How do you hold your AR?

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Balrog

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I was watching youtube videos of reviews of various ARs and saw a good number of people holding their AR's in a way that I do not. These folks were shooting right handed. They had their left arm extended, with elbow locked straight, and their left hand at a very forward on the forend handguard. Most people holding like this were shooting ARs with 16 or 18 barrels with forends that covered most of the barrel length. It looked like they must have been trying to hold the rifle as far forward as possible with the left hand.

I hold my left hand closer to the lower receiver, with my elbow at a natural comfortable slight bend but definitely not straight.

Why are they doing this? It is unnatural and uncomfortable for me to hold my rifle with my left hand that far forward.
 
It was made popular by Chris Costa, the "exaggerated C-clamp" grip. It is optimal for reducing muzzle climb between offhand shots, as well as inducing shooter fatigue in any exercise longer than a 30-second 3-gun stage. I hold the pistol grip, and my support hand grabs wherever is comfortable. For long shots, this is the end of a mid-length handguard. For rapid plinking, it is usually the same, or I sometimes grab the magwell (least control, and least fatigue).
 
More control when shooting fast and when moving the muzzle between targets at close distances. Some people get a little silly with it though.

This was supposed to be taken seriously...
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I use a “C-Clamp”/Thumb over bore hold, mine is more natural and there’s a bend to my wrist though. Extending your arm a bit does give you a bit more control, but there’s no need to induce fatigue by getting all crazy with it.

Then again I have these orangutan arms and it doesn’t take much work to get my left hand near the end on a 16 inch carbine.
 
Depends on the forearm length. Full length, I'll C clamp it, seems to work well for me so far. Shorter handguard, and it's just wherever feels comfortable. I used to do the magwell grip until someone showed me some AR kaboom videos and how they usually blow down through the magwell if it happens. I know, rare indeed with good guns and good ammo, but it got my attention.
 
Goosey said:
More control when shooting fast and when moving the muzzle between targets at close distances. Some people get a little silly with it though.

This was supposed to be taken seriously...
View attachment 861069
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The first thing that pops into my head when I see a pic like that is, "Why hasn't he looped his arm thru that sling?"
 
I use a VFG. I grip it up high, (it's a shortie grip) with three fingers and my palm around the grip. My forefinger is along the rail, as is my thumb. When I need to use the light, it's easy to just reach up over the top with it. (c-clamp style) I can't do the full c-clamp. (very uncomfortable on my wrists) I have a lot of control of the weapon with those three fingers and palm around the grip. I can pull back into my shoulder well, and if I need the c-clamp, it's just a quick move of the thumb.


My 14" .308.
odoD6O4.jpg
 
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Fore hand forward on the guard let's you push the front of the gun around a little faster, and push against recoil a little more. It's a wisker's advantage in speed.

GBExpat said:
The first thing that pops into my head when I see a pic like that is, "Why hasn't he looped his arm thru that sling?"
Click to expand...
Because that's a strap (for carrying), not a sling (for shooting). Slinging up a lever-gun seems a bad idea, with the front swivel pulling the barrel into a curve.
 
edwardware said:
Because that's a strap (for carrying), not a sling (for shooting). Slinging up a lever-gun seems a bad idea, with the front swivel pulling the barrel into a curve.
Click to expand...
Uh huh.

To you that may be a "strap", but to me that is definitely a "sling" and I always take advantage of the extra stability that a quick loop-thru provides to me when shooting offhand ... even with my leverguns. :)

It is something that I always check after selecting a rifle to use for a walkabout and prior to leaving the house. I make sure that the configured sling length works with what I am wearing, lengthening or shortening as required.
 
GBExpat said:
. . . I always take advantage of the extra stability that a quick loop-thru provides to me when shooting offhand ... even with my leverguns.
Click to expand...
Admittedly I only have one lever, but it's noticeably sensitive to where you put your hand on the forearm, and much moreso to sling tension. Hence, a carry strap ilo a shooting sling.
 
I was curious about the locked elbow thumb over the top thing after seeing a lot of people do it in three gun competitions so I tried it. Although it feels awkward and looks silly, it really does work.

I can’t say I do it often since I have no practical use for it. Shooting offhand i typically either shoot with a normal stance and sling wrapped around my elbow, or with my left hand wrapped around the magwell. Sometimes I even wrap my hand tightly around my sling where it attaches to my forend and use it as a vertical grip
 
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I extend my off hand when shooting trap or skeet like everyone else because it helps swing the gun through the target. I don't lock my elbow though.
The only game I shoot with my AR is High Power where the target is stationary so bracing my off hand upper arm against my ribs helps to stabilize the gun during the 20 minute offhand stage (standing). I hold the gun with the back of my left thumb against the mag well and my fingers over the handguard.
 
I thought that C-clamp stuff was a bunch of crap... until I tried it. It works pretty well if you are doing shooting and moving drills, not so much for target or stationary work.

The other big AR trend I don't bother with is the vertical foregrip... I tried it and found it terribly unstable, and I wound up just jamming my hand up into it, sort of like a wedge. At that point I just took it off, and I kick it old skool. I tried my buddie's AFG... that actually works pretty good, and was essentially what I was doing when I wedgied my hand against the vertical grip... but I hate the looks of it.
 
I prefer a sling offhand mounted as near the magwell as permissible with my support hand (left) just forward of it resting palm up and fingers wrapped.

My right angle still has a tendency to fly out rather than staying tucked down but working on that. Also trying out a different grip angle.
 
C-clamp works, I've tried it, but don't use it. I actually use a variation of it while shooting Trap. (I just run the thumb along the barrel. I wear gloves when I trapshoot.) Having 2 AR pistols, and a carbine with mil-spec handguards, I don't think C-clamp is going to be my go-to hold. (I tried it out on my son's carbine with an extended forend.)
 
I don't to a lot of tactical urban combat here in Kansas :rofl:.....so mostly prone off a bipod, standing in traditional manner, or occasionally using a folding foregrip for the models with those attached.
 
I have a long 15” handguard for one reason. Longer sighting radius. When my left shoulder was in fair condition I tried the “C-clamp” method. It really did not net me in regards to accuracy, speed or control and to be honest, I felt silly.

Now that I have had 2 shoulder surgeries on my left shoulder I have a hard time properly holding any rifle in the way I was taught and feel comfortable with for any length of time behind a few seconds.

Now, with an AR, I grip the mag well.
 
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