Is there some magic to turning the Delta Ring on an AR-15? I’m following the manual for this Ruger AR-556, but for the life of me cannot get the thing to budge! And yes, I am turning clockwise according to the directions.... muzzle up.

Also, does the Delta Ring simply screw on to grip the heat guard, or is it some other attachment method, such as a quarter turn to lock or something?

Thanks in advance!!!

Its clockwise to tighten and the opposite to loosen (unless Ruger did something odd)

Is there a link to this manual ??

Should be righty tighty... lefty loosey. Some company's have been known to use loctite.

Are we talking the barrel nut? The delta ring isn't really something you can 'turn'.
If its the barrel nut and you are going in the correct direction (left to loosen) and it doesn't move. Time for some heat.

quote:

Originally posted by hrcjon:
Are we talking the barrel nut? The delta ring isn't really something you can 'turn'.

Ruger AR556 delta rings are not standard AR parts. They are not compressed with a spring like normal. Instead, they're threaded.

Ruger AR-556 Manual, pg. 30, top of page section 7,
a. Stand the rifle on it’s buttstock and turn the delta ring clockwise to loosen.
b. Pull the handguard free.
c. Repeat this procedure to remove the other handguard.

Accompanying photo clearly shows a red arrow indicating clockwise rotation with the muzzle pointed upwards.

Either this version of the manual is wrong, or this sucker is stuck! I was just hoping someone else with the same model could give me a definitive answer. ROGUEJSK has the most certain answer so far, but does not address whether this is a left-handed or right-handed thread. Thanks much!

Link to online manual on Ruger’s website

From the picture it looks like a reverse thread to me. If that's the case you’d turn it clockwise to loosen it. Do you have a little strap wrench?

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
From the picture it looks like a reverse thread to me. If that's the case you’d turn it clockwise to loosen it. Do you have a little strap wrench?

Well that concurs with the manual, so I guess this sucker is just stuck. It turn a tiny bit counter-clockwise, but now won’t budge either direction! Time to add more grip to it I guess, which means help from someone without arthritic hands...

Oh well, it’s not like it has to come off right now anyway. I was just trying to figure out how to do everything for when time came it was actually needed!

Thanks for the pic, Rogue! That makes it very clear, and validates the manual to boot!!!

The Ruger threaded delta ring will greatly benefit from a little lithium grease applied to the threads as well as the area where it contacts the fore arm...it will make it much easier to un-thread in the future...the ring itself is plastic and without some grease, it snugs up really tight from plastic to plastic friction on the fore arm.

I've found it helpful to wiggle plastic like that back and forth while turning it. +1 on the lithium grease

I have one of these rifles. Yes, turn it clockwise to loosen it when viewed from muzzle up. (A thread or two is visible behind the large end.) Yes, it is tight. I have had mine off, only gently tightened it, didn't use any grease and now I can't turn it with just my hands, which have years of mechanical work on them, so no issues with hand strength. Possibly (if it doesn't distort the ring and compress it tighter), a strap wrench might work. The one saving grace is that you don't routinely remove your handguards. At some point you may want to clean out the gas tube.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

Thanks egregore! Exactly the info I was looking for.

The thing does need to be removeable so you can do things like cleaning, upgrading to quad rails, etc. Not sure why Ruger would go this route, but the suggestion of lithium grease on the threads is certainly a very good idea!

Thanks again!!!

I got this $6 strap wrench from Wal-Mart to loosen the delta ring. With the aid of this tool it came right off.




Delta ring and handguards removed, grease on the threads.



Handguards with grease, but you actually should put it closer to the end.



When you put it together, you only need the delta ring snug with two fingers, as the manual says. Even with this plus grease, there is still some resistance to loosening.

Yep, that's the ticket! I'm going to drop by my nearest Wally-World tomorrow and pick up one of those strap wrenches just to have on-hand in case it gets stuck again.

I did go by a National Guard buddy's house this afternoon who lives right around the corner from me, knowing he would have the grip strength to do it if it could be done by hand. With his big burly hands, it took one quick twist and the thing popped loose and unscrewed as it should! I snugged it back up just enough to hold the handguards place until I get some grease on them and the threads later this evening. Still gonna get the strap wrench though and add it to the AR "tool kit" that I've been creating over the years since I bought and sold my first AR.

quote:

Originally posted by bronicabill:
Yep, that's the ticket! I'm going to drop by my nearest Wally-World tomorrow and pick up one of those strap wrenches just to have on-hand in case it gets stuck again.

Strap wrenches are great, and you will find many other uses for it besides the ring. I bought a set of two (large and small) with rubber straps. Forget now where. And I use one with a nylon strap to turn off oil filters. That one has a 1/2" square hole in the bottom of the handle for using a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar.
 
The older you get, the more uses you will find for them.
 

quote:

Originally posted by henryaz:
<<snip>>
Strap wrenches are great, and you will find many other uses for it besides the ring. I bought a set of two (large and small) with rubber straps. Forget now where. And I use one with a nylon strap to turn off oil filters. That one has a 1/2" square hole in the bottom of the handle for using a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar.
 
The older you get, the more uses you will find for them.
 

No doubt about the getting older and needing them more part! If my local Wally World doesn't have them in stock, I'm sure I can find one at my nearest Harbor Freight... they have most everything, and then some.

I keep forgetting to look for a strap wrench the few times I've been to Wal-Mart since my last posting in this thread, but I will eventually remember to get one!

Just as an educational update for anyone else with the Ruger AR and the rotating vs spring-loaded Delta ring, I decided to clean off all greasy type lubricant and try dry graphite powder on all contact points and threads before reassembly on mine, thinking there would be less stuff to grab/collect dirt that way. While there is nothing to collect dirt, the graphite certainly doesn't seem to help keeping the ring from sticking much once reassembled... at least not as much as I was hoping for! It is certainly better than nothing, but will try the lithium grease next time just to compare, then stick with whichever does the best job overall for all future use; not that it will be disassembled on a regular basis, but WHEN it is, I don't want to wrestle with it!

Hopefully will remember the strap wrench this week, otherwise I can put this thread to bed as I don't have anything else meaningful to contribute. Thanks to everyone who did offer useful info!!! Cheers...

Why in the world would Ruger mess with the design of the mil-spec delta ring....

quote:

Originally posted by darkest2000:
Why in the world would Ruger mess with the design of the mil-spec delta ring....

According to Ruger it made the production line faster and more consistent.