Engineering:Grip Pod

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British soldier using a Grip Pod.
A British soldier supporting his L85A2 on a Grip Pod.

The Grip Pod is a commercial weapon stabilization system that serves as a weapon grip and as a retractable bipod.

History

The Grip Pod System was created in 2003 by Joseph R. Moody and Joseph D. Gaddini of Jacksonville, Florida. Its parent company, Grip Pod Systems, International, was founded in 2005 in order to market and further develop the bi-pod grip.[1][2] After extensive testing at Picatinny Arsenal in the same year,[3] Grip Pod Systems won a sole source contract with the US Army and Marines, which began implementing the grips in units in the Middle East later that year.[4] By 2012, over 900,000 Grip Pods were made for U.S. Forces.[3] In the last four years, the company has been issued 31 patents, starting with patents for the bi-pod design itself in April 2008.[5] According to the Grip Pod website, the grips are now used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, British Army, and several other federal agencies.[2][3]

Grip Pods are also manufactured by Brügger & Thomet[6] and CAA Tactical.[7]

Models

Currently, three Grip Pod models are available: the 02, LE, and SAW models.[8]

  • The GPS-02 (Grip Pod Systems 02) model is the standard military model, and supports M4 carbines, AR-15s, and M16 rifles.[1] It weighs 7 ounces, and is made of reinforced polymers, with stainless steel legs.[8]
  • The GPS-LE is the law enforcement Grip Pod. It weighs 6 ounces, and consists of the same material as the 02 model, but with polymer legs to reduce weight.[9]
  • The GPS-SAW is the heaviest Grip Pod, weighing 8.1 ounces. It is meant to be mounted on squad automatic weapons.[10]

Specifications

An M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle with a Grip Pod mounted near the front of the handguard.

The key to the Grip Pod is the button near the top of the grip. This button connects to a spring-loaded sliding piston in the grip, that sits atop the bi-pod legs. When the button is pressed, the spring is released and decompressed, which pushes the piston down. This action expands the two housed legs out of the grip and into their locked and spread position. The legs are connected to each other by a joint that is fastened by a pin with threading on one end, called a pivot pin. A torsion spring, similar to those used in mousetraps, allows the legs the tension to expand outward, assuming their locked position. A rubber O-ring is in place at the bottom of the grip to catch a ledge at the top of the bi-pod leg mechanism. This prevents the legs from over-extending or leaving the grip completely.[11] The grips are mainly made from reinforced polymer, while the legs are stainless steel covered by polymer. Each Grip Pod is 5.75 inches long with the legs concealed, and 7.25 inches long with the legs deployed. The Grip Pod mounts to a weapon using the Picatinny Rail system.[1][8]

Canting

The Grip Pod was designed with the ability to be able to cant, or rotate side to side while still serving as a proper bi-pod. When extended, the fore-grip of the Grip Pod has a 10 degree range of motion to the left and to the right, fixed at the joint of the bi-pod. This allows the user to adjust their aim on uneven surfaces.[11]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "About Grip Pod Systems, International". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/about. Retrieved October 23, 2012. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Grip Pod Systems, International". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/. Retrieved October 22, 2012. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "GPSI Distributor Product Dossier". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/GPSI_Dossier.pdf. Retrieved 17 November 2012. 
  4. ↑ McClellan, Angus. "Grip Pod Foregrips". American Rifleman. http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2475&cid=10. Retrieved October 23. 
  5. ↑ "Grip Pod Systems, LLC Patents". Patent Genius. http://www.patentgenius.com/assignee/GripPodSystemsLLC.html. Retrieved October 22, 2012. 
  6. ↑ "B&T AG". Brügger & Thomet. http://produkte.bt-ag.ch/en/manufacturing/handguards/accessories.php?pid=641. Retrieved 16 November 2015. 
  7. ↑ "BPP GRIP". CAA Tactical. http://www.caa-il.com/viewProduct.asp?ID=60&catID=12. Retrieved 16 November 2015. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "GPS-02 Military". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/gsp-02-military. Retrieved October 23, 2012. 
  9. ↑ "GPS-LE Law Enforcement". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/gsp-le-law-enforcement. Retrieved October 23, 2012. 
  10. ↑ "GPS-SAW". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.grippod.com/gsp-saw. Retrieved October 23, 2012. 
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Gaddini, Joseph D. and Joseph R. Moody. "Canting vertical fore grip with bipod". Grip Pod Systems, INTL. LLC. http://www.google.com/patents?hl=en&lr=&vid=USPAT7421815&id=w22tAAAAEBAJ&oi=fnd&dq=grip+pod&printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q=grip%20pod&f=false. Retrieved 22 October 2011. 

External links




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