Barrel nut assembly and method to attach a barrel to a firearm using such assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9816546-B2
Application number	US-201213562651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2012
Priority date	Jul 31, 2012
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A firearm barrel nut assembly including barrel nut, generally cylindrical in shape with a threaded central bore, and an externally threaded locknut which is used in conjunction with the barrel nut to secure a barrel to a firearm upper receiver. The barrel nut has an integral bushing on its exterior constructed to support either the gas tube or piston of the host firearm's operating system. The barrel nut is configured so that it may be independently and non-rotationally held within a vice or other fixture during installation of the barrel and while the locknut is tightened to a preset torque to hold the barrel in place while the barrel nut is independent of the torque applied to the locknut to properly secure the barrel to the upper receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A barrel nut assembly for connecting a firearm barrel to a receiver of a gas operated rifle, said barrel nut assembly comprising:
a barrel nut which is generally cylindrical in shape and defines a generally longitudinally extending bore extending from a back end of said barrel nut along a longitudinal axis to a front end of said barrel nut, said bore having internal threads to be secured at the back end to an externally threaded front end part of the receiver, the front end of said bore being configured to receive a rear end portion of the firearm barrel therein, said barrel nut further comprising a bushing integrally mounted outwardly radial to a generally cylindrical exterior of said barrel nut and extending along the longitudinal axis of said barrel nut from the back end of said barrel nut to the front end of said barrel nut; and
a locknut having external threads that engage with the internal threads in the barrel nut bore, enabling the locknut to be threadedly received within and connected to the barrel nut, said locknut being configured to compressively engage and secure said firearm barrel in position against said receiver as the locknut is screwed into the barrel nut and tightened to a preset torque value, a rotational orientation of said barrel nut about the barrel being independent of torque applied to the locknut.

2. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said barrel nut has an external structure configured to be captured within a fixture used to secure the receiver and prevent rotation of said barrel nut when said locknut is being secured within said longitudinal bore.

3. The barrel nut assembly of claim 2 , wherein the external structure comprises a flange.

4. The barrel nut assembly of claim 3 , wherein the flange makes the forward face of the barrel nut substantially square.

5. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bushing comprises a longitudinally extending bore.

6. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bushing is positioned on a top side of said barrel nut and comprises a longitudinally extending bore and a chamfered portion.

7. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said locknut includes a grippable structure configured to be engaged with a complementary gripping structure on a tool that is used to apply torque to said locknut.

8. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said locknut is provided with a plurality of spaced grooves configured to engage with correspondingly spaced teeth on a wrench which is used to apply torque to said locknut.

9. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein a forward face of said barrel nut has a flange with at least two squared off sections spaced ninety degrees apart.

10. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bushing comprising a longitudinally extending bore separate from said barrel nut bore on a top side of said barrel nut, and wherein the bushing bore comprises at least one chamfered portion.

11. The barrel nut assembly of claim 10 , wherein said at least one chamfered portion surrounds an entrance into said bushing bore.

12. The barrel nut assembly of claim 11 , wherein a bottom portion of said bushing bore is more chamfered than a top portion of said bushing bore.

13. The barrel nut assembly of claim 10 , wherein said at least one chamfered portion is a bottom portion of an entrance into said bushing bore.

14. The barrel nut assembly of claim 1 , wherein said bushing comprises a longitudinally extending bore separate from and substantially parallel to said barrel nut bore.

15. A barrel nut assembly apparatus comprising:
a barrel nut assembly for connecting a barrel to an upper receiver, said barrel nut assembly including:
a barrel nut which is generally cylindrical in shape and defines a generally longitudinally extending bore extending from a back end of said barrel nut along a longitudinal axis to a front end of the barrel nut, said bore having internal threads to be secured at the back end to an externally threaded front end of said upper receiver, the front end of said bore being configured to receive a rear end portion of said barrel therein, said barrel nut further comprising a bushing integrally mounted outwardly radial to a generally cylindrical exterior of said barrel nut and extending along the longitudinal axis of said barrel nut from the back end of said barrel nut to the front end of said barrel nut;
a locknut having external threads that engage with the internal threads on the barrel nut bore, enabling the locknut to be received within and connected to the barrel nut, said locknut being configured to compressively engage and secure said barrel in position against said upper receiver as the locknut is screwed into the barrel nut and secured to a preset torque value, a rotational orientation of said barrel nut about the barrel being independent of torque applied to the locknut;
a wrench with a crescent shaped head having a plurality of teeth projecting from an inner periphery configured to engage with grooves formed on a forward face of the locknut, the wrench being used to rotate and secure the locknut against an annular flange of the barrel; and
a fixture configured to receive the upper receiver and said barrel nut and restrain both from rotational movement while said locknut is being torqued.

16. The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said bushing comprises a through bore and a chamfered portion.

17. The barrel nut assembly apparatus of claim 15 , wherein a forward face of said barrel nut has a flange configured to be captured within said fixture used to secure the upper receiver and prevent rotation of said barrel nut when said locknut is being secured within said longitudinal bore, wherein the flange makes the forward face of the barrel nut substantially square.

18. A barrel nut assembly for connecting a firearm barrel to a receiver of a gas operated rifle, said barrel nut assembly comprising:
a barrel nut which is generally cylindrical in shape and defines a generally longitudinally extending bore extending from a back end of said barrel nut along a longitudinal axis to a front end of said barrel nut, said bore having internal threads to be secured at the back end to an externally threaded front end part of the receiver, the front end of said bore being configured to receive a rear end portion of the firearm barrel therein, said barrel nut further comprising a bushing integrally mounted outwardly radial to a generally cylindrical exterior of said barrel nut and extending along the longitudinal axis of said barrel nut from the back end of said barrel nut to the front end of said barrel nut, wherein said bushing comprises a longitudinally extending bore separate from and substantially parallel to said barrel nut bore, wherein a forward face of said barrel nut has a flange with at least two squared off sections spaced ninety degrees apart; and
a locknut having external threads that engage with the internal threads in the barrel nut bore, enabling the locknut to be threadedly received within and connected to the barrel nut, said locknut being configured to compressively engage and secure said firearm barrel in position against said receiver as the locknut is screwed into the barrel nut and tightened to a preset torque value, a rotational orientation of said barrel nut about the barrel being independent of torque applied to the locknut.

19. The barrel nut assembly of claim 18 , wherein the bushing bore comprises a chamfered portion

Assignees

• Gomez Jesus S
• Lwrc Int Llc

Inventors

• Gomez Jesus S

Classifications

• F41A21/48 Primary

  Barrel mounting means, e.g. releasable mountings for replaceable barrels · CPC title

• F16B37/00 Primary

  Nuts or like thread-engaging members {(specially shaped for rotations by a tool F16B23/00)} · CPC title

• Y10T29/49963

  Threaded fastener · CPC title