There’s more than one right way to hold a rifle. Proper technique has evolved over the years, and trends come and go, but a handful of basic stances and grips remain the bread-and-butter of effective marksmanship.
Chief among them—at least for active target engagement with an AR-15 or similar rifle—is the C-clamp grip. This grip lends itself well to a wide variety of scenarios, including defensive use, many different types of competition, and general target engagement at close to medium range.
In fact, changing from an improvised or traditional grip to a proper C-Clamp is one of the most common AR-15 shooting tips for beginners.
What Is A C-Clamp Grip?
Also known as a thumb-over grip, a C-clamp grip positions the non-dominant hand forward on the handguard with the fingers wrapped underneath and the thumb over the top rail. The grip takes its name from the “C” shape the hand forms when wrapped around the handguard in this fashion.
This grip is in contrast to more traditional rifle grips, in which the palm is placed under the rifle, with the thumb and fingers rising on opposite sides of the handguard to cup the rifle, resembling more of a “U” shape.
Why C-Clamp?
The C-Clamp position allows the users to squeeze the rail between the thumb and fingers for an extremely secure grip. This highly secure grip, in turn, enables the user to pull the rifle into their shoulder with greater force, aiding in recoil control.
The thumb-over grip also creates a very stable firing platform by positioning the non-dominant hand very far forward on the handguard. On an AR-15 with a long handguard, such as the Sons of Liberty Gun Works M4-EXO3, this allows the user to grip the rifle very close to the muzzle, which helps improve the ability to instinctively point the rifle in the general area of the target, even before lining up the sights.
This position is also ideal for actuating lights or lasers using a switch or button mounted to the top rail—which is the most common configuration for such accessories.
These traits combine to make the C-Clamp a very effective grip for moving rapidly between targets and delivering quick, rapid shots with a high degree of accuracy and precision.
Despite this, the C-Clamp style grip is not the most optimal grip for ultra-precise shooting at a single target with a slow rate of fire, such as seen in bullseye shooting competitions. Nor is it ideal for use with truly long-range targets, where more supported firing positions tend to shine. As such, well-rounded marksmen should consider it as one of several tools that can be used, rather than a catch-all solution.
How To Hold An AR-15 With A C-Clamp Grip
The technique is exceptionally simple. To start, you’ll want to find your optimal hand placement.
With the rifle held in a firing position (pointed in a safe direction and after having been verified to be entirely clear of ammunition, of course) move your non-dominant hand as far forward as possible while keeping your shoulders nearly square to the target. If your shoulders start to twist so that your non-dominant shoulder is angled toward the target, you’ve gone too far.
For most users and most rifles, this will allow you to grip your rifle at the distal end of the handguard, assuming your accessories are not in the way. For very long rifle setups or users with shorter arms, though, this may not be possible. If you can’t reach all the way forward on your handguard without twisting your shoulders, don’t worry about it, just position your hand as far forward as you can.
Next, grip the rifle with your fingers under the underneath the handguard and your thumb fully over the top rail. Your palm should be securely pressed against either the right or left side of the handguard, depending on your dominant hand.
Grip the rail firmly and use your non-dominant hand to pull the rifle snugly back into your shoulder pocket. The result should be a firm, stable grip that allows you to easily point the rifle from one target to the next with precision.
How To C-Clamp With An Angled Or Vertical Grip
Depending on your accessories, you may need to vary your grip slightly. With a hand brake, such as the Larue Tactical HandStop, the C-Clamp position is essentially unchanged. Simply grip the handguard in a thumb-over style just in front of the hand brake, and use that to pull the rifle even more effectively into your shoulder.
An angled grip operates similarly. Angled foregrips were designed partly to remedy one of the primary drawbacks of a C-Clamp grip: wrist strain.
A proper C-Clamp grip causes the wrist of the non-dominant hand to be rotated forward nearly to its limit. This can be very fatiguing over extended periods. An angled grip, like the Magpul AFG, helps to remedy this by modifying the angle at which your hand engages your handguard, relieving some of that strain.
As with a hand brake, the procedure for C-Clamping a rifle with an angled foregrip is essentially unchanged—just grip the rifle around the angled grip with your thumb over the top rail and let your hand fall naturally into the angle of the grip.
With a vertical foregrip, however, your technique may slightly change. A foregrip can be used as a de facto hand stop by gripping the handguard slightly in front of it and using it for extra rearward leverage in the same manner as a hand brake, but it can also be used in another way.
To C-Clamp with a foregrip, you’ll shift your hand back slightly so that you are gripping the rifle at the point at which the foregrip and handguard meet, with your lower 1-2 fingers on the foregrip and the rest of your hand on the handguard. Similar to an angled foregrip, this alters the angle of your wrist to reduce strain and increases rearward leverage.
However, if you’re using a foregrip on a rifle with a front sight post, such as a Colt 6920, be careful not to let your thumb touch the sight post, as it can become quite hot during spirited strings of fire.
If you’re not sure if you’d prefer an angled or vertical foregrip for your rifle, we recommend reviewing our guide to choosing a foregrip for your AR-15 before purchasing.
When Not To C-Clamp
Despite the many virtues of the thumb-over grip, there are several scenarios in which it is not the best choice. For bullseye or Olympic-style marksmanship, where recoil control is less important due to the slow rate of fire, other grips can offer greater support and stability. Similarly, if firing from a kneeling or seated stance, a more traditional under-grip allows the user to prop their elbow against a knee for stability.
Most importantly, though, the C-Clamp is not appropriate for all firearms. Other modern semi-automatic rifles, such as AK-pattern firearms, cannot utilize a thumb-over style grip when using iron sights. AR-15s use peep sights which are raised a considerable distance off the rail, allowing the users a clear line of sight over their thumb. AK-style rifles most commonly use tangent sights, which would be wholly obscured by a C-Clamp grip.
Additionally, any rifle with an exposed upper barrel should by no means be used with a C-Clamp grip. This is most common with older rifles but is also true for semi-automatic shotguns. In this case, a C-Clamp grip would become dangerous as the barrel heats up during fire.
Conclusion
The C-Clamp grip is one of the most versatile and effective methods of controlling your AR-15 during a wide variety of uses. While not suited to every scenario, it’s an essential technique and one that is often considered the default for AR-15 marksmanship.
