When it comes to choosing the right AR front rail grip for you, there are almost endless options and variables that need to be considered. As such, it’s pretty tough to write a comprehensive piece on the perfect AR rail grip for you, so we won’t try.
What we will do in today’s blog from the pros at RailScales® is discuss some of the most important aspects of the three main styles of AR foregrips, so you can narrow down the competition and begin critically exploring your options with purpose and preparation.
Hopefully, this brief guide will get you started in the right direction without diving too deep into the technical aspects, variations, and never-ending debates surrounding each style of foregrip. For even more aiming control, grip, and increased barrel heat protection, make sure to add our G10, ultralight fiberglass RailScales® to your forward rail as well. Shop online today and find perfect color and texture for your Keymod and M-Lok rail systems.
Vertical Foregrips
Vertical foregrips make up a category of firearm stabilization accessories that date back to the submachine guns of the mid 20th century. These powerful, rapid-fire weapons were notoriously hard to control — especially the .45 ACP model 1941 Thompson submachine gun. Vertical grips became a widely popular weapon accessory starting with the Iraq War and most weapons being issued a vertical grip or some kind of forward grip to help the service members carry their M16A4's and M4A1's.
Pros
A vertical foregrip allows for greater control over powerful, rapid-firing weapons. They also tend to be superior for closer engagements and can help to drive the gun to a nearby target while maintaining control. Additionally, many proponents of vertical foregrips maintain that they allow for a more natural position of the arm and shoulder and are more comfortable, especially over longer shooting sessions.
Another, less commonly cited benefit of a vertical foregrip for your AR is that they oftentimes contain a small, but incredibly useful amount of storage space in the handle. This space can be used to store batteries, small first aid supplies, and some even come with a small, deployable bipod for greater accuracy over longer ranges.
Cons
However, vertical foregrips are not without their faults. Some people find vertical foregrips to be too long and unwieldy, or too short to be truly useful. A common complaint is that while vertical AR rail grips give you more control at a short distance, they actually encourage over-muscling of the gun at longer ranges, causing shooters to fire past their targets.
And finally, shooters who primarily shoot from a sitting or prone position will likely find a vertical foregrip in the way more often than not.
Angled Foregrips
Angled foregrips are a more recent invention than vertical rail grips, and came about as lightweight weapons with more advanced recoil systems started to reduce vertical recoil, and produced more horizontal recoil. With AR15 pistols being a popular item in the firearms world, people flocked to angled foregrips for their AR15 as they thought these items would get around the SBR classification for short barreled guns with a stabilizing brace instead of a stock.
Pros
Angled rail grips come in a wide variety of styles, including some with hand stops, front end barrier stops, and more. However, the real appeal of an angled foregrip is typically the ability that it gives you to use whatever grip style you are most comfortable with, allowing shooters the opportunity to use a thumb over grip for even greater control.
Angled foregrips tend to be lightweight, and the right-angled rail grip can really allow you to get a good pull on the weapon, hugging it tight against your shoulder for great control and faster shooting.
Cons
Just like vertical grips, finding the right size angled grip for your hand might take a little looking around, as well as some trial and error.
Angled grips also cause you to have to pay more attention to your hand placement. While most angled grips keep your hand precariously close to the hot barrel of your weapon — many systems have features designed to protect against this — a greater cause for concern is far forward-mounted angle grips that don’t provide for an easy reference point and can cause your hand to slip forward when shouldering the weapon or backward while firing — especially if there is not a hand stop.
Hand Stops
Hand stops are simple, small, additions to your AR rail system that are meant to stop your hand from sliding forward or backward, depending on your grip style. Essentially giving you the best of both worlds for the angled and vertical grip but slimming the package down considerably.
Pros
Most hand stops are super small, super lightweight, and pretty easy to mount and remove. Additionally, they add a small profile control device at a relatively low cost and don’t impact the profile of your weapon by much. Handstops tend to be at home on longer barreled rifles as the non-firing hand can get a more comfortable grip on the rail section of the rifle as opposed to shorter rails.
