US Patent 9453694 Firearm hand guard mounting assembly

A hand guard mount assembly and method of securing a hand guard to a firearm in a manner that resists rotation and/or longitudinal translation of the hand guard relative to the underlying firearm. The hand guard mount assembly includes a mount clip that is defined by a body having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the clip is constructed to be received in a slot defined by a hand guard and defines a smallest diameter associated with a receiver end of the hand guard. The second portion of the clip radially and/or longitudinally indexes the mount clip, and a hand guard associated therewith, relative to at least one of a barrel nut, a barrel, and a receiver associated with the underlying firearm.