I was fortunate enough to pick up some PIG gloves from SKDtac. SKD’s always sold me good gear, and their editors’ picks and in-house PIG gear are universally considered GTG in my book.
This is PIG’s Full-Dexterity-Tactical Alpha glove. The Goal, according to Military Times, was to produce a glove that gave a gloveless, “bareback” feel. And this glove delivers.
Preliminary Impressions
Out of the box, I noticed that these gloves were very unrestrictive. Whereas other gloves tended to tighten-up when I made a fist, the PIG’s articulated joints made it very easy to make a fist. The tactile feedback even with these gloves on was excellent. Indeed, wearing these gloves, I could even type, with minimal difficulty. Other gloves tended to be too thick and clumsy to allow me to type. As far as I can tell, there’s only about one layer of clarino, a synthetic leather, in the palm and fingers of the glove.
In dry-firing my Glock, I had no problems feeling the shot breaking, or working the reset.
In the Field
So how do these gloves hold up to actual use? There were reports dinging the gloves’ durability, and they are true–to an extent. I recently went through a couple weeks of training, and primarily carried the 249. Not exactly a melt-treated weapon. Instead of a VFG, I used the bipod as my foregrip, so suffice to say the PIG suffered a lot of abrasion.
In the field, I wore the PIGs almost 24/7–I often fell asleep wearing them, since I forgot I had them on. I also had the opportunity to use the PIG during a bad down pour, with no issues. The Clarino seemed to take on water, and the gloves remained wet until we returned to garrison.
In every day use, the glove did a good job of protecting my hands. I could pick up splintered wood, go prone in a rock pile, and generally go ‘hands-on’ without fear of jacking up my palms. The micro-suede thumb was also great as I frequently used it to wipe my face.
As far as durability goes–the padded knuckle portion on my right hand began to fray on the first day, and frayed further as I used them. This is about the extent of the fraying, and I don’t expect it to get any worse. Except for this specific part, the glove did not suffer any further abnormal wear.
During a simulated FOB attack, my 249 suffered an extremely bad malfunction. Upon opening the feed tray, I noted that I had 2 rounds plus a link jammed in to the chamber. However, in the dark, wearing these gloves, I was able to remove the barrel, pull the stuck link out of the chamber, reinstall the barrel, and resume firing. I’m fairly certain that, but for these gloves, pulling out the stuck link would have drawn blood.
Likewise, I was able to link loose 5.56 blanks in the dark–the tactile feedback of these gloves are unparalleled.
However–the trade off is in protection. I wore these gloves during an obstacle course, and due to the single layer of clarino, I would hesitate to use these gloves for things like rappelling.
Finally, the vent holes in palms and fingers helped drain water when it rained–but during normal weather, my palms would feel extremely dry, as the holes permitted moisture to escape.
Final Verdict
For $34.95, these gloves are definitely worth trying. I tried the Mechanix MPacts, but the palm padding made it uncomfortable to carry my wearpon. I think the biggest downfall would have to be durability, as 2 weeks worth of use should not result in such heavy fraying. Nonetheless, these are my “go-to” gloves, and when Skdtac sells them again, I will definitely pick up another pair.
Hope this helps people who’re contemplating purchasing tactical gloves.
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