Gloves for dry fire training

[Jerkstore]

I have a small problem. I carry a Glock 43X for concealed carry. I carry IAWB on the right side of my belt. I've been doing a lot of dry firing lately, and I want to continue because it is obviously great training. I try to train about 15 minutes per day. Yesterday I went to the range and trained much longer. But the problem is that I've been getting cuts on the knuckles of my right hand and other places on my fingers from rubbing against my belt and/or the kydex holster when I grab the gun. Sometimes my fingers bleed while I'm training. The holster is adjustable so that I can move it slightly up or down to give more room for the fingers, and I have it set at the middle setting so that there is just enough room for the fingers. I don't want to increase the amount of room because then the gun may tilt outward and print. I am leaning towards getting a thin glove (like a golf glove) for my right hand for dry fire training. But I am aware of the wisdom to "train as you fight" and that drawing a gun with a glove and without may be slightly different. My thinking is that, the negative effect on training from the glove would be slight and would be far outweighed by the benefit of being comfortable while training and therefore being more likely to train longer and more frequently. Anyone have thoughts?

 

[Jim Watson]

I don't practice til it hurts.

I have a couple of friends who have stayed with old fashioned leather holsters to avoid the hard edges of Kydex.

 

[Hartkopf]

I would definitely not train with a glove. I would debur, sand, polish, totally reshape the holster top area that your hand contacts on the draw. I’ve been “fixing” holsters for a while. Lots of good quality holsters will have a sharp edge left somewhere that I find during a quick draw. I never change the fundamentals of the holster though, just round over any offensive edges at the top.

 

[hso]

Gotta agree with the above posts. It sounds like you should switch holsters and reduce the continuous amount of time in the training sessions to a comfortable level. Frequent training is good, but there's little value in drilling at hurting yourself and building in negative feedback. Cut your session time, add a day, get a better holster.

 

[Bill_in_TR]

I agree that dealing with the holster should be the first option. Either modify as necessary or get something different. But you say that the belt is also involved. Maybe you should consider a change in your carry location to give better access for your draw technique. But a glove is the least desireable option in my opinion.

 

[Shodan]

Adjust the holster higher to confirm your printing concern, it may not be any different. Are you familiar with adding a wedge to your holster? The addition of a wedge, will most likely increase concealability and comfort. Good on you for dry firing to find this out.

 

[Jerkstore]

Adjust the holster higher to confirm your printing concern, it may not be any different. Are you familiar with adding a wedge to your holster? The addition of a wedge, will most likely increase concealability and comfort. Good on you for dry firing to find this out.

I think that is the answer. Thank you. Yes, I have a wedge already. I really wanted the deep concealment of having the grip as close to the belt as possible, especially because I live in a gun-hating part of the country. But you're right that it conceals well if it's higher as long as I have a sturdy gun belt.

 

[Shodan]

I think that is the answer. Thank you. Yes, I have a wedge already. I really wanted the deep concealment of having the grip as close to the belt as possible, especially because I live in a gun-hating part of the country. But you're right that it conceals well if it's higher as long as I have a sturdy gun belt.

You're welcome, sounds like you're on your way to getting it dialed in.

Regarding the belt; we've all been trained to accept "you have to have a stiff gun belt!" With appendix carry a too stiff belt oftentimes prints more than the gun and holster. You may want to experiment with more flexible gun belts.

Phlster has a lot of good information about concealing that isn't specific to their Enigma system.

 

[luzyfuerza]

Intense, multi-day classes have taken a toll on my hands. For my dominant hand, tape in the rub points worked best.

I have used a racquetball glove on my non-dominant hand, though. Where fine motor skills aren't so critical. When doing weak-hand firing drills, the glove came off.

 

[GRIZ22]

Forget gloves. Get a better holster.

 

[jmorris]

But the problem is that I've been getting cuts on the knuckles of my right hand and other places on my fingers from rubbing against my belt and/or the kydex holster when I grab the gun.

You can smooth off plastic where its not sharp and a blister will turn into a callus.

Most of my firearms are pretty comfortable but I do have a callus on the 2nd joint of my middle finger, created by Glocks and a couple hundred thousand rounds.

 

[Rule3]

Maybe train every other day. Do you really need to practice every day.? Even Pro athletes take a break.

 

[shafter]

Unless you are trying to compete I don't think 15 minutes a day is necessary. I'd go for 15 good reps instead of drawing, presenting, and pulling the trigger. It will go a long way when used to supplement actual range time.

There is no rule really to how much training is enough, but if you are working until your fingers are bleeding I'd back off a little until you figure out how to fix that.

 

[Rexster]

A problem with training, while wearing gloves, is that one will be building reps based upon a slightly different reality than what will exist in the real world, unless, of course, we go about constantly gloved-up. The thickness of the material, used in the gloves’ construction, adds volume to the gun’s grip. If the gloves are full-fingered, the geometry of the reach to the trigger is further affected. Perhaps preemptively applying thin cloth first aid tape to the specific injury locations would be better than wearing gloves. (Those of us who do wear gloves, while carrying, should, of course, train while wearing gloves.)

My holsters and regularly-carried handguns to not make me bleed, during the draw-stroke, so, I cannot directly relate to what is happening to the OP. My Kydex AIWB is the George, made my JM Custom Kydex. The edges are carefully, expertly finished. Nothing cuts me. I have handled some less-well-made holsters, but do not use them for carry or training.

When my guns do make me bleed, it is because high-round-count live fire is becoming less kind to my aging skin. One’s skin gets thinner, with age. The skin that is between my thumb’s base knuckle, and the grip or frame of the handgun, is typically where I will start bleeding.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

Put some mole skin on the areas of your hands/fingers that get abraded by your kit when you practice.

 

[trackskippy]

The more you practice the easier it will get and the more youll build callouses where they need to be. I have callouses on my fingers and palms of both hands, just from constantly handling the guns.

If you have adjustment in how the holster mounts to your belt, a lot of times, just moving things one small bit, can make a lot of difference in how things work. Maybe move it down one set of holes and bring the holster up a skosh. Youll likely find you get a better, cleaner grip more quickly and not be encountering the belt as much.

If the holster is really that much of an issue, if you cant modify it yourself, then maybe look for something else.

Holsters tend to be one of those things that can drive you nuts until you find something you really like and works well for you. If you do find one that does, Id suggest buying another right off as a spare/backup.

 

[Jim Watson]

I think it was Ross Seyfried who complained of hard cornered guns. Somebody told him that if he shot enough, he would develop calluses. He replied "I have fired 50,000 rounds this year, how much longer will it take?"

 

[trackskippy]

Look at it this way, if you dont have "gun specific" callouses on your hands from just gun handling and shooting, you're not handling the guns enough.

One the positive side here too, at least you don't have to put tape on your fingers so the constant gun handling doesn't rub your fingerprints off.

 

[jeepnik]

Apparently someone took exception to my comment about folks with soft hands. So let me put it this way. If shooting creates pain, blisters or your hands aren't currently up to the task. You can toughen the skin, you can strengthen your hands, and you can work up to using a handgun slowly and not have minor injuries along the way. Think about the way a martial artist builds their hands and learn the techniques to break boards and bricks. It doesn't happen overnight, but it can be done.

 

[FL-NC]

Get a better holster. If the pistol grip is causing discomfort, slide a piece of bicycle inner tube up the grip. I got a box of those things free from a bicycle shop, I use them for all kinds of stuff and you can make the strongest rubber bands known to man with them.