Patent ID: 9702652
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: F41A,F41C

Claim:
1. An apparatus, comprising: a handguard configured to engage a receiver, the handguard including a first protrusion having a first surface and a second protrusion having a second surface, the first surface and the second surface defining a taper angle therebetween; and a barrel nut having an inner portion and an outer portion, the inner portion including a threaded portion and a shoulder, the shoulder configured to engage a shoulder of a barrel to retain the barrel within the receiver when the threaded portion is coupled to a corresponding threaded portion of the receiver, the outer portion of the barrel nut defining an outer diameter such that a gas port of the receiver is exposed independent of a rotational position of the barrel nut relative to the receiver, the outer portion of the barrel nut including an engagement surface and a lock surface, the engagement surface configured to engage a mounting surface of the handguard, the lock surface defining a frusta-conical shape configured to contact a set screw threadedly engaged with the handguard such that rotational movement of the set screw moves the handguard axially relative to the barrel nut, the first surface of the first protrusion configured to engage an outer surface of the receiver on a first side of a receiver rail and the second surface of the second protrusion configured to engage the outer surface of the receiver on a second side of the receiver rail when the mounting surface of the handguard is disposed about the engagement surface of the barrel nut.