Daniel Defense is an American company specialising in the production of AR15-style rifles and accessories. Founded in 2002 by Marty Daniel in Savannah, Georgia, the company has experienced significant growth through contracts with the US military and now employs more than 200 people. Its flagship product is the DDM4, a black rifle with a Mil-Spec aluminum upper and lower receivers, manufactured entirely in the USA and sporting all the conceivable features you can wish for on an AR15 semi-automatic rifle.
Daniel Defense also manufactures a rugged and no-frills bolt-action rifle, the Delta 5, which we had the opportunity to test (we had already presented it a few years ago, when Daniel Defense introduced the Delta 5 at the SHOT Show 2019). Below you can see our first contact with this rifle chambered in .308 Winchester on which a Meopta Optika 6 3-28x56 scope was mounted.
The Daniel Defense Delta 5 comes with a 20"/508-mm long barrel with a Heavy Palma (semi-heavy) contour that provides an accuracy of 0.75 MOA or better at the 100-m range when using high-quality ammunition. Trigger is by a Timney Elite Hunter assembly with adjustable pull weight from 680 to 1,800 grams. The AICS-type magazine is made of polymer, with a capacity of five cartridges and is manufactured by the specialist Magpul.
Daniel Defense Delta 5 technical specifications and price
| Caliber: | .308 Winchester |
Magazine: | Magpum Pmag polymer, 5-round |
Action: | Bolt-action with 60° throw |
Trigger: | Timney, adjustable pull weight from 680 to 1800 grams |
Barrel Length: | 508 millimetres (20 inches) |
Stock: | Polymer |
Weight: | 4,03 Kg |
Sights: | Picatinny rail, 20 MOA titl |
Price (MSRP in the US) | $2,120 |
Shooting impressions with the Daniel Defense Delta 5
Firing the Daniel Defense Delta 5 was a pleasant step back in time, when precision rifles for military and law enforcement use had a setup along the lines of the legendary Remington Police, far removed from the complexity of today's skeletonised chassis – an option available for this action anyway, provided you opt for the more expensive Delta 5 Pro version. A need we did not feel, as the gun we tested already offered all the necessary adjustments and interfaces, at least for the use an enthusiast might make of it.
The Daniel Defense Delta 5 rifles are guaranteed .75 MOA or less at 100 yards using match ammunition. During our first contact, the rifle certainly seemed to live up to its promise, albeit after a necessary period of fine-tuning and selection of the ideal ammunition.
Stock ergonomics are excellent and recoil is surprisingly mild, considering the caliber and the 20-inch cold-hammer forged barrel. It might be interesting to screw in a muzzle brake to make long shooting sessions even more comfortable.
During our shooting test, the rifle performed flawlessly, with no feeding troubles, providing a positive and safe ejection without any abnormally deformed or smoked cases. The bolt can be operated quickly and the trigger is surprisingly good and exploitable, bearing in mind the intended use of the rifle, which is reflected in the pull weight.
The Delta 5 is the classic rifle that, once the shooting session is over, makes you want to buy another box of ammunition and try to squeeze out some more of its obvious inherent accuracy.
