Shooting With Gloves

[Oldy089]

I started wearing shooting gloves in the early 80's.
Thin leather with padded palm. I picked up the practice and my first pair, from an old 1911 shooter who frequented the same range (gravel pit) that I used. At some point, due to loss, or indifference, I gave up wearing both R&L and now generally just use the righthand glove.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

Reading this brought me back, not in a good way, to the winter of 73/74. I was in the police academy in Sea Girt, NJ. The pistol range was facing east toward the Atlantic with only the sand dune berm between the firing line and the North Atlantic wind. So you had the ocean salt and sand blowing into your eyes, freezing snot and tears on your face. But that moist winter wind also kind of froze our model 10's to our hands.

Some guys would slip on thin leather gloves but nooo. The trooper instructors walking the line would be yelling how you don't have time to pull on gloves in a gunfight. Well that might be true for the state police cruising the Turnpike in the heated patrol cars.

Most of our class were hired through the SSA (Safe Streets Act) We would be walking a beat for the next few years. I figured we didn't have time to remove our gloves for a gun fight.

About that time we had a public speaking course so my speech was addressing the issue of training with gloves on in the winter for all of us lowly city beat cops.

Holy smokes you would think I peed on the Commandants spitshined shoes. I was sent to the Sergeant Majors office to decide what to do with my trouble making ***.

OK, so perhaps I might have mentioned in my speech that the troopers were wearing heavy wool great coats, gloves and fur lined Sgt. Preston of the Yukon hats while they walked the firing line yelling at us.

Anyway I believe you should train for the conditions you work in. But wearing gloves because of recoil is well, candy***.

 

[smoothshooter]

Because they protect your hands from damage in various ways! A lot of it depends on the configuration of the individuals hands and the gun they are shooting.

There are also specific gloves that help reduce felt recoil, just like having a recoil pad on your hand.

I don’t think that many guys have such delicate hands, and they try to go for the “cool factor” by trying to look like an “Operator “ and failing.
Barring some physical malady, if you are a guy and can’t handle the recoil of a .380, 9mm, or soft-shooting.45 for 200 to 500 rounds, you are living way too soft of a life.
Interesting that I almost never see a female shooter wearing gloves on these videos when shooting the same guns.
Is there a message there?

 

[WR Moore]

Sarge, we had the same problem. But, they based the no gloves thing on the basis of "safety" and the loss of dexterity. I later managed to get it cancelled on the fact that chilled hands that have lost feeling are no different than warm hands wearing gloves.

Not having seen any of the videos mentioned, I'm not sure if the shootists are trying to reduce recoil or going for the Tactical Tommy vibe. When I wore gloves it was part of PPE (includes warm hands).

 

[Hawg Rider]

One thing to remember...be careful wearing gloves when practicing with your EDC handgun. You will most likely not be wearing gloves when out and about (shopping, dining, etc.) if something bad happens. So be sure to spend some practice time without gloves.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I used golf goves on both of my hands when shooting ATA and practice rounds of trap, skeet, 5 stand etc
to keep my hands free from all the powder and crud, while shooting.

They can also give you releif from recoil stock movement or friction, that might start a blister, from lots of rounds, fired in one day.

I had a M19 357 mag that I did much better shooting with the factory wood grips, with gloves with full loads, due to the feel vs no gloves.

My 686 with custom CT grips, work fine without goves but I have a red dot, helping me out.

 

[chief38]

I will almost never shoot with gloves on. Too much feeling is lost. The very rare exception is while Pheasant hunting only when it is extremely cold - that's about it.

 

[Forefinger]

When shooting full house 357 loads in my 360PD (11.3oz empty) I frequently use padded cycling gloves. Reduced felt recoil is appreciated, and arthritis is not my friend.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Probably in the wrong forum. When I worked for the Yankee Gov’t, we told officers that if they wore gloves working, they should probably qualify while wearing them . . .

 

[DHernandez]

I don’t think that many guys have such delicate hands, and they try to go for the “cool factor” by trying to look like an “Operator “ and failing.
Barring some physical malady, if you are a guy and can’t handle the recoil of a .380, 9mm, or soft-shooting.45 for 200 to 500 rounds, you are living way too soft of a life.
Interesting that I almost never see a female shooter wearing gloves on these videos when shooting the same guns.
Is there a message there?

The girls have calloused palms?

 

[smoothshooter]

Just part of your PPE. Eyes, Ears, Hands. It's not a 'cool factor' at all. Even wearing a cap/hat is a smart idea when shooting.

I’m all in on ear and eye protection, but the gloves can be a hazard because of the loss of manual dexterity.
I think it comes down to trying to look cool for most of the video guys.

 

[smoothshooter]

Just part of your PPE. Eyes, Ears, Hands. It's not a 'cool factor' at all. Even wearing a cap/hat is a smart idea when shooting.

I’m all in on eye and hearing protection.
I always wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off my face, and to gain a little relief from the heat in the summer. Good for melanoma protection too. Caps are pretty much useless for those purposes, and I have never seen a hat or cap protect anyone from a rebounding bullet or bullet jacket.
Gloves can be a safety hazard due to loss of manual dexterity.
I think with most of the video guys it’s an attempted cool factor thing.

 

[cracker57]

I wear gloves shooting the 44mag as I use it for deer hunting and it can be cold in wisconsin in November. Practice for the real world.
AS far as hats go they are good protection, while not wearing a hat I had a hot case go between my safety glasses and land at the bottom of my eye that hurt and I thought for sure it would blister but it didn't.

 

[Patrick L]

I have always worn shotgun gloves during the winter months when shooting clays.

I only recently started wearing thin mechanics gloves (just about a year ago) when shooting handgun, and particularly revolvers. My MD and I decided we wanted to try to reduce my blood lead levels. They weren't exactly dangerous, but let's just say we wanted to see a reduction. I had always used good "lead hygiene" but I started to think of every way I could to reduce exposure even more. Revolvers blow a lot of garbage out the BC gap. I always noticed my hands were noticeably dirtier after shooting revolvers vs a semi (although I wear them when shooting semis too.) Anyhow, I figured it can't hurt and it might help. Long story short, it helped. In conjunction with a lot of other different things, in the last year my blood lead levels were reduced by about 1/3rd.

So that's why I wear gloves when I shoot handguns now too. Believe me a man my age can't look cool, no matter what.

 

[reddog81]

I wear thin gloves with at least the trigger finger open while shooting in the winter. Having frozen hands sucks.

What is the "safety" reason for wearing gloves other than being cold? If a gun is moving all over the place and causing blisters, I'd focus more on your technique rather than gloves.

I remember my thumb getting a little raw when I got my first GP100 and was shooting single action a bunch. I solved that by shooting it regularly and also doing more double action shooting.

 

[CH4]

Although an auto not a revolver, I only wore gloves during winter quals while working in Alaska. You didn’t have much choice.

 

[Zayde]

Being in my 70s with similar other old timers health concerns, I find gloves protect my thin skin hands, help with some arthritis and help from neurological issues. So, OP, nothing to do with manicures!