We recently reviewed a couple light mounts from Low-Pro Products and found them to be excellent. In this review, we put the spotlight on the Low-Pro Products Modular Vertical Grip and Picatinny Hand Stop.
Overview
The Low-Pro Products Modular Vertical Grip is two, two, two vertical grips in one! It is a full size vertical that can convert to a “stubby” vertical grip by unscrewing a section of the grip. The rail grabber is tightened via a thumb nut and the grip’s water-tight storage compartment cap can be used as a wrench to tighten (or loosen) the thumb nut. The built in wrench is a very clever feature. The Low-Pro Products Modular Vertical Grip weighs 6.7 ounces in full-size configuration and 4.3 ounces in stubby configuration.
The Low-Pro Products Picatinny Hand Stop has a very straight forward design. It is a short tab that curls forward (toward the muzzle) slightly and has very well chamfered corners. It attaches to the rail via a single hex nut. The Low-Pro Products Picatinny Hand Stop weighs .75 ounces.
Both the Hand Stop and Vertical Grip are machined from aluminum and hard anodized for durability. The hand stop will be familiar to many as the same design that was offered by Danger Close Consulting previously (see our Low-Pro Products Light Mount Review for more info on the relationship between the two companies). The Vertical Grip is an all new design.
Observations from Use
The Low-Pro Product Picatinny Hand Stop works very well for those who want something to pull against with their support hand but do not need a vertical grip. It is compact, lightweight, and comfortable to use thanks to the heavily chamfered corners. It can be used while oriented in either direction but I find that the design obviously favors being placed with the “hook” facing forward. In the opposite orientation, the leading edge of the rail interface presents a somewhat sharp edge that isn’t as comfortable to pull against.
Hand stops are best suited to those who push their support hand further out on the handguard. I like using a hand stop when I can because they weigh less than vertical grips and they get in the way less when you are shooting off a rest or barrier.
The Low-Pro Modular Vertical Grip mounts easily and solidly due in part to the wrench that is integrated into the storage cap. I found the wrench to be extremely useful for turning the thumb nut a quarter turn past hand tight and then removing it later. The built in wrench isn’t a sexy feature but it is an extremely smart one. You may find that some rail covers prevent you from getting the wrench fully onto the thumb nut but the cutout in the wrench is deep enough to still provide good purchase in most cases.
The Modular Vertical Grip has a front and back though it looks like it could be oriented either way at first glance. The front edge of the rail interface is more rounded and fits the hand better than the back. This is an extremely comfortable vertical grip for me to use as a right handed shooter. I think it would be a better grip if both the front and rear were shaped like the front so that left handed users could reverse the grip to avoid contact with the thumb nut.
You can store 3 CR123 batteries in the Modular Vertical Grip when the full size section is installed and 1 when it is in stubby configuration. The full size section of the grip is covered with large o-rings that provide great grip and the storage compartments are sealed with large o-rings as well. The threads that seal the storage compartments and connect the grip sections together is massive and very smooth. This is one tough vertical grip.
It would be great if Low-Pro Products offered this grip without the full size grip section in a stubby only configuration. Many users will have no use for the full size grip but it is comfortable in both configurations. I find it to be very comfortable with a thumb forward or thumb break type grip in stubby configuration.
Wrap Up
Low-Pro Products continues to impress me with their quality and the smart features that they incorporate into their gear. In some ways, these aren’t too different from any other vertical grip or hand stop but, if you appreciate the little things, there is a lot to like about them. If you spend some time with these Low-Pro Products, it becomes pretty obvious that they bubbled out of the clever mind of a skilled machinist.
Check out the Low-Pro Products and AMS Machine website. Their products are currently available at Grey Group Training.
