W Bodyguard 380 Pros and Cons

SIG P938 SAS Review

SIG makes some of the best little guns on the market, and the 938 is already micro-sized. The downside is the micro 1911 had a lot of snag points that might make it challenging to carry in your pocket, especially during self defense situations. Well, the new SAS variant takes care of that. SAS stands for SIG Anti Snag, and it’s a process SIG uses to trim the snag points off their concealed carry guns. 

SIG trimmed, melted, and configured the 938 SAS to be much smaller. The SIG 938 features the FT Bullseye sights that sit flush to slide and trim a major snag point from the 938. These sights take lots of practice to use, but once mastered, they are an effective sighting system for close-range, fast-moving firefights. 

The 938 uses a 1911 like layout that delivers a single action only trigger, a 1911 style safety, and a single stack design. A good single-action trigger combined with the bullseye sights makes the gun quite accurate. 

My experience with the SIG P938 SAS has been a revelation. It stands tall in the reliability department, having fired over 500 rounds without a single malfunction. Whether cycling FMJ or more specialized rounds like Hornady Critical Duty 9mm or Sig’s own 124-grain +P V-Crown JHP, it has flawlessly functioned.

Accuracy-wise, the P938 SAS shines, thanks in part to its excellent sights, though rapid-fire strings might challenge its precision. However, where it loses me is in ergonomics. The grip feels too narrow for the 9mm cartridge it fires, and the thumb safety’s odd placement and size raise concerns, especially for less experienced users.

As a fan of the 1911 and the P238, I should adore the P938 SAS, yet it falls slightly short of expectations. While it nails reliability and fair accuracy, ergonomic quirks and safety concerns dampen my enthusiasm. It’s a solid gun, but the overall package doesn’t quite match up, making it hard for me to wholeheartedly recommend, despite understanding its potential. Read our full review here.

SIG P938 SAS Pros and Cons

Kahr PM9 Review

Sadly the Kahr PM9 is criminally underrated. It’s a great little gun that packs 9mm performance into a pocket pistol-sized platform. It’s a simple polymer frame pistol that holds 6 or 7 rounds of 9mm, depending on the magazine size. Admittedly, the shorter 6 round magazine is much more pocket-friendly at only 5.42 inches long, which makes it shorter than the 380 caliber Glock 42. 

The Kahr PM9 uses a very smooth double action only trigger. The trigger pull is long, but to be fair, it’s very smooth. It’s almost like a really well-done revolver trigger. Admittedly, it’s not for everyone, especially if you’ve come to appreciate the light and crisp striker-fired triggers most of us are accustomed to. 

One big factor why I included this gun is that it’s very easy to handle. It has some snap to it and some muzzle rise to look out for, but it’s not painful. It doesn’t slam into your hand and cause any pain. At 14 ounces, it’s not the lightest gun on the market, but that little extra weight does provide some real and noticeable recoil reduction. 

It’s a smooth shooting gun with great sights, a good trigger, and soft recoil for its size. Kahr needs to get more love in the modern marketplace because they are producing high-quality firearms. 

Kahr PM9 Pros and Cons

Ruger LCR 327 Magnum Review

Revolvers aren’t technically pistols, I know, but pocket handguns are nowhere near as fun of a title as pocket pistols. Leave me and my alliterations alone! J frame, or snub nose revolvers, are the old school pocket pistol and have learned to serve in that role. The LCR might be old school as a revolver, but it’s the most modern revolver on the market. The polymer frame trims weight down to about 17 ounces. 

It’s a little heavy as a pocket pistol but too bad. I chose the 327 Federal Magnum cartridge because it’s superbly efficient in size and power. It hits hard and penetrates deeply. It expands well and delivers excellent terminal ballistics. The 327 Federal Magnum also allows you to fit six shots into a five-shot revolver. An extra round is always nice to have. 

The Ruger LCR in 327 Magnum provides you the most modern revolver combination for pocket pistol applications. It sports the best stock double-action trigger on the market and pairs with it a good front sight for rapid target acquisition. Ruger’s little six-shot revolver packs a lot of power in a pocket-sized platform. The 327 Federal Magnum outperforms 9mm with little issue and doesn’t provide harsh recoil. 

That being said, the 9mm variant of the LCR might give you a more common and affordable round, and I wouldn’t shy away from it as a pocket pistol either. 

Ruger LCR 327 Magnum Pros and Cons

NAA Guardian 380 ACP Review

You want it small, snag-free, and all-metal? Well, the NAA Guardian 380 ACP is the pocket pistol for you. The Guardian 380 ACP measures 4.81 inches long, is 3.69 inches tall, and .94 inches wide. You best count your blessings that the little Guardian weighs 20.4 ounces. That extra weight of the all-metal frame eats up recoil and makes it manageable to handle without your palm getting a slap with every shot. 

