The pistol grip of the AR-15 is one of the easiest parts to swap out. Unfortunately it seems that no matter which grip you try it’s never the perfect grip. Even if a grip fits your hand nicely, it may not be so comfortable once you get into your shooting position. This is because the length of pull dictates wrist angle. Grab your rifle and try a few positions. Note the angle of your wrist when positioned in a classic rifleman stance, modern chest-forward, kneeling, and prone. Each position changes your wrist angle and where pressure is applied on your palm.
Unique-ARs has been producing some impressive hand guards and now offers a pistol grip solution. The Unique-Grip is all-but guaranteed to fit. That’s because it’s user-configurable. See the video below for a demonstration.
A total of 46 spring-loaded plates are stacked neatly to create this grip. The bolt on the bottom is loosened to allow plate movement, tightened to hold them in place. After loosening the bolt, squeeze the grip, then tighten the bolt. It’s that easy. Now you can have that perfect fit regardless of your hand size or shooting position. It’s a brilliant design.
Those of us with extensive field experience may be concerned about dirt and grime getting into the gaps. This concern was quelled for me by two things. First was the realization that I’m not a war-fighter anymore. The second that the grip can easily be completely disassembled for cleaning by simply turning the bolt all-the-way out.
Cost is concern number two. At $65 dollars (at the time of writing) this is not just another A2 or MOE grip. It is however a lot more expensive to manufacture and certainly serves far better. Going cheap on your primary interface with the gun is like going cheap on running shoes. You can do it, but you’ll pay for it in pain and likely end up replacing them soon. On the other hand (or foot?) getting the right fit the first time means saving time and money in the long run.
Learn more about the Unique-Grip on the product web page here.