Anyone care to offer any insights for shooting with gloves? I had a less than perfect day on the range today and want to pretend it was because I was wearing gloves.
Anyone care to offer any insights for shooting with gloves? I had a less than perfect day on the range today and want to pretend it was because I was wearing gloves.
Shooting with gloves can range anywhere from less than ideal to absolutely impossible depending on the gloves you choose.
FWIW, I buy gloves that are as tacky/sticky/textured as possible in the palm. I find this makes a huge difference in my ability to maintain positive control of the gun in recoil.
Beyond that, learning to press the trigger without the same level of tactile interaction, and learning to operate all the controls through shifting fabric, just takes time and practice.
Because I'm one of the board's biggest recoil wimps, and because my big mitts might as well have "bite me" written on them, I shoot while wearing gloves. Mainly, I'm partial to a set of Bell fingerless bicycle gloves with padded palms I got at a Wal-Mart about 7 years ago. They were especially great back when I owned a PPK.
And I still have that same set- which, in addition to shooting, I also use for: playing the congas, motorcycle riding, bike riding, and working in cold weather.
I never thought I'd be one to shoot with gloves, I have VZ Double diamond grips on my 1911, etc, I lift weights, use my hands (reasonably, but I don't do manual labor for a living) for most common things.
Then I bought an SGL21 (AK Variant), and... I think I could see me using gloves if I was using it in a class or competition, etc.
It can be a little hard on the hands.
ETA: That and edges of the dust cover, the charging handle, the safety lever, the gas tube lever, etc, all just want to cut your hands, I realized this after handling it for a few hours one day. It's not terrible, but I think with extended usage, it might not be a bad idea.
I have a pair of knock-off mechanix style gloves. Stretchy breathable material, and grippy suede bits where you need them. They're not extreme cold gloves, but at freezing temps with some wind, they're a hell of a lot better than bare fingers.
At least until you dump a few mags through the AR, then you can warm your fingers on the handguards.
I frequently shoot wearing nomex flight gloves, both because I am a pilot, and I live in generally cold places. I notice no negative effect on my shooting with nomex flight gloves, and last March ran a week long Gunsite course shooting a 1911 and AK/AR wearing flight gloves. I will be at a Rogers course in GA in April, and plan to shoot it with a P30 and nomex flight gloves.
The one exception is shooting the HK 45C. That grip is short enough that bare handed I often pinch my hand as I seat the magazine, and while I don't pinch my hand with flight gloves, the glove is caught between the magazine base plate and grip, making it impossible for me to let go of the pistol without releasing the magazine. While it might be a stealth retention strategy, it isn't ideal otherwise.
Shooting without gloves...
....is really not an option for HK P7M8 users.
My M8 so far is my highest round count pistol, I've done a ton of shooting with gloves. In addition, I always use gloves in carbine classes, and all transition drills are also shot in gloves.
As Todd said, it all depends on gloves. Now discontinued Ventilator gloves by Southwest Motorsport/Camelbak have been my overall favorites, with good protection and excellent tactile feedback, but no water resistance or features aiding in pistol control. Hatch Operators are reasonable. Oakley's are well regarded; I found them to be crap. I am now looking at some Outdoors Research offerings, but the price is somewhat beyond my ability to rationalize it.
As long as gloves have good tactile properties, I don't see this as a big issue at all.
Last edited by YVK; 03-16-2011 at 11:03 PM.
I have a few pairs of the Vickers Tactical gauntlet style gloves. I pretty much shoot carbine exclusively with gloves now, and if greater tactile contact with the trigger is needed (precision shots with a MK 12 SPR, etc), you can always cut the index finger portion of the glove.
As others have stated, mechanic gloves certainly work in a pinch as well.
Forgetting one's gloves prior to attending a carbine class in NC gave me a new appreciation for them, let me tell you.
Last edited by Kyle Reese; 03-16-2011 at 11:49 PM.
Yeah, I latched on to a few pairs of the Vents when Sierra Trading Post was selling them for $9.95@ a year or so ago. They are great warm weather gloves.Originally Posted by YVK
I also had good luck with the Hatch Shorty operator gloves with respect to feel but not very durable.
I think one of our SMEs had a problem with that, although my memory could be failing me and I may be wrong.
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