I just love this MIAD grip. But.... I found out the hard way .....that it was NOT designed for a DPMS 308 !!

The first screw-up I did was to look at our ARFCOM 308 Variants Picture Thread for ideas, and NOT realize that some guys were showing off their 5.56 rifles and receivers too.....not JUST 308 rifles. If you're like me, and you do more admiring of your black beauties, and less shooting and handling of them, it's easy not to notice the differences between one receiver and the other without them being photographed side by side.

I ordered the MIAD GRIP and the $20 TRIGGER GUARD EXTENSION. When they arrived in the mail, I grab my DPMS 308 out of the safe and get my tools ready to do the installation. Lo and behold I find out a DPMS 308 RECEIVER DOESN'T HAVE A REMOVABLE TRIGGER GUARD!  Man, that pissed me off!..... so I immediately realized that it must not have been 308's that some guys had posted in the 308 picture thread.

Oh well, I figured, No big deal. I'll just stick that little $20 part on one of my 5.56 rifles. But, then I find out that the MIAD grip was not designed to hold the back spring that retains the DPMS 308 back take-down pin either. OK....so off I got to my work-shop to install a filler plug into the back of the MIAD grip.

So....YOU NEWBIES BEWARE. Yes, the MIAD grip is cool, but if you're installing it onto a DPMS 308, be prepared to do a little bit of  handy work.  

112 views and no comments? You know.....you guys remind me of the pervs at a strip joint. You stare, you grunt, and then without saying a word, you walk away to go to the next table!  

You mean nobody else here has ever got stuck buying the MIAD grip thinking it would fit on their DPMS 308 ??
It's two days later now, and I'm still waiting for a return call from MAGPUL to hear whether or not they make an adapter.

I spent 2 1/2 hours figuring out how to fabricate a part out of solid epoxy putty to get that grip to work with my 308.

Actually it is pretty common knowledge. Probably no one is commenting because we were all talked out over the subject....three years ago.

I found a couple years ago that most after market grips do not fit well on the DPMS LR-308 lowers. I did the take down pin mod on my lower with the 4-40 tap and set screw after I discovered that issue. The only grip I found to fit well enough to my liking was the SPR Target grip. That is what I am using now.

eta: http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=14294&title=AR-15/M16%20SPR%20PISTOL%20GRIP

I did the mod on my AR-10 for the same reason, and works great with the MIAD and the SPR....

No affiliation with the seller, posting link for the pics...

http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=7&f=125&t=648189

Edit for clarification: I took for granted that people may not be aware that the location for the hole for the detent on a .308 is in a different location than an AR-15. The locations are different, but the principal is the same.

My SPR grip fits fine with no mods.

Well I didn't find out until just now. But then not being in a position to afford a .308 AR I never really paid that close attention to such threads either.

Pretty much everyone read your post, thought about finding a Red Forman Motivational Poster for a couple seconds, then decided to move to something else.

So what production pistol grip does have 2 detent spring holes?  None that I know of, if you drill out a hole, your rear takedown pin detent will not have enough spring tension on it.  But that might not matter since you spend more time on the net instead of using your weapon

I just wanted some commentary from a few of you guys just to confirm that this is the deal with the MIAD, and that it will not work without modification.This is an easy trap to fall into, as I haven't seen any merchants advise that it cannot be readily installed onto a DPMS 308. Now, I know too!!

PSYWAR, Thanks for the help.  Makes me feel just like being right at home with my mother-in-law.

I honestly can't understand why Magpul doesn't correct the problem. If I can improvise and install an epoxy "crown" that fits into the grip cap to produce a platform for the spring, then Magpul sure should be able to figure it out. They would sell a LOT more MIADs if they could readily adapt to the DPMS.

I looked at a DPMS 308 receiver that I have, and I think PSYWAR is right. This set-screw modification shown in that link would not work. HOWEVER, I think the permanent solution  is to; 1) Drill a hole close to that spring hole. 2)Thread the hole. 3) Then counterbore a larger hole 1/8" deep  over the top of the threaded hole. 4)Then screw a fine machine bolt down into the hole so the head of the bolt is holding the spring down. The bolt head will be sitting below the surface inside the larger counterbored hole so the grip can sit over it.  

The set screw mod will work for the MIAD. The rear take down pin does not need a hole in the grip. I did my mod to the take down spring and pin when I too tried the MIAD basic grip and discovered there was nothing to hold the spring in. After modifying the hole, I didn't like the way the MIAD fit. Like a lot of grips I tried on the LR-308, I didn't sit flush at the rear of the lower.

(edited for clarity)

My work here is done, thats all Ive ever aspired to be, someones motherinlaw

I put a Mk11Mod2 pistol grip on my DPMS SASS, which is really only a Coyote Brown A2 Grip.  Before that I had a Tango Down and before that an Ergo.  Im not just a member of the pistol grip of the month club, im its president.  I have a MIAD that was given to me, never put it on a weapon as it was just too busy for me.  But since I was a little harsh, Im to pull it out and see what problem your having.  

