Gloves and carry guns

In cold weather when I am carrying, I always wear thin leather patrol-style gloves, rather than insulated "winter" gloves, and just keep my hand(s) in pocket(s) as required.

just wear a glove that you can ditch quickly and it isn't an issue far as i can tell, just practice it a bit

Not to sound condescending but this is an excellent reason to train during the cold months.

Competition is one way or taking a defensive course this time a year.

Or even if you just run drills at home (assuming you're able).

In competition or running drills at home (what I'm familiar with) folks just keep their hands in their jacket pockets until its go time then just work through it.

I like mechanics groves for shooting in the cold. If it's not to cold. I use the ones with the finger tips open.

Whatever you choose gloves or no gloves you need to practice in cold weather to know what effect that will have on your performance.

We're sitting at -5 degrees right now.
My go-to for several years now has been mechanix gloves. I put a pair in each stocking on the mantle every Christmas. 10 pairs this year!
I wear them to hunt and to work. For Bitter cold weather I put a pair of XL cotton ranch/chore gloves on over the mechanix.
It doesn't help much for a carry gun scenario....but the old 12 ga doesn't require as much dexterity as a pistol.

Look at it this way: the Arctic freeze has also put a crimp on the activities of criminals. Therefore you are relatively safe leaving your gun at home for the duration. If you must venture out, take the gloves and not the gun. ("Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.")

If it is really cold I wear thin leather gloves. The 1911's stay home and I carry either my Sig P229SAO or P290, either of which has a trigger guard that is big enough to accommodate a gloved finger. I shoot at an outdoor range, so I also practice with gloves and the same clothing I would be wearing out and about.

AlexanderA said:

Look at it this way: the Arctic freeze has also put a crimp on the activities of criminals. Therefore you are relatively safe leaving your gun at home for the duration. If you must venture out, take the gloves and not the gun. ("Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.")

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You realize someone is gonna take your post as serious. I'll grab the popcorn.

dodo bird said:

However if I was in the cold year round, I would have to train and pick my gloves and trigger guard carry guns appropriately.

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Everyone should be doing some training in the conditions that they might be in when/if they needed to use their weapon. Where I live, temperatures normally range from about roughly -30°F to 100° at various times of the year.

"The North Face" offers several variants of thinner polyester gloves with small rubber/silicone dots on the palms for better grip. Although they are not suited for extremely low temperatures, they are fine for "normal winter" carry. Neoprene fishing gloves are also a viable option - I can recommend Simms, but there are many options available depending on the price. But whatever brand you choose, make sure they fit tight on your hands and don't restrict movement of the fingers.

Part of the reason behind my name and preference for Walthers is because of cold weather. Walthers and HKs tend to have larger trigger guards because it gets quite cold in Germany and in Vermont, where I used to live. I had several pairs of gloves that I could accurately shoot handguns with. For (Army) rifle qualification, I usually braved the cold and shot with no gloves on at all. For times when I had to wear gloves, I had some with cut off trigger fingers or thin enough gloves I could shoot with. Oddly enough, one of the better pair of cold weather shooting gloves I used (and still own) were made by Camelbak. I think they sold the glove line to another company, as I haven't seen them in years.

https://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-CW0...eywords=camelbak+gloves&qid=1671933693&sr=8-8

Now I live in Alabama. And it doesn't get nearly as cold here as it does in Vermont. So I have gotten rid of or stored my cold weather gear.

dodo bird said:

I live in a warmer part of the country. The past few days have felt like the Arctic though. I usually don’t wear gloves most of the year. I realized today that your standard cold weather gloves and trying to draw and put your trigger finger inside the guard is not an easy task. Anyone else feel the same? I am probably not going to change anything as this is temporary where I live. However if I was in the cold year round, I would have to train and pick my gloves and trigger guard carry guns appropriately.

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No ,I am not joking

I live in the 4 season zone and that means COLD weather.

When its cold out and I feel the need to walk about or travel in ANY hazarded AO.

I wear a glove that allows me to wear a High Standard O/U .22 magnum derringer in my index finger glove.

It might look like I am pointing toward the ground,upon CLOSE inspection.

All I need do is point my finger and squeeze.

