The vertical foregrip is probably one of the most popular accessories found today on modern AR style rifles. Nearly every tactical rifle owner has one, and they come in all different shapes and styles. But very few people actually know how they came about in the first place, and how to use them correctly.
Where it all Began
The vertical foregrip, otherwise known as the forward pistol grip, forward hand grip, or downgrip, was first introduced during the early 1900's on various submachine guns. The reason for this design was that it allowed the firer to control the muzzle by pulling down on the foregrip during automatic fire. At the same time, it kept the shooter's hands away from the hot barrel.
Thompson Submachine Gun, designed in 1917
Transition to Modern Rifles
The current popularity of vertical foregrip originated during the mid 1990's when US Special Forces began using them on the M4A1 Carbine. They began using tactical accessories such as lights, lasers, night vision equipment, range finders, and various other bits of kit mounted onto their rifle rails, and found that there was no room left to grip the rifle. This is where the vertical foregrip came handy.
Misuse and Poor Shooting Form
These days, nearly every AR-15 rifle owner has a downgrip of some sort. The problem, is that very few actually use them for what they were designed for - recoil control and heat mitigation. Gripping the entire foregrip should only be done as a last resort, when there is nowhere else to place the supporting hand. The reason is that when we move our supporting hand further from the barrel, we are losing control over the muzzle. This is due to proprioception.
Proprioception is our ability to know where our limbs are in the space around you, and in order to bring your rifle up onto aim as fast as possible while obtaining maximum control over the muzzle, we must try and make the rifle an extension of our supporting arm.
How to use a Foregrip Correctly
In order to obtain maximum control over the muzzle, we must allow our proprioception to do as much work as possible. For most of us, this means gripping further out and higher up on the fore end. This allows our supporting arm to line up with the barrel, which naturally allows for faster aim with greater precision. At the same time, this allows us to apply downward pressure on the front of the gun to help counteract muzzle climb.
Placing the thumb at the 11o'clock position keeps it out of the way of the sights, and pointing towards the target.
Body Position
Slightly bent knees, while leaning forward at the waist provides a more aggressive and stable stance for the rifle stock. Your body's center of mass should be directly above the balls of your feet to allow for optimum balance - adopt a fighting stance. The supporting arm must not lock into position, as this will prevent the elbow joint from absorbing recoil.
This is a relatively new shooting stance, but it has come out on top allowing shooters to be faster and more accurate.
Adopt a fighting stance, with knees slightly bent and leaning forward.
