I purchased this HBAR Elite brand new a long time ago and would like to upgrade the forward hand guard (shopping for one now..) but would like to know the best way to remove the original without damaging it.  This has the original round, aluminum hand guard.

My HBAR has the 24" barrell and I'm looking for a hand guard that's around 17" or longer, etc...

Does the old hand guard just screw off ?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

Epoxied on? Nope.

https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?79320-Colt-HBAR-Elite-how-to-remove-tube

Last post on this page.

In the oldold days there were aluminum handguards like that which were one piece, the barrel nut was integral with the rest of the handguard. I do not know if the one on that rifle is like that or not. If that's what it is, the only way to remove it is to remove the gas block and gas tube, put the upper in a vise block and twist off the handguard with a strap wrench.

Hopefully someone will be along that is familiar with that exact rifle to know how that handguard is made.

ETA:

That's what I figured from the looks of it.

I had a similar one on an old rifle and broke the strap wrench I bought trying to remove it. Ended up making my own strap wrench from a piece of 2x4 and some 1 inch heavy nylon webbing. The 2x4 was about 2 feet long to get enough leverage. Once I got a strong enough strap and enough leverage it came off without additional drama.

Actually come to think of it I took one off another time, using a ratchet strap as a strap wrench. The ratchet handle became the torque handle once it was tight. It actually worked really well. I put a little piece of heavy rubber leather in between the handguard and the metal to prevent scratches.

It's like a slow moving train wreck

Why not preserve that Colt and get literally anything else to play tactical timmy on?  

Oh well, makes the ones not bubba fucked more valuable I guess

He does have  point, a new upper wouldn’t cost that much.



Heat it up a little before you start trying

If the strap wrench didn't work, I'd just use a pipe wrench.  It'll gouge it but I don't care about sold old fudd handguard.

Put the upper in a Midwest URR.

I’ll second the vote to leave it as is and just get a new upper.

This.

Yup - you could probably sell the rifle for a nice price and build a new rifle with change left over.

The never modify a Colt crew sure showed up in force.  If he never plans to sell it or wants to change it who give a F.  It is not like it is a Singer 1911 it is a Colt AR.

That’s all very good info.
I’ll listen and get a new upper.

Thanks

I'd take screenshots of the people saying not to do anything with it and sell it in this thread, post the upper for sale in the sale section of this forum, and wait to see how many of the same people ask to buy it.

Otherwise, it's your stuff, do whatever you want with it.

I admit that I 'IS' a Colt fanboy. I loves me some Colt stuff for sure! :)

But...

'If' that thing is really designed in such a way that a guy needs a strap wrench to remove or install it -

Then Piss be upon Colt and may the fleas of a thousand camels infest the armpits of anyone there at the time that helped 'design' that.





My regular wrench works fine on all of those pictured above.

They are not making any more and it is literally salad day pricing to build exactly what you want currently.




I bought another Elite upper from the EE a few months back.  From Rabbit9 I believe.  

It's not just Colt, that is just the way those old free float tubes were made originally, before the threaded two-piece ones came along, and the other designs.

If you are never going to sell it who cares.  It is like putting a bra, bug deflectors, seat covers, and all kinds of random protective covering items on cars.  You are trying to preserve the car for someone else to use someday because you are concerned about resale value.  Versus use the car/truck and get your usage out of it I do not care about who is going to drive my truck after me if they wants to take the dints, scratches, or whatever out they can do it I am not going to preserve something for someone else I am going to use it for myself since I paid to get the usage out of it.

Thank you, that is exactly what I am saying.

Use it as it is.

If it is not what you want, then sell it for what you do desire before you dump a bunch of money on it.