I am going to replace the grips on a couple of my rifles and was wondering if the MOE feels the same as the Miad. I don’t really need the inserts and all that but love the feel of the Miad on one of my other guns. I have never seen the MOE in person.
They feel the same. I perfer the MOE because it doesn’t have the whizbang inserts & I am generally put off by grips that have the bump separating my middle finger from my ring & pinky fingers . . . or any of those bumps for that matter. For me, this
could only be made worse with a cheesy backstrap insert. The MOE is pretty much the polar opposite & that makes it “just right” for me.
I have both and the MIAD feels grippier because of the backstrap texture (same as the sides).
The backstrap size I use on the MIAD comes out to the same size as the MOE. For cost, MOE.
Look at the Ergo grips. I have found them to be a better alternative to most everything I have tried, OEM, MOE, MIAD, etc. I would like to try the SPR Grip on my Recce if I could find one in a color other than black.
I like my MIAD.
I started off with a MIAD and changed the grip around a bit. I finally settled in the now MOE configuration. I have used two new MOE grips since because they are one solid piece. The backstrap is slightly different texturing but not bad at all. The MOE plate is noisy and can be filled in with a MIAD insert. The cheaper price doesn’t hurt either.
The MOE grip is essentially a single piece MIAD with the medium backstrap and the A1 front strap. It has a much more open bottom compartment.
I have larger hands than average and prefer the MIAD with the large backstrap. With the large backstrap, many people with smaller hands cannot reach the controls as well on the lower, so the MOE, or as mentioned above, the Ergo grip might be a great option as well. The MOE Plus grips with the rubber overmold should be available at some point too.
For me, a big advantage of the MIAD is that it comes with a front strap that can replace the trigger guard, and it is nice on the fingers.
I’ve used a MIAD several times and loved it, so I bought one of the basic kits today for my AR… I might get to shoot it this week but probably this weekend for sure.
After comparing both side by side.
MIAD: More aggressive texture. The stripling has more depth making it feel more rough. It also has the same rough texture on the back strap.
MOE: Has a smoother feel. There is no rough texture on the back strap instead there are shallow horizontal serrations on the back. The grip feels more slick over all.
So it depends what you want and how much $ you want to spend. The MIAD is more aggressive giving you a non-slip grip and the MOE is cheaper and smoother.
I prefer the rougher texture of the MIAD as it allows me to have a more postive grip even when my hands are all sweaty.
The full maid kit also includes a built in trigger guard on one of the front straps. It completely eliminates the the gap on the trigger guard to grip.
The MOE is plenty grippy for me but a couple minutes with a soldering iron will give it a much more grippy feel.
I found I was buying MIAD kits, and configuring it just like what the MOE is anyways. The only thing I wish the MOE had that comes with the MIAD is the grip cap that doesn’t rattle round and has some utility.
Does the full MIAD kit that includes the Enhanced Trigger Guard have the rough spots on either side of the trigger guard where it is pinned at the rear, just below the trigger? I’ve installed nearly a dozen MOE grips, and over half of those got the ETG at the same time. It’s not a problem when shooting, but during manipulations without gloves (Which is most of the time for me) it causes blisters on the second finger just like “the gap” does for both left and right handed shooting. I spent 5 minutes with a small file and 60 seconds with some black touch up paint and it was fine, definitely an improvement.
I realize Magpul has to make the part so that it can fit as many lowers made by as many manufacturers as possible, but the sharp ridges on either side of the ETG should be tapered a little more instead of a knife edge. It won’t be a problem if the fit is absolutely perfect, but I’ve yet to see an “in spec” tier 1 rifle or lower that didn’t have a sizeable gap on both sides once the ETG was installed. I’m looking forward to trying the new MOE texture when it becomes available. I forgot to mention that I am talking about the aluminum ETG, I haven’t seen the plastic ones installed yet.
Sorry best pic I could find I know there is a better one floating out there some were.
I personally like the MIAD better, but I have pretty large hands and use the largest backstrap.
If you don’t have large hands or long fingers, maybe the MOE will work great for you and save you a little cash.
the MIAD has a front insert that has the trigger guard integrated as one piece with the front insert, it secures by an allen screw I believe on the other end. MIAD is more adaptable with all the different sizes, Im using the biggest backstrap. I think the texture is more aggressive on the MIAD also vs the MOE.
Can anyone here tell me from their personal experience whether the MIAD with the integrated Enhanced Trigger Guard has the same gap at the rear of the trigger guard as this installation? Every lower I have installed the Enhanced Trigger Guard on has this problem. You can see a small silver area where I have to file down the very sharp aluminum edges, this pic was taken before it was touched up with black paint. Thanks.
Yes it does but the gap is very small on mine I can not get my finger nail in between the trigger guard and the ear of the receiver. Its not sharp on the maid it is rounded some what. Never given me a problem with it rubbing a sore spot if that helps any. LMT lower BTW
After posting this the gap is so small I can take the larue business card that shows the adjustment instructions and force fully shove it in the gap and it holds it tight if that makes sense to you.
After buying a MIAD once after a MOE because the store I got it from was out of stock, I use only MOE now. The MOE fits my hand perfectly, costs less, and looks more streamlined. I wish they came with the MIAD floorplate, however, and cover that gap.
Thanks Thomas,
That’s a great explanation and just what I wanted to know. I thought the MIAD grip panel with the built in ETG would be a tighter fit. That’s probably why the ETG is shaped the way it is, but it seems like they could make a smoother contour so that it’s not a problem when the tolerances aren’t as tight. I guess it’s just me, and it’s an easy fix anyway. Thanks for the help.
R/
Dave
There is not a pin for the rear part of the trigger guard I am assuming they make it slightly larger because with the front set screw removed my front part of the trigger guard gets pushed down slightly. So using the set screw in the front puts a TINY bit of tension on the trigger guard. Its a tight fit on my LMT.