SHOT Show 2020 Hands on With the Gripknife Tamara Keel January 23, 2020 Join the Conversation At RECOIL, we review every product fairly and without bias. Making a purchase through one of our links may earn us a small commission, and helps support independent gun reviews. Learn More The Gripknife booth was easy to find at SHOT. If the stark red-on-black décor didn’t draw your eye, the life-sized machine gun toting, Gripknife-clenching Incredible Hulk figure probably would. If you were somehow blind to those indicators, the crowd in front of the booth was three people deep and impossible to miss. In case you hadn’t heard about the Gripknife, it’s a spring-loaded knife concealed in a rail-mounted vertical foregrip. The booth staff was explaining to the crowd the situations where their product might come in handy. One example given was that of a patrol officer suddenly tangled up with a bad guy trying to wrestle his carbine away. The Gripknife, it was asserted, would allow him to stab the guy off his gun and open distance again. Another possible case, this time for the private citizen, was in the event of a home invasion by multiple intruders. Suppose, he asked, that the homeowner grabbed his trusty AR carbine and, focused in on one invader, didn’t notice his partner until the guy bum-rushed him and started fighting him for the gun? The Gripknife was offered as a solution to this problem as well. Whatever one’s opinions on its utility, it seems to be well made and cleverly engineered. For instance, the button that releases the grip and auto-deploys the blade is mounted on the “sheath” part that attaches to the gun. Since it’s not on the knife part of the assembly, it neatly skirts switchblade laws. The Gripknife isn’t cheaply built, and it’s priced accordingly. The full-size version sports an MSRP of $490, while the stubby-gripped variant is a hundred dollars less expensive. Why you can trust RECOIL Since our founding in 2012, RECOIL remains the premier firearms lifestyle publication for the modern shooting enthusiast. We deliver cutting-edge coverage of guns, gear, accessories and technology. We go beyond basic reviews, providing no B.S. buyer’s guides, hands-on testing and expert analysis on everything from firearms and survival equipment to watches and vehicles. Our reviewers are the backbone of our operation and come from diverse shooting backgrounds: Former law enforcement, military veterans, competitive shooters, seasoned hunters and plain old firearms enthusiasts. Furthermore, we’re not just gun experts, but dedicated journalists who adhere to the strictest standards of our profession. At RECOIL, editorial independence is the foundation of everything we publish and the cornerstone of reader trust. Our editors, writers and content creators make all editorial decisions independently, free from outside influence. That boils down to: advertisers don’t dictate our coverage, the outcomes of our reviews or what we recommend in our buyer’s guides. First and always, our commitment is to our audience—ensuring every review and article is accurate, unbiased, and driven by real-world experience. Whether you’re selecting your next firearm, upgrading your gear, or exploring the latest innovations in the shooting world, RECOIL provides the trusted insights you need to make informed decisions. Learn more about our Editorial Standards and how we review products. NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Target Pack from RECOILFor years, RECOIL magazine has treated its readers to a full-size (sometimes full color!) shooting target tucked into each big issue. Now we've compiled over 50 of our most popular targets into this one digital PDF download. From handgun drills to AR-15 practice, these 50+ targets have you covered. Print off as many as you like (ammo not included). Get your pack of 50 Print-at-Home targets when you subscribe to the RECOIL email newsletter. We'll send you weekly updates on guns, gear, industry news, and special offers from leading manufacturers - your guide to the firearms lifestyle.You want this. Trust Us.