I have no problem with your post at all. I didn't reply to it at all in any negative way.
We have been repairing, building and generally working or ARs for many years ourselves. Some handguards are especially tough to get off, some not so bad.
A tool like the HRT simply takes a job nobody likes and makes it super easy, that's all. Also saves time for the gunsmiths as you don't have to call another guy over off his job and say "okay I got the delta ring compressed how about coming over here and pulling the handguards".
There are many, many specialized tools we use here for everything from squaring bolt faces on sniper rifles to holding AR uppers while we work one them (DPMS has a new one that is great). What these tools do is make our work either easier, faster or more precise.
You ought to see all the ARs we get in here with dented, scratched, bent delta rings from some idiot cramming a screw driver or other "tool" in there to depress the ring. We charge far more than the cost of the tool at $18.95 to remove a barrel, sell the guy a new delta ring and then put it all back together again. We have also seen badly scratched receivers from a punch, screwdriver or whatever slipping while in the act of depressing the delta ring.
If a person has the $20 bucks to spend, the HRT is a good useful tool. Yeah we make money on it, that is capitalism. I am sure no one here works for free and neither do we and we don't apologize to anyone for making a living.
As to posting in the General Firearms area, it is my right as an Industry Partner to use the General area to introduce a new product in a widely read area of the Board. It gets the word out quicker on something new we have to offer than burying it in the EE or AR Maintainence area.
We feel most folks here like to know of something new. It is information.
I am sorry to hear that a Federal Agency does not supply people like yourself, in critical positions, the proper tools to get your work done, especially in these times. I don't know who you work for but we get orders for all kinds of items we sell almost daily on goverment credit cards.
All the best and I hope they buy ya some tools one of these days.
Denny