Rifle alignment ring mount system

Abstract

A rifle having a ring mount system including a lower receiver connected to an upper receiver having a barrel; a handguard mounted over and around the barrel, the handguard having a mounting aperture; a barrel nut concentrically provided between the barrel and the handguard; one or more fasteners to secure the handguard to the barrel nut; a keyway groove formed annularly on the barrel nut to receive the fasteners when assembled. The fasteners pass through the mounting aperture of the handguard and securely rest in the keyway groove to align the handguard to the barrel nut and the barrel. The handguard includes a core surrounded by one or more exterior layers defining a shape of the handguard. The core is formed a predetermined thickness and allows the one or more exterior layers to form a desired exterior shape.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A rifle having a ring mount system comprising:
 (a) a lower receiver connected to an upper receiver having a barrel;   (b) a handguard configured to mount over and around the barrel, the handguard having a mounting aperture;   (c) a barrel nut configured to concentrically fit between the barrel and the handguard;   (d) one or more fasteners configured to secure the handguard to the barrel nut; and   (e) a keyway groove formed annularly on the barrel nut and configured to receive the one or more fasteners in an assembled configuration;   wherein the one or more fasteners pass through the mounting aperture of the handguard and securely rests in the keyway groove to align and secure the handguard to the barrel nut and the barrel of the upper receiver.   
     
     
         2 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the keyway groove is an annular groove formed circumferentially around the barrel nut. 
     
     
         3 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the barrel nut includes a plurality of keyway grooves spaced apart from each other. 
     
     
         4 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the handguard includes a core surrounded by one or more exterior layers defining a shape of the handguard. 
     
     
         5 . The rifle of  claim 4 , wherein the core is a polymer core of a predetermined thickness configured to allow for the one or more exterior layers of the handguard to form a desired exterior shape. 
     
     
         6 . The rifle of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more exterior layers of the handguard are fiberglass. 
     
     
         7 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener includes a keyway pin configured to pass through the mounting aperture of the handguard to engage and rest in the keyway groove of the barrel nut. 
     
     
         8 . The rifle of  claim 7 , wherein the fastener further includes a pair of end fasteners configured to engage a pair of openings formed on opposite interior ends of the keyway pin to secure the keyway pin in place and hold the barrel nut and handguard together. 
     
     
         9 . The rifle of  claim 8 , wherein the end fasteners are screws and the openings of the keyway pin are threaded to receive the screws and the mounting aperture of the handguard is sized and shaped to form a cavity to receive the screw and hold the keyway pin in place against the annular keyway groove. 
     
     
         10 . The rifle of  claim 9 , wherein the cavity formed on the handguard is configured to provide a flush appearance absent a flange or other extended feature that extends away from a natural contour of the handguard. 
     
     
         11 . The rifle of  claim 1 , further comprising an internal seating ring of the barrel nut to provide perpendicularity with an exterior surface of the barrel nut configured for alignment of handguard in relation to barrel. 
     
     
         12 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the barrel nut includes one or more wrench holes positioned around the barrel nut and configured to allow for tightening of the barrel nut on the barrel. 
     
     
         13 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the handguard mounts over the barrel nut and the fasteners are configured to prevent linear movement longitudinally along the barrel. 
     
     
         14 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the keyway grooves are configured to allow for alignment of the handguard over the barrel. 
     
     
         15 . The rifle of  claim 1 , wherein the upper receiver and the lower receiver are configured to engage with each other in an assembled configuration by aligning and pressing an exterior portion of the upper receiver into an interior portion of the lower receiver. 
     
     
         16 . The rifle of  claim 15 , further comprising a lug positioned on the upper receiver and a plunger pin provided in a hole defined within the interior portion of the lower receiver; wherein the plunger pin is configured to engage with the lug and generate a spring-loaded tension when the upper receiver and the lower receiver are engaged in an assembled configuration. 
     
     
         17 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the plunger pin is threadedly connected to the lower receiver within a hole of the lower receiver and the plunger pin includes a body enclosing an interior tension spring pressed against a plunger button that extends out from the body to abut the lug. 
     
     
         18 . The rifle of  claim 16 , wherein the lug defines an alignment groove formed on a lower surface of the lug and the plunger pin is configured to press against and into the alignment groove to reduce movement between the upper receiver and the lower receiver when assembled. 
     
     
         19 . The rifle of  claim 18 , wherein the alignment groove is sized and shaped to receive the plunger button and configured to reduce lateral movement of the upper receiver and the lower receiver relative to each other in an assembled configuration and generate compression of the plunger button against the tension spring forming vertical tension between the upper receiver and the lower receiver. 
     
     
         20 . A ring mount system for use with a hunting rifle, the system comprising:
 (a) a barrel nut configured to concentrically fit between a barrel of a rifle and a handguard, the handguard having one or more mounting apertures;   (b) one or more fasteners configured to secure the handguard to the barrel nut; and   (c) a keyway groove formed annularly on the barrel nut and configured to receive the one or more fasteners in an assembled configuration;   wherein the one or more fasteners are configured to pass through the mounting aperture of the handguard and securely rest in the keyway groove to align and secure the barrel nut to the handguard and the barrel of the rifle.