Slide action rifle with a bolt carrier locking mechanism external to the receiver

A slide action conversion assembly for converting a gas operated rifle to a manually operated firearm comprising:

• a tube support adapter plate (10) comprising a central barrel bore (10B), a rod bore (10C) and a plurality of rear pins (10A) configured to be received by semi-circular cuts of a barrel nut of the rifle;
• a U-shaped hand guard support structure (17) secured to a forward face of the tube support adapter plate (10);
• a tube supporting lug (11) received by the rod bore (10C), the tube supporting lug (11) comprising one or more annular insertion cuts (11A) and a rod bore guide (11B);
• a structural supporting guide tube (70) comprising a fore end (70B) and a rear end (70C), the rear end (70C) received by an outer surface of the tube supporting lug (11), the guide tube (70) further comprising a slot cut (70A) extending from the fore end (70B) longitudinally along the guide tube and terminating at an intermediate portion thereof, the rear end (70C) comprising one or more locking protrusions (70D) each received by a respective annular insertion cut (11A) of the tube supporting lug (11);
• a rod actuator (80) comprising a fore end (80A), a rear end (80B) and one or more cylindrical rings (80C) arranged on intermediate portions thereof, the rod actuator further comprising a transverse through hole (80D) positioned adjacent the fore end (80A), the rod actuator (80) slidably received within the guide tube (70);
• a rod driver (31) comprising a clamp bore (31E), a lateral exterior projection (31A) and a transverse hole (31F), the clamp bore (31E) receiving the fore end (80A) of the rod actuator (80) such that transverse hole (31F) and through hole (80D) are aligned, the rod driver (31) further comprising a clamp screw (31D) received by the transverse hole (31F) and the aligned through hole (80D) for securing the rod driver (31) to the rod actuator (80), the lateral exterior projection (31A) projecting outwardly through the slot cutout (70A) in an assembled configuration;
• a support block (65) comprising a barrel bore clamp (65A) and a tube support undercut (65C), the barrel bore clamp (65A) configured to securely affix to an exterior surface of a barrel of the firearm, the tube support undercut (65C) receiving the fore end (70B) of the structural support tube (70);
• a stationary hand guard (94) comprising a rear connecting surface (94C) receiving the hand guard support structure (17), a front connecting surface receiving the support block (65), two channels (94A) oriented longitudinally on opposing exterior surfaces thereof and a through cut window (94B) positioned on a side thereof;
• an external sliding handguard (95) configured to slide on the outer surface of the stationary hand guard (94), the sliding handguard (95) comprising a pair of laterally oriented guides (95A) each received by a corresponding channel (94A) of the stationary hand guard (94), the external sliding handguard (95) further comprising a through cut window (95B) on a same side as the through cut window (94B) of the stationary hand guard (94) so as to be in alignment when the sliding handguard (95) is positioned in a forward position on the stationary handguard (94);
• a locking lever arm (96) comprising a lug (96F) on one end, a release push button (96E) at an opposing end, and a pivot pin hole (96A) positioned at an intermediate portion thereof, the locking lever arm (96) pivotally secured to the external sliding handguard by a pivot pin (96C) extending through the pivot pin hole (96A), the lug (96F) inwardly biased by a lever arm spring (96D) and configured to extend through both through cut windows (95A and 95B) when in alignment thereby placing the sliding handguard (95) in a locked configuration;
• the lateral exterior projection (31A) of the rod driver (31) further comprising an upper bore (31B) and the locking lever arm (96) further comprising a lower bore (96B) for receiving a connector post (97) configured to secure the locking lever arm (96) to the rod driver (31);
• and
• a bolt carrier gas key replacement (13A) comprising a blind hole (13F) at a forward end thereof, the blind hole (13F) fixedly receiving the rear end (80B) of the rod actuator (80) in a manner that prevents decoupling during manual operation of a converted firearm.