The issue that I see with the set screw type mod is that you have to cut that detent spring, and even after you cut it, its free running end is not going to interface with either the detent, or the pistol grip the way it should

Hello Dave,

You are overlooking the fact that THIS IS NOT A 5.56 RECEIVER   That link showing how to use a set screw was contrived around a 5.56 receiver.

I JUST FINISHED STUDYING A 308 RECEIVER AGAIN FOR YOU, and I just don't see a good way to drill it. If you drill a hole from the back plate area of the receiver, (as shown in the link) right accross to the spring hole, you will be drilling midway or less through the hole and NOT have enough spring tension. (This is the problem that our friendly Psywar was trying to explain.) You would have to attempt to drill at an extreme angle to intercept the spring hole near the top. Drilling accross is scary either way, as there's a good chance your drill bit will come out of the side of the receiver!!

If you can understand what I was describing about using a counter-sunk screw head to hold the spring down ( in my last post), that would be the safest and easiest method. The drilling is done at the top, requires only about a 1/4" deep hole, and any ugly machine marks you might make would be covered by the grip. Right now my "epoxy crown" grip insert seems like it should work. But I will not attempt it again next time.There there are better ways.  (I can also fabricate a brass wire brace next time to fit in the grip.....if I don't want to drill and alter a receiver in any way)

Yes, I do agree with you and I see the gap at the back of the grip. It personally doesn't bother me, as I think the grip is cool looking, holds batteries, and fills my hand fully how I like.  

Psywar,

I was typing at the same time you were posting.

Do you agree that unlike the 5.56 receiver, trying to drill across the .308 receiver to intercept that fine spring hole would be very difficult, and there's a good chance one would drill through the side.

Drilling on a metal part that is the serial numbered gun, just to try and make a plastic part not designed to work with it fit, is never a smart idea.  I went and pulled out the MIAD, my way to fix the issue would be to simply use some modeling clay to plug the screw hole, then marine tex the portion of the pistol grip that interfaces with the lower.  This would also allow you to fill the gap on the back side of the grip.  Anyway, for me of all the pistol grips, I really prefer the tango down, but have the Mk11Mod2 grip on there just because im trying to make my SASS as close to a real mk 11 as possible.  

Wow, your DPMS LR-308 must be different than mine. The rear take down pin on mine works as it does on the AR-15, except the hole is drilled from below and the spring and pin is held in by the flat surface of the pistol grip. The AR-15 hole is drilled from the rear and uses the egg plate to hold these items in. It would take a really long spring to have the hole come from the rear on the DPMS LR-308. The 4-40 set screw mod (tap hole, cut a couple coils off of spring, insert pin, spring and tightened set screw until flush) allows you to take off the grip on the LR-308 or the egg plate on the AR-15 without launching the parts. It will also allow the use of the MIAD grips which are pretty well hollowed out inside.

The set screw mod is a good idea, but its not a perfect solution.  As everyone has said, you have to cut 1-2 coils off the detent spring.  Im just a mostly self trained gun plumber, so I dont have proper terminology, but here it goes.

Springs have that "Ending Coil" that is wound differently than the rest of the spring, it allows the spring to sit flat against the detent, and whatever other flat surface, so that it provides spring tension.  When you cut that end coil off, you have a free running end of the spring that now, instead of being captured, can wander off into neverneverland and cause the detent to loose spring tension.  if you put the free running end against the detent, it can wiggle up and jam the detent, if you put it down, it can migrate into the threads

If you get special made springs, then you loose your interoperability of takedown pin springs

Dave,

Geees....Louise!  I hadn't looked at a 5.56 receiver to know that their is already a hole there at the plate. (I have never disassembled the stock from my AR15 rifles). I dug up a new AR15 receiver out of its wrapping to look at it and see the hole there. I realize now that what you are saying is that nobody is drilling anything! They are simply starting with the hole that's there and tapping it with threads.

I didn't realize that this is essentially what you have been trying to tell me to do with the existing hole in my DPMS 308 receiver just as it is. All I need to do is tap it and apply an allen screw. (possibly drill it to enlarge it if necessary, and also remove a coil or two)

Dang....simple enough!

Thanks for your patience in getting that through to me. That's a very simple and efficient modification with very minor defacing/screwing-around of the receiver.

I took for granted that people may not be aware that the location for the hole for the detent on a .308 is in a different location than an AR-15. The locations are different, but the principal is the same.

All you need to do is tap the existing hole with a 4-40 tap and use a 1/8" set screw to cap it, and cut a couple of coils off the spring for it to fit.

Its a very easy mod and has been in use for quite some time.

Glad I could help. Just make sure you have extra springs and detents on hand in case your spring uncoils and looses it's springyosity or worse, swallows your detent and wonders off

Maybe in theory but not in real life.  I've done all 20 of my AR-15s this way and not a single one of them have had a problem with the cut end of the spring moving into the threads of the plug set screw (that I know of).  Do not put the cut end against the detent but on the set screw end and there will be no problems.  It is only a problem in theory, not reality where it counts.  One might ask how many times have I removed the plug to find out, well, it just so happens that I was paranoid about the cut end also and the first four or five I did so I removed them several times over a few months just to make sure.