By Alan Murdock
Albuquerque, NM –-(Ammoland.com)- I’ve been testing the 5.11 Tactical Station Grip Multi-Task Gloves.
These gloves are manufactured for 5.11 by ironclad, known for their high quality work gloves.
I have used Ironclad cut resistant gloves in the past to work with glass. The 5.11 Station Grip glove has a similar surface to the gloves I’ve used in the past. I suspect these have some cut and puncture resistant qualities which will aid in searches and pat downs of individuals who might have a syringe or knife in their pockets.
The 5.11 Tactical Station Grip Multi-Task Glove are made of several materials: synthetic leather makes up the underlayer of the palm. PVC patches cover the palm and fingertips, providing some puncture resistance and grip. The top of the glove is stretch nylon and there is padding sewn in a welted pattern over the knuckles. The padding feels like it will protect from some strikes or blows, but it is not as solid as the rubberized knuckles on the Hard Time series of 5.11 tactical gloves.
I took these to the range to see how they would function in my regular training. Before firing my gun I like to practice getting to my gun, especially if I am wearing a concealment garment. While testing the gloves I wore my 5.11 Tactical vest, the first item I purchased by 5.11. With gloves I want to verify I can sweep my concealment vest out of the way without getting tied up on the holster or pistol and to get a solid grip on the handgun. With the gloves my grip feels solid and firm. The Station Grip gloves absorb recoil well and there is no torque. The gloves are a good fit, so the gun feels completely solid in my hands.
Glock, Smith & Wesson, Springfield Armory and several other companies have manufactured their pistols specifically for work with the 5.11 Tactical Station Grip Multi-Task Glove. The trigger guard is more open than older models and the size of the trigger is right for use with a glove. I decided to shoot my Ruger Mark III pistol with the Station Grip gloves to see if they would get caught up in the grip. The Ruger Mark III is a .22 pistol made for target shooting and plinking rather than tactical operations that might need to be conducted while wearing gloves. The trigger guard on the Ruger Mk III is round, and while it’s not as smooth a transition to go from a straight finger indexed off the frame to the trigger even without gloves, I didn’t have any trouble getting my finger onto the trigger. The fit of the gloves was such that it didn’t really change the ergonomics of shooting the pistol.
In the video you can see how the 5.11 Tactical Station Grip Multi-Task Glove work in these contexts. I am wearing the gloves for security work as well and I’ll do follow-up to update you on how they perform over time.
About Alan Murdock:
Alan Murdock is a certified NRA pistol instructor and Utah Concealed Firearms instructor. Alan Teaches firearms classes in Salt Lake City, Utah as The Gun Tutor. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/alan.murdock#!/pages/The-Gun-Tutor/284464574944107. He also produces video and writes about firearms and personal defense issues. His blog can be found at www.TheGunTutor.com