Hand Guard Assembly for Securely Attaching to a Firearm

• US 20100126054A1
• Filed: 01/28/2010
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Defense, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Daniel Defense, Inc.
• Inventors: Rice, Eric M., Daniel, Marvin C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,359,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 42/71.10
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/16 Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards pump-action guns F41C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention can include a hand guard assembly for securely attaching to a firearm. According to one embodiment, a hand guard assembly can be provided for a firearm having an upper receiver and a barrel. The hand guard assembly can include a barrel nut operable to mount the barrel to the upper receiver of the firearm. The hand guard assembly can also include a hand guard having a receiving channel about an interior portion of the hand guard. The receiving channel can be sized and shaped to receive the barrel nut such that the hand guard can be secured to the barrel nut by a securing mechanism when the hand guard is positioned about the barrel of the firearm.

Claims

1. A hand guard assembly for a firearm, the firearm having an upper receiver and a barrel, the hand guard assembly comprising:

a barrel nut operable to mount the barrel to the upper receiver;

a hand guard comprising a receiving channel about an interior portion of the hand guard, the receiving channel being sized and shaped to receive the barrel nut; and

a securing mechanism configured to secure the hand guard to the barrel nut.

2. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the barrel nut is sized and shaped to fit wholly within the receiving channel.

3. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the receiving channel is sized and shaped to encapsulate the barrel nut.

4. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the barrel nut comprises a substantially cylindrical ring shape; and

the receiving channel comprise a substantially annular channel shape.

5. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the barrel nut comprises a longitudinal outer surface; and

the receiving channel comprises a longitudinal inner surface positioned in close proximity to the outer surface of the barrel nut when the barrel nut is within the receiving channel to limit movement of the hand guard in a radial direction.

6. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the barrel nut comprises forward and rearward lateral faces; and

the receiving channel comprises forward and rearward lateral rims extending about portions of the lateral faces of the barrel nut when the barrel nut is in the receiving channel to limit movement of the hand guard in a longitudinal direction.

7. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the hand guard comprises a plurality of hand guard members and the hand guard assembly further comprises:

a coupling mechanism configured to couple at least some of the hand guard members together about the barrel; and

wherein at least one of the hand guard members defines at least a portion of the receiving channel.

8. The hand guard assembly of claim 7, wherein the coupling mechanism is adapted to withstand vibration.

9. The hand guard assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of hand guard members comprises an upper hand guard member and a lower hand guard member.

10. The hand guard assembly of claim 9, wherein the upper hand guard member comprises a rail platform extending forward from a rearward edge of the upper hand guard member and providing a relatively continuous mounting platform with a rail platform on the upper receiver when the hand guard is secured to the barrel nut.

12. The hand guard assembly of claim 1, wherein the securing mechanism is operable to secure the hand guard to the barrel nut by applying a clamping force in a generally longitudinal direction.

13. The hand guard assembly of claim 12, wherein the securing mechanism comprises a fastener operable to apply a clamping force in a generally longitudinal direction against a lateral face of the barrel nut to capture the barrel nut between the fastener and a lateral rim of the receiving channel.

11. The hand guard assembly of 1, wherein the hand guard comprises at least one rail platform on at least a portion of an exterior surface of the hand guard.

14. A method for installing a hand guard on a firearm, the firearm having an upper receiver and a barrel, the method comprising:

positioning a hand guard about the barrel such that a receiving channel about an interior portion of the hand guard receives a barrel nut, the barrel nut being operable to mount the barrel to the upper receiver; and

securing the hand guard to the barrel nut.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein securing the hand guard to the barrel nut comprises applying a clamping force in a generally longitudinal direction against a lateral face of the barrel nut.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the hand guard about the barrel forms an air gap about the barrel.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein positioning the hand guard about the barrel forms a generally continuous mounting profile with the upper receiver.

18. A firearm comprising:

an upper receiver;

a barrel;

a barrel nut;

a hand guard comprising a receiving channel defined about an interior portion of the hand guard, the receiving channel being sized and shaped to receive the barrel nut; and

a securing mechanism configured to secure the hand guard to the barrel nut.

19. The firearm of claim 18, wherein the firearm comprises at least one of the following:

an M-16 style rifle, an AR-15 style rifle, an AR-10 style rifle, or an M-4 style rifle.

20. The firearm of claim 18, wherein the hand guard is sized and shaped to form an air gap about the barrel.