When you’re outdoors in the coming cold weather, you have the choice of gloves or cold, numb hands, neither of which is a great combination with firearms. Here, with John Farnam’s permission, I share a discussion string that John began recently. Pay particular attention to the advice from Doc Gunn, a tactically savvy MD who is known to me and whom I’ve never known to give bad advice:
Dear Friends:
Many people develop “sensory neuropathy” wherein they lose “fine touch” sensation but retain motor function (and pain/temperature sensation.) This impairs their “fine motor manipulation” in the same way that a might a tight, close-fitting glove.
The difference is that sensory neuropathy occurs gradually over time while the effect of putting on gloves is instantaneous. One thin layer of latex/nitrile allows for light touch sensation with little diminution but thicker fabric or leather material does not. As thickness increases sensation decreases.
I use the “Count your pocket change test.” Have various coins, keys, etc in your pants pocket and manipulate and identify them with your gloved hand. You’ll quickly see that there must be no free space at the fingertips. I can pass this test using Hatch Operator’s and non-insulated Mechanix gloves that close with a velcro strap at the top. Neither of these is waterproof, so a tight nitrile glove can be worn first against the skin for protection against fluid-born biologic pathogens.
Nitrile itself, as John pointed-out in his original post, can catch on weapon safeties/selectors, etc and is also prone to tearing easily. It must be covered with a more durable layer such as mentioned above.
These thin gloves provide just enough protection against bitter cold during very short exposures. They also protect against minor scrapes and abrasions. I carry a pair rolled-up in my Training Vest (usually for helping with setting-up target stands, steel plates, etc.) They will impair fine touch sensation. Trigger discipline is an absolute must! The slightest trigger contact will release the sear.
As the Game Warden pointed-out in his comment, the investigated ND Injuries were caused by the simultaneous violation of at least two of the Universal Safety Rules. Gloves were (only) a secondary contributor.
Stay Safe? We are only “Safe” when WE make it so!
Best!
Doc
/30
Semper Vigilans, Paratus, Fidelis.
On Sep 12, 2024, at 11:58 AM, Doc Gunn via groups.io wrote:
Commentt from a Conservation Policeman.(Game Warden.)
Absolute adherence to safe weapon handling is a must. I’ve worked a few hunting accidents where the primary error was admittedly pointing the muzzle at the wrong thing but secondary was lack of trigger finger discipline while wearing thick winter gloves. A .308 Win through the forearm or .54 conical through the cuneiform/metatarsal area is enough to ruin anybody’s day.
Semper Vigilans, Paratus, Fidelis.
On Sep 12, 2024, at 8:36 AM, M— P—— via groups.io wrote:
All the years I worked no matter how cold or wait I never wore gloves on my hands. Even now while hunting my dominant hand is glove free. Small game hunting with a shotgun once in a while a may wear a glove since there is a little more room for error shooting pheasant with the scatter gun
On Sep 11, 2024, at 4:36 PM, Doc Gunn wrote
JSFarnam wrote:
11 Sept 24
Have no fear of perfection.
You’ll never reach it!
Salvador Dali
Gloves negatively affect our dexterity with guns.
No doubt!
However, in “modern times,” gloves are mandatory in many circumstances.
In the 1970s, latex gloves were rarely included in an LEO’s training curriculum.
It was accepted that we would get blood on our hands while treating GSWs and other traumatic injuries in the field. Washing one’s hands afterward was considered sufficient.
Now, due to a bewildering host of today’s blood-borne pathogens, donning nitrile gloves (never-mind latex) is SOP prior to any kind of unknown contact(s).
Thus, the immediate necessity of effectively operating pistols while wearing gloves, is not only possible, but likely!
Thin nitrile gloves can prevent pistol magazines from being seated properly. They can also thwart reliable depression of the slide-release lever.
Try depressing the slide-release lever on a Glock while wearing gloves, versus simply pulling the slide back and then releasing it with your support-side hand. Which is more reliable under high stress, or when wearing gloves?
In cold weather, winter gloves can change how well we grip the handgun.
The perfect pistol for carry in July may be unusable in January when we are forced to wear gloves due to the cold. Short grips like those on a G26, G42 or G43, while fine in bare hands, often don’t do well in gloved hands. Conversely, “normal-sized” grips (G48) work either way!
Thin, non-insulated “driving gloves,” made from deerskin, can be a good choice for cold weather. I know through long experience that leather is heat resistant. Some synthetics will melt to your skin when sufficient heat reaches them.
Musashi spoke about “indoor technique” versus “outdoor technique” with regard to sword training.
I recall his dire warning with regard to skills, tactics, and techniques that were oh-so glamorous within the comfort of the dojo, but failed on the battlefield.
Techniques and equipment that may be fine while you’re comfortably standing upright at an indoor range or even at an outdoor range during warm/mild weather with no wind, may fail when called-upon as you find yourself in a cold, muddy ditch, at night, in the rain, with bullets whizzing by your ears!
I have never seen an indoor range floor (nor a dojo floor) that was slick with mud, blood, and ice, covered with snow, large rocks, downed power lines, and glass fragments, with sharp curbs, fallen tree-branches, and cracked/uneven pavement!
Thus, having “summer tactics” and “winter tactics” isn’t wise. What is wise is to embrace sound tactics, equipment, and techniques that can be depended-upon to work, regardless of exterior conditions.
