When you put together a new AR or upgrade an existing weapon system, you probably put a lot of thought into your trigger, upper assembly, and even stock choice, but how much time have you put into choosing the right pistol grip for your custom AR-15? Right. It’s okay if you’ve overlooked that item until now, we’ve caught the oversight before it’s become a problem, and Wing Tactical is here to help.

Why is a Pistol Grip Important?

A pistol grip serves a couple of important functions in the AR system. The AR-15 pistol grip allows greater control of the rifle than is available in a sporter style stock grasp, that much should be fairly plain for anyone to see, but there’s more. The AR-15 hand grip also provides important alignment assistance. When properly grasping the pistol grip of your AR-15 you are not only helping to align and stabilize the weapon on target, but it also gives important positioning and stabilization to the shooter’s hand and trigger finger. These functions and the desired style of the AR-15 pistol grip for a given build are directly influenced by the type of stance a shooter uses, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

What Do You Consider When Choosing a Pistol Grip?

Let’s take a few minutes to look at the criteria you might want to consider when you pick an AR-15 pistol grip and see a few of the offerings from the manufacturers who partner with Wing Tactical to bring you the best value for your investment. Of course, the best investment for each shooter is an individual choice that’s based on factors such as budget, personal shooting style, the purpose of the build, comfort, and the desired appearance of the final product.

How Much Room is Left in Your Budget?

There are a lot of things that we put at the top of the list when prepping the parts list for a build. In reality, the AR pistol grip isn’t in the top five, and probably isn’t in your top ten. If you’ve already budgeted for a high end pistol grip, or if you’ve got a lot left over in your budget for extras, congratulations. If it's looking a little tight, don't worry. There are plenty of quality offerings out there that won't upset your plans.

While even the best ergonomic AR had grip isn’t likely to be what we’d classify as a major investment, some are more expensive than others. Some grips still stand in the single digits while something like the ERGO Tactical Deluxe Grip equipped with a palm shelf is closer to the fifty dollar mark. The EROG will probably thrill a distance shooter, but, a tactical operator who works in a variety of environments will probably be more than happy with the Hogue OverMold AR-15 Rubberized Grip with storage option and about half the price. Those of you who have ordered a lower parts kit, like Spike’s Tactical AR-15 Lower Parts Kit, you’ll find a quality grip is part of your package. Budget solved. If you’re not sure which way you want to go, the customer service team at Wing Tactical is ready to help find the right fit. Whether it’s a question of grip sizes available for extra-large hands, or the weight of a skeletonized AR-15 grip, we know the components we stock and we’ve got a grasp on the subject.

What’s Your Shooting Style?

When you choose an AR-15 hand grip one of the most important factors to consider can be what kind of shooter you are. If you’re new to tactical style firearms and shoot using the same stance as you’ve always used when shooting sport rifles, you might find yourself perfectly happy with the angle of an A2 style AR pistol grip.

On the other hand, if you’re well versed in tactical firearms, or if you’re building a weapon for close quarters battle or personal defense, chances are a straighter grip like ERGO’s original AR-15 pistol grip will feel better in the tighter, more compact shooting position that tactical operations and short barreled rifles require. Another popular choice in this category is the Magpul MOE K2 Grip, which also offers internal storage and comes in a variety of colors to match your build.

What’s the Weight?

If you’re looking to make a splash in competition, chances are you’re working on an ultra-light build. If that’s what you’re up to, this is another place you can shave a little more off that final weigh-in. Most AR pistol grips are hollow bodied, and you can forego the cushy over-molded rubberized grips, but if you really want a grip that you can count on without excess weight, you want a skeletonized AR-15 grip. Skeletonized AR-15 grips like Tyrant Designs’ line of lightweight skeletonized aluminum AR hand grips. The Tyrant Designs Lightweight Pro Pistol Grip weighs in at just 3.65 ounces, features smooth chamfered edges and since it’s manufactured with high-grade aluminum, it’s as tough or tougher than any AR pistol grip in the heavyweight division.

Are You a Control Freak?

If you feel like you need a little extra to hold onto, there are AR-15 pistol grips with deep finger grips, and advanced ergonomic designs like the FAB Defense Tactical Ergonomic Pistol Grip (AG-43.) FAB made the AG-43 to provide an extra secure grasp for tactical operators who may find it necessary to operate their ARs one handed.

