Carbine Grip Angles - Which Grip For Which Application?

[Sanch]

Looks like Magpul alone makes several configurations of AR grips. Seems like there's generally two different characteristics. Grip angle and grip size.

And various permutations to include rubberish grips of each angle/size. And whether or not there's removable backstraps or if it's the one piece fixed design.

And that's just Magpul, I haven't started researching other companies yet. So how do you decide on the appropriate grip angle / style for a particular application?

For a "pistol" AR with buffer tube only, no forearm brace, the 15 degree grip angle seems to make more sense.

Standard grip has always seemed fine for me for regular carbine use.

How about precision carbine / DMR use? That's generally done with the thumb tucked alongside the index finger on the same size, not holding the gun in a standard grip. What makes the most sense for this application?

I'm sure personal preference and anatomy plays a role, I'm looking for generalizations to save me money and time on trying out a ton of stuff.

[Wake27]

I experimented with a few of the Magpul grips when they were released but settled on BCM. I don't need all of the flexibility of the MIAD or BCM Mod 2. The + with the enhanced rubbery grip didn't do much for me and I don't have huge hands so nothing that could increase in size really mattered. I never tried the K2 because by the time they came out with that, I was becoming a huge fan of BCM's Gunfighter line. Their standard grips have the reduced angle that the K2 picked up that works way better for a modern shooting style with your shoulders relatively square. Only when I shoot from a bladed stance does the A2 grip feel comfortable. Every rifle I've ever had since BCM released their grip has had a variant, now all settled on the Mod 3s for price and simplicity.

[mmc45414]

For a "pistol" AR with buffer tube only, no forearm brace, the 15 degree grip angle seems to make more sense.

Last year when some people were spending their quarantined months learning a second language I was drinking beer and working on AR-15s. I circled the drain a bit on this and settled on the MOE-K2+. I like it being a little sticky (not crazy gooey) and I like the angle. If I try them side by side it feels better, but mostly because it makes sense to me to not bend your wrist more and not point your finger in a direction less in line with the trigger travel.

But this was also just not with my pistol, I also switched to the MOE Fixed Carbine Stock after deciding that every time I picked one up I farted around with the stock until it was at the length of where the fixed stock was fixed (I did add the slightly thicker pad):



Then I setup all four carbines the same way, and their color choices helped me differentiate (green) the two in 300BO. So at the end of the day I look like a silly Magpul fanboi, but every time I pick one up it is the same.

[call_me_ski]

MOE SL or MOE K2 depending upon your hand size. /thread

[M2CattleCo]

^Pretty much.

There’s really no disadvantage to the more vertical angle grips in any application.

I use the MOE SL grips. I don’t have small hands but something about them just works for me.

[OlongJohnson]

Don't really have anything to add on angle, but I'm a big-hand guy and have gone to BCM Mod2 with the thickest back strap on all AR lowers. I tune up the tab on the front some. It has to be fitted to work with a non-straight trigger guard (will also eliminate the "swing out" feature on a Mil-spec trigger guard), and I get rid of the square corners to eliminate poky hard points.

[TWR]

I’ve settled on the Magpul K2+ I had carpal tunnel pretty bad and the angle of the original grip aggregated it. The K2 is more natural to me so even though I had surgery, I still don’t like the original angle.

But after pulling out my Leica range finder this year, I found the rubber coating was sticky. Kinda makes me wonder about the K2+ now. Most of mine are 2-3 years old and show no signs of deterioration, who knows if this will change.

[OlongJohnson]

I’ve settled on the Magpul K2+ I had carpal tunnel pretty bad and the angle of the original grip aggregated it. The K2 is more natural to me so even though I had surgery, I still don’t like the original angle.

But after pulling out my Leica range finder this year, I found the rubber coating was sticky. Kinda makes me wonder about the K2+ now. Most of mine are 2-3 years old and show no signs of deterioration, who knows if this will change.

One thing I've noticed is if a fairly soft polymer is in contact with any other kind of polymer, it's like the compounds want to mix, or the plasticizers want to migrate into the material that has less of them. Both materials tend to get gooey at the points that are touching. So I keep non-polymer stuff in contact with soft polymers when stored as much as possible. And will generally choose non-soft-touch for something that may potentially be a lifetime investment if there is an option.

I've had some lower-cost tools turn to disgusting slimy goo after a few years in storage. That worries me long term about the "soft touch" that's on a lot of higher-end tools. The hard-touch stuff I bought in high school is still going strong.

[DDTSGM]

B5 Type 23 guy here. Found them after trying several different Magpul and BCM. A broken wrist resulted in the standard angle pistol grips being uncomfortable to use.

Here's their blurb:

The most natural grip for taking a squared-off stance

Your hand will naturally find its optimal position on our Type 23 P-Grip, thanks to its steep angle, extended tang, and palm-filling design. By ensuring proper trigger finger placement, this grip has been shown to improve shooting speed while correcting for any tendency to drift into a “chicken-wing” arm placement. The grip’s no-slip texture was carefully engineered for hand comfort.

[TWR]

One thing I've noticed is if a fairly soft polymer is in contact with any other kind of polymer, it's like the compounds want to mix, or the plasticizers want to migrate into the material that has less of them. Both materials tend to get gooey at the points that are touching. So I keep non-polymer stuff in contact with soft polymers when stored as much as possible. And will generally choose non-soft-touch for something that may potentially be a lifetime investment if there is an option.

I've had some lower-cost tools turn to disgusting slimy goo after a few years in storage. That worries me long term about the "soft touch" that's on a lot of higher-end tools. The hard-touch stuff I bought in high school is still going strong.

My hands are pretty beat up and the rubber coating on grips keeps things from moving around. Before surgery, my hand was pretty much dead a lot of the day. Now that things are better, I might switch to the K2.

The Leica 900 CRF was several years old and was stored in my HPG Kit Bag. Luckily I was able to use acetone and wipe the sticky mess off then I just painted it.

Think I’ll go order some K2’s just in case.