Cons
Unfortunately, hand stops by themselves aren’t enough for many shooters, who prefer to have them built into their angled AR rail grips. Also, while most handstop makers brag about convenience, some shooters complain of the way handstops can snag on clothes and barriers.
Add RailScales® to Your AR rail system Today for Superior Shooting Performance
Take your grip and hand protection to the next level by adding RailScales® to your AR-style rifle today, and shop our entire online collection of G10 fiberglass RailScales®.
AR-15 Foregrips Vs Handstops
As we’ve discussed earlier in this blog post, AR-15 foregrips and handstops serve similar purposes. Foregrips come in both vertical and angled options and are designed to provide the shooter with greater control over their firearm. Handstops are smaller and more simple. They are designed to stop your hand from sliding forward or backwards. While AR foregrips provide more control, handstops are becoming more and more popular, as many AR-15 owners are moving towards lighter and more minimalist rifles.
Shop AR-15 handstops at RailScales today.
The Karve® Handstop From RailScales
The Karve® Handstop from RailScales is a compact yet reliable handstop made from durable materials. The Karve® is ultralight, weighing in at 0.4 ounces with the required hardware. If you are looking for a minimalist, lightweight solution to provide you with more control over your rifle, this handstop from RailScales may be just the thing.
Materials
The Karve® Handstop from RailScales is machined out of 6061 billet aluminum and finished with a Type III hardcoat anodizing. 6061 aluminum is a precipitation-hardened aluminum alloy, which consists mainly of magnesium and silicon that is renowned for its strength, durability, and corrosion-resistance.
The Karve® is finished with a hardcoat, thus increasing the handstop’s hardness and resistance to corrosion and abrasion. Type III hardcoat anodizing provides unmatched wear properties and lends towards the handstop’s exceptional reliability and durability. The hardcoat also allows us to offer the Karve® handstop in two color choices: carbon black and terra bronze.
Construction
The Karve® AR-15 handstop is designed to be one of the most versatile solutions on the market. It’s compact and ultra lightweight, making it ideal for multiple shooting styles. This bi-directional stop was constructed of high-quality materials that you can rely on while minimizing the amount of weight being added to your rifle. The Karve® is also designed to be reversible, allowing it to accommodate both “push” or “pull” style grips.
Compatibility
The Karve® handstop utilizes the RailScales COG™ multi-mount, making it compatible with both M-LOK and Keymod rail systems. The handstop requires the use of two Keymod holes or one M-LOK slot for attachments. With it’s small footprint and lightweight design, the Karve® is one of the best AR-15 handstops on the market.
Specs
The Karve® AR-15 handstop is designed and manufactured by RailScales, which means you can rest assured that it’s a high-quality solution. When you choose to purchase your handstop from RailScales, you can trust it to meet the following specifications:
- Weight with hardware: 0.4 ounces
- Height: 1.125 inches
- Length: 1.5 inches
- Width: 0.625 inches
- Utilizes two Keymod holes or one M-LOK slot
- Constructed from 6061 billet aluminum with a Type III hardcoat anodizing finish
- Utilizes our COG™ Multi-Mount for compatibility with M-LOK and Keymod rails
- Includes both M-Lok & Keymod hardware
RailScales – Your Source for AR-15 Foregrips & Handstops
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this discussion comparing vertical foregrips, angled foregrips, and handstops. Each option carries its own benefits, and which you choose to use will depend largely on your preferences. Many AR-15 owners utilize both foregrips and handstops depending on whether they're spending the day at the range, clearing rooms, or another activity.
At RailScales, we design and manufacture top-quality AR-15 accessories, including handstops, foregrips, and our flagship product, RailScales. We take great pride in creating rifle accessories that are a cut above the rest. We utilize the best materials and carefully craft each part to be strong, reliable, and meet the needs of our customers. Whether you prefer a handstop or AR foregrip, RailScales offers both. Visit our site to shop our selection of AR-15 accessories today!