(nt)

Remove sight base assembly, leave the gas tube attached to base, remove barel nut, look at the nut assembly, see the snap ring, remove it, and the weld spring and delta ring fall right off.

** You will need to remove the muzzle device if equipped, to allow removal of the remaining parts (sight base, barrel nut assembly)... If pre-ban, not a problem, if post-ban, and has device permanently attaxhed.......problem....

a much easier way is to just use a dremel. i picked one up last month for $35. pop the hand guards off and make three cuts on the delta ring at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock. Then you can twist and pull it off easily. took me about 20 minutes and i am mechanically retared.

Wait a minute.  After loosening the barrel nut and remove the barrel from the upper, can't you just remove the snap ring and have everything (snap ring, weld spring, and delta ring) fall off the rear of the barrel?  It seems this would be easier than removing the front site and any muzzle device.

If you want to remove the barrel nut too, then yes, you have to remove the front site/muzzle device.

It's been a while, so correct me if I'm wrong.

You can do that, just make sure you remove the gas tube off the front post before you crank on the barrel nut.

You're absolutely right! The guy asked about removal of the Delta Ring, and these guys are telling him how to take off the barrel nut [;D]
1)Field strip the weapon, and separate the upper and lower.

2) Remove the hanguards.

3) Knock out the gas tube retaining pin from the front sight base and pull the tube out to the rear.

4) Using the proper wrench, separate the  barrel from the upper reciever.

5) Compress and remove the snap ring from the rear of the barrel, and the compression spring and Delta Ring will drop off.

6)Theoretically you can also remove the delta by removing the front sight assy and gas tube,  and pulling the whole assy off thru the front, but in my experience it's a whole lot easier to leave the front sight base in place;  but then all my ARs are properly built pieces with taper pins retaining the front sight base; not set screws, or other half assed improvisations[:D]