221B Recon Gloves, Trigger Finger
Need some protection for your hands from weekend shooting to busting down doors?
We bought a bunch of the most popular tactical shooting gloves out there and tested them through thick and thin over several years.
Some Tested Tactical Shooting Gloves
By the end of this article, you’ll know which gloves to choose to make your shooting trip a little easier.
HOW WE TESTED THE BEST SHOOTING GLOVES
We tested the best shooting gloves by shooting with them! A lot…from competitions to drills, classes, and hunting trips. And in all sorts of inclement weather.
And besides being hands-on with guns, we also focused on how the gloves interacted with phone screens.
We’ve also been through several iterations of our favorite models since keep in mind that good shooting gloves are a consumable item. And have updated the article with some newer market models.
While testing, we focused on what’s important to civilian shooters:
- price/value
- fit
- touch-screen capability
- durability
- usability shooting handguns & rifles
FIT COMPARISON
If you have the best glove out there, and it fits like a grocery bag or a kid’s mitten…it’s not going to work out.
Here are the measurements of my hand so you can compare them when I go over the sizing. Overall I have skinny wrists, not much of a palm swell, and long fingers.
My Glove Sizing
Now let’s get to it…
BEST SHOOTING GLOVES
1. 221B Tactical Recon Gloves
My new favorite shooting glove has to be the 221B Tactical Recon gloves.
Quick side note…I’m a big nerd and had to look it up…221B is the address of Sherlock Holmes.
But back to the gloves!
221B Recon Gloves, Flex
They truly are second-skin.
I’m especially amazed at how they got the finger tips correctly fit (at least for me). Normally they are always a little boxy.
And the grip on the insides is next-level, durable, and the index fingers and thumbs are great for touchscreen use.
221B Recon Gloves, Grip
I sized slightly down to the Medium since I re-measured myself and was a tad over 7.5″ for their chart.
I trained with these for three months in the gym and on the range for the Wolverine 5K and there’s still nothing flaking off.
The thinness helped with all the gun tasks easily and also in the physical CrossFit-like challenges where extra grip was an advantage.
And although there’s no cinch-down tab, I never found it a problem to don them on or off.
221B Recon Gloves, Trigger Finger
They come in a couple colors and the only knock I have is that if you’re going non-black, the XX logo is a little more present than I’d like and reminds me of the marks they give underage people at bars.
If you can get around that…these are my go-to gloves for shooting. It’s not going to keep you very warm or protect you against big bumps and spills.
But if trigger finger dexterity and minor protection from weather, scrapes, and hot gun parts is the main goal…go with the Recons.
2. SKD Tactical PIG FDT Alpha Gloves
My previous favorite shooting glove…the Alpha version of the PIG FDTs.
SKD FDT Alpha Gloves
The thicker OG version…I think this glove checks all the boxes. Still super dexterous while having some additional protection. All the while fitting like…a glove.
However, the fingers are a little more boxy compared to the previous Recons.
I went with large on this.
I’ve used these gloves the most, and they’ve handled pistols, ARs, reload magazines, and moved couches perfectly. A little slower to dry since it’s thicker and has some synthetic suede.
Some stats:
- Touch-screen enabled index/thumb
- Isolated trigger finger material
- Dual-joint trigger finger
You can see a lot of it is giving dexterity for the trigger finger, and it shows in those knuckle breaks. It’s almost the same as the Delta but with more warmth and protection.
Plus, I like having the ability to tighten the wrist strap.
Lastly, it has a nice soft material behind the thumb…again great for your nose or cleaning lenses.
The most expensive on the list but if you shoot a lot or value protection/dexterity a littler higher…I recommend the Alpha gloves.
And keep in mind that shooting gloves are consumables.
The more you use them, the quicker they will get chewed up. Here’s an example of a two-year old Alpha that saw a good amount of weekends of hard use.
Worn SKD PIG Gloves
You’ll see that trigger fingers and other hard use areas will be the first to go. But I rather don’t mind having my trigger finger exposed since it’s even more tactile.
3. Magpul Patrol Glove 2.0
Looking for a little more protection?
The Magpul Patrol Glove 2.0 has thicker knuckle padding…
Magpul Patrol Gloves, Knuckle Protection
And a nice protective and soft leather palm.
Magpul Patrol Gloves, Leather
I went with a size Medium based on the below chart and it fit very well.
Magpul Glove Sizing
I like wearing these if I know I’ll be not only shooting but also fixing or building up something at the range.
The most important thing is that the trigger finger is still plenty dexterous for shooting both pistols and rifles.
Magpul Patrol Gloves, Finger
And it’s not as great for using the touchscreen as the 221B or PIG gloves…at least with your index finger. You’ll have to use that black part on the tip of the thumb.
It’s ok for scrolling but if you’re typing, it’s not going to be easy.
But if you’re doing some more demanding stuff where you want to protect your knuckles and palms…while still being able to shoot…the Magpul Patrol Glove 2.0 is a great choice.
4. Mechanix FastFit Gloves
I’ve had a couple of regular Mechanix original gloves for shop work, but the few times I took them to the range, I felt their fingers were a little too bulky for some firearm tasks.
Enter…their FastFit Gloves.
I wore mediums and using their sizing chart, I re-confirmed I was indeed medium.
Here are some other useful stats:
- $15-20
- Synthetic leather and spandex
- Touch-screen enabled
- Fast-drying
- Elastic cuff
They didn’t fit quite right because of my palm size. You can see there’s a lot of gap in there.
Mechanix FastFit Gloves, Palm
And the cut between the index finger and thumb is a little restricting for handgun shooting; rifles are fine.
Also very thin, so they are great for dexterity, but not very warm or heat resistant if that’s your thing.
But for under $20 and pretty good durability from what I’ve seen from friends…you can’t go wrong for a first pair of shooting gloves, especially if you have slightly meatier hands.
5. SKD Tactical PIG FDT Charlie Gloves (Women)
The women’s version of my favorite gloves…SKD’s PIG FDT Charlie.
SKD sent these to me for testing after my original article. My wife has small hands but relatively fat fingers (her words).
SKD FDT Charlie Gloves vs Hand
Her measurements pointed her towards the small size, but it felt very snug against her fingers. It wasn’t so tight to be constricting, but it should loosen as she wears them more.
Same great feel and ability to move her trigger finger. Plus, she made sure it still worked on smartphones.
Our current best pick for women’s gloves.
WHY WEAR SHOOTING GLOVES?
Why gloves? Let me list a couple of reasons:
- Things get HOT: Guns themselves in hot weather, barrels when you shoot a lot, and suppressors
- Things get COLD: Sometimes you’re shooting cold weather, and you would prefer to feel your fingers
- Prevent hand damage: Cuts and scrapes might be meh for most shooters, but they still suck, and if you’re out in the field…infections can become killer.
FINAL THOUGHTS
After a good amount of testing…here are my final recommendations.
For the best overall glove…
Or something with a little more protection on the knuckles…
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