Player Guide: Gripping Methods - The Best way to hold your Airsoft Gun
Many Airsofters will be content with using the techniques drilled into them from movies, TV and video games when skirmishing, which is perfectly adequate for having a bit of fun with your mates; but for those who want all the advantages, this guide is for you!
This guide is intended to be a general overview of the best ways to grip your Airsoft rifle, and pistol, for certain scenarios during an Airsoft skirmish. The main thing to remember having read about these techniques is that the best technique is the one that works for you and that the only thing better than reading about these techniques is trying them out for yourself!
Rifle - AEG/GBBR/HPA
In this section, we will outline the most useful grip methods for Airsoft skirmishing when using an AEG, GBBR, or similar long gun platform. Throughout this section, we will be referring to the support hand only (the hand which holds the handguard).
Thumb break grip
The thumb break grip places your four fingers along the bottom of the handguard, with the thumb placed along the side, facing the target. This method can also be used with a vertical foregrip, in which case the fingers go around the grip but the palm stays open and the thumb sits along the side of the handguard, facing the target. The thumb break grip allows the shooter to use the direction of the thumb to point the rifle instinctively, and apply pressure to steer the AEG or GBBR onto the target.
Magazine Well grip
The mag well grip is similar in principle to the thumb break grip, the difference being that your fingers wrap around the magazine well, with your thumb pressing against the side, facing the target. This method is useful for shooting in tight quarters and unconventional positions, and some users will find it makes cornering easier in CQB. Even if you prefer a C-Clamp, it never hurts to practice a mag-well grip as you may find yourself in a position where you do not have room to extend your support hand out without getting hit.
C-Clamp Grip/Thumb over bore grip
The C-Clamp grip is an evolution of the Thumb break grip which came about as the vertical foregrip began to wane in popularity. This grip places the four fingers along the bottom of the handguard as normal but sees the thumb placed on the upper surface of the handguard, providing down-force to counteract the muzzle rise a real rifle would encounter when firing quickly. The Angled foregrip, or AFG, is specifically designed for this gripping method.
This grip is often seen on Airsoft skirmish fields in its grossly exaggerated form, with skirmishers gripping the very tip of their handguard with their elbow rigidly locked in what looks like (and is, for most people) an uncomfortable position. This grip does not necessitate gripping more further out on the handguard than is comfortable and can use a locked elbow, but not at the cost of comfort or flexibility.
Rifle Techniques - The Good and the Bad
Learning and practising all of the above techniques is very useful, as there may be certain scenarios where using your preferred technique may not work or certain rifle setups where the advantage of certain grip styles (C-clamp on a rifle with a short 5-inch handguard, for example) may not be as clear. Whichever way you choose to grip your rifle, the following is a good guide to what works, and what doesn't:
GOOD
- Head up, shoulders down - A relaxed position will help you react quickly to sudden threats.
- Bring the sight to your eye - This helps you keep your head up and situational awareness high.
- Thumbs towards the target - Encourages more instinctive pointing of the rifle.
- Stock entirely in the shoulder - That's what it is designed for! More comfort, cheek weld, and better sight alignment!
- Elbow tucked in, minimizing silhouette - Smaller target = Lower hit probability.
BAD
- Elbow sticking out - A fantastic way to get your elbow shot as you come around a corner!
- Stock above the shoulder - Unless you are using a long fixed stock, this is silly. If the eye relief of your optic is that bad, bin it!
- Bending the neck to see the sights - Classic new shooter error, this limits the movement of your head and makes it more difficult to react to sudden threats.
- Shoulders raised - Raised shoulders often indicate tensed muscles which will limit the speed of your movement when rotating your body.
Pistol - AEP/GBB/HPA
This section outlines gripping methods as it pertains to Airsoft pistols. These techniques generally apply more to GBB pistols, which function similarly to the real thing, unlike AEPs which are less demanding and hurt less if you cross your thumbs at the rear of the slide!
Base grip
The base grip is a bit of an old-school grip, being one of the earlier techniques for two handed handgun use. With the base grip, the shooter holds the pistol with the strong hand as normal, while the support hand cups the bottom of the pistol grip.
