How to Install the Daniel Defense AR 15 Lite Rail 9.5 FSP

Installing the Daniel Defense Lite rail on your rifle gives you a secure, free-floating platform through which to mount accessories to your weapon. The Lite rail series by Daniel Defense is a one piece hand guard that has Picatinny rails on the top, bottom and both sides of the hand guard. This allows the shooter to mount accessories such as optics, lights, foregrips and backup sights to their rifle. The Lite rail also comes with a six-point bolt system, which replaces the delta ring, to secure the rail to the rifle. This also makes the rail a free-floating hand guard which can improve accuracy.

Things You'll Need

  • Delta wrench
  • Hammer
  • Punch
  • Block of wood
  • Upper receiver blocks
  • Vise
  • Barrel wrench
  • Daniel Defense barrel wrench
  • Allen wrench
  • Loctite
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the magazine and pull on the charging handle. Look inside the chamber and verify that the weapon is unloaded. Release the handle and press the bolt release lever on the left side of the rifle.

    • 2

      Stand the rifle on its buttstock. Slip the delta wrench over the delta ring where the hand guards meet the receiver and insert the lower tab inside of the magazine well. Squeeze the handles, push down on the delta ring and remove the hand guards.

    • 3

      Push in the takedown pin on the left rear of the receiver and pull it out from the right side. Pivot the upper receiver away from the lower, push in the pivot pin from the left and remove it. Remove the bolt assembly and charging handle.

    • 4

      Remove the flash suppressor. Locate the front sight base pins and determine which side of the pin is thicker. Place the front sight base on top of the wood block and drive out the pins from the thinner side using the hammer and punch. Slide the front sight base and gas tube off of the barrel. It may require some force to remove.

    • 5

      Place the upper receiver in the receiver blocks and secure it in the vise. Insert the barrel wrench into the barrel nut, push it into the receiver to depress the spring and loosen the nut by turning the wrench counterclockwise to remove it. If the nut will not come loose, you may need to use a pipe or other device to increase the leverage of your wrench.

    • 6

      Place the barrel nut collar from the Lite rail onto the barrel and turn it until the gas tube pass-through lines up with the receiver gas port. Screw on the barrel nut and tighten it with the wrench provided with your rail system. The collar should still spin after installing the nut.

    • 7

      Slide the rail onto the barrel and align it with any existing rails on the weapon. You may want to use an optical mounting base for a carry handle attachment to keep the rails aligned.

    • 8

      Place Loctite on all the screws and insert the top and middle screws into the collar from the receiver side. Insert the bottom screws in from the barrel side. Tighten the screws until they are hand-tight. Use the Allen wrench to further tighten the screws in an alternating fashion. Do not completely tighten down one screw by itself.

    • 9

      Slide the front sight base back onto the barrel and insert the gas tube down the handle and into the receiver. Look into the receiver from the rear to verify the gas tube is fully inserted. You can use a dead blow hammer or the block of wood to tap the front sight base into place to help fully seat the gas tube.

    • 10

      Replace the pins and tap them back into place with the front sight base on the block of wood. Replace the flash suppressor and reassemble the weapon.