New handguard?

.50AE · Aug 17, 2011

Hey guys I was thinking about replacing the handguard on my 15-22. I just wanted to ask if I know of everything that I need:

-Handguards
-Free float handguard converter (tacticool22)
-Shoowrench (where to buy?)
or
-Barrel nut wrench (tacticool22)

And one last question: Would these handguards work?

AR15/M16 - Handguards & Free Float Tubes | GunAccessories.com

The first pair

Incredible Me · Aug 17, 2011

im very interested in this aswell, I want the MOE-handguard but im too scared to start it and dont know what i need.

tacticool22 · Aug 17, 2011

For the two piece hand guard you will need a front sight or gas block with a hand guard cap and a delta ring assembly to screw onto the converter.
AR-15 Barrel Parts - Black Rifle Works is a good place to start.
If you want the free float hand guard, all you need is the converter.
I have the professional wrench and the hobby version wrench end.
Vise jaws are recommended.

shawnr5 · Aug 17, 2011

tacticool22 said:
For the two piece hand guard you will need a front sight or gas block with a hand guard cap and a delta ring assembly to screw onto the converter.
AR-15 Barrel Parts - Black Rifle Works is a good place to start.
If you want the free float hand guard, all you need is the converter.
I have the professional wrench and the hobby version wrench end.
Vise jaws are recommended.

tacticool22 hit this one on the head. You can't go wrong with his free float adapter. Here is mine with a MOE handguard. I used a clamp on quad-rail gas block, but am ging to switch it out for an A2 front sight from True Sight Technologies.

Redbulladdikt · Aug 17, 2011

shawnr5...

How did you get that Magpul UBR to work with the 15-22? Every resource i looked at ( including Magpul themselves) said it was not compatible so i went with an MOE stock....

Dragon88 · Aug 17, 2011

That stock is the ACS not the UBR.

shawnr5 · Aug 17, 2011

Redbulladdikt said:
shawnr5...How did you get that Magpul UBR to work with the 15-22? Every resource i looked at ( including Magpul themselves) said it was not compatible so i went with an MOE stock....

I'm too cheap to buy a UBR. I'm running the mil-spec ACS on both my AR and 15-22. It's very comfortable, locks up solid and only set me back $130 each. If I could find a way to convert the receiver extension, I'd love to set it up with a UBR and a VLTOR CASV-EL

Redbulladdikt · Aug 17, 2011

my mistake...if i pick up a second 15-22 ( which i am tossing the idea around) i might have Dad take a look and see if its possible to modify it for a UBR

.50AE · Aug 17, 2011

tacticool22 said:
For the two piece hand guard you will need a front sight or gas block with a hand guard cap and a delta ring assembly to screw onto the converter.
AR-15 Barrel Parts - Black Rifle Works is a good place to start.
If you want the free float hand guard, all you need is the converter.
I have the professional wrench and the hobby version wrench end.
Vise jaws are recommended.

Seems pretty complicated, is there any machining that needs to be done to the delta ring assembly? Also I don't know how I could make the hand guard cap fit because isn't the barrel diameter like .675?

shawnr5 · Aug 17, 2011

.50AE said:
Seems pretty complicated, is there any machining that needs to be done to the delta ring assembly? Also I don't know how I could make the hand guard cap fit because isn't the barrel diameter like .675?

It's not complicated at all and the only machining necessary is the fabrication of a spacer. Tighten the free float adapter. Next, thread on the barrel nut/delta ring assembly. Next, I put my handguard in the delta ring and slid the handguard cap into place. I installed my gas block so that it was against the handguard cap and removed the handguard. Once the handguard was removed, I moved the gas block back a little bit (maybe 1/16") to increase the tension on the handguard. Since the barrel is smaller than an AR barrel, I had to put a socket head cap screw through the handguard cap, into the gas tube hole in the gas block. This screw stopped the play that the handguard had when first installed. Feel free to ask for clarification on any of the steps, if necessary. There's no need to learn by error the lessons that others have already learned. Order the adapter from tacticool22 and the handguard of your choice and set it up exactly how you want it.

tacticool22 · Aug 17, 2011

What shawnr5 said.

.50AE · Aug 18, 2011

shawnr5 said:
It's not complicated at all and the only machining necessary is the fabrication of a spacer. Tighten the free float adapter. Next, thread on the barrel nut/delta ring assembly. Next, I put my handguard in the delta ring and slid the handguard cap into place. I installed my gas block so that it was against the handguard cap and removed the handguard. Once the handguard was removed, I moved the gas block back a little bit (maybe 1/16") to increase the tension on the handguard. Since the barrel is smaller than an AR barrel, I had to put a socket head cap screw through the handguard cap, into the gas tube hole in the gas block. This screw stopped the play that the handguard had when first installed. Feel free to ask for clarification on any of the steps, if necessary. There's no need to learn by error the lessons that others have already learned. Order the adapter from tacticool22 and the handguard of your choice and set it up exactly how you want it.

