1. Clamp the receiver in receiver vise or barrel in barrel vise.
2. Remove stock handguards.
3. Remove flash suppressor (note: if you can't, the free-floating handguard cannot be installed, e.g., post ban with pinned & welded muzzle brake)
4. Remove taper pins front sight tower base. Slide front sight tower off with gas tube attached.
5. Remove standard barrel nut with appropriate wrench.
6. Remove barrel. Slide standard barrel nut off.
7. Slide new two-piece barrel nut/ Handguard tube lock ring onto the barrel.
8. Torque to correct setting with appropriate tools, lining up the barrel nut and hole in the receiver for the gas tube. Confirm the alignment with bolt carrier and alignment tool.
9. Screw free floating handguard tube with its two alignment pins correctly installed into barrel nut/ Handguard tube lock ring.
10. Tighten with strap wrench.
11. Reinstall front sight tower and gas tube.
12. Reinstall flash suppressor.

Directions for mounting a Free Float RAS were contributed by Wes Grant at M.S.T.N..