The AR15 has come a long way from the original pattern rifle of the 20th century. One of the major changes in recent years was modularity. The AR15 has always been modular to an extent, but now the options are seemingly endless for things to swap and change on an AR to make it different. Walking hand-in-hand with modularity is adjustability. People come in all shapes and sizes, and the AR has to be adjustable to fit most of us. The XTech Tactical ATG is a solution for one aspect of this, the pistol grip.
I found XTech’s VP9/P30 mags to be awesome, but how does their ATG stack up?
Grip angle is something that I am very critical of. Specific length of pull guns require specific grip angles to be used effectively. Some grips, like the A1/A2 and the JE Advanced Grip have angles that facilitate full-stocked rifles, while some grips like the Magpul K and K2 are for shorter stocked guns.
The XTech Tactical Adjustable Tactical Grip (ATG) is an AR grip that can be adjusted to three different grip angles. Why it took so long for this to be a feature is baffling to me. It is a simple way to adjust the AR to fit an even wider range of people and is easily done.
The ATG is a two-piece assembly. Installation of the grip is the same as any other grip. Remove your previously attached grip, while retaining your safety selector spring and detent. Reinstall the detent and spring, while lining up the hole for these in the “receiver mount” section of the ATG. The receiver mount is merely the top part of the grip, as seen in the above photo. Once the mount is firmly in place, the grip section of the ATG can be installed. This is where we can adjust the grip angle.
There are three notches on the back of the receiver mount section of the ATG, which are used for selecting the grip angle. The three available angles are 17, 25, and 33 degrees. Once you have the included grip screw tightened down, you are good to go. Well, almost. If you want to adjust the grip after it has been installed, it is as simple as loosening the grip screw enough to be able to move the grip. From here, you can adjust the grip to the desired angle, then re-tighten the screw to secure the ATG back in place.
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Sometimes having more options isn’t better. We’ve all been to restaurants that have a menu that’s miles long, but none of it is particularly good. As the phrase goes, “a jack of all trades is a master of none”.
I don’t have that sentiment for the ATG. The features that are available hold a quality that I love, and that is a specific aspect of modularity. If you want the grip to always be at 17 degrees, it will be. The other adjustments are there, but only if you want them to be. The unused features fade into the back, unseen until they are needed. It feels as though some products for the AR are so gimmicky and tacky, however, the ATG stands tall, away from the others.
The build quality of the ATG is what I’ve come to expect from XTech; rock solid. The texturing on the ATG could be a little more aggressive, but I always like my grips to dig into the hand. XTech has recently released a heavy texture version of the ATG, and that may remedy this slight issue for me. The “flashing” plastic seams are unobtrusive and do not affect function. Despite loosing and tightening the grip screw at least 15 times during the testing period, I never had it come loose unintentionally. There are very slight finger grooves on the front of the ATG’s grip, which I would not normally be enthused about. However, they are subdued enough that I don’t mind them a bit.
Adjustment of the ATG is easy and quick to do. Normally, I shoot my adjustable stocked ARs with the stock fully collapsed, so I kept the ATG at 17-degree cant for most of the testing period. However, when adjusting the stock to A2 length, moving the ATG to 33 degrees made for a much more comfortable shooting grip.
I would highly recommend XTech’s ATG. It performed its intended job quite well, and with a simple design to boot. My shooting style is pretty rigid, so the MAGPUL K Grip is still my favorite AR grip, but the ATG is close to it. I can see the ATG excelling on shared guns, such as for small law enforcement agencies, or shooting range rental guns. It is another quick way to fit an AR uniquely to the user, at nearly no drawback.
The ATG was provided by XTech Tactical at no cost for the purpose of evaluation.
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