By popnfresh
Published: January 2005
Intro, How it came to be.
After numerous hours or searching online for a functionaly folding foregrip that didn't cost 80 dollars, my search landed me in the so called "pit of fraud, and scammery", eBay. I purchased and customized a P90 to become a variant of the infamous Savage Hunter that was sold on Redwolf Airsoft for a small period of time, but the high cost drove people away, and the discontinuation of the P90 and its triple rail variant cause them to remove it off their custom gun list. After that was finished, I needed a folding grip, but the Nitro Vo. version was very costly for the tight budget i was on in the wake of my new purchase. After numerous hours or searching online for a functionaly folding foregrip that didn't cost 80 dollars, my search landed me in the so called "pit of fraud, and scammery", eBay. Then i came upon First Distributors, a self-proclaimed TDI arms distributor in the US, with a very handsome looking feeback. They were selling this sleek and supposedly high quality folder grip for 25 dollars. I could not refuse this. Hastily buying the last one available, I waited and prayed it would be a quality item. It was.
First impressions and the "tearing of the box" ritual
The grip arrived in a rather plain cardboard box, as all shipping items did, nothing special. When i tore the box open, it revealed a clear plastic case, with the grip inside, again, nothing special. However, when I took it out and gave it a once over, i was in a pretty darn good state of awe. For twenty-five dollars, this thing is VERY economical for the money. It is a nice flat shade of black, matching the cold, dark tone of a metal body. It was a made from an obviously high-impact resin mold, with only one seam line down the middle, easily removed with a file or an x-acto knife.
Installation and in use
It did take me a while to figure the thing out, since there were no instructions. There is a small button on the left side of the grip that releases the lock, and lets it fold open or closed, and a nice loud click is heard when it locks in. It attaches in a very similar way to the ICS PEQ unit, with a large nut and bolt system in which you slide the grip on first, and then place the screw through the hole and tighten it up. Now that it was installed, I took a hand to it and tried it out. First thing I noticed was that the grip is fatter than most standard foregrips, but is contoured to fit the shape of an average hand. I tried my hand at folding it open and closed, and found it incredibly easy to do, and satisfying my ears with the nice sharp click. There are two positions, unlike the nitro vo.'s three. When the grip is folded up, it acts almost like a second handguard, kind of like an m203 grip, but without the unneccessary weight. And of course the folded out, which most people will use in everyday airsofting fun.
In skirmishing
Theres not much to say here, since every one knows what a foregrip is supposed to do and how it functions, but many people at the field noticed it and asked where i got it and how much. In battle, if i found myself having to peek over a hill, i just folded it in and crawled right up. when i went room clearing, fold it out and make a clean sweep. Best experience with any grip I've ever had.
Comparison to the Nitro Vo. folding foregrip
Having only held and used the nitro vo. grip once, i am comparing from a pretty vague recollection, but i can say for sure, that the nitro vo. version is better in function and options. its three positions give a little flexibility and comfort to the use, and it is of general higher quality. however, the TDI arms version is three times cheaper, and for the airsofter on a budget, the TDI one is for them. easy installation, easly position changing and a nice ergonomic grip are all advantages over the nitro vo. version, and though it is made from an odd material to say the least (easily filed, but it just wont break) it lasts in combat and serves its use without burning to big a hole in your wallet.
Last thoughts
To any airsofter on a budget, this is the grip for you. It comes at a not so high price (only a few dollars more than any standard removable foregrip) and serves its fucntionality with a bang. Nice and durable, sleek looking and a nice shade of black gives this grip all the pros of a normal foregrip and then some. If the situation calls for more space underneath the handguards, then just fold it right on in, assaulting a room? fold 'er out and let 'er rip. Looking for the perfect accessory to almost any gun with a rail? look no further, spend 25-35 and get a nice folding grip to add to your already good-lookin gun.
Pros
- VERY affordable
- Ergonomic shape
- Multi-fuctionality (handguard and foregrip)
- Good looking on almost every gun
- Durable
- Easy postion switching
Cons
- Weird material
- Only two positions
- Hard to slide onto certain rails
- A little bit fat
- Kind of hard to find (ive only found it on eBay)
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