AR-15 Delta Ring Loose Question?

[Catoperat]

I recently purchased a lightly used M&P15 MOE. It is my first AR and through reading and tinkering with it, I have become rather familiar with it. I've added a few upgrades including a Troy Modular Vertical Fore-grip.

With the fore-grip installed, I noticed a fair amount of play in the entire handguard assembly. Figuring the fore-grip was amplifying a loose handguard, I took it off and began working backwards. Both handguard pieces seem to seat firmly, but would turn with the delta ring.

Off came the handguards and I looked at the delta ring, twisted it. It moved left and right 1/16" or so around the gas tube (see picture).

Is this normal? Is it safe? Is there a way to remedy it?

Thanks!
~Mike

P.S. I plan on installing a free-floating handguard in the future. My compensator has been pinned and soldered (I reside in MA). Anyone have any experience with the removal of this for the free-float install, or should I have a gunsmith do it?

 

[Remsport Mfg]

Remsport does this type of work all the time, They also have parts in stock.
Call or stop by.
413 579 1994
thank you
John

 

[Bob P]

I recently purchased a lightly used M&P15 MOE. It is my first AR and through reading and tinkering with it, I have become rather familiar with it. I've added a few upgrades including a Troy Modular Vertical Fore-grip.

With the fore-grip installed, I noticed a fair amount of play in the entire handguard assembly. Figuring the fore-grip was amplifying a loose handguard, I took it off and began working backwards. Both handguard pieces seem to seat firmly, but would turn with the delta ring.

Off came the handguards and I looked at the delta ring, twisted it. It moved left and right 1/16" or so around the gas tube (see picture).

Is this normal? Is it safe? Is there a way to remedy it?

Thanks!
~Mike

P.S. I plan on installing a free-floating handguard in the future. My compensator has been pinned and soldered (I reside in MA). Anyone have any experience with the removal of this for the free-float install, or should I have a gunsmith do it?

Daniel Defense Omega Rail. Trust me. Ask Derek (the owner of the board) if you don't believe me. You won't regret it.

 

[OCB]

I'm still a fairly new AR owner myself, so I can't comment on the delta ring issue. WRT removing your compensator, I had Remsport take the pinned compensator off my rifle and install a muzzle break, and they did a nice job, with fast turnaround. I'm reasonably comfortable in a machine shop, but that wasn't a job I was interested in trying to do myself....

 

[KMM696]

Is this normal? Is it safe? Is there a way to remedy it?

Normal? As long as the barrel nut isn't moving with the delta ring, yes. Varying degrees of slop from rifle to rifle depending on parts, but yes.

Safe? Sure, as long as the barrel nut isn't moving. If it is, there are problems - of the don't shoot it anymore and get it to Remsport/local smith/guy down the street with an AR wrench sort.

Remedies? Well, your free float forend of choice would fix it. It may be a couple parts are looser than they could be, or broken, or tolerance stacking has created a looser than average rifle. Remsport or another shop used to ARs might be able to help diagnose it, and give you some options.

 

[cekim]

It's going to move - it's not an interference fit - the only way a free-float setup that still used the delta ring isn't going to rotate a little is if it has a screw to pin it in place (which depending on where that screw is would bring its "free-float" nature into question).

Don't know the setup Bob describes, but that's a rec I won't question. Depending on your degree of handiness you can put on a two-piece free-float rail like MI (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=137590) without having to deal with your pinned brake (you either remove the barrel, or simply cut the delta ring off). You can dremmel off the delta-ring and retaining spring without removing the barrel - messy but effective...

If you don't have the skill/tools to do it yourself, there are smiths who can do this quiet easily. The key to keeping it easy with your pinned/welded brake is the two-piece design.

Short version - this is a draw back of the snap in hand-guards that doesn't matter to the normal hand guards - no one cares if they wiggle a little. It's when you replace them with snap in rails that all heck breaks loose.

 

[Catoperat]

It's going to move - it's not an interference fit - the only way a free-float setup that still used the delta ring isn't going to rotate a little is if it has a screw to pin it in place (which depending on where that screw is would bring its "free-float" nature into question).

Don't know the setup Bob describes, but that's a rec I won't question. Depending on your degree of handiness you can put on a two-piece free-float rail like MI (http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productnumber=137590) without having to deal with your pinned brake (you either remove the barrel, or simply cut the delta ring off). You can dremmel off the delta-ring and retaining spring without removing the barrel - messy but effective...

If you don't have the skill/tools to do it yourself, there are smiths who can do this quiet easily. The key to keeping it easy with your pinned/welded brake is the two-piece design.

Short version - this is a draw back of the snap in hand-guards that doesn't matter to the normal hand guards - no one cares if they wiggle a little. It's when you replace them with snap in rails that all heck breaks loose.

That answers my question nicely. I will shoot it as-is this weekend, then visit RemSport soon to see about free-floats. Thanks all!