Airsoft Action 04 - Xmas 2011 | Page 21

HWI Gear Hard Knuckle Tactical glove Line of Fire Pointman gloves Line of Fire is a new brand to me, and these gloves are something I have never seen before. They come with a system called TEGS (Technology Enhanced Grip System), designed to increase grip by up to 240 per cent when used with the supplied TEGS Tape. I applied the tape to my pistol’s grips and the mags of my rifle – and it really does what it says on the tin! It gave me a greater grip on my weapon systems and the mags, making grabbing mags from my pouches for mag changes much easier. I had someone try and pull my pistol from my grip while I was using this system and it did seem to increase my hold on the weapon. The gloves themselves are very comfy and have a hard knuckle protector and leather on the fingers and palms to help protect your hands and hopefully reduce the pain of BB strikes. These are the most expensive of the gloves we tested, and although they are something of a specialist glove and probably not of use to everyone the TEGS system is unique and definitely has practical uses. This was my first experience with HWI products too, though I was aware that the company has a background in both the police and military markets. These gloves are made from Kevlar and leather and feature a hard knuckle piece. They are pretty tight fitting but still flexible, allowing ease of movement when using a rifle or, in particular, trying to get mags out of pouches. I tested these during a skirmish and the hard knuckle protected my hands from a few strikes so I didn’t have to go home with badly hurt hands – we all know how much it hurts to get shot on the hand (especially when it’s cold!). This might be an obvious point but the hard knuckle is particularly, erm, hard. It does put a bit of pressure across the top of your knuckles but they’re still comfy to wear – but do expect to take a little time to break them in. EXPECT TO PAY AROUND: £58 SUPPLIED BY: Edgar Brothers, 01625 613177 , www.edgarbrothers.com EXPECT TO PAY AROUND: £82 SUPPLIED BY: Edgar Brothers, 01625 613177 , www.edgarbrothers.com 5.11 Tactical Series Taclite 2 5.11 is a very well-known company; the quality of its kit is renowned, and its range of tactical gloves is no exception. The Taclite 2 is a light use glove. They’re made with a sheepskin leather palm with four-way stretch material on the upper parts. They are designed to offer protection to the wearer but, importantly, not hinder touch and feel. I was told these were designed for use by police patrol officers and personnel in search and surveillance roles. I wore them when using a camera and, true to the brief, they didn’t prevent me using it at all. They really are like a second skin, and very comfy to wear even for long periods. However I can assure you they don’t offer much protection from BB strikes (toting a camera doesn’t stop you getting hit!) – bear in mind these are a specialist use glove for a special role. One of the cheapest we tested, the Taclite 2 gloves were fine for a day on the field with a camera – and would probably perform best in a CQB environment – but personally I’d prefer something a little tougher, especially for any MilSim event. EXPECT TO PAY AROUND: £35 SUPPLIED BY: Level Peaks, 01432 341686, www.levelpeaks.com www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 021