Now the FastFit’s are fantastic gloves, but Mechanix Wear has brought their A-game to the Tactical Glove market with their new Tactical 0.5’s.
I was lucky enough to get a pre-production pair to run through their paces, and all I can say is that I love these things. I’ve used them for everything from basic range trips to running a full-out Army confidence course and tons of stuff in-between. I’ve been rough on these gloves and they have not missed a beat, and kept up in style.
The gloves feature fully subdued graphics, thin one-piece Clarino® synthetic leather palms, and very breathable cloth backs.
These babies are packed with features. One of the things I wished the FastFit’s had was a terry cloth or microfiber panel along the thumb. This is something I’ve learned to love in biking gloves, especially when you’re a big sweaty guy like myself. The 0.5’ fix this with a full length super absorbent microfiber panel making up the back of the thumb.
The saddle between the thumb and forefinger is also reinforced to cut down on wear, but is not bulky. This also helps reduce felt recoil from snappy handguns and the like. The gloves close around the wrist with a very secure hook and loop panel. Normally I’m not a huge fan of Velcro tabs on gloves, however the 0.5’s system is very low-profile, and on the inside of the wrist, where it is less likely to snag and open the gloves unintentionally. However, the rubber panel still gives you plenty to catch on the edge of a pocket and release the glove one-handed. The only time I’ve had an issue has been reaching into tight pant pockets.
The trigger finger is also a neat feature on the new gloves. The Clarino® wraps almost entirely around the finger, and in place of the usual boxy seam at the tip, it tapers down to a single seam, making for a good snag-free tip.
Fantastic for getting that finger into the trigger guard without unintentionally catching anything. The reduced number of seams also makes for a much more comfortable feel, especially if you run your gloves tight, and the Clarino® material still gives great articulation, helping immensely with trigger control.
One thing I love about the Mechanix Wear gloves in general is the heightened level of dexterity and retention of feeling offered by the thinner palms. I had no trouble loading high capacity pistol mags - or any number of tasks requiring good dexterity, such as weapon manipulations (reloading and malfunction clearance).
And as with the FastFit’s, I can still use my touch screen phone while wearing them, something that those who run ballistic programs on their smart phones can appreciate.
Top it all off with a couple lanyard loops, and you’ve got a great set of gloves for your shooting needs.
-Fred