Maybe you want something with a bead blasted finish or aggressive texture all over to provide more positive purchase and pinpoint control. The PDW AR Pistol Grip features all over Pentagonal Surface Projections and additional grooving along both the front grip surface and the backstrap. Whatever you need to get the ultimate feeling of control, Wing Tactical can help you find the AR pistol grip that does the job.

Where Do You Live?

If you’re a gun guy and you don’t know why we’re interested in where you live, you’re definitely not from California. As certain parts of the country react to political pressure with legislation limiting the scope of the Second Amendment as they see fit, some features common to the AR platform and its brothers have been deemed illegal. One of those offending features is the AR pistol grip. In an attempt to comply with the guidelines set in place in certain localities, the small arms community has responded by creating “featureless grips” like the Strike Industries Simple Featureless Grip and Strike Megafin Grip. These grips don’t allow for a wraparound grasp, but give the shooter control with a modified grip style. Before using one of these adapted grips, make sure it’s compliant with current laws in your area.

What’s Floats Your Boat?

Selecting AR-15 hand grips is much more personal than a pure performance issue. When you choose an AR pistol grip you want comfort, security, control and a little style. If you’re building a tactical rifle for the field, you probably don’t want contrasting colors on your components. If you’re a range rat or a competition shooter you may want a little flash to help get in the next guy’s head. Maybe you want to profess your loyalty to a favorite manufacturer or you just like to looks you get at the range when someone gets a glimpse of one of Spike’s spiders sliding free of your case.

Color

Wing Tactical offers AR-15 Pistol Grips to match your choice of component colors. Most manufacturers offer something to work with basic Mil-Spec black, and some, like Magpul offer Flat Dead Earth, OD Green, and Stealth Grey AR components. Tyrant Aluminum Skeletonized AR-15 grips are available in the usual array of tactical standard anodized colors, but can also be found in bright or brushed aluminum versions as well as red and blue anodized finishes. Whether you want your AR pistol grip to blend in or wave a signal flag to the competition, we’ve got what you need.

Extra Features Anyone?

We’ve met the “featureless” grip here already, but there are grips out there with extra features you might be interested in. Manufacturers have added finger grooves of various depths, beaver tails, and palm shelves (ERGO Deleux) to AR-15 grips. Many grips come with specialized textures, or overlays of rubber for more cushion and an extra “grippy” surface. Still others are packaged with modular pieces which allow the shooter to alter the overall size of the grip. The Magpul MIAD Grip Kit allows the shooter to fine tune the fit of the grip by changing both front and back strap components to create a custom sized grip for hands of all sizes. This one also brings an internal storage compartment for a refillable gun oil bottle or a variety of small items that can be held safely in a watertight core compartment.

Another feature that’s becoming more prevalent in AR grips is the addition of attached trigger guards. There are a number of pistol grips on the market that include a trigger guard which integrates the pistol grip with the receiver of your AR-15. The Daniel Defense Enhanced AR Pistol Grip features both and aggressively textured overlaid rubber gripping surface and a contoured trigger guard integrated into the grip that unites the grip and receiver giving your weapon a continuous silhouette for a seamless look and a quality, high-end feel. If your receiver of choice is furnished sans trigger guard, this might be the grip that ties it all together for you.

Hand Grips Complete a Great Build

When you take your personal needs and tastes into account, finding the right AR-15 hand grip will become a fairly natural process. Whether it’s a special color, texture or fit you need, there’s a grip in our catalog that will fit the bill. Consider your budget, the intended purpose of the weapon you’re building or refitting, and your shooting style to get the grip you want. Always remember to check your local regulations to be sure your build is in compliance to avoid hassles later on. Above all, enjoy exercising your Second Amendment Rights responsibly and with pride.

Wing Tactical Offers AR-15 Pistol Grips and the Service You Need

Whether you need help figuring out which AR-15 grip will work best for your build because you need a specific size, or you need to know if attachment hardware is included with the grip you’ve chosen, Wing Tactical has your six. We only stock great products from manufacturers who share our desire to put the best components in our customers’ hands at the best value, so you can be confident that your purchase will be everything you need it to be. If it’s not, our customer service team is here to help you whenever you need us. We make selecting the parts you need easier and if you have something that doesn’t work for you we can streamline the return process and help you find the right component to make your build complete.