Gripwell by Tactical Magwell review by Booligan
Discuss this review HERE
Introduction
Ordering/Company Info
Basic Information
First impressions/Packaging
Installation
Proper Use
Pros/Cons
Overall
Introduction
I’m always looking for “real steel†firearm parts that may have a use in airsoft, and I was thrilled when I stumbled across the “Gripwellâ€, manufactured by Tactical Magwell. It is a dual purpose polymer magwell extension that functions both as a magazine funnel, and as a vertical grip. I’ll cover this product in detail, including a list of its pros and cons in the following sections!
Ordering/Company Info:
I obtained this item directly from Tactical Magwell in order to review it here on Airsoft Retreat. They have two products currently, this, the standard Gripwell, and the Lightwell, which is the same product but with a small 20mm rail for mounting lights or lasers within easy reach. The price for the standard Gripwell in black is $29.99, with tan, “green foliage†and “camo†available for an extra $5-$8. The Lightwell is priced at $47.99, with the same color options being available for $2.50-$4 extra. They also offer a “Military†model for $49.99, which has a milled slot for reading the serial number, as well as “Goliath Gripsâ€, which are grip tape stickers for an enhanced grip. The products comes with a lifetime warranty for manufacturing defects and normal use though Tactical Magwell, and as they put it: “If it gets run over by an M1A2 Abrams give us a call and we will see what we can do.†If that’s not customer service, I don’t know what is.
Basic Information:
So, what is this thing? As mentioned earlier, it is a dual purpose magazine well extension for real steel and airsoft ARs, that functions both as a magazine funnel for quicker reloads, as well as a vertical grip for secure handling in CQB scenarios. It is constructed of a high strength polymer that is designed to withstand the abuses of real firearm use. It attaches to pretty much any AR with a traditional slanted magwell lower receiver, and even 416 lowers, which I’ll get into later. It is quickly and easily installed, and can be swapped to other weapons in a matter of minutes. One big plus is the ability to use it as a vertical grip without having to install a RIS system. This can save you a good bit of cash if you’re on a budget.
From this point, click all pictures to enlarge
The Gripwell
The top
The bottom
Shot inside one of the halves
First impressions/Packaging:
The Gripwell arrived 2 days after ordering via USPS Priority in a very professionally made plastic package, complete with a sheet showing the proper installation procedure. It includes the three #8-32 mounting screws, lock washers, and brass screw inserts installed into the unit itself. It does not include the necessary 9/64†hex wrench required to tighten it down, but it’s a common tool that most people should have anyways.
Packaging
Everything all together
Manual sheet
Installation:
Mounting the unit is a breeze, requiring only that one 9/64†hex wrench mentioned above. I will show the installation procedure in the following pictures.
First you must place the gun onto the right half of the Gripwell, as shown:
Then, place the other side, as shown here:
You now can tighten the screws, while squeezing down on the Grip well to ensure it is properly attached to the gun. When installed, it will look like this:
Now, airsoft guns have different specs than real firearms, so there are a few little things that don’t line up 100%, namely a small gap at the front of the magazine funnel, and slight bowing at the rear, near the trigger guard. Neither of these are major issues as far as I can tell, and the unit is mounted EXTREMELY solidly.
Slight gap
Very slight bowing
Proper Use:
Now that you’ve got it mounted up, how do you use it? This should be common sense, as you just grab the dang thing. It becomes very natural to reach back and grab the contoured finger grooves, pulling the rifle into your shoulder. When doing this, it brings your elbow in close to the body, preventing it from “chicken winging†out and causing issues in CQB. Its other purpose is as a magazine funnel, to guide your magazine quickly into the gun when reloading. It serves that function VERY well, noticeably shortening down my reload times, especially when using the FAST system. Overall, it’s a piece of cake to use, and it serves its purposes extremely well.
So, what guns can this go on? I’ve tried it on UTG, JG, Dboys, AGM, and A&K M4 variants, with both plastic and metal bodies, and it mounted up perfectly. I also tried to mount it on an Echo 1 416 style lower receiver, and, while being at an odd angle due to the flat magwell angle, it still was secure and you could grip it tightly. Whether that angle is comfortable for you or not is a personal choice, but I find it useable.
UTG Recon Rifle
JG based Carbon 15 Patriot
AGM Stubby M4
Dboys based PDW
Dboys based Racegun
Echo 1 416 lower
Pros:
Very inexpensive - $30
Lightweight - 110 grams
Easy to install
Faster reloads
More secure rifle handling
Fits most, if not all AR replicas
Cons:
Hand position isn’t the best for peak accuracy
Partially blocks your trademarks (if you care about that sort of thing)
Blocks the use of box mags (if you’re using your AR in a support role)
Overall:
I was hoping for a helpful, easy to use, and unique product, and Tactical Magwell delivered big time with this one. I’m finding that my weapon handling has improved greatly, regardless of the gun it is installed on. I’m more effective at maneuvering and at reloading when I use this thing, and that in turn makes me much more effective on the field. Some people will complain that having your support hand that far back on the rifle isn’t great for long range accuracy, but this is airsoft. Our maximum ranges are about 200’, so shooting sub-MOA isn’t a top priority. I haven’t noticed any decrease in accuracy at my normal ranges with this product. My only complaint is that I don’t yet have one for all of my AR replicas!
Many thanks again to Tactical Magwell and of course, AirsoftRetreat!
