Holy Grail?

[dsmguy7]

I may be searching for the Holy Grail here, but I'm having some problems finding a good pair of gloves. They would be used for police duty. Here are the requirements: 1. Must be cut and preferably puncture resistant. 2. Must be machine washable (I'm a germaphobe.) 3. Must have good dexterity. 4. Must be able to shoot well with them. It wouldn't be bad (but not a necessity) if they had carbon fiber or such knuckle protectors. I had a pair of Turtle Skin duty gloves from Galls (GL207) which lasted 1 year and performed very well. My only problems with them are that there is no protection on the sides of the fingers or back of the hand, and they are not machine washable. I used disinfectant wipes and/or alcohol, but they still smelled funky. They also ripped in between the fingers when jumping over a wood privacy fence. I just received some Hex Armor gloves from Galls (GL339) which appear to have hella protection. The only problems are that they are way too stiff to manipulate my weapon, the material surrounding the fingers is so thick that I can barely get my trigger finger into the trigger guard (not good in a stressful situation), and the so called "specialized gripping surface" on the palm is a joke. I can barely work the action on my Glock 22 while gripping the slide as hard as I can; without the slide slipping out of my hand. I thought about the Turtle Skin from Galls (GL252), but they don't appear to be puncture resistant. The customer service at Galls can't answer my questions and only quote what's already on the screen. I guess the more protection you get, the stiffer and thicker the glove. I read a few threads on here about shooting gloves, but they don't seem to offer cut and puncture protection. Can anyone recommend a good compromise? :confused:

[Skintop911]

When you find these, buy two pair (one for me). Then buy a lotto ticket. :)

[dsmguy7]

10-4 :cool:

[dsmguy7]

Come on guys. There has to be some sort of good compromise. What are you other LEOs using? :confused:

[Oscar 319]

Hatch Operator Shorty's. I accidentally washed a pair of mine and they survived. I don't believe that is recommended though. In my opinion (and 13 years on the job) it is the best LEO glove made. Just replace them once a year (keep the old ones for spares). Loading pistol mags trashes the thumb. But how many gloves have enough dexterity to load your Glock mags.

They are made of Kevlar and kangaroo leather. They are super "grippy" when going hands on with someone. They offer flash and cut resistance. As far as a shooting glove, you can do everything but gunsmithing in these gloves. If you dare, Botach Tactical has them for $30.
http://www.botachtactical.com/hatoptacglov.html

I have not had a bad experience with Botach, but everyone else has. Just be sure to get the "shorty SOGL-50" and not the standard operator. You would look like are real dork rolling up on a call with the full legth gauntlets on.

I usually pay $45 for a pair, they retail at over $60. To me, they are worth the price. I wear them every day. They have saved my fingers, knuckles and palms from injury over the years. Seriously, try a pair in your quest and see what you think.

[dsmguy7]

Thank you, oscar319. As I can't seem to find any to meet all of my criteria and no one else is offering any suggestions; I will pick a pair up and try them out. I believe a local store offers them. I'll let you know on price. Plus I get to try them on first. Also, with 13 years experience, you ought to know a thing or two. Thanks again, buddy. :D

[Skintop911]

The Chibas have good fit for me, but lack the combinations of features you list. They might be close enough:

http://www.chibagloves.com/id77.html

[alw357]

Dito on the Hatch Gloves. I have had a pair for several years now and when the need arises I will replace with the same.

[dsmguy7]

Thanks for the help. I bought a pair of the Hatch SOG-L50 gloves. They're a little higher here at $54.99, but at least I could try them on. Which is good because I seem to be between a small and a medium. I went with the medium because I figure better a little too big than too small. I wish all manufacturers would use the same sizes. I was surprised because I usually wear large gloves. So far so good. I haven't been able to go hands on with anyone yet, but they do have a majority of the features that I wanted. 1. Cut resistant (no puncture). 2. Hand washable (not machine, but better than nothing). 3. Good dexterity. 4. Haven't shot yet, but I can handle my weapon well. 5. Not carbon fiber, but they do have an extra strip of leather over the knuckles.:cool:

[sff70]

The more protection, the less dexterity. Kevlar, etc. drives the price up and the dexterity down.

I have Oakley SI assault gloves, and Hatch puncture proof gloves, but prefer Mechanix gloves and Nike wide receiver gloves, particularly the Mechanix gloves as the best all around gloves for patrol work.

They are affordable, washable, durable, and dexterous. Not to mention available just about anywhere.

[Falboy]

I'm just a mechanic, but in my experience if you can handle small nuts/bolts,wiring, and etc. with gloves on, a weapon is no problem. I've had better luck from a durability standpoint, and have washed them as well, with Ironclad gloves. They do offer an "Enforcer" line which is geared towards LE/Military. Might want to try those out. I've been extremely happy with all the Ironclad gloves I've had...Cold Condition, Heatworx, Padded, and etc. Just my .02!

[lonewolf21]

the hatch gloves are deffinately 10-8. ive been using the same pair on patrol for 3 years now. they work wonderfully and are inexpensive. i just stash them in my pants pocket and can access them quickly and are easy to get on and off.

[dsmguy7]

So far, the hatch gloves are 10-8. I haven't come across any sharp objects with them yet, but dexterity is excellent.:cool:

[dsmguy7]

+1 for the Hatch gloves. Last night we got into a chase and a foot pursuit with a subject. Lucky for me, I had my gloves on. We jumped over 3 chain link fences before we caught and tased the subject. Another officer, as well as the subject, had cuts on their hands from the fences. The other officer's cuts were so bad that he had to have 5 stitches in one hand and 3 in the other. I barely had a scratch on my left hand. Thanks again guys.

[neodecker]

I like the Mechanix Wear MMP-05-009 M-Pact Black Medium Glove

[esskay]

Loading pistol mags trashes the thumb. But how many gloves have enough dexterity to load your Glock mags.


Get an Uplula mag loader, and you'll not only save your thumbs, but as long as you are able to pick up the round in the first place you should be able to load even with bulkier gloves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zos_7e-c4t0