Patent ID: 8020334

Claim:
In combination, a grenade launcher including an elongated barrel defining a central axis of elongation, wherein the barrel of said grenade launcher comprises a cylindrical barrel portion having a hand guard thereover, said hand guard comprising a series of spaced parallel raised rings, and an accessory mounting structure for being affixed to said cylindrical barrel portion of said grenade launcher, without requiring drilling or other permanent modification of the grenade launcher, said accessory mounting structure comprising: at least two mounting rings, each mounting ring being made up of two mating ring halves, one of said mating ring halves comprising a threaded bore and the other comprising a bore for receiving a threaded fastener, whereby said ring halves can be secured to one another and together define a C-shaped inside surface contacting the cylindrical barrel portion of said grenade launcher in the interstices between the spaced parallel raised rings, so as to be clamped securely thereto; said mounting ring halves each comprising at least two bosses for receiving one or more separate accessory mounting rails, such that when the at least two mounting rings are clamped around and spaced along the cylindrical barrel portion of said grenade launcher, the bosses are spaced circumferentially around the mounting rings and spaced from one another parallel to the axis of elongation of the cylindrical barrel portion of said grenade launcher, whereby at least two accessory mounting rails can be secured to said mounting rings, providing plural locations at which accessories can be securely received.