Gripping the mag well on AR?

[send it_hit]

I think this is the correct forum for this question, let me know if it needs to be moved to accessories.

What's the general opinion on this? I'm building my first AR, the lower is finished and the upper is on the way. When I pick up a rifle I instinctively grip the mag well. Is this a poor technique? An extended grip using an AFG feels awkward, and a vertical foregrip is even more weird. I'm sure I could get used to these things, but it's just not instinctual.

Does a magwell grip hinder performance as a shooter?

I am considering ordering something along these lines:

http://www.amazon.com/Mako-Group-223-Magazine-Well/dp/B002KFL2CI

[h0use]

i use the never quit grip and like it alot.

[Merc1138]

It's fine. The problem is when you grab the magazine itself, you can get mis-feeds because of it.

[send it_hit]

cool, thanks guys.

h0use, i have big hands... i don't really see how that would be comfortable

[Desert_Rat]

It depends on where and how I'm shooting it. On an open course,bench,prone or other such "traditional" position. I use the hand guard. When "short stocking" (telling my age,that term is probably no longer used while discussing M.O.U.T) while shooting inside a shoot house, I'll grip the slip ring/magwell and use the thumb on the trigger.

[Molby242]

It's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're prone or in the kneel and using your elbow as support it can be a stable platform. Although I think when you hold at the magwell, you sacrifice a bit of stability for followup shots.

Maybe where you had the VFG and AFG was in the wrong position. If you have short arms like me, placing the grip all the way forward like you see in those Magpul vids may be making you not square to the target since you're over-reaching. The correct way to employ that style of grip is to have your support arm extended while your body is still square to the target. For me, that means my VFG is actually near the middle of the rail.

[h0use]

it has that rubber feeling i shoot with gloves and it actully grips very well

[pontiacpratt]

It really didn't fit on my LAR grizzly lower. No matter how I sanded to fit the mag would never fall free and it just didn't fit on my CMMG lower. It sits in the tacticool but not practicool bag in my garage.

[cdtx2001]

Ahh, thanks for reminding me about these. I need one for my AR pistol.

[SocomM4]

EMA tactical. Maybe one of these?

[send it_hit]

It's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're prone or in the kneel and using your elbow as support it can be a stable platform. Although I think when you hold at the magwell, you sacrifice a bit of stability for followup shots.

Maybe where you had the VFG and AFG was in the wrong position. If you have short arms like me, placing the grip all the way forward like you see in those Magpul vids may be making you not square to the target since you're over-reaching. The correct way to employ that style of grip is to have your support arm extended while your body is still square to the target. For me, that means my VFG is actually near the middle of the rail.

hm possibility. I don't think I have particularly short arms... I'm 5'10. It did feel like I was reaching for it, it was on a friend's 20" AR. Thanks for the tips. Once I get the upper I'll figure out what I'm doing/getting.

EMA tactical. Maybe one of these?

I actually like those more than the Mako...

[dwa]

The further back you grip the less control you will have over the muzzle. This will translate to slower followup shots and it being more difficult to steady the weapon. The only time I would suggest gripping the mag well or magazine itself is when in the prone when monopoding off the magazine. If it works for you that's great but you may have more success and become more proficient if you can get yourself to grip somewhere farther forward.

[Nathan Krynn]

The further back you grip the less control you will have over the muzzle. This will translate to slower followup shots and it being more difficult to steady the weapon. The only time I would suggest gripping the mag well or magazine itself is when in the prone when monopoding off the magazine. If it works for you that's great but you may have more success and become more proficient if you can get yourself to grip somewhere farther forward.

+1 on this.

Hell even the AMU is trying to teach soldiers to get their hands off the magwell. You have more control the further out you have your weak hand.

On the AFG I see more people using it wrong then right. You wrap your thumb over the top of the handguard and the AFG helps you get the grip of basically the support hand on a 1911. If you just grip the AFG itself it feels weird and doesn't work right.

[glocklover]

hense the "magpul" grip

[wjc]

A little food for thought...

I tend to do it on my m-14 but I look at it as a bad habit and am trying to correct it.

I've listened to some of the professional shooters out there like Tod Jarret and the consensus seems to be that moving your hand farther toward the muzzle on the fore grip will give you a steadier presentation, i.e. it will help your accuracy.