Your AR-15 pistol grip is one of the most critical links between you and your rifle, and a sub-par grip can ruin your accuracy and just make using the gun a pain. Don’t worry though, we’ve tested just about every single AR-15 pistol grip on the market to help you narrow down the best grip for your AR-15 rifle.
Remember, a comfortable ergonomic grip, with a grip angle that suits your hand and shooting style, makes a huge difference in the overall feel of your rifle, and how well you can shoot accurately and quickly. With one of these grips, you’re sure to be in good shape.
Table Of Contents
Our Best AR-15 Pistol Grips
- Magpul Miad Gen 1.1 (Our Top Pick)
- Magpul MOE K2 (Best Budget)
- Tyrant Design Mod Grip (Best High End)
- Hogue Overmolded Beavertail
- Bravo Company BCM Mod 3
What Are AR-15 Pistol Grips?
AR-15 pistol grips attach to the lower receiver and are where your firing hand grips your AR-15 rifle unless you live in one of the states that don’t allow vertical pistol grips. They’re called pistol grips because they’re very similar to the grip on most semi-auto handguns.
Pistol grips are important because a comfortable grip that fits your hand size is essential for getting proper trigger finger placement inside the trigger guard and on the trigger, which is essential for good accuracy.
Also, they’re very different from a foregrip, which is attached to the handguard ahead of the magazine and would be gripped with the support hand.
What Are The Different Types Of AR-15 Pistol Grips?
The AR-15 platform is the most customizable and third-party-supported weapons platform on the planet, so there’s a huge variety of different pistol grips out there. All AR-15s use the same grip attachment method (and many other modern rifles do also) so you can swap grips back and forth to customize your rifle how you like, all while using the same mounting hardware.
You can get everything from standard, super-cheap mil-spec A2 grips like what you would see on an M16 to high-end, high-quality ergo grips with a palm shelf for precision shooting at long ranges.
You can also get different grip angles to better suit your personal preferences and hand size. This means you can go from a more swept-back grip that’s more angled or a more vertical grip depending on your preferences and hand size.
If you have large hands, sometimes a more vertical grip angle is more comfortable, but it’s really all down to preference. You may want to look into a grip that has interchangeable front straps and back straps and/or palm swells so you can tweak your grip to your hand shape.
Folks with smaller hands may not need to worry as much about the grip kits that add size but may want to go with a thinner grip without a lot of rubber overmolding as it can make the grip too large to be comfortable.
As far as materials go, AR-15 pistol grips are typical of a polymer construction, but some are made of glass-reinforced nylon or fiberglass. All of these materials are high in durability and make for excellent grips. On the high-end, you can also get milled aluminum grips as a premium option.
Just be careful because these can get very hot in the sun.
How Do The Best AR-15 Pistol Grips Work?
The main thing a pistol grip needs to do on your rifle is to provide you with a safe and sure grip on your rifle. It also needs to be comfortable and appropriately sized for your hand to improve your accuracy.
The best grips will have either texturing or a certain material used in their construction to give you a secure grip so that you don’t slip when your hands are wet, sweaty, or dirty. You also may want to look at something that either has suggested hand size measurements listed or something that has interchangeable backstraps so you can size it to your hand.
Also, a good grip should be comfortable in your hand. Ideally, your hand isn’t going to ever leave that grip while you’re using the rifle unless something has gone very wrong, so you want it to be something you don’t mind holding for a while. A grip with an uncomfortable texture, shape, or grip angle is going to make for a very un-fun day at the range.
What Do You Look For In The Best AR-15 Pistol Grips?
Choosing an AR-15 pistol grip is fortunately a pretty straightforward process.
First and foremost, it needs to fit your hand well so you can get a proper grip. Everything else is secondary. Things like grip texturing, interchangeable grip cores and backstraps, and color pallets in OD green or flat dark earth are all great things to have, but make sure that the grip works well in your hand.
After you find what you like as far as size and grip angle, you can experiment with other features like finger grooves and water-resistant storage compartments to find what you really like. Several options on this list, in particular the Magpul grips, have varying-sized backstraps so you can adjust your grip even further to find what you like.