The Guardian 380 ACP packs six rounds of 380 ACP, making it competitive with every other pocket pistol on the market. The NAA Guardian does have a long double-action trigger which will detract from the gun’s accuracy with most shooters. The tiny nubs for sights won’t help much either. Like most pocket pistols, it’s best inside ten yards or so. 

When it comes to reliability, the NAA Guardian seems to eat whatever you throw at it. The little gun doesn’t suffer issues from limp writing, likely due to the weight, and this makes it easy to handle if your grip is compromised. As a pocket pistol, it’s snag-free and super smooth for a quick and efficient one-handed draw. 

NAA Guardian 380 ACP Pros and Cons

Pocket Pistol Buyers Guide

Below I want to unpack some thoughts on what to consider when you’re looking for a pocket pistol, the benefits, and what else you might want to pick up.

The Truth About Pocket Pistols

Pocket pistols suck—kind of. You see, pocket pistols are designed for a very specific niche, and that forces them to be very small, and small guns suck compared to bigger guns. Even when compared to subcompact pistols, pocket pistols kind of suck. 

If you want a gun that often slaps your hand, bucks, and tries to escape, then a pocket pistol is for you. In calibers like 380 ACP and 9mm, the small, thin grips and lightweight design forces you to endure lots of recoil and muzzle rise. Smaller guns often compromise on sights. Small nubs are tough to aim with and tough to shoot at ranges beyond ten yards. 

Pocket carry doesn’t provide the quickest or most efficient means to draw a handgun either. It’s often slower and hard to do when sitting. It eliminates a pocket for your pants, and safe pocket carry means the gun is the only thing in your pocket. 

So does this mean you should eliminate pocket carry? No, it means if you choose to pocket carry, even occasionally, you need to train for pocket carry. Train your draw, your carry means, and even train drawing in a vehicle or seated at a table. You need to train with your teeny tiny pistol too. In fact, you should be training more with a pocket pistol. Mastering the little gun takes time, and lots of dry fire and live fire practice and training is the only way. 

Chic Gaylord, an old-school firearm writer, once said snub nose shooters should put at least 100 rounds downrange a week. That applies to the modern pocket pistol as well. It’s a tough gun to shoot, so be ready for it. 

Benefits of Pocket Pistols

It can’t be all bad, right? If it was, no one would buy a pocket pistol and pocket carry, right? We know that’s not true because micro pocket pistols still fly off the shelves. After bad talking pocket carry so much above, allow me to talk about the benefits of pocket pistols. 

First and foremost, they are super small and very easy to conceal. These teeny tiny little fellas can be carried in the pocket but also in a standard holster and be incredibly comfortable. You can strap it on and forget all about it. It’s great, and the gun you carry comfortably is admittedly better than the big gun you leave in the safe. A pocket pistol is never limited to just pocket carry. 

Pocket pistols also allow for deep concealment. Sometimes you find yourself in situations where a big gun is impossible to conceal due to your choice of clothing. Carrying a gun with a tucked-in shirt or a suit can be challenging. A pocket pistol makes it much easier. For ladies, dresses offer an even greater challenge, one that can be solved with a pocket pistol. 

Smaller guns are just easier to carry but disappear with ease. Printing is a real issue, and big guns print more than small guns. A little gun can be concealed in your pocket with no one the wiser, even when someones trained to look for guns. 

When you pack a pistol in your pocket, you can also put your hand in your pocket and grip your gun with no one the wiser. You might find yourself in a situation where you are in danger, but you can’t justify drawing your handgun. Having your hand resting on it ensures you can draw quickly and be ready should the worst-case scenario occur. 

You Still Need a Holster

Oh yeah, your pocket isn’t a holster. Do not trust your pocket to safely carry a firearm. You need a holster for pocket carry to ensure the pistol is safe. A holster envelopes your weapon, including the trigger. A covered trigger is a must-have. An exposed trigger could lead to a negligent discharge when your pants, or any object, gets caught against the trigger. 

Also, if you want to ensure your handgun functions when you draw it, you need a holster. Pockets are natural points of collection for all sorts of stuff. It can be lint, dirt, and lord knows what else. If you toss a gun in that same pocket, it’s now exposed to all that gunk and grime. It’s a quick way to make sure your gun doesn’t go bang more than once. 

Finally, a holster makes drawing a handgun much easier. A dedicated pocket holster will allow you to grab the grip consistently each and every time. It allows you to draw your firearm with ease and to do so quickly and smoothly. 

A good pocket holster ensures your gun is protected, you are safe, and you can draw it with ease. Which holsters, you may ask? Check out my list of the best pocket holsters.

Pocket it!

Pocket pistols provide you with an ultra-small and lightweight firearm. It’s amazing how small guns have gotten and how they remain a reliable option for concealed carry. They aren’t perfect, but when your option is to pack a small gun or no gun at all, then they make a lot of sense. Just keep in mind the increased training they require. If you can do that, then you’re golden. 

What’s your favorite pocket pistol? 

Let me know below.