# US 12,181,247 B2 · Retention breaking device to break retention of a gun by a pocket holster within a front pants pocket and enable movement of the gun unobstructed by the front pants pocket as the gun is drawn > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,181,247 B2 - Document ID: US12181247B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/244,267 - Filed: 2023-09-10 - Published: 2024-04-18 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2022-10-12 - Applicants: John Joseph McGrane - Inventors: John Joseph McGrane - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12181247B2 ## CPC - F41C 33/048: {for concealed carrying of a small arm} - F41C 33/0209: {Pouch or pocket like containers for small arms covering all or most of the small arm} - F41C 33/0263: {having a locking system for preventing unauthorized or accidental removal of the small arm from the holster (F41C33/0227 takes precedence)} - F41C 33/041: {for connecting a holster to a belt, webbing or other object} - F41C: SMALLARMS, e.g. PISTOLS, RIFLES (functional features or details common to both smallarms and ordnance, mountings therefor F41A; projecting missiles without use of explosive or combustible propellant charge F41B); ACCESSORIES THEREFOR ## Abstract A pocket gun holster is prevented from leaving a pants pocket as a gun is being drawn from the holster. An extension that is either attached or contiguous with the holster has a distal end that terminates from the mouth of the holster by more than a clearance distance and collides with an interior surface of the pants pocket as the holster and gun move in unison at the start of drawing the gun from the holster. The collision breaks retention between the gun and the holster and the clearance distance is maintained by the extension (without bending or collapsing) to enable the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus that prevents a holster from leaving a pants pocket as a gun in the holster is being drawn out from the holster, comprising: retention breaking means for breaking retention of the gun in the holster by a force imposed from a collision of a distal end of an extension with the pants pocket; wherein the distal end of the extension is positioned beyond a periphery of to a mouth of the holster and spaced away from a muzzle of the gun in the holster by a distance exceeding that of a full length of the gun in the holster so as to provide a clearance distance that is sufficient for the gun to be drawn out from the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket; wherein a shape of the extension remains unchanged as the force of the collision is imposed upon the extension and the shape becomes neither deformed, collapsed, nor broken from the force of the collision; wherein the retention breaking means has an L shape that is configured and arranged without any snag member and without any hook that might otherwise catch into or snag the interior surface of the pants pocket as the distal end collides with the interior surface of the pants pocket, the L-shape having a stem and an arm each with tapering portions that taper while extending in respective directions away from each other, the stem being the extension; and wherein the L-shape also has a widening portion that widens as the widening portion extends toward the tapering portion of the stem and away from the arm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the retention breaking means includes a slot; further comprising: mechanical fasteners that extend from the slot to secure the retention breaking means and the holster to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the retention of the gun by the holster is such that the retention withstands manual shaking back and forth of the holster without the retention breaking. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a fabric extending from the holster that covers a trigger region of the gun; and a clip that is retained by the holster and exerts pressure upon the trigger region of the gun to retain the holster to the gun. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: means for releasably securing to each other the retention breaking means and the holster, the means for releasably securing including interlocking portions of two fastener tapes that releasably join to each other, each of the two fastener tapes having releasably engaging material selected from the group consisting of fibrous hooks and loops that releasably engage each other and fibrous mushroom head shapes that releasably engage each other. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holster includes both the extension and a retention region, the retention region bounding a space and is configured to effect the retention of the gun in the space of the retention region so that as the gun sits in the space of the retention region of the holster, the sufficient clearance distance is of a dimension sufficient for a butt of the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: a strap that extends from the holster to terminate at a free end region; and means for releasably retaining the free end region of the strap to the holster with the strap wrapping across a region of the holster that accommodates a trigger region of the gun therein. ### Claim 8 A method that that prevents a holster from leaving a pants pocket as a gun in the holster is being drawn out from the holster, comprising the steps of: breaking retention of a gun in the holster by imposing a force from a collision by a distal end of an extension with the pants pocket; positioning the distal end of the extension beyond a periphery of to a mouth of the holster and spaced away from a muzzle of the gun in the holster by a distance exceeding that of a full length of the gun in the holster so as to provide a clearance distance that is sufficient for the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket; configuring the extension to have a shape that remains unchanged from the force of the collision and becomes neither deformed, collapsed, nor broken because of the force from the collision; and further comprising: providing the L-shape with a widening portion that widens as the widening portion extends toward the tapering portion of the stem and away from the arm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing the retention breaking means with an L-shape without any snag member or hook that might otherwise catch into or snag the interior surface of the pants pocket as the distal end collides with the interior surface of the pants pocket, the L-shape having a stem and an arm each with tapering portions that taper while extending in respective directions away from each other, the stem being the extension. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: providing the holster with a slot; and extending mechanical fasteners from the slot to secure the retention breaking means and the holster to each other. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the retention of the gun by the holster withstands manual shaking back and forth of the holster without the retention breaking. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: covering a trigger region of the gun with fabric of the holster; and retaining a clip by the holster and arranging the clip to exert pressure on the fabric over the trigger region of the gun to retain the holster to the gun. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: releasably securing to each other the retention breaking means and the holster, the releasably securing including releasably joining interlocking portions of two fastener tapes to each other, each of the two fastener tapes having releasably engaging material selected from the group consisting of fibrous hooks and loops that releasably engage each other and fibrous mushroom head shapes that releasably engage each other. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the holster includes both the extension and a retention region, the retention region bounding a space and retaining the gun in the space of the retention region so that as the gun sits in the space of the retention region of the holster, the sufficient clearance distance is of a dimension sufficient for a butt of the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: extending a strap from the holster to terminate at a free end region; and releasably retaining the free end region of the strap to the holster with the strap wrapping across a region of the holster that accommodates a trigger region of the gun therein. ### Claim 16 A method that prevents a holster from leaving a pants pocket as a gun in the holster is being drawn out from the holster, comprising the steps of: breaking retention of a gun by the holster with a force resulting from a collision of a distal end of an extension with the pants pocket, positioning the distal end of the extension beyond a periphery of to a mouth of the holster and spaced away from a muzzle of the gun in the holster by a distance exceeding that of a full length of the gun in the holster so as to thereby provide a clearance distance that is sufficient for the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket; configuring the extension to have a shape that remains unchanged from the force of the collision and becomes neither deformed, collapsed, nor broken because of the force from the collision; and further comprising: providing the retention breaking means with an L-shape without any snag member or hook that might otherwise catch into or snag the interior surface of the pants pocket as the distal end collides with the interior surface of the pants pocket, the L-shape having a stem and an arm each with tapering portions that taper while extending in respective directions away from each other, the stem being the extension. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the holster includes both the extension and a retention region, the retention region bounding a space and retaining the gun in the space of the retention region so that as the gun sits in the space of the retention region of the holster, the sufficient clearance distance is of a dimension sufficient for a butt of the gun to be drawn out of the holster unobstructed by the pants pocket. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: covering a trigger region of the gun with fabric of the holster; and retaining a clip by the holster and arranging the clip to exert pressure on the fabric over the trigger region of the gun to retain the holster to the gun.