Whilst generally considered to be one of the less effective methods compared to more modern grips which offer greater ability to counteract muzzle rise and recoil, the base grip is very useful for 1911 users who find that a thumbs forward style grip causes them to inadvertently interfere with the slide release lever. Recoil in Airsoft is hardly a problem, so using a base grip is still a practical solution for us!
Straight thumb
The straight thumb grip is generally accepted as the correct way to hold your pistol. With this method, the shooter wraps the support hand completely over the strong hand (which holds the pistol) with both thumbs facing forward, held straight, and the strong hand thumb resting on the edge of the ball of the palm of the support hand.
While this grip is extremely effective, it is important that the shooter is aware of where the controls are, particularly the slide release and magazine catch, which can be pressed accidentally if the support hand is too high on the gun.
"European" grip
The "European" grip is a modified straight thumb grip, with the trigger finger of the support hand resting on the front face of the trigger guard. This is intended to provide additional downforce, controlling the muzzle rise of the pistol and allowing for faster follow up shots.
Using the European grip only works for pistols with a squared-off trigger guard, such as Hi-capas and EU series pistols. Older designs such as the 1911 have a rounded trigger guard which provides nothing to hold on to and would be more suited to another grip style.
This method is generally seen as ideal for rapid target shooting and is used by incredibly proficient shooters such as Jerry Miculek (if you aren't familiar, check him out on youtube!) but is considered less ideal for combat shooting due to the prevalence of pistol mounted tactical flashlights, which would obstruct the front face of the trigger guard when mounted.
Center axis relock (CAR)
Center axis relock is more of a stance than just a gripping method, and usually involves bladed feet. Since this article is focused on how we hold our Airsoft guns, we will discuss CAR in the context of how the pistol is held, leaving the rest for a future article. The Center axis relock stance has a cool name, that much is certain, and it only gets cooler when you realize this is the method used by John Wick himself!
The gripping method used with CAR is usually one of the above variations, with the added difference that the pistol is held canted at 45° with the sights aligned with the weak side eye, elbows bent with the pistol held close to the body. This stance is great for cornering in CQB and helps the shooter to fully use their peripheral vision, but is not quite as quick when transitioning between multiple targets and requires more movement for a reload.
Pistol Techniques - The Good and the Bad
These pistol techniques, as with the rifle techniques above, can be used in combination with others to suit whatever scenario you find yourself in. It is a good idea to practice at least some of them to gauge which suits you, your gun setup, and your playstyle the best. The following is a rough guide to what is good and bad as far as pistol gripping techniques go:
GOOD
- Thumbs towards the target - This encourages intuitive pointing of the pistol.
- Support hand wraps around firing hand - The most comfortable and effective method for holding a pistol, keeping it secure and allowing your support hand to be where it needs to be for reloads etc.
- Keep clear of any controls - Certain pistols have extended controls, when gripping the pistol it is important that you allow space for these controls to be used, and remain clear when not in use.
- Grip as high as possible on the gun - This will aid in recoil control, and ensure the controls of the pistol are within reach.
BAD
- Thumbs crossed - Risky for GBB users, as the slide may hit your hand during cycling, which hurts!
- Low grip - This encourages muzzle flip and puts the controls slightly out of reach for most shooters
- Fingers interwoven - This may feel secure but it practically locks your support hand to your firing hand. All is well until you need to reach for a spare magazine...
- Gangsta style - Whilst some GBB pistols are capable of firing when canted 90°, the HOP-up effect means your BBs will fly anything but straight. Save this technique for the real gangstas!
- Firing hand wraps around support hand - This restricts your firing hand's access to the trigger, and just feels very wrong. Try it, we doubt you will disagree!
- One handed - If you have both hands free, there is no reason to shoot your pistol one-handed. No reason except MAXIMUM COOL, but be warned, only the baby boomer generation have high enough testosterone to pull this off effectively!
So there you have it! Our Player Guide on gripping methods as they pertain to Airsoft skirmishing. We hope this has helped you learn something to help gain the upper hand over the less informed players on the field, and use your Airsoft guns more effectively and comfortably!