[davek]

Exactly what purpose do they serve?

Don't misunderstand. I'm sure that they do serve a practical purpose. It's just in my ignorance, I can't figure out what it is.

What advantages does the vertical grip have over no vertical grip?

[hksw]

A more comfortable hold for the weak hand and arm.

[LeonCarr]

IMO one advantage of the front vertical grip is that they have is they is that they keep your elbows close to your body when shooting, and you can shoot with a "Boxer's" stance, allowing you to pivot the weapon along with your upper torso, both of which are beneficial in a CQB situation, such as clearing a building. The Boxers's stance is derived from the old style Jack Dempsey stance in which the weak side fist is out in front of the strong side fist. This is instantly adapted to both long gun and handgun shooting, and provides better weapon control for some folks.

One disadvantage of the front vertical grip is that the adjustment/tightening screw on most of them tend to loosen after repeated use and shooting, and that they can also catch on foliage and clothing in use.

You see front vertical grips mostly on AR-15/M-16/M-4 type weapons, but I have seen them on shotguns (mostly 870s) as well.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[CleverNickname]

IMO, they don't provide much use in semi-auto. There's also a negative in that it's harder to shoot a gun with a foregrip off a bench/sandbag/prone.

I do have a full-auto Uzi with a foregrip, and I find it much more controllable with a foregrip than without. I just got a AR15 RDIAS, and I plan to put a foregrip on the host gun, but then I don't plan on shooting it off a bench very much. My semi-auto ARs don't and won't have foregrips.

[Langenator]

The vertical grip makes the weapon much quicker to 'point' in CQB/MOUT situations. At inside-the-room ranges, getting on target that fraction of a second earlier can be the difference in who walks out of the room.

[Zak Smith]

A while back I did some tests with my timer shooting mini "IPSC" style stages with various AR15 configurations, including VFG or not VFG.

I found that when the stage time was dominated by target transitions, grasping the forwardmost end of the float tube was faster, but when I was putting 3 or more rounds on each target, the VFG was faster.

YMMV.

-z

[ktd]

I like them cuz they look cool! :)

actually, I was not too keen on them at first, but they do have their uses. They are nice for quick close up moving a lot kind of stuff. I also found they were useful in using a barricade style hold off a car door, pressing the handguard against the sill of the window and jamming the vertical grip against the door to keep it steady and to keep the magazine from hitting the door (a middle east thing). And as previously mentioned they are also great in the full auto mode (love the tommy gun myself).

I prefer to mount mine back closer to the mag, I am used to doing a mag well wrap with the off hand, and if I want, I can still put my weak hand under the front of the handguard in the traditional hold.

k

[Jeff White]

LeonCarr and Langenator have it right. The VFG is there so you can get into a fighting (boxer's) stance and control the weapon better. This is especially important in CQB situations.

One odd difference between the services is that most people trained by USMC/Navy trainers like the VFG back near the receiver and the Army teaches placing it as far forward as you are comfortable with.

Personally, I grab the magwell for CQB type shooting and don't use a VFG at all.

I don't think this will ever get to the status of 9mm vs. .45 or AK vs. M16 though. If it owrks for you and you're making the hits you need don't worry about if the VFG is forward or back. ;)

Jeff

[TechBrute]

Take your support arm and extend it out in front of you in a comfortable position. Now look at your hand. If you're normal, it's either pointing with your thumb upwards, or toward your centerline. Where it isn't is twisted forward, like a normal rifle forearm causes it to do.

Ergonomics, the thing that the AR is the undisputed king of.