“Universal techniques” are thus always superior (in my opinion) to “situation-specific,” or “gun-specific” techniques, which make far too great a demand upon fortune!
/John
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Doc Comment:
This is a great post/topic!
A non-insulated, thin, tight, contour-conforming glove can provide just enough protection against short exposures to the biting cold but still allow the dexterity* needed to successfully manipulate our firearms. Initially I used “Hatch Operator” gloves but now go with more readily-available “Mechanixs.” Make certain they fit very snugly…too small is better than “just right!”
If further protection against pathogens suspended in liquids is required, put on a pair of tight latex (nitrile) gloves and cover them with a thin glove as mentioned above.
*You’ll lose tactile sensory feedback but dexterity remains!
Always a Student….
Doc
/30
Doc Gunn
This post is oriented entirely toward LEO’s, but the information is applicable to us Fudd’s, too. Hunting season where I used to live (MN) can be durned cold (-20°F) with nasty winds. Not wearing something on your hands simply isn’t possible in a deer stand under those conditions. My solution were “glo-mitts”, which were fingerless gloves that had a mitten that could fold over the fingers. To free your fingers for a shot you simply folded the mitt portion back over the top of your hand where there were Velcro patches to hold it out of the way…less than a second to do it. You just had to be sure your fingers weren’t sweaty or you could freeze the tip of your finger to the trigger when you touched it.
For emergencies in our vehicles we always keep a couple of pairs of food-preparation type gloves just in case. They’re liquid-proof but not very puncture resistant, but it would be better than nothing to try to block any blood-borne pathogens. They take up almost zero space in the first-aid kit.
Maybe they have changed the material for them, but I seem to remember some types of food prep gloves being susceptible to melting by motor fuels. Before chucking some into your kit, Toss one into a smallish puddle of gasoline for a minute or two. Better to find out out in the backyard than in a crush when you desparately need them, only to find petrol melts them onto your skin.
Excellent information. We get cold even in FL periodically. It sounds like a little dryfire practice in gloves might be a very useful thing to do.
Imagine operating in an ambient temperature of around -55 F, or even below that, in areas of the subarctic, where even -82 F has been reported. You keep your hands warm with thick mitts connected by a mitt-saving strong cord running up your arms and over your shoulders and neck. You also wear some kind of glove inside the mitts for when your hands must come out. What I had for gloves was either synthetic gloves worn in fish processing, or GI woolen glove liners for GI leather gloves. Both forms of glove protected my fingers for a minute or two from frostbite and skin lesions, but were not as ideal as I thought might be obtained with a double silk fabric, with which I was never equipped. I have seen several people use Mechanix in various situations with some success. Keeping firearms working in extreme cold is an additional subject. Much room obtains yet for developing cold-weather holsters and use-ready long-gun protection.
Silk glove liners are used in winter mountaineering and other deep winter activities. You can, with silk glove liners, pickup a dime from a hard surface. Silk is used to protect the hands when handling metal at 20 below 0. The fabric is thin and likely would not interfere with handling a weapon. Perhaps another reader has experience with silk.
Many, many years ago I recall a qualification shoot at our rural department on a bitterly cold day. It was so cold that although we wore all our best personal outdoor clothing, including gloves, when we began shooting we were shivering hard, our hands partially numb and shaking. Although at the time we were not happy, it was a reminder that when you have to shoot on duty, the weather may be the same as that, or even colder at night, so really this was good training. However, most of us had to take our gloves off to manipulate our weapons properly. I bought a different, warmer yet thinner, pair of gloves after that experience and paid more attention to how I dressed under my uniform to avoid or reduce the shakes.
I live in hot country now but when I lived in the cold, I experimented with gloves. I only found one pair that shot to the same point of aim as I did with bare hands. After that was lost, I mostly just kept hands in pockets. Slow down the draw a bit unless the pistol was in the pocket. If you are going to wear gloves, test them.
When I first joined the outfit I eventually retired from, gloves weren’t permitted when using firearms in training and qualification for “safety reasons”. That being loss of touch and fear of resulting injury. After I got some credibility, I pointed out that loss of touch from the cold presented at least as much danger. After a bit of tooing and froing, gloves were approved. But, as pointed out, you have to select them carefully.
When you look at some trigger guards, you have to wonder what the designers were thinking of. The Colt SAA and the S&W J frame are prime examples and the 1911 isn’t all that much better. The hinged trigger guard on the original AR design is a welcome exception. If you live where extreme cold can be an issue, you might heavy gloves in mind when choosing defensive tools.
Another possibility, except for extreme cold, would be BBQ Gloves of the style that have a Cotton Liner next to the skin and then covered by a disposable Nitrile glove, usually available in various thicknesses. While designed for heat, they also “help” with cold. Another advantage is that, should it be needed, you could cut the Cotton Glove for the Trigger Finger, giving you a good “feel” for the finger and make it easier to get within the trigger guard.
I’m fairly new to CC, live in a temperate winter climate, and haven’t had to deal with the cold much while carrying, yet, but after reading this post I’ll be giving it a try.
This is why I recommend non-lightweight triggers (~5 lbs or so) on any gun used for any purpose other than pure target use. Whether cold or gloved (not to mention adrenalin), I can’t reliably feel a 2 pound trigger in the winter.
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