Hi VAGT! -- AR15 noob here -- question reguarding Handguards:

I bought a crappy AR15 a while back prior to covid and have used it lightly. I recently added a new gas block to the firearm. To do so, you have to remove the handguard and then reinstall it once complete. Upon doing so, I've noticed I cannot get the handguard tight over the barrel nut. After removing the screws, it looks as if there is nothing at the head of the screw to keep it going all the way through the hole, meaning that the lips will not pinch together to tighten the handguard. Any advice with this or different screws I can try?

The photos will be in the comment below!!

Best,

Buy a new handguard.

Looks like the screws and/or the threaded holes are stripped, a common issue with cheaper quality metal. You can try to drill it out and tap a larger thread size through the hole to use with a larger screw but you will have the same issue down the road. Get a longer bolt that will fit through the existing hole, then connect it to a nut on the other side. This is a cheap fix for a cheap handguard on a cheap AR. On a better rifle, a better quality handguard would surely be the answer. Long term, a better handguard would be the better answer for this also.

A gooder handguard will have a steel thread insert

You can also add a thread insert for a few bucks. A good auto parts store can get you what you need

https://youtu.be/jknMrFOGMOQ