barrelnuts using crowfoot wrench

[ulmapache]

Ok...nother dumb question. Is there a list somewhere of freefloat handguards that use a crowfoot wrench for the barrel nut? Bad experience with the standard ar15 armorers tool...had to see the 'smithy, everything else went smoothly, so I'm thinking that the next build will have freefloat handguard, but want nothing to do with that standard barrelnut arrangement...saw some that use a crowfoot, would like to see a list that I can choose from. Thx alll...

[Popeye212]

There are several you will just have to look at their descriptions and get a view of the barrel nut they use. Ghost is one.

[A5BLASTER]

Matrix arms handguards use a non indexing barrel nut that takes a crows foot are cresent wrench to tighten it down.

[mdram]

samurai (by pf) us a non indexing barrel nut also

got an 18" on the way

[grayfox]

Ditto on Matrix, I get them from joebob's, good price. Also there is Midwest Industries, they include their own 'foot that does well on their non-index barrel nuts. It will fit fine onto a torque wrench also.
I think Midway's Stoner series might be non-index... have to check.

[ulmapache]

Thx all for the leads!!!! Putting together the next build...was going to just do another leftie upper, but decided to go whole hog with an ambi lower...

[Jakegsxr11]

My Odin works o2 lite handguard used a crows foot.

[lazyengineer]

Curious to see if folks have some preferred brands/links on crows-foot. My experience wasn't very good.

[ARErector]

I haven't used these, but I saved the link for the next new size that I need. They look decent. https://www.mentium-usa.com/collections/...gLCG_D_BwE

I bought the size I needed in a regular crowsfoot that was too thick and then beveled the edges until it fit.

Most of the full floated handguards I've used use a crowsfoot. The ones that don't need to be clocked are easiest to do. Even some of the cheapest ones come that way now. (Like Delta Team Tactical)

[sqeezeatrigger]

Kind of late to the party here but I have a few Diamondhead handguards the use the non index barrel nut- 1.25" crowsfoot wrench. I really like them

[shrade]

What squeezeatrigger said. I have One Diamondhead, nice handguard.

[rabiddawg]

I have an ALG (Geissele company) that uses a proprietary crow foot wrench.

[BlogSarge]

If you’re interested in carbon fiber, I installed a Coda Evolution on my 6ARC and really like it so far.

https://codaevolution.com/

[Cowdog]

RPTR handguards also use a supplied crowsfoot wrench to tighten the barrel nut and it is non indexing.
These are high quality handguards that are a very good buy for the quality.

[BlogSarge]

Add Smoke Composites to the list.

[TruLbrt]

Noveske NSR, SMOS use a true crowsfoot wrench against cylinder shaped barrel nuts, with a section of hexagon flats lengthwise. These use a barrel wrench design consisting of an open socket wrench stubby with 1/2 drive. You could literally just grab an open socket wrench in your car repair toolbox and wing it on the torque.

MI has a beefy flat plate barrel nut wrench that works as 3 teeth into the face of the barrel nut.

Fwiw, many rail systems without GI barrel nuts have barrel wrenches included with 1/2" socket drive.

Here's a suggestion for a very simple install. I got word of the Midwest Industries rails looking at weight for airlight builds. I have a few MI gen 3s and MI Combat Rails now, and those come with a barrel wrench for a non timed barrel nut at moderate torque, @45 ft/lbs. On the combat rail, It's literally easy as shimming the rail clamp with a plastic weapons pic at bottom dead center, a wood chopstick will suffice, slide rail on barrel nut, remove pick/chopstick to allow the rail to clamp and then fasten hardware. Wheeler fat wrench tool works wonders here with hex head fasteners.
Gen3s are best set straight by a carry handle before loosening the pic all the way which helps align the antirotation bracket hardware, plus the rail clamp/barrel nut adhesive applied in advance to degreased surfaces. The old Gen 2s needing timing which is a pain without barrel nut shims.
Havent seen deformed MI barrel nuts, either titanium ones or steel, but I've seen BCMs KMR barrel nuts get smudged up with little torque, and when perfect, those need a mallot and some to seat.

Some use antirotation pins that seats a dowel between a deep dimple in the upper vs a deep dimple in the rail - NSR and SMOS and V7 do this. Not every upper has this feature, and Adco charges $55 plus ship.

The NSR and SMOS and many others need a timed barrel nut against increasing torque to set location of fastener hole position in barrel nut to holes in the rail. Some barrel nuts, well like NSR, have threading at both ends in case one side doesnt time well.