[rachilders]

You know, I've always wondered what the problem some guns seem to have causing rubbing or other minor discomfort problems during practice sessions has to do with real world carry situations.

I frequently read how some particular gun becomes a "pain" and/or causes rubbing or some other problem after firing 100-150 or more consecutive rounds. Personally, when I go to the range for some extended shooting practice, I wear a shooting glove. It helps soften the recoil a little, gives me a better grip and prevents some of the biting problems we frequently read about. If you go to a match where the shooters will be firing hundreds or more rounds, just count how many of them are using gloves!

I know the arguments that most of us hear that we don't normally wear a shooting glove in the real world and we need to get accustomed to the true feel of a gun and it's recoil since that's what we'll get if we need to use our weapons. That's all well and good and I do practice without the glove on a regular basis. However, the other side of the coin is realistically, how many of us will ever be involved in ANY gunfight, much less one that involves shooting over 100 rounds! For that matter, how many of us carry even half that much ammo with us? Even if our mags hold 15-17 rounds each, we’re talking about carrying around at least a half dozen mags full of ammunition with us.

I'm all for realism during my practice sessions, but that knife cuts both ways. How can I complain about my sore gun hand after 200 rounds of practice when I can be all but guaranteed that I will never fire more than a dozen shots (if that many) in a real gunfight or self defense scenario. I don't want to become so concerned with hammer bite or a sore wrist from extended practice shooting that I begin to skip practicing all together. Also, if I ever do find myself having to fire my weapon enough that my hand gets sore or I experience some bite, that discomfort will probably be the LEAST of my worries.

 

[Bud White]

I also have been wearing shooting gloves lately anytime i have a extended shooting session be it 38 or the 500 only thing i never wear them for is a 22..

Sure its not how i would shoot in a defensive type shooting but i also wont be shooting 200-300 rounds during that time.

 

[Betty]

A couple very important qualifications in a carry gun is reliability and accuracy. In order to have that, we've got to shoot our carry gun many, many times to test the reliability and keep our accuracy. We would have a harder time doing that if we end up bloody and flinching. Sure, we can wear gloves and get over it, but I don't like gloves, and it doesn't have much to do with realistic training. I want to actually feel the gun in my hands. Gloves are "impersonal" and I'm a very tactile person.

I've done things like switch to Hogue grips, smooth wood grips, sanded down plastic mold lines, smoothed out sharp triggers, or even changed to a different gun entirely if it didn't work for me.

I think a lot of us, including myself, just want a gun that truly conforms to us. It's like picking out a vehicle that fits us, but we still adjust the mirrors, steering wheels and seats.

We need to determine if the discomfort is something we can change to fit us or if we can adapt to it, or if the gun is just out of our league.

 

[QKShooter]

I don't see a problem practice shooting with glove.

I think you sure are still going to hit as well in the real world.

Since I started painting again...I'll likely switch to shooting with a glove.
Even a thin leather glove seems to make an extended shooting session go easier on the hand & the fine finger muscles.

I would only ever use a VERY thin tight leather glove myself.

 

[CombatEffective]

My 1911 tends to get me in the web of my strong hand. I've been considering trying a shooting glove with it as it will now be dedicated as a target gun.

 

[SSKC]

I'm with Betty. If a gun isn't comfortable, I'm not interested.

I test-drove a very light weight .38 a while back that stung my hand with every shot. When I mentioned that to the man behind the counter, he said "That's a gun you carry a lot and shoot a little." Sorry, but I don't buy that. If putting enough rounds down range to be confident with the gun causes my hand to hurt or I start flinching, I'm never going to feel confident with the gun.

Having said all that, I'm in the market for a small auto in at least 9mm for "deep concealment." If I can't find a comfortable shooter in that category, I might resort to using gloves for practice. If that is the case, I think I will probably do some bare-handed shooting at the beginning and end of each practice session just to reinforce the feel that will be there in a self-defense situation.

SSKC

 

[KC135]

I often wear a very light synthetic glove. Name is ROC. It is an industrial glove used on production lines.

I wear the glove to protect my hands, which are several years older than I am.

They are very thin, seamless, with good gripping ability. No leather glove can compare.

 

[P95Carry]

I am sorta in both camps! I know what Bob is meaning and I will on occasions use thin fingerless leather gloves, but it's mostly when play ''cannon games'' :wink:

Otherwise I am somewhat with Betty and SSKC - preferring to be totally ''intimate'' with the gun, tho admitting the transition from gloves to no gloves will make hardly enough shooting difference to matter.