Best AR-15 Pistol Grips Reviewed
Magpul MIAD Gen 1.1 (Our Top Pick)
Speaking of varying-sizes, we’re going to start with the most customizable option on our list, and our number one pick overall, the Magpul MIAD Gen 1.1 grip. The MIAD or “Mission Adaptable Grip” is one of Magpul’s most popular grip offerings and with good reason.
This grip’s real selling point is the interchangeable backstrap system that allows you to change the overall size of the grip to make it fit your hand better. The three included backstraps (you can get more/spares on OpticsPlanet or Brownells) allow you to customize the grip exactly the way you want.
Pros
- Customizable backstraps allow you to fit the grip to your hand dimensions
- Storage compartment for batteries or small tools
- Excellent grip texturing
Cons
- Grip texture can be a little rough on ungloved hands.
Buy The Magpul Miad Gen 1.1 On Optics Planet
Magpul MOE K2+ Grip (Best Budget)
The Magpul MOE K2 and K2+ Grips are a little different from most other options on this list. They have a much more vertical angle that keeps your hand more perpendicular to the receiver as opposed to slightly swept back like most other grips.
This is mostly a preference thing, but it can also be better for precision shooting, which is why you’ll see many people with precision rifle rigs using a grip like this.
The K2+ version has a storage compartment that is perfect for spare batteries and other small items as well, making it a great choice if you use a powered optic.
Pros
- The vertical grip angle is preferable for some and great for precision shooting
- Storage compartment for batteries or small tools
Cons
- Some people don’t like the vertical grip angle.
Buy The Magpul MOE K2+ Grip On Optics Planet
Tyrant Design Mod Grip (Best High End)
If you’re looking for a high-end option, the Tyrant Design Mod Grip is probably our favorite option. It’s a skeletonized aluminum grip with rubber texturing on the front and back sides. This rubberized grip is extremely comfortable (even if it doesn’t look it at first) and has a neat aesthetic. It also has a well-designed grip angle that will put the average person’s trigger finger right where it needs to be.
Pros
- High-quality aluminum construction
- Comfortable rubber overmolding
- Easy to install
Cons
- Finger grooves may not work for your hand
- No storage compartment
- Aluminum gets hot in the sun, desert operators beware.
Buy The Tyrant Design Mod Grip On Optics Planet
Hogue AR-15 Overmolded Beavertail
This rubber grip is a great option if you’re looking for a comfortable grip that is…well, grippy and won’t break the bank. It fits the average shooter’s hand well and works great whether you’re wearing gloves or not. It’s also very insulating so it won’t pick up the heat or a chill like other materials will.
Hogue Grips are also extremely durable and are a great option if you’re rough on your guns (3-Gunners, we’re talking to you).
Pros
- Extremely comfortable
- The texture actually becomes more grippy when wet or sweaty
- Won’t get uncomfortably hot or cold in extreme temperatures.
Cons
- The soft rubber can pick up knicks and scratches
- Repeated exposure to oil can change the texture of the grip somewhat.
Buy The Hogue Overmolded Beavertail On Optics Planet
Bravo Company BCM Mod 3 Gunfighter Grip
Bravo Company Manufacturing or BCM is a well-known company that makes some of the best AR-15 accessories around. Their Gunfighter series of grips are extremely popular, and you’ll likely start noticing them a lot if you go to 3-Gun matches or just visit the range on busy days.
This is another reduced angle grip that is a little more vertical than usual, but it is very comfortable and designed for more modern shooting styles. It is made of a very sturdy polymer and has a water-resistant door on the storage compartment so you can stash your extra batteries away safely.
Pros
- Extremely comfortable
- The texture actually becomes more grippy when wet or sweaty
- Won’t get uncomfortably hot or cold in extreme temperatures.
Cons
- The soft rubber can pick up knicks and scratches
- Repeated exposure to oil can change the texture of the grip somewhat.
Buy The Bravo Company BCM Mod 3 Gunfighter Grip On Optics Planet
Final Thoughts On AR-15 Pistol Grips
There are a lot of great AR-15 grips out there, but we think the ones on this list are the best options around, particular for first-time AR builders. Some honorable mentions go to the Tangodown AR-15 BG-17 grip which is designed specifically for shooters with larger hands, and the Fab Defense Rubberized grip which is an alternative to the Hogue grip on the list.
All in all, these are great options and all will serve you well. All you have to do is pick which one you want most (or which you want to try first).