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March 25, 2024
From time to time, an individual assesses the status quo and chooses to create something functional that defies contemporary models of the industry. The idea that innovation would equate to improvements in the application is rare. Often, changes are subtle, producing rebranded variations of previous products. Ryker USA observed the end user and the function of the human physique, and went to task. The Ryker Grip is a departure from the norm, breaking the proverbial ceiling and creating an original method of shooter-to-firearm integration. The Ryker Grip is punching its fist through traditional application and slapping down the old for the new.
The Ryker Grip is the idea of a former Marine Special Operations member, Ron Holmes. His time behind the gun has allowed him to find inadequacies in his equipment, and to create solutions in order to survive and win. His primary drive is to assist the armed professional in shooting and moving more effectively, but many of these men are faced with injuries over deployments. This is how the Ryker came to fruition.
The Ryker Grip has a distinct appearance, which perplexed me upon my first view. Upon speaking with Holmes, I became immediately conscious that the Ryker grip is not another dishonest solution eager for a problem, but rather a viable solution to a real tactical problem. Injuries to shoulders, elbows, and hands/wrists are a common problem in armed combat. Armed professionals and those seeking to improve their self-defense capability often find that injuries come with training, sooner or later. The design of the Ryker Grip creates an improved shooter interface with the firearms to which it’s attached, allowing seamless integration. The side-mounted grip almost appears counterintuitive, but it works.
Trust the science.
The concept of the Ryker Grip capitalizes on a few points that virtually no other forward grip in the market can boast. The Ryker Grips are designed with pure function over form. This forward grip is purely utilitarian. Every aspect of the Ryker Grip is designed to assist the shooter. In the world of forward grips, the Ryker Grip is the Diogenes of tactical accessories. The design went through a trial by fire of physical therapists and medical professionals assessing the end user’s direct interface with the grip AND weapon. The position of the individual’s arm lines up the bone structure and reduces both muscular and tendon fatigue, while also greatly reducing felt recoil. Another aspect of the design is that the muscle memory created during pistol shooting translates directlyto the use of the Ryker Grip. There are nuanced differences in grip, but shooting with the Ryker Grip positions the wrist and arm in the same manner seen when shooting a pistol. This shared muscle memory allows for a faster and more seamless shooting experience from pistol to rifle, or vice versa.
The grip’s design also capitalizes on the solidity of the wrist and grip of the hand. The fingers can wrap around the grip, exponentially improving strength over extended time shooting. I personally found that prolonged carry with a Ryker Grip attached reduced pain and discomfort on my wrists while carrying any rifle over an extended period of time. Even the rolling of the rifle for offset sights became more comfortable, as the grip provided improved support when canting the weapon. The Ryker Grip also found a special place among the trailer park gangsters of the gun world, AK’s (Kalashnikov AK-47/AKM’s). Due to the side mounting position, the grip provides excellent support for recoil and weapon control, but doesn’t impede the “rock and lock” magazine insertion seen with the AK platform. This unique outcome provides the Ryker Grip with a niche position in the AK market as the AK continues to explode with the US consumer base.
But wait there’s more!
The Ryker Grip was not a completed design. Mr. Holmes had other obstacles to overcome. And, with any new product, improvements are a given. With the hand placed farther out, a conventionall foregrip can impede the placement of some other tactical accessories that individuals utilize. When an accessory interferes with the real estate on the hand guard, rail adjustments must be made. So, Ryker wanted the end user to have their cake and eat it too. The release of the side-mounted Picatinny rail allows torches or pressure pads to be easily and ergonomically mounted in a position where the thumb has the perfect alignment to operate these products. This acts as a single unit, creating a perfect unity between grip and accessory.
Holmes took it further and released the new system with pressure pad activation integrated directly into the grip, providing a direct interface between the shooter and accessories such as lasers and lights, with the shooter never having to break their grip or use the accessory rail. The grip also supports a robust use of pull/push for controlling the weapon, resulting in recoil mitigation, and driving the muzzle from target to target. Even when used in conjunction with belt-fed machine guns, the Ryker Grip allowed unparalleled control. The innovative design ensures a sense of harmony rarely found in weapon accessories, creating a systemic approach to forward grip and tactical accessories.
The Ryker Grip may not be the right solution for every shooter, all platforms, or specific uses, but there’s no arguing this groundbreaking design destroys preconceived notions of hand placement, establishing a new standard of function. The unabridged design integrating accessories into the design provides a radically new solution. It’s been said that proof is in the pudding. Well, grab a big spoon, take a bite, and see what the Ryker is cooking. This grip will do more than get comments…it gets results.
Company Contact Info:
Ryker USA, LLC
Email Customer Support: support@rykerusa.comEmail Press Inquiries: press@rykerusa.com
Email Sales: sales@rykerusa.com
Website: https://rykerusa.com
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