My carry system

Bersa Firestorm in BORAII pocket holster

I love the Bersa Firestorm. It's a single-stack blowback .380 ACP. It fits my hands and hits where I want. I don't consider myself good with pistols at all, but this pistol is the exception. I painted the sights: bright orange with a black dot on the front, yellow line underneath the rear, which I also opened up. The yellow should be the same width as the front sight. I bobbed the hammer so it doesn't snag, and I put my thumb on it whenever holstering to reduce the chance of shooting myself. The grip panels were custom made by me out of Nguni cattle horn. I rounded various other parts so it stabs me less.

The BORAII holster is great. It holds the pistol very securely and completely covers the trigger, but you can still operate all other controls (you can load, rack the slide, unload, work the safety, etc). There is absolutely no wiggle and it has never fallen out of my pocket. It comes off in the pocket fairly reliably, especially with practice, but always be ready for it to stay on the gun. It's easy to sweep forward with your hand and remove it, it just takes practice. I leave the manual safety disengaged with this holster. The trigger is covered and the Bersa has a firing pin block safety, so I feel it's safe enough while giving me the benefit of being able to immediately fire when clear of the pocket.

Smith & Wesson Model 60 with Clipdraw and triggerguard cover

I wear this appendix style. Any arguments about revolver vs semi-auto are moot when you select "All of the Above". This gun is chambered in .357 magnum, but I load it with .38 special. Additionally, it's stainless steel so it weighs the same as the Bersa. I'm not particularly bothered by weight when carrying, but I am concerned with accuracy. More weight means softer recoil, so I can practice more and get back on target more quickly. Like the Bersa, I bobbed the hammer and smoothed other edges. Instead of getting a concealed hammer model, I chose to get a model with a hammer and bob it because I can still put my thumb on the hammer when holstering. I also reshaped the front sight and painted it similarly to my Bersa.

The Clipdraw has several options. They have a model specifically for the J-Frame that screws in, but I hear it doesn't hold particularly tightly and it looks like it would sit higher than I want. They have a universal revolver model that sits lower, but the clip does not grab much fabric and looks to really be more of a "hanger" than a secure clip. I went with the universal semi-auto model and placed it exactly where I wanted. This clips more securely, and I trimmed the baseplate to allow me to remove the side panel of the revolver without having to remove the clip's base. The stocks are custom made by me from 1/16" mahogany veneer, superglued into a laminate and coated with shellac. Superglue is often used for bent wood rings with good results, but we'll see if it holds up to the shock of gunfire.

The Clipdraw puts the trigger behind your belt or pants, and the J-Frame has a long, heavy trigger pull, so it should be fine as-is... but I can just picture the scene in my head: my dog is sitting on my lap, everything is peaceful, when a noise startles him. Suddenly, he jumps off, his tiny foot going into the triggerguard and his 12lb body barely overcoming the weight of the spring in the revolver.

With my luck, he'd end up shooting my other stupid dog in the process.

I've tested this scenario out with an empty cylinder. The reality is the gun slides up your body, taking your pants with you, without even moving the trigger (there isn't 10+ lbs of friction on your body to hold the gun in one place). But still, better safe than sorry.

To remedy this hypothetical scenario, I bought a triggerguard cover off Amazon. I put a length of paracord through the provided hole. It's long enough to pass through a belt loop behind my back and reach back around to the gun. I don't tie it, rather I just loop it through my belt loop then twist it around itself three or four times and tuck it in. I want this system to be very quick and easy to put on, but it still needs to be secure and reliable. Twisting the cord seems to work well.

I also have a SmartCarry. It's a size Small so it fits both the Bersa and the J-Frame. The SmartCarry is not as fast as appendix or pocket carry, but one big advantage is it is a completely self-contained system. You could wear it with anything (or nothing) and it's just as secure. Your only concern with the SmartCarry is concealing it. A bathrobe, a skirt, loose shorts, sweat pants - anything covering your underwear will conceal the SmartCarry (assuming it's not so tight you get a bulge). Even then, for men a bulge isn't a deal-breaker, as other people are very unlikely to think it's due to a gun or mention it.

One thing I don't have yet is a Kramer leather pocket holster. I really like pocket carry so this is on my list. I may also put a ClipDraw on my Bersa so either gun works in either position.

I also have a couple Speed Strips (modified to hold only five rounds, then only loaded to four). They're cheap and easy to carry, but I haven't been using them. I already have a second gun for a New York reload, and I'm carrying enough stuff as it is. But the option is there if I change my mind.