Adjustable firearm handguard mounting system

Abstract

An adjustable firearm handguard mounting system configured to facilitate setting the rotation of the handguard relative to a barrel nut and then clamping the handguard to the barrel nut using non-parallel screws.

1 . A device for attaching a handguard to a barrel nut comprising:
 a. a generally cylindrical barrel nut wherein said barrel nut comprises an interior configured to cooperatively couple with a firearm and   b. a handguard:   (i) said handguard comprising a length-wise barrel nut opening configured to cooperatively interface with said barrel nut having an interior diameter configured to slip-fit over said barrel nut, and   (ii) said handguard further comprising a length-wise clamping gap in the circumference of the handguard in at least a portion of the handguard which is configured to slip-fit over said barrel nut.   
     
     
         2 ) The device of claim one wherein:
 a. said barrel nut further comprises at least one groove in the outer surface and   b. said handguard further comprises at least one clamping hole:   (i) said hole comprising a threaded portion originating at the exterior of the handguard on one side of said length-wise gap,   (ii) said hole passing through the length-wise gap, and   (iii) said hole comprising a threaded portion extending into the handguard on the opposing side of the length-wise gap wherein said hole is configured to align with said groove in the outer surface of said barrel nut and wherein said clamping hole is configured such that a screw passing through the clamping hole passes through said groove in the outer surface of said barrel nut.   
     
     
         3 ) The device of claim two wherein:
 a. said generally cylindrical barrel nut further comprises a textured portion of the circumference and   b. wherein said handguard further comprises at least one threaded rotation adjustment hole originating at the exterior of said handguard and terminating in the interior of said handguard in the portion of said handguard which is configured to slip-fit over said barrel nut.   
     
     
         4 ) The device of claim three wherein:
 a. said barrel nut further comprises more than one groove in the outer surface, and   b. said handguard further comprises more than one clamping hole.   
     
     
         5 ) The device of claim four wherein:
 a first clamping hole is not parallel to a second clamping hole.   
     
     
         6 ) The device of claim five wherein:
 said handguard further comprises more than one threaded rotation adjustment hole.   
     
     
         7 ) The device of claim six wherein:
 said one or more threaded rotation adjustment holes in said handguard are not radial to said barrel nut opening.   
     
     
         8 ) The device of claim seven wherein:
 a. said textured portion of said circumference of said barrel nut consists of parallel depressions spaced to match the thread pitch of said threaded rotation adjustment hole(s), and   b. said threaded rotation adjustment hole(s) in said handguard is configured such that the threads of a screw inserted into said threaded rotation adjustment hole(s) cooperatively interface with the textured portion of said circumference of said barrel nut   
     
     
         9 ) The device of claim six wherein:
 said barrel nut further comprises one or more radial holes.   
     
     
         10 ) The device of claim nine wherein:
 said barrel nut further comprises a flattened surface on the exterior of the barrel nut around each said radial hole.