MDT Vertical Grip

Cmh259

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 5, 2020
186
32
Thoughts on the MDT vertical grip? I’ve always been a Houge over molded grip guy but have thought about trying one of the MDT’s
 
I like it, it's on my ACC chassis. Smaller hands so the ability to tailor it to my perfect trigger pull length was a big selling point for me. I was surprised that it was a hard polymer-type design, I thought it would be rubberized/textured but thats easy enough to add.
 
The factory grip on my Tikka T3X TAC A1 was "Hogue-like." I really liked it. I also had similar grips on a pair of MDT LSS chassis. Comfortable, but all were angled.

Then I tried a buddy's custom in an MPA BA Comp with its vertical grip. I now have two rifles in those chassis.

I remain a huge MDT fan - other than Vudoo, no other company I've dealt with has been as responsive to customers in terms of overall responsiveness, all the way up to the executive level. So, when I started a new build a few months ago, I ordered an MDT ACC. It doesn't come with the MDT vertical grip, but I already had put one on an LSS-XL Gen-2. The LSS is an older design for which AR grips are just right; the vertical grip is pushed down about 1/4" too far so the trigger finger is, for many, a wee but low on the trigger. The vertical is just right on the ACC.

Where this is going: which do I prefer, the MDT vertical grip on my ACC or the MPA vertical grip on the BA Comp? It's the difference between chocolate and vanilla ice cream; they're different but equally good. I kinda like the MPA grip in terms of how my hand fits it and the way it supports my trigger finger (right-handed). The MDT grip is bigger and allows fore-aft adjustment. Both feel very natural in terms of laying my right thumb on the "shelf" present on both chassis. Both models' vertical grip supports a more even "pull" of the firearm into the shoulder using all four fingers (thumb is "up on the shelf"). In comparison, I found the AR-style grip had me pulling more with the index and middle finger, and the thumb naturally wraps around and I was more prone to clinch the grip and "muscle" the rifle into a point of aim as opposed to getting into a more natural point of aim. Now that I'm used to a vertical grip, the AR-style grips feel odd on a bolt gun. Conversely, vertical grips on a carbine feel even more weird to me.

My $0.02.
 
I have one on an RPR and without empirical evidence I can only speculate. However, I would posit that the vertical grip gave me something I didn’t have before in terms of operating the trigger.