Patent ID: 8336243

Claim:
A semi-automatic or automatic rifle comprising: a receiver having a receiver frame; a barrel removably connected to the receiver frame; a removable hand guard section extending over and generally surrounding a portion of the barrel, the removable hand guard section removably connected to the receiver; a hand guard capture coupled to the barrel; the removable hand guard section having a locating feature adapted to engage the capture and locate the hand guard relative to the capture; the removable hand guard section having a mounting rail portion comprising a first non-polymeric material that has portions embedded into a polymer used to mold a body portion of the removable hand guard section, wherein other portions are not embedded into the polymer, the portions of the first non-polymeric material being embedded into the polymer during a molding process of the body portion; the barrel having a locking collar adapted to removably position and lock the removable hand guard section relative to the receiver frame and the barrel; wherein the removable hand guard floats in position relative to the barrel; and wherein the first non-polymeric material is configured to define a rail and the portions are flanges that extend along opposites sides of the rail.