Patent ID: 6836990

Claim:
A forearm handguard for a rifle, the handguard comprising: (a) first and second mating half-grip pieces, at least the first half-grip piece defining an elongated body having a generally triangular lateral cross-section with two exterior sides and a mating side, the exterior sides of the triangular cross-section being formed substantially at a right angle to each other, the mating side of the triangular cross-section being centrally hollowed and having outer edges that form a mating surface for mating with the other half-grip piece to enclose an air space surrounding a portion of the rifle barrel; (b) each half-grip piece being an injection molded polymer body; and (c) at least the first half-grip piece having a longitudinally extending accessory mounting rail formed on each of the exterior sides substantially at right angles to each other and recessed in the half-grip piece such that the rails are located inside a laterally extended generally semi-octagonal outline defined by an end wall of the half-grip piece.