In a market flooded with attachments and accessories for ARs, it’s hard to find pieces that make a difference. For years I was using Bravo Company’s KAG grip and overall it’s great value for the money. For $20, you get a fairly tough hand stop for your AR that can handle a fair amount of punishment without any issues. I was checking out a video online and saw an updated version of Dan Brokos’s hand stop and ultimately decided to order one. I’ve been using one for the last 3-4 months and figured it’s time to give it a proper shakedown. Let’s check out the LFT Brokos Brace Hand Stop from Dan Brokos of Lead Faucet Tactical.

Specs

The LFT Brokos Brace Hand Stop is an interesting middle area when it comes to hand stops and vertical grips. Dan Brokos received ATF approval for the hand stop since it’s short enough to be classified as a hand stop rather than a vertical grip. The hand stop is long enough to be used as a gripping point with 3 out of my 4 fingers fitting onto it with my pinky hanging off.

Currently, the LFT hand stop is only for M-LOK attachments and weighs just over 9.5 oz. It’s made of 6061-T6 aluminum and its overall construction is pretty rigid. The Brokos Brace Hand Stop is coated in a Black – MIL-A-8625, Type-III, class 2 hard coat anodizing. It seems to be made to last with the hard coat anodizing along with the screws being stainless steel with a black nitride finish. Currently, the Brokos Brace hand stop is priced on their website for $59.00.

Range Time

When I first installed the Brokos Brace hand stop, I was pretty excited to test out the durability of it. If I’m honest, I have broken a couple of BCM KAG grips on barricades in the past. With the LFT hand stop being made of aluminum instead of polymer, I thought it would be more durable to the type of abuse I put my guns through. I beat my first hand stop up pretty hard with hitting the barricades and applying pressure for steady shots without any issues. The overall size and shape contours to your hand and excels at being both a hand stop or a vertical grip. Honestly, it just depends on what position you’re shooting in and what you need it to be for your style grip.

The texturized notches on all four sides make gripping the hand stop extremely easy and lock securely into your hand whether it’s raining and wet or you’re shooting with gloves on. The texture is supportive but does not chew up your hand like some of the other textured hand stops on the market today. I’ve used the LFT hand stop during all my drills over the last 3 months as well as the last dozen or so range sessions. Throughout all those range sessions, it hasn’t had a single issue or been damaged or bent despite being hit on barricades and used hard a fair number of times. It may cost more than your standard BCM KAG grip but the level of durability and quality is well worth it in my book.

One thing I was curious about was the amount of heat transfer that would occur when the AR started to heat up from firing. I installed the LFT hand stop on a 10.5 AR pistol I use regularly along with my MCX Rattler. Both guns I fired around 150-200 rounds at a rapid pace during drills and had no issues with heat transfer despite the rails becoming warmer over time. There were a couple of times I switched to a vertical grip hold because my hand was starting to get hot even with a glove on.

Who is Dan Brokos?

When purchasing the hand stop, I wasn’t sure who exactly Dan was until I did some research. Dan Brokos is a retired United States Army Special Forces Sergeant Major with a pretty impressive background. Dan spent 26 years in the military and was all across the world from Bosnia and Kosovo to Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa. After serving as a Green Beret for many years, he went back and became an instructor for the special forces sniper course until he retired and started teaching courses in the private sector. He is now CEO and head trainer of Lead Faucet Tactical.

I had a chance to chat with Dan about what made him design his own hand stop or in his word a “Do-Hickey”. He expressed his search for the perfect support attachment over the last few years and couldn’t find one, so he decided to just make his own. I respect the fact he designs and sells gear to help the end user with gear he designed after years of experience. When talking about where the idea came from, Dan expressed his frustrations with large vertical grips at the time. He set out to create a streamlined hand stop that worked with his SBR and combat carbines. Dan wanted to move away from the classic broomstick type vertical grip and go with something smaller, streamlined, and rugged.

Photo Courtesy of Lead Faucet Tactical

Overall Thoughts

Over the last few years, I have tried countless vertical grips, hand stops, and other accessories on my guns but none of them have done a better job at being as versatile as the LFT Brokos Brace hand stop. I’m really impressed with how durable it’s proven to be despite smashing it into barricades and putting it through abuse on a weekly basis. It may cost more than a standard KAG grip but for me, the extra cost is well worth the benefits gained from a sturdy hand stop.

The fact an old school Green Beret designed it to help shooters have a solid accessory is an added bonus in my book. Let me know what you think of the LFT hand stop in the comments below. If you have a favorite hand stop or attachment I’d love to hear about that in the comments as well. If you have questions about the LFT hand stop or any other questions don’t hesitate to shoot me a message on my Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!