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Wilcox Para Grip Review (with bipod) [2020]
Medium-long range stability and close-range control. Plus it folds, too!
Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF)
The Wilcox para Grip w/ bipod, sold by Applied Gear, is a folding vertical grip that also features a stowable bipod, and our testing proved it's tough as nails. There is no plastic anywhere on it, not even the buttons. We fired over 1,000 rounds with it mounted, 700-800 of them during a carbine course that saw it grabbed, smacked, deployed, and stowed more times than we can count, and it's still good as new. The integral bipod looks a little flimsy at first but it's solid steel and aluminum, and we couldn't break it even when we really tried, plus it's lightning-fast to deploy. The grip's controls are well-placed - we never had the grip fold up or deploy on us by accident. However, the Wilcox Para grip is also heavy, expensive, and really, really big. Additionally, depending on whether you like to grab a vertical grip right on the body or half-wrap your hand around the top of the grip and the rifle's forearm, the hinge up top can make the Wilcox Para less comfortable to grab than a fixed, non-folding grip like a Magpul MOE.
Wilcox Para Grip Overview
The Wilcox Para grip does pretty much everything - it's a vertical grip when you want it, it folds up out of the way when you want to feel sleek, and a very serviceable bipod pops out when you want a little extra help on a long shot. There's no swivel or panning like a true bipod, but it's a heck of a lot better than your two wobbly elbows when it comes to stabilizing a gun barrel.
Deploying the bipod takes a fraction of a second, which is a fantastic feature that stands head-and-shoulders over the deploy times of most true bipods on the market. Stowing the bipod is a bit slower and requires pinching the bipod's legs together, then sliding the assembly back up into the tube, but that didn't strike us as a drawback - if we're stowing the bipod, then any threat has most likely been dealt with and speed is no longer critical.
The only two practical drawbacks to the Wilcox Para grip are weight and size. This grip is a colossus - a hair over 10 oz and nearly 7" long. Here it is next to a Magpul MOE vertical grip, for comparison.
Deploying the bipod takes a fraction of a second, which is a fantastic feature that stands head-and-shoulders over the deploy times of most true bipods on the market. Stowing the bipod is a bit slower and requires pinching the bipod's legs together, then sliding the assembly back up into the tube, but that didn't strike us as a drawback - if we're stowing the bipod, then any threat has most likely been dealt with and speed is no longer critical.
The only two practical drawbacks to the Wilcox Para grip are weight and size. This grip is a colossus - a hair over 10 oz and nearly 7" long. Here it is next to a Magpul MOE vertical grip, for comparison.
At almost twice the length of a Magpul MOE grip, you'll definitely notice the Wilcox Para grip when it's mounted.
Even when folded, it's thick enough that you can actually grab it instead of the rifle's forearm, and still feel pretty in-control of the weapon. On the flipside, it's hard to get your hand around both it and the rifle's forearm at once. That said, the folded position is largely meant for storage - when you're actually shooting, you'll most likely have it folded down and be using it as a vertical grip or bipod.
Our reviewers found they liked having the grip fold forward, because it puts the thumbscrew mount away from your hand (assuming you're right-handed) and gives you better access to the button that lets the grip unfold, while also protecting the bipod deploy button from accidental activation while the grip is folded. However, mounting it backward also reduces the risk of snags and makes for a slightly more comfortable grip overall.
The grip's massive size and weight must also be fairly viewed in the context of its versatility - if you were to add a true bipod AND a vertical grip to your firearm, you'd be looking at even more bulk and weight than the Wilcox Para, plus you probably couldn't fold the vertical grip when you wanted to stay slim. Also, running a bipod plus a vert grip puts you at severe risk of looking like a dork. Long story short - if you want the short-range control of a vertical grip (especially a folding vertical grip), AND the long-range confidence of a bipod, then you're gonna add some bulk and weight. No free lunches.
Controls
The Wilcox Para grip has two buttons - one to deploy the bipod, and one to let it fold. The fold button is mounted on the side, so you can have the grip fold backward or forward.
The buttons are mostly flush when at rest, but must be fully recessed into the grip in order to activate, making them very difficult to hit accidentally. Even if your fingers rest on the buttons, they still won't depress far enough to activate unless you're throttling the grip like it just charged you $0.75 per round for Tulammo. We didn't have a single accidental bipod deployment or grip folding in all the time we spent with the grip.
The buttons are mostly flush when at rest, but must be fully recessed into the grip in order to activate, making them very difficult to hit accidentally. Even if your fingers rest on the buttons, they still won't depress far enough to activate unless you're throttling the grip like it just charged you $0.75 per round for Tulammo. We didn't have a single accidental bipod deployment or grip folding in all the time we spent with the grip.
Wrap Up
The Wilcox Para grip is the triple threat - it's a vertical grip, it's a bipod, and it folds up out of the way. Bulletproof durability makes it a quadruple threat. It's big, heavy, and expensive, too, but in our view that's just the cost of doing business with a quadruple threat. If you're looking to make your rifle excel at short, medium, AND long-range, while still being able to slide easily in and out of a bag or scabbard, look no further than the Wilcox Para grip by Applied Gear.
And that’s it. Happy shooting.
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