Today’s firearms market is saturated with different rail systems for all makes of rifles; it seems that even coffee cups have Picatinny rails on them. As helpful as rail systems are, sometimes people find them aggravating and wish they could be more ergonomic and useful. Enter the Tool Grip from America Grip. These aren’t your typical rail covers that just sit on your rifle and never offer anything in return; these are next-generation rail covers that put a useful tool only inches away when you need it most.
Specifications:
Weight: 1.2 ounces
Length: 2.0″
Width: 1.5″
Colors available: Black, Coyote Brown, Olive Drab, Blood Red, Blue, Red, Safety Orange, Light Blue, Robin Blue
Pros: Made by a company out of Austin, Texas, each Tool Grip comes with eight different bits that fit neatly into the grip, ready to be used to loosen, tighten or adjust a variety of fastener types. The types of bits included: Phillips #2, Phillips #1, R1-sized square bit, and four different Torx bits, all stamped ‘made in USA’. Does it get anymore American than that?
You can see that the grips are pretty easy to assemble and use as a screwdriver. If you have problems figuring out how to assemble or disassemble the grip, America Grip has included a very nice, heavy-duty cardboard instruction sheet for reference.
Cons: None apparent at this time.
Bottom line: This is a good American-made alternative to plain rail covers that don’t offer anything in return. It’s a great idea, and I am shocked that bigger-named companies have overlooked it to this point. The eight different bits that come with it should cover 99 percent of the types of fasteners and screws found on firearms and optics.
As you can see from the featured image (top), the America Grip Tool Grip fits easily on the Midwest Industries rail system on my WASR 10 AK variant with no impingement or needed modification. The Phillips #2 and the R1 square bit are clearly visible in the picture; you can either use your fingers or the tip of a live round of ammunition to push the bits free from their holders.
The America Grip shows no favorites, also easily fitting very snugly on the Larue 7.0 rail on my Noveske AR15. Each section holds two bits, one on the top and one on the bottom, and each pack comes with four sections, meaning you can carry all eight bits with you on your rail system. If you run a carbine-length rail system like I do, it all goes together like a match made in heaven.
I like things simple, because simple is reliable. The Tool Grip from America Grip is just that. Simple, straightforward, and it works. I love the fact it’s all-American made from the bits to the rails themselves, and comes available in nine colors. In all my years of shooting, both in the military and with my friends and family, I have noticed there is always someone who needs a screwdriver or tool to adjust a mount or a scope setting. I don’t like dragging tools into the woods or to the range because they always seem to end up in someone else’s bag, or just end up missing. The Grip Tool removes that problem for me completely.
Winter testing of the Tool Grip will commence soon, as it’s the middle of winter here in Alaska, and what better test of men and material than a good old-fashioned sub-zero day at the shooting range? I would like to say thanks to Dan Barnhart of America Grip for giving us the opportunity to test and evaluate his grips. You can find America Grip on Facebook and on the web.
