Firearm accessory mounting system

Abstract

A firearm having a barrel and an accessory mounting system. The accessory mounting system has a hand guard surrounding a portion of the barrel and fastening features coupled to the hand guard. Peripheral device mounting rails are coupled to the fastening features and located in a generally “Y” shape pattern. The generally “Y” shape pattern has a first peripheral device mounting rail located on a lower portion of the hand guard and second and third peripheral device mounting rails located on opposing sides of an upper portion of the hand guard. The peripheral device mounting rails are placed where peripheral devices mounted on the peripheral device mounting rails do not interfere with a line of sight of the firearm.

1 . A firearm having a barrel and an accessory mounting system, the accessory mounting system comprising:
 a hand guard surrounding a portion of the barrel;   peripheral device mounting rails coupled to the hand guard and located about the hand guard in a generally “Y” shape pattern;   wherein, the generally “Y” shape pattern has a first peripheral device mounting rail located on a lower portion of the hand guard and second and third peripheral device mounting rails located on opposing sides of an upper portion of the hand guard, and wherein the peripheral device mounting rails are placed where peripheral devices mounted on the peripheral device mounting rails do not interfere with a line of sight of the firearm.   
   
   
       2 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the upper and lower portions of the hand guard comprise first and second shells, and wherein the first and second shells are removable from the firearm. 
   
   
       3 . The firearm of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second shells have venting features for allowing cooling air to pass there through, and wherein the fastening features do not substantially prevent the cooling air from traveling through the hand guard. 
   
   
       4 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the fastening features allows a user to selectably move one of the peripheral device mounting rails from a first longitudinal location along the hand guard to a different second longitudinal location along the hand guard. 
   
   
       5 . The firearm of  claim 1  comprising a black rifle configuration type firearm. 
   
   
       6 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the second and third mounting rails are symmetrically located on opposing sides of the upper portion of the hand guard. 
   
   
       7 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the first mounting rail is located nominally at a six o'clock position, and wherein the second and third mounting rails are symmetrically located nominally at a two o'clock and ten o'clock position on opposing sides of the upper portion of the hand guard. 
   
   
       8 . The firearm of  claim 1 , wherein the hand guard comprises a composite thermo set molding, and wherein the peripheral device mounting rails comprise a metallic material bonded to the hand guard. 
   
   
       9 . The firearm of  claim 1  wherein the accessory mounting system has a user selectable rail configuration, the accessory mounting system further comprising:
 a selectable hand guard section having differently located and arranged peripheral device mounting rails than the upper portion and lower portion of the hand guard and being interchangeable with at least one of the upper or lower portions;   wherein, the selectable hand guard section is selectable for mounting in place of at least one of the upper or lower portions and defining the user selectable rail configuration.