Ok so I would need the delta ring assembly, the tacticool22 barrel nut adapter and the wrench, a true shot technologies a2 sight post (as the gas block), a hand guard cap (still not really clear on how to make it fit you explained it well though I'm just not good at this stuff

), and the handguard. Am I correct?

tacticool22 · Aug 19, 2011

In your case the wrench Shoo and I offer are just to remove the factory barrel nut. My hobby wrench version is different, as it is just an end that screws onto a piece of pipe.
You should use barrel vise jaws to hold the barrel and not put any torque into the upper. Just ask Brett248Vista about that. http://smith-wessonforum.com/smith-wesson-m-p-15-22/125703-m-p-15-22-instructional-video-series.html
You will need a 1 ¼" spanner wrench, with a 3/16" pin to torque the converter.

shawnr5 · Aug 19, 2011

You're almost there. You will also need a short socket head cap screw or button head screw to hold the handguard cap to the front sight base. Drive the screw through the gas tube hole in the handguard cap and into the gas tube hole in the FSB. If I remember correctly, I used a 1/4-20 x 3/8" screw. You shouldn't have to do any work to the FSB to make it fit. It is made for an undersized AR barrel and machined out to the proper inside diameter for our 15-22s. This wasn't available when I did mine and I used a cheap UTG four-rail clamp on gas block and a piece of brass tubing that I slit and spread enough to use as a spacer between the gas block and barrel.
One of the cool things that this conversion offers is the chance to use a longer or shorter handguard. You can go with a tiny pistol handguard, a rifle length or anything in between. Right now, mine is sporting a mid-length handguard. If I get a chance, I'll take some close up pictures of everything involved when I get home from work tonight.

.50AE · Aug 19, 2011

Ok so A2 sight post, handguard cap .750 dia., 1/4-20x38" short socket head cap screw, delta ring assembly, 1 1/4" spanner wrench w/ 3/16" pin, tacticool22 barrel nut adapter and wrench, and a handguard?

Think I got it this time haha

shawnr5 · Aug 24, 2011

.50AE said:
Ok so A2 sight post, handguard cap .750 dia., 1/4-20x38" short socket head cap screw, delta ring assembly, 1 1/4" spanner wrench w/ 3/16" pin, tacticool22 barrel nut adapter and wrench, and a handguard?

Think I got it this time haha

Sorry it has taken so long to reply. That screw should actually be 3/8", not 38". A 38"screw would make a nice long bayonet once sharpened. You should be able to find one at any hardware store and it shouldn't cost you more than twenty cents. If you can't find one, PM me your address and I'll mail you one. I ordered the front sight bar and will be mounting it on mine as soon as it shows up. Tonight, I took some close up pictures of my setup. I'll post them tomorrow. Hopefully, they will clarify things.

shawnr5 · Aug 24, 2011

Here are the pictures I have repeatedly promised. They are phone pictures, but you should get the idea. Here is the delta ring with tacticool22's adapter in the middle:

...and from the side:

The quad rail gas block I used:

...and from the back. You can see the brass spacer and the screw in this one.

.50AE · Aug 24, 2011

Thanks tacticool and shawn for all the help I got the delta ring assembly, handguard cap, screw, spanner wrench, and that a2 sight (looks great btw) just waiting on the tacticool stuff and the handguard I got from bushmaster. And shawn couldn't I just tighten the a2 sight onto the handguard cap instead of making a spacer? Problem with the spacer is that I don't have anything to make it with.

shawnr5 · Aug 24, 2011

You shouldn't have to make a spacer. The A2 front sight you ordered should fit without a spacer. I ordered one yesterday, too. Can't wait to put it on mine. I had to use a spacer with the gas block I used because it was made for the .750 AR barrel, not our .667 15-22 barrel.

.50AE · Aug 24, 2011

shawnr5 said:
You shouldn't have to make a spacer. The A2 front sight you ordered should fit without a spacer. I ordered one yesterday, too. Can't wait to put it on mine. I had to use a spacer with the gas block I used because it was made for the .750 AR barrel, not our .667 15-22 barrel.

Ohhh I thought you had to make a spacer for the handguard cap

and could you tell me how to fit all of it together? Like what goes on what I kinda got an idea from your pictures but I want to be sure. The delta ring and the converter confuse me.

New handguard?

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