Hand guard attachment system for firearms

• US 8,726,557 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: REM TML Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: RA Brands LLC (RA Factors, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stone, Jeffrey W., Matteson, David O.
• Primary Examiner(s): CLEMENT, MICHELLE RENEE
• Application Number:
  US12/820,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20100319231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 42/710.1, 42/72, 421/24
• US Class Current: 42/71.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/00 Butts; Butt plates; Stocks handles for carrying smallarms F41C33/08
• CPC Class Codes: F41C 23/16 Forestocks; Handgrips; Hand guards pump-action guns F41C7/02
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 11/003 Mountings with a dove tail element, e.g. "Picatinny rail systems"
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49963 Threaded fastener

Abstract

A hand guard attachment assembly for a firearm having a barrel and a receiver fastened to the barrel by a barrel nut. The hand guard attachment assembly includes a forearm having a monolithic mounting rail/hand guard that is removably connected to the receiver. The monolithic rail/hand guard interfaces with an integral multi-slot mounting portion of the receiver. A cinch block is mated to the slots of the receiver and held in place by the monolithic rail/hand guard. A tension block is mated at one end of the monolithic rail/hand guard and is attached to the cinch block by a fastener to securely hold the monolithic rail/hand guard in place.

Claims

1. A firearm comprising:

a receiver having an integral multi-slot rail portion including at least one transverse slot formed along a top surface of the receiver;

a barrel removably connected to the receiver;

a forearm including a monolithic mounting rail/hand guard removably connected to the receiver wherein the monolithic rail/hand guard interfaces with the integral rail portion of the receiver;

a cinch block having at least one projection adapted to engage and mate with the at least one transverse slot of the receiver, the cinch block configured to engage and be held in place by the monolithic rail/hand guard;

a tension block mated with a rear end of the monolithic rail/hand guard and attached to the cinch block by a fastener wherein the mating engagement of the tension block with the monolithic rail/hand guard and the cinch block with the at least one transverse slot of the receiver removably secures the monolithic rail/hand guard to the receiver.

2. The firearm of claim 1 further comprising a barrel nut to fasten the barrel to the receiver.

3. The firearm of claim 2 further comprising at least one mounting bolt that passes through a hole in the barrel nut into a threaded hole in the forearm to affix the monolithic rail/hand guard to the firearm.

4. The firearm of claim 1 wherein the integral multi-slot rail portion of the top of the receiver comprises a Picatinny rail.

5. The firearm of claim 4 wherein the monolithic rail/hand guard comprises an integral female Picatinny mount that interfaces with the Picatinny rail surface on the top of the receiver.

6. The firearm of claim 1 wherein the at least one transverse slot of the receiver comprises a plurality of transverse slots, and the at least one projection of the cinch block comprises a plurality of projections that interface with the plurality of slots of the integral multi-slot rail portion of the receiver.

7. The firearm of claim 1 wherein the cinch block and tension block hold the monolithic rail/hand guard in a fixed position during operation of the firearm.

8. A hand guard attachment assembly for a firearm having a barrel and a receiver fastened to the barrel by a barrel nut, the hand guard attachment assembly comprising:

a forearm including a monolithic mounting rail/hand guard removably connected to the receiver wherein the monolithic rail/hand guard interfaces with an integral multi-slot mounting portion of the receiver, the internal multi-slot mounting portion of the receiver comprising at least one transverse slot formed along an upper surface of the receiver;

a cinch block mated to the at least one transverse slot of the receiver and configured to engage the monolithic rail/hand guard so as to be held in place along the receiver by the monolithic rail/hand guard;

a tension block mated to a rear end of the monolithic rail/hand guard and attached to the cinch block by a fastener for connecting the monolithic rail/hand guard to the receiver.

9. The hand guard attachment assembly of claim 8 and further comprising at least one mounting bolt that passes through a hole in the barrel nut into a threaded hole in the forearm to affix the monolithic rail/hand guard to the barrel nut of the firearm.

10. The hand guard attachment assembly of claim 8 wherein the monolithic rail/hand guard comprises an integral female Picatinny mount that interfaces with a Picatinny rail surface on the top of the receiver.

11. The hand guard attachment assembly of claim 8 wherein the at least one transverse slot of the receiver comprises a plurality of slots formed along the upper surface of the receiver, and the cinch block comprises a plurality of projections that interfaces with the plurality of slots of the receiver.

12. The hand guard attachment assembly of claim 9 wherein the cinch block and tension block hold the monolithic rail/hand guard in a fixed position during operation of the firearm.

13. A method for mounting a hand guard attachment assembly to a firearm, comprising:

providing a firearm having a receiver with an integral multi-slot mounting portion comprising at least one transverse slot along an upper surface of the receiver, and a barrel;

mating a cinch block with the at least one transverse slot of the receiver;

mounting a forearm including a monolithic mounting rail/hand guard to the receiver, wherein the monolithic rail/hand guard interfaces with the integral multi-slot mounting portion of the receiver and the cinch block, with the cinch block engaged therebetween; and

mating a tension block to a rear end of the monolithic rail/hand guard extending along the integral multi-slot mounting portion of the receiver, and attaching the tension block to the cinch block by a fastener;

wherein the mating engagement of the tension block with the monolithic rail/hand guard and the cinch block with the at least one transverse slot of the receiver removably secures the monolithic rail/hand guard to the receiver.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising fastening the barrel to the receiver using a barrel nut.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising attaching the monolithic rail/hand guard to the firearm with at least one mounting bolt that passes through a hole in the barrel nut into a threaded hole in the forearm.