Side-mounted forward charging system for a firearm

A method of using a side-mounted forward charging system, the method comprising:

• selecting a firearm to use with the side-mounted forward charging system;
• assembling components of the side-mounted forward charging system comprising:
• a handguard of a given length and diameter;
• wherein the handguard has a cylindrical bearing guide of a given diameter;
• a barrel nut of a given length and diameter;
• a charging rod of a given length and diameter;
• a charging catch;
• a charging handle mount plate;
• and a charging knob attached to the charging handle mount plate;
• removing a conventional rear charging handle from the firearm;
• inserting the charging rod into the handguard;
• installing the handguard onto the barrel nut;
• attaching the charging handle mount plate and charging handle knob to the charging rod via a threaded hole;
• sliding the charging rod through an upper receiver of the firearm and engaging the charging rod with the charging catch via a bore and a V-shaped groove;
• securing the handguard onto the barrel nut with clamping screws to hold the handguard in place;
• attaching the charging handle mount plate to the charging rod via a flat head screw;
• bisecting a countersunk screw hole in the charging handle mount plate by a slot, wherein the charging rod has a slot perpendicular to a longitudinal axis thereof, with the threaded hole therein;
• inserting the charging handle mount plate into the charging rod slot;
• and
• inserting and tightening the flat head screw into the countersunk screw hole;
• wherein the tightening of the flat head screw causes the charging handle mount plate to expand in the charging rod slot.