The wife and I are going to hit the range for the first time with our new S&W J Frame Air Weights before getting in the class for CHL. Since the recoil on these can be a bit much, does anyone shoot wearing a glove for a little extra padding? I was thinking something like my fingerless biker gloves with the palm pads.
Gloves for Shooting at Range
- Thread starter russp1
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
jtpur
Member
when you carry the gun are you going to be wearing gloves? Are you going to shoot it with gloves all the time, even if you have to use it in self defense?
Hopefully I won't be firing off 50 or more shots at time if I need it for self defense.
I don't mind if someone wears fingerless shooting gloves in class provided they have used them before and are safe.
Have you thought about using light wadcutter ammo instead of the stout stuff?
"What type of ammunition can I use during my training class?
Your certified instructor may select any safe ammunition for use in the training program, but most factory loads should be acceptable."
Have you thought about using light wadcutter ammo instead of the stout stuff?
"What type of ammunition can I use during my training class?
Your certified instructor may select any safe ammunition for use in the training program, but most factory loads should be acceptable."
Last edited:
USAF385
US Veteran
Why do you wear ear protection when practicing? Are you going to wear ear protection all the time?
When we meet with the instructor, I was going to get his recommendations for both a range load and a defense load. Even though both her 642 and my 442 are rated for +p, my gunsmith suggested we steer clear of it. Any opinions for both loads?
In my 442, I use Speer Gold Dot short barrel (SB) 135gr for carry.
For practice, I recommend 25 wadcutters followed by 5 defense loads at least monthly. Although the Speer SB is rated +P, it is noticeably milder (less blast and flash) than the regular +P .38.
I don't use gloves but I do wrap my trigger finger with a Band Aid. I've raised blisters on my finger after 200-300 round range sessions with various handguns.
Normally, I just use WWB or UMC 130 gr FMJ in the J-frames for practice.
Normally, I just use WWB or UMC 130 gr FMJ in the J-frames for practice.
indiandave
Member
I have arthritis in my thumb joint and have had surgery on my shooting hand. I am very recoil sensitive. I use Past gloves when shooting my light weight guns. This does help.
Another thing you could do is switch grips. Get a grip that covers the backstrap. This also helps. Last week I put 100 wadcutters,30 semi wadcutters, and 10 rounds of my carry ammunition though my 642 and the same though my 28-2. My hand didn't hurt at all.
Another thing you could do is switch grips. Get a grip that covers the backstrap. This also helps. Last week I put 100 wadcutters,30 semi wadcutters, and 10 rounds of my carry ammunition though my 642 and the same though my 28-2. My hand didn't hurt at all.
sipowicz
Member
Bike/work out gloves work great...the padding really helps with the recoil....and they are easy to find without full fingers....and using gloves for practice is not going to make any difference in a self defense situation where you don't have them on...
jtpur
Member
Good point. I wear it for two reasons, 1. Is because the range makes me wear it... 2. I want to be able to hear my wife nag me.......but really, I have been involved in shootings and I never even recall hearing the noise.....so perhaps wearing a glove is the same, but I think a glove provides a totally different feel to the gun something that a load noise in the heat of battle wont even compare too.
Good point on the different feel but my intention would be to use the glove when running quite a few rounds through the gun. At least 4 to 6 times a year, I would want to just pull from a holstered position, fire 5, reload and fire 5 more to simulate defense firing. This I would do without the gloves.
jtpur
Member
that sounds logical
sipo's suggestion is spot on. Bicycling gloves come in a wide range of styles and padding.
Big Cholla
Member
Find a Golf Pro Shop with a sale and buy a matching pair of good Golf Gloves. Cut the finger off of the glove for your trigger finger. There is just enough padding to take the sting out of those heavy loads in light handguns. ............. Big Cholla
Big Cholla
Member
Eliminated the Most Expensive
Russ: LOL! I also have all your expensive hobbies, but I eliminated another about 10 years ago and it was the most expensive of them all; I sold my Cessna 180 that I had owned for over 20 years and gave up private flying. What a revelation! All of a sudden I could afford to purchase almost any firearm that caught my fancy. I missed flying at first, but soon got over even that. When I go into a Golf Pro Shop for another set of 'range' gloves and see a bag, set of woods and set of irons displayed at $999 I just shudder and think of a new full-house Kimber Combat .45acp. ............. Big Cholla
I'd be a little nervous going into a golf shop for the gloves. Sounds like a way to get involved in another expensive hobby, I've already got guns, scuba diving and motorcycles!
Russ: LOL! I also have all your expensive hobbies, but I eliminated another about 10 years ago and it was the most expensive of them all; I sold my Cessna 180 that I had owned for over 20 years and gave up private flying. What a revelation! All of a sudden I could afford to purchase almost any firearm that caught my fancy. I missed flying at first, but soon got over even that. When I go into a Golf Pro Shop for another set of 'range' gloves and see a bag, set of woods and set of irons displayed at $999 I just shudder and think of a new full-house Kimber Combat .45acp. ............. Big Cholla
M
MWB
Guest
"Why do you wear ear protection when practicing? Are you going to wear ear protection all the time?" This is not the same problem as the padded gloves. Anything that changes the way the gun fits your hand should be avoided. You will shoot the gun differently under stress without the gloves than you do at the range - that could prove fatal. Train like you plan to fight. If the recoil is too painful, consider changing to a different weapon system - one that you can properly handle.
For what it might be worth, I find Smith's 3913 pistol to be just as concealable as a J-frame and considerably easier to shoot well (I've made 'master' at NRA Falling Plates and won a few other matches with my 3913 carry gun). The .357 mag in a 2" barrel has no more power (actually, usually a bit less) at the target than a +P 9x19 out of a short pistol barrel, but is downright painful to shoot. My competition load was the +P+ Federal 9BPLE, because of its accuracy (just under one and a half inches at 25 yards, from the bench) and it averaged 1328 feet per second from my pistol. Most 125 grain .357 loads do more like 1100 on a good day from a two-inch revolver.
For what it might be worth, I find Smith's 3913 pistol to be just as concealable as a J-frame and considerably easier to shoot well (I've made 'master' at NRA Falling Plates and won a few other matches with my 3913 carry gun). The .357 mag in a 2" barrel has no more power (actually, usually a bit less) at the target than a +P 9x19 out of a short pistol barrel, but is downright painful to shoot. My competition load was the +P+ Federal 9BPLE, because of its accuracy (just under one and a half inches at 25 yards, from the bench) and it averaged 1328 feet per second from my pistol. Most 125 grain .357 loads do more like 1100 on a good day from a two-inch revolver.
enfield
US Veteran
My little NAA Guardian .380 bangs my trigger finger with the trigger guard, so fingerless gloves wouldn't help. Neat idea about the bandaid - may have to fool around with one of those or some foam tape.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Similar threads
