What's this new way of holding the rifle?

[Redline]

I'm noticing in pictures lately that guys are holding the handguard differently. A right handed shooter for example, which holds the handguard with his left hand is pictured holding the handguard with his palm on the left of the handguard instead of on the bottom. What's up with that?

[RyanB]

I've been doing it since late 2005, so have a lot of people I know.

[Nightvisionary]

Just the latest fashion trend. Kinda like bell bottoms and parachute pants.

[Moose-Knuckle]

I'm noticing in pictures lately that guys are holding the handguard differently. A right handed shooter for example, which holds the handguard with his left hand is pictured holding the handguard with his palm on the left of the handguard instead of on the bottom. What's up with that?

Because all those guys in the pictures watched the Art of the Tactical Carbine DVDs and replaced the VFG they use to run directly in front of their carbine's mag well with the AFG.

Monkey see, monkey do?

Notice the trend to drop RISs all together for MOE handguards or the lightweight tubes with rails at 12 o'clock?

It's the nature of the beast.

[nickdrak]

Because all those guys in the pictures watched the Art of the Tactical Carbine DVDs and replaced the VFG they use to run directly in front of their carbine's mag well with the AFG.

Monkey see, monkey do?

Notice the trend to drop RISs all together for MOE handguards or the lightweight tubes with rails at 12 o'clock?

It's the nature of the beast.

I believe Kyle Lamb was using the same type of forward support hand grip long before MagPul made it popular.

ETA: OP, Just for clarification are you talking about this:


Or this:

[Moose-Knuckle]

I believe Kyle Lamb was using the same type of forward support hand grip long before MagPul made it popular.

It woudn't suprise me, I have a long wing span with my orangutan arms so the "new" method has been natural to me for some time.

[El Pistolero]

I think the OP is referring to the first pic. I haven't subscribed to MagPul school of ergonomics yet, I'm still running a VFG and it works fine for me but I may give the AFG/MagPul hold fad a try with my next build and see what the buzz is about.

Any advantage to this method? I read something somewhere less muzzle rise with this method so I'm curious to try it out myself.

[Pax]

Theoretically it puts your point of contact with the foregrip closer to the weapon's center of mass and, in contrast to the traditional grip the OP referred to, above the bore. So, theoretically, you exert less energy getting your weapon on target as compared to a VFG, and less energy keeping it there under sustained fire.

The idea that your point of contact should be as near to the muzzle as is possible is similar to that involved in levers. Closer you are to the end, easier it is on you. Not a perfect analogy, since an AR isn't rotating around a fixed point, but that's the idea as I understand it.

The physics of it are simple enough and undeniable in my opinion, whether or not they are actually beneficial enough for you to alter your preferred grip is a decision you will have to make for yourself.

The notion of "driving" the weapon towards targets which has grown, I think, out of this thumb-over-bore craze ventures more into the subjective and user-specific realm of techniques. That is, not everyone will find that they naturally direct their straight arm at a target very well and even fewer will give a new grip a chance to prove itself before going back to their traditional VFGs. Personally, I find it easier to control my weapon and manipulate it "hyper-violently," in Magpul terms. But that's just me.

[Magic_Salad0892]

People have been doing this a while from what I understand, I came to rifles from being a pistol shooter (who was taught so keep the support hand in control of the weapon), so for some reason when I went to rifles (AKs first) it just kind of came naturally.

Then I realized that Kyle Lamb, Magpul, and others have been advocating this method, once I came to realize the glory of errornet forums.

Just the latest fashion trend. Kinda like bell bottoms and parachute pants.

Isn't that what dude's said about small caliber high velocity cartridges?

[Failure2Stop]

I'm noticing in pictures lately that guys are holding the handguard differently. A right handed shooter for example, which holds the handguard with his left hand is pictured holding the handguard with his palm on the left of the handguard instead of on the bottom. What's up with that?

Because we are shooting compact carbines at accelerated speed for several shots as fast as possible to turn booger-eating dirtbags into worm-chow, not 6 foot long muskets at bullseyes from irrelevant positions in inordinate time-frames.