Fulton and Brownells Retro A1 Pistol Grips Compared > AR-15 / M-16 Retro Forum

Posted: 6/7/2019 7:12:35 PM EDT

Fulton Armory Pistol Grip, A1, New Commercial, AR-15 / .308 AR, part number FA-AL-082-T-NP, $10
Fulton Armory Link

Brownells Retro A1 Pistol Grip, part number 078-000-347WB, $15
Brownells Link

The Fulton Armory Grip comes in a plastic bag, no screw. It has a flat textured surface. I rounded the corners of the section under the trigger guard on this one before I remembered to take pictures, sorry

The Brownells grip comes in a nice box with a hex screw and washer. It has more of a polished or shiny surface.

Fulton on the left, Brownells on the right

The only significant difference I can tell is that the Fulton grip is a bit thicker than the Brownells
At the maximum width, which is towards the bottom of the grip, the Fulton Armory measures 1.275" and the Brownells measures 1.175", so a tenth of an inch difference.

Both appear well made. Both installed without issue.

Sorry Coldblue, but I'm moving away from the duckbill.

Posted: 6/7/2019 7:38:22 PM EDT

[#1]

I like that Fulton one better. Looks like a real one

Posted: 6/7/2019 8:40:19 PM EDT

[#2]

Fat grip vs. Skinny grip.

Posted: 6/7/2019 9:37:09 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Fat grip vs. Skinny grip.

View Quote

Yup. The Brownells grip is a clone of the 601-style ‘skinny grip’.

Posted: 6/8/2019 11:36:35 AM EDT

[#4]

I like the fatter one better myself. I ordered a few more and swapped out the A2 grips on my other rifles

Posted: 6/8/2019 12:34:16 PM EDT

[#5]

Is the checkering recessed in the Brownells grip like the original grips? It looks to be but still hard to tell just looking at a picture. Thanks.

Posted: 6/8/2019 4:26:13 PM EDT

[#6]

Yes the Brownells looks recessed like a 601 grip

Posted: 6/8/2019 4:35:55 PM EDT

[#7]

no, it's raised. You can see that in the picture from the backside

Posted: 6/8/2019 6:31:02 PM EDT

[#8]

I bought an A1 grip from a vendor on here. It's too thick at the top where it meets the receiver, leaving about one-eighth or one-sixteenth of an inch of grip protruding instead of mating up flush with the back of the receiver. It's also too short at the top, so there's a gap between the top of the grip and the receiver. It looks like the Fulton grip, but vendor said it was made by Tony's Customs. It is nice and fat, though. How does the Fulton fit?

Posted: 6/8/2019 7:28:56 PM EDT

[#9]

I needed to knock the corners off, but it fits fine by me

Posted: 6/9/2019 1:23:21 AM EDT

[#10]

Looks a lot like what I received. Yours may fit better. I may try sanding the back of the top part of the grip to make it blend into the receiver better.

Posted: 6/9/2019 1:19:05 PM EDT

[#11]

Just stay well clear of Fulton barrels...
Long story....

Posted: 6/9/2019 10:06:39 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Just stay well clear of Fulton barrels...
Long story....

View Quote

?

"Fulton" barrels are made by criterion and are top of the line.

Posted: 6/10/2019 5:12:30 AM EDT

[#13]

Criterion barrels are great barrels.
That Fulton ruins with shoving tool steel bolts into short chambers causing damage , that is not a proper headspaced bolt.
And fsb that have gaps.
Need Pictures? I have plenty.
Horrible workmanship. You have been warned.

Posted: 6/10/2019 8:44:54 AM EDT

[#14]

This is not a Fulton barrel discussion.

Posted: 6/10/2019 9:48:57 AM EDT

[#15]

I love the thinner Brownells version.

I’d also bought a repro A1 grip from ar15sport.com and it was fatter than the BRN. Maybe Fulton & ar15sport source them from the same vendor.

Posted: 6/21/2019 11:45:53 AM EDT

[#16]

i have and prefer the fulton version

Posted: 7/19/2019 11:00:13 AM EDT

[#17]

I finally went out and shot two rifles side by side with each grip. i strongly prefer the Fulton grip. the Brownells is very thin, so I moved it to my 10-22 Charger.

Posted: 8/21/2019 3:08:41 AM EDT

[#18]

Newbie question here---I have tried searching for the answer on the forums and in the Retro Black Rifle Guide... which models were fitted with the "skinny" vs "fat" grips?

From the above, it looks like the skinny grips (reproduced today by Brownells, 1.175" wide) were used on the 601 and 602. Does this mean the fatter 1.275" grip (reproduced by Fulton) was used on the 603 (E1 and A1) and all the way into the 1980s? Is there any data on what year this change from skinny to fat grip occurred (do we assume with the first intro of the 603 series), or if there was a transition period? Would most of this info come from observation on surviving rifles, or from some written technical source?

FYI, I see that the original 601, 602 grips for sale at AR15Sport give the measurements as 1.160" for the skinny, versus 1.270" for the "later colt grips."

Just for comparison, anyone know the width of the A2 grip? I'd think it's close to the "fat" grip.

Thanks for helping to provide more info.

Posted: 8/21/2019 3:35:26 AM EDT

[#19]

Brownells Pgrip looks "fake".

That squareish angle where the grip meets the square portion looks like they took a modern civilian "A-2" grip and modified it.

Posted: 8/21/2019 7:37:37 AM EDT

[#20]

No problema, fought the whole VN war grasping a pistol grip like that...

Posted: 8/21/2019 7:53:00 PM EDT

[#21]

A follow up to my original question of whether it was just the 601 and 602 that used the skinny grip... Anybody know what type of grip the Colt SP-1 used?

Thanks

Posted: 9/4/2019 8:29:50 PM EDT

[#22]

Now that I have both of them around to compare myself - the Fulton product is superior. It's more solid, and it fits better. The Brownells one is sturdy enough, but it's overly small, and leaves a noticeable gap. The Fulton (and USGI) grips have no such issue.

Posted: 9/4/2019 10:49:03 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Quoted:
A follow up to my original question of whether it was just the 601 and 602 that used the skinny grip... Anybody know what type of grip the Colt SP-1 used?

Thanks

View Quote

Early SP1s has the skinny 602 profile grip.

Posted: 9/7/2019 9:10:56 PM EDT

[#24]

The Brownell's grip looks like it came from the same molds as the ones that Aramalite used to sell on their website, minus the Armalite logo.

Posted: 9/7/2019 9:30:27 PM EDT

[#25]

Quote History

Quoted:

Early SP1s has the skinny 602 profile grip.

View Quote

Only VERY EARLY three digit serial numbered 1964 SP1's had the skinny 602 profile grips. After that, just standard, fatter, Colt grips

Posted: 9/7/2019 9:32:38 PM EDT

[#26]

Quote History

Quoted:
A follow up to my original question of whether it was just the 601 and 602 that used the skinny grip... Anybody know what type of grip the Colt SP-1 used?

Thanks

View Quote

The skinny 602 stlyle grip (with RECESSED checkering) was also used on very early 604's and very early XM16E1's (the ones with square forge REBATED upper receivers).

Posted: 9/7/2019 9:38:41 PM EDT

[#27]

The big question is why use either of the reproduction grips when the Originals are so plentiful?

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