YES, it is not a major caliber and there are only 2 shots.

But I have practiced at the range and I can get off 2 shots,drop the glove & gun and go to covered primary in a few seconds.

I would prefer to keep my coat open and have the option of the primary [ or real BUG ] but it looks obvious if its minus 5 degrees and your coat is open.

Besides its REALLY cold too.

And I have also tried the shoulder rig with coat partly open,finger glove is much faster.

As GBExpat and Jeff White indicated, in the first two replies, we should obtain a winter cover garment with suitable pockets, that can lessen the need for us to wear thick gloves. The pockets can accommodate bare or thinly-gloves hands, and if we opt for it, a small handgun can be accommodated in a suitably-deep pocket. I cannot advise on any specific coat, for actual pocket carry, because manufacturers have tended to change to ever-smaller, ever-flimsier pockets, and it has been a number of years since I bought my last real winter parka.

The quick-and-easy answer for gloves that allow shooting, are Mechanix gloves. Mechanics need to handle their their tools, with dexterity. Finding truly best gloves can be a lengthy endeavor

This last cold blast did not compel me to get the winter coats out of the closet, because, being retired, and having already prepared, I did not need to stay outdoors for very long. My solution was good ol’ pocket carry, of a snub-gun, in a left trousers’ pocket, plus, what some might consider summer carry, a Hill People Gear Belt Pack, worn over all layers, but in a way that kept the hoody’s pockets accessible. I generally wore three three layers, on my upper body, when walking the dogs, and kept one hand at a time in a pocket of the outer hoody. A 2” S&W Model 64 K-Frame revolver was in the Belt Pack, oriented for right-hand draw, where I could reach it without having to first clear away any clothing.

The Hill People Gear Belt Pack has a quite long belt, and could be worn over a true winter coat.

Importantly, my three layers made it less necessary to wear gloves. When it was really cold and windy, the middle layer was a really warm sweater, that did a good job of keeping my neck covered. The hoody kept the wind from trying to blow through the sweater, and into my ears. To stay out longer, I would have first added a beanie-like hat, under the hood. Keeping the head, neck, and torso warm will minimize the need for thick gloves.

Mizar said:

... But whatever brand you choose, make sure they fit tight on your hands and don't restrict movement of the fingers.

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I wear size Large gloves. I have long thin fingers which causes one of these issues.

I have found that many gloves are sized for relatively short fingers, which makes them a no-go for me, especially when they also have a short web which leaves no way for me to properly hold a handgun.

My favorite light-weight "winter" gloves are large Mechanix FastFits. They are quick on&off, fit me well and are quite comfortable & tactile.

Years ago, for Carry purposes, I bought a number of Mechanix "Specialty 0.5mm" and "Tactical Vent" (also 0.5mm) for times when I don't feel that I must look absolutely civilized.

My old man used to tell me; "The only thing you can do with gloves on is wet your pants."

Two things.

My main gloves for winter are now 'glomits', with a thick full mitten that flips back off the fingers and thumb with a thin glove over them. Walk around with the mittens on, be ready to flip back the mitts when you draw. (Better than the old army 'trigger finger' mittens.)

Plan B is summer combat gloves. (You will find these similar to mechanic gloves.) They are what I would wear for general training and operations during the summer months. (The army standard now is to wear eye protections and gloves whenever you are handling a rifle, although the enforcement is somewhat selective.) So, if you have these gloves for summer, can you use them in winter? I find mostly yes. Is it as warm and comfy as a full leather/wool/thinsulate winter glove? No. But are they better than nothing for say, driving, shoveling snow, being out in town when you also have pockets to put them in? Yes. Can you still manipulate a zipper when wearing them? Yes. I find myself cramming them in a pocket often lately.

I have been using the glove mitts for years started using them for deer hunting. some years it is below zero during deer season especially late season. I relay thought about gloves when I watched one of my hunting buddies put a round into the dirt because his gloved finger snaged the trigger as he raised the rifle to shoot at a deer.

thin leather “driving” gloves. a bond arms derringer minus its removeable trigger guard and chambered in large (410/45lc) ammo that is less likely to be fumbled. and it is true that miscreants are disinclined to be out when i’m out for a cold winter walk.