I also find my 226, any of my SIG's in fact, a comfortable pleasure to shoot, with no real grief to hand. The exception in this is the R9 - such a small gun for 9mm that in truth it can never be fully comfortable, ever - nor would I expect it to be. It is no problem to put a coupla mag's thru from time to time added to which it ain't the sorta gun that goes to the range to get ''wrung out'' with 100's of rounds. If its true need is ever required, the discomfort aspect will fade into insignificance!

 

[Rock and Glock]

My wife uses a golf glove on her strong hand during extended sessions for many of the reasons noted above. Golf gloves are very thin, tight fitting, have a natural grip to them, and help retain tactile sensations.

She always shoots bare handed every session too. Her reasoning is "since I don't golf, I probably won't always have my glove on when I need it".

 

[Sheldon J]

That is how I got my HK so reasonable, the guy that bought it found out that it did not fit him at all well.

 

[Prospector]

Hadn't considered a shooting glove before. On a different thread I spoke of my Mauser Hsc .380 hurting my hand (trigger finger) every time I shot it. Can't part with it though, sentimental ya know. But perhaps a shooting glove would get me at the range with it more often. It's really a nice weapon and small enough for a pocket pistol. But, ya need to practice and I just seem to hesitate putting it in my range bag.

I don't agree with the comments on not using a glove though. Frankly, if you're ever in one of those "bad" situations, I don't think you will ever feel a thing as your focus is intent on survival. So, as Gunny Highway would put it.....:tongue: improvise, adapt, overcome !!

 

[rocky]

When I first got my HK the grip was pretty harsh. the checkering is cut quite sharp. Once I got used to it , I didn't notice the checkering. As for wearing gloves. I do sometimes to practice for cold weather carry, usually in the winter anyway.

 

[dr_cmg]

Yesterday in my report on the Skyy CPX-1 I mentioned a rub on the joint where the thumb joins the hand. This would not have bothered me if it was discovered well into the 100 rounds I fired, but I noticed it after the first 10 rounds. On the Skyy forum someone posted a photo of his hand and the rub was in the same place. I'm sure that it is the result of the way our thumb joint sticks up and comes into contact with the edge of the beavertail during recoil. I don't know that I can do anything about it, but I'm going to see how it works out. Then if it's a problem I'll give the Skyy to my wife or sell it.

There are too many good pistols that are comfortable to keep one that's not.

 

[P95Carry]

George - just thought and wondered - if the placing of a small piece of thin leather on the offending area would help - just fix with adhesive and so it could still be removed later.

Small rub areas are irritating to say the least. More likely IMO on small guns.

 

[Wayne]

Never had any problems with any gun that I've fired, even the "bite happy" true Colts. I don't know if I'm one of the lucky ones that just have the right grip on all the guns that I've ever fired (and it's been many, many guns).

The only time that I've ever gotten "bit" was from my P-89. When you take it down you have to move the slot inside the mag well. Well, my finger was doing it's job when my other hand, reasons of it's own, hit the slide stop.

OWWW! That smarted.

Wayne

 

[exposurecontrol]

Well, I'm looking for another daily carry piece and one of the reasons is that the Taurus Mil Pro I carry now has a very hard trigger pull. Went to the range the other day, put 100 rounds through it and my trigger finger was tired and sore when I finished. Dependable gun, but hard on us weak fingered types.

 

[duckhunter]

I shoot more often with gloves than without. Everytime I qualify or train with the M4 or M9, I wear green nomex flight gloves, and I've worn out numerous sets while deployed. Nice and thin and allow a good feel of the controls and trigger.

While plinking, especially with lever actions and SA revolvers, I wear very thin deer skin gloves. For waterfowl and deer hunting I am almost wearing some type of glove, because it can get COLD out there!

I guess I've never had any issues with gloves, other than once or twice getting the thumb jammed inside the shotgun mag while reloading during a smoking goose hunt. Now I just cut the tip of the right thumb off and hold it in my teeth while I reload.

 

[rocky]

Know what ya mean about getting the glove jammed in the mag. on a shotgun.
I have never been bitten by a bad area on any of my guns, but the .44 does recoil back pretty hard.
My friend cut his thumb real nasty with my PT 140. i think he let it ride a little high on the frame and bled for it.

 

[P95Carry]

I just cut the tip of the right thumb off and hold it in my teeth while I reload.

Duck - guess that proves that you are indeed a meat eater (or chewer) :rofl:

 

[Rock and Glock]

Now I just cut the tip of the right thumb off and hold it in my teeth while I reload.

Wow! That's one tough thumb ya got there!:wink: That's why I quit goose hunting - its only great hunting when it's too cold, too wet - too miserable. I be a wimp.

Actually, in TX we're lucky - pretty mild weather, so gloves not needed too often. They can help on the range though.