Patent ID: 8234809

Claim:
A hand guard assembly for installing on a firearm, the firearm having a barrel nut with a flange, the hand guard assembly comprising: a plurality of hand guard members; a coupling mechanism configured to couple at least some of the hand guard members together; and a securing mechanism configured to secure at least one of the hand guard members to the barrel nut, the securing mechanism applying a clamping force in a direction generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the firearm, wherein the securing mechanism comprises: a connector adapted to associate at least one of the hand guard members with the barrel nut, wherein the connector is sized and shaped to mate with at least a portion of the flange; and a clamping device comprising a threaded opening formed through the connector and a set screw positioned in the threaded opening, wherein the clamping device is adapted to clamp the connector against the flange of the barrel nut.