idea:forward pistol grip?

[Apple a Day]

So, there I was looking through some catalogues and I wondered:
A LOT of the new models of handguns have picatinny rails on the underside of the frame. Why not add a forward grip that would attach to the rail? I reckon you'd also have to add a tab to the front to deflect muzzle blast from your fingers but that could also function as a compensator like the "wedgie" compensator on the muzzle of the AKM.

Pro's:
More controllable
More accurate?
Add weight to the nose to prevent muzzle flip

Con's:
Forget finding a holster

Any other pro's or con's that y'all can think of? I have seen front grips on autopistols like the Beretta 951(?) and the auto version of the CZ-75 where the spare magazine serves as a front grip to help controllability. I just wondered if it would be worth it on a semi-auto version, if anyone would be interested.

 

[mgdavis]

Would the addition of a forward grip make it an NFA item? I think I heard that somewhere.

 

[Easy E]

I believe a forward, vertical grip on a pistol is frowned upon by the ATF.

 

[smince]

Here is some info:

Any other weapons (AOW's) are a number of things; smooth bore
pistols, any pistol with more than one grip, (but see below) gadget
type guns (cane gun, pen gun) and shoulder fired weapons with both
rifled and smooth bore barrels between 12" and 18", that must be
manually reloaded (see discussion below).

ATF has made the decision that a handgun (but not a machine gun,
since a machine gun is not also an AOW) with more than one hand
grip at an angle to the bore is an AOW. This is based on the gun
a) being concealable on the person, and b) not meeting the
definition of a "pistol" in the regulations promulgated under the
NFA, since they say a pistol has a single grip at an angle to the
bore. However, at least one federal magistrate has decided that if
the grip is added later, the gun is not "originally designed" to be
fired by holding in more than one grip, and thus putting a second
grip on a pistol does not make it an AOW. ATF does not regard the
decision as binding. The case is U.S. v. Davis, Crim No. 8:93-106
(D.S.C. 1993) (Report of Magistrate, June 21, 1993). The
prosecution was dismissed at the request of the Government before
any review of that determination by the trial judge.

If you add one to an AR15 or AK pistol, HKSP1, semi MAC, etc., they become A.O.W.'s.

 

[kozak6]

Yeah, and that tax stamp to make it an AOW is $200.

It would be very cool to have a forward grip, but not cool enough to shell out $200 for.

 

[Dreadnought]

What if you made a grip that had a vertical post you don't hold with a grip attached to the post so that the grip is parallel to the bore, i.e. one of those forward grips turned 90 degrees forward. It would not be at an angle to the bore and thus not be an AOW.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Not a good idea at all. In addition to the aforementioned, a front pistol grip will not make the gun more controllable and there is no way it could make the gun more accurate.
Angling it forward 90 degrees would make it a forearm.
Bill

 

[JohnKSa]

While I agree it won't make the gun more accurate, I think that it would definitely increase controllability--especially in terms of controlling muzzle-rise.

It will also make it an AOW.

Making an auxiliary forearm (front grip parallel to the barrel) is an interesting idea. It might help if you could figure out a way to set it up so you could hold it in a natural feeling position while aiming. Being the cautious sort, I'd want a read from the BATF before I actually implemented something like that.

 

[kozak6]

Don't count on it.

The BATFE is remarkably flexible in their definitions when it suits them.

For example, they have ruled that a shoelace can be a machinegun.