A few months ago I received a pair of gloves to review from Gunfire that are part of their tactical gear line dubbed “GFC Tactical” which includes, gloves, belts, masks vests pouches, patches and much, much more.
HDR Stands for Heavy Duty Ready, which according to Gunfire is their top of the line series for Tactical products, and it is designed not only with Airsofters in mind but also for the military or law enforcement markets meaning the bar and expectations were quite high.
They carry several models that offer different levels of protection, depending on what you are looking for in a pair of gloves or the task at hand.
The price tag is for sure one of the strongest selling points of these gloves, since they go for around 10.92€.
This is a great price which not even with most ACM knock-offs can reach. So I wanted to spend some hours in the field checking out how good where these gloves actually are and how well they stack up to some good Airsoft games.
MATERIALS, PROTECTION AND DESIGN
Being the price tag so attractive it also causes one to ponder on how well these gloves are made and if the quality of the materials used hasn’t been sacrificed in order to keep the price down.
For starters we have to bear in mind that the level of protection is also linked to the materials used to make a pair of gloves less expensive and the higher level protection, the more expensive materials need to be used.
So, in the case of HDR shooter gloves, we are talking about a pair of gloves that offer a lower protection level, hence the economic price. But Gunfire also offer gloves that feature Kevlar fabric and Keprotec for a higher protection level in case you are looking for something that goes a bit further when protecting your hands, say from possible cutting objects such as broken glass that you might not spot in the ground and rest your hand on, or if you are in LE, knives and other sharp objects that might be thrown at you.
Most of this glove is made of Synthetic leather, neoprene and spandex Nylon material and by viewing the images in their website it looked like the fabric, the tan bit, would be quite breathable which I was exactly what I was looking for.
So, these seemed to me like the best choice for playing Airsoft in the summer whilst still maintaining full hand and finger protection, as with other materials such as Kevlar it could mean that the gloves would be less breathable.
Gunfire also provide the Cut Tactical Gloves, which are pretty much the same but without the fingers. For me I personally prefer a glove that covers everything, fingers included.
Design wise we have a two tone combination of black and tan on the upper layer and all black on the palm with a low profile cuff featuring the Gunfire logo and a Velcro closure system that fastens the glove quite well to the wrist.
Each glove has a cushioned synthetic leather palm, with three paddings that help absorb impacts like for instance those unpredictable tumbles in a middle of the game…
The synthetic leather is tough and rugged which help protecting the palm and fingers from abrasion and sharp objects, although it’s not at the same level as Kevlar gloves.
The cuff is made out of elastic spandex and adapts effortlessly to the wrist. You can also see more spandex mainly around the knuckles and fingers since it helps increasing the flexibility when using the gloves, since they adjust better to the natural movements of the fingers.
The quality of the materials used is quite good and lasting featuring double stitches on key areas that will become under more stress during usage.
GFC TATICAL
COMFORT AND DEXTERITY
As soon as tried on these gloves the protective palm pads seemed to feel quite thick and bulky, and I was afraid these would interfere in the dexterity while operating a gun.
But when actually griping a gun I noticed that the padding adapts to the shape of the hand and since the pads are strategically positioned, the parts of my hand where I need more dexterity such as the fingers aren’t affected.
So I was able to do all movements I needed without any difficulties, meaning that dexterity wise it is quite acceptable and on par with most tactical gloves.
Comfort wise, the HDR shooting gloves provide a good amount of comfort since the combination of materials and design is well thought out. The synthetic leather layer is thick enough to help maintaining the hands warm in colder weather, and in hotter weather the nylon fabric absorbs and wicks away most of the moisture inside the glove avoiding that uncomfortable feeling of having the hands sweaty and slippery.
Most of all you can use them a whole day and forget that you are using a pair of full finger gloves, even during very hot days.
GFC TATICAL
CONCLUSION
Overall the HDR Shooting Gloves offer a very decent protection level, and are made with quality materials.
With well-made stitches, these are a good balance between the comfort and protection, supplied at a low price, making them great for the casual Airsofter to the more demanding ones looking for a very well-priced glove that will fit most needs.
Product link >>> http://www.gunfire.pl/product-eng-HDR-Shooter-Tan
Watch the video review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ttGNHWq88
Pros
- Reasonable level of protection;
- Comfortable;
- Great price;
- Breathable;
Cons
- Tan is a bit yellowish.
We want to say thank you to Gunfire Airsoft & More for providing the product for a test. As well to our reviewer Nuno of OP7 for the field test.
