Originally Posted by
3ACR_Scout
I think personal preference is directly tied to your everyday use and carry of the weapon, not just comfort when actually shooting. No offense to anyone who prefers it, but I found the AFG to be unsuitable for the dismounted patrolling that I'm used to doing in the Army. I haven't been out on the ground as much as a lot of guys, but on the extended combat patrols I've done, and in MOUT training, I found that controlling my weapon to look around corners and over walls, shine a light into dark places, and just carrying it at the ready for long periods of time was much more comfortable with a VFG. I bought into the hype when the AFG was new and took one with me to Afghanistan (after using a VFG on two tours in Iraq), and I found it uncomfortable and awkward, as did a guy that I had to periodically loan my M4 to. I haven't done as much training outside of the Army as I'd like to, but it struck me that the AFG was designed by competitive shooters who may not have to handle a weapon in that type of environment. I know that's not totally fair, because those guys have a lot of shooting experience, but for me, it forces me into one specific grip that is ideal for standing and engaging targets, but may not be practical in all situations.
I switched to a stubby VFG (Tango Down, FWIW) and find that to be much more versatile for me, in that it can be used as a "handle" with my thumb forward, a hand stop, or in an angled manner (hand half on the rail, half on the VFG, thumb over the top), while transitioning quickly between grips.
Dave