The Search is Over
Finding a pair of gloves for shooting that are durable, comfortable, and don’t interfere with your dexterity is a challenge. Most gloves either sacrifice durability and protection for added dexterity, or significantly limit your dexterity with too much material and the annoying frog webbing that occurs between digits. Enter PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Alpha Gloves (hereafter referred to as PIG Gloves).
I have worn these gloves on patrol as a police officer, training with handguns and rifles, and even for some yard work (note the dried liquid nail on my right hand). For the longest time, my go-to gloves while I was in the military were Mechanix gloves. They were relatively cheap, easy to find, held up pretty well, offered some protection, and didn’t minimize dexterity too much. While I still wouldn’t mind Mechanix gloves for some applications, they do not even compare to the comfort, dexterity, and fit of PIG Gloves. Well, I guess they technically do compare because I literally just compared them…
Pros
Fit and Dexterity
PIG Gloves fit much tighter than most other gloves and if it weren’t for their flexibility, this would be an issue. They provide a really slim fit around fingers and the webbing between the digits rides snug between your fingers. There does still exist some webbing in the corner of the thumb if you hold your thumb at extension, but it is minimal and is not obtrusive when obtaining a natural grip under the tang of a gun.
Most gloves have a seam at the end of the finger-tips and I always found this to feel natural. On the other hand (pun fully intended), the PIG have wrap-over finger tips that feel much more natural and dexterous.
The multi-panel design of the palm can be seen in the image below. There are multiple layers with varying thickness to provide protection where it is needed while also adding dexterity in flexion areas. The index (trigger) finger has the thinest layer, providing maximum dexterity when manipulating a trigger, using a touch screen, or other tasks requiring increased sensitivity. ***add something about holes
Durable nylon covers tops of the fingers without sacrificing mobility thanks to the flex joints. And, once again, the trigger finger gets some extra love with an additional flexion point.
I don’t really like gloves with long cuffs and would often cut material so that they stoped just before my wrist joint. However, PIG Gloves have a perfect cuff that will not impede wrist motion. Furthermore, The velcro closure is low profile in order to minimize abrasion on clothing and collection of lint.
Protection
Padding along the edge of the palm adds additional protection without being obtrusive.
Speaking of padding, the knuckles are constructed from Stretch Ballistic Nylon 1000D. These provide just enough padding for striking or if you inadvertently ram your knuckles into something during room clearing.
Extra Features
With most electronics being touch screen these days, it is very annoying to have to remove your gloves in order to interact with your phone, tablet, or police MDT. PIG gloves feature conductive material on both index fingers and thumbs. My expectations were low before purchasing, but these gloves are some of the most conductive I have ever used. I can even text with them on an iPhone due to the fine conductive points on the index finger.
The bar-tacked para cord pull loop makes it very easy to pull the gloves on snuggly while also providing an attachment point for hanging them off your gear with a carabiner. Bar-tacked simply refers to a sewing method where you use a series of stitches to reinforce a piece of clothing subject to high wear and stress.
One feature that I didn’t really think would be all that useful is the suede nose wipe. SKD added a patch of micro-suede on top of each thumb to prevent chaffing when rubbing your nose. While this might sound ridiculous and gimmicky to some, I promise that it is a nice feature during the colder seasons. Just not COVID-19 compliant.
Cons
Since this is a review, I feel obligated to come up with some cons, although, there are not many.
I have noticed some loss of touch-screen conductivity in the trigger finger after being washed. The conductivity is still present, but not as responsive. Instructions state that you can wash these.
They are not made in USA, but they address why this is on their site.
If you are in the market for new shooting gloves, then I highly recommend these. However, if you plan to simply use them for yard work (or with liquid nails) then I’d recommend just grabbing a pair of ordinary work gloves or Mechanix gloves.
Affiliate Disclosure
I like to be transparent about the fact that we receive a small commission if you purchase using the product links. However, this is an honest review and I only will recommend quality products to my readers.
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Price
Amazon – $43
