Patent ID: 8347540

Claim:
A mounting facility for connection to a firearm with a barrel extending to define a forward direction, a rear end of the barrel being received by a forward end of an upper receiver, and a barrel nut having a body removably securing the rear end of the barrel to the forward end of the upper receiver, the facility comprising: a tubular forestock having a bore sized to closely receive the body of the barrel nut; the tubular forestock having a tapered wedge portion; the tapered wedge portion defining a gap therein; a tapered clamp element adapted to fit over the wedge; the clamp element being operable to squeeze the gap as the clamp element is pushed onto the wedge; and the squeezing of the gap being operable to clamp the tubular forestock to the body of the barrel nut; wherein the body of the barrel nut includes a mating feature; wherein the tubular forestock includes a mating feature that is intended to engage the mating feature on the body of the barrel nut, the mating features preventing longitudinal movement of the tubular forestock while the mating features are engaged with one another; and wherein the clamp element and wedge portion each include a screw hole that receives a screw, the screw pushing the clap element onto the wedge portion when the screw is tightened.