The Daniel Defense Delta 5 — New Precision Bolt Gun

Late last fall we were invited to a Daniel Defense product debut, but they were very tight-lipped about what it was going to be. Iain and I came up with two different theories:
-It would be a pistol, likely a 1911
-It would be a precision gun

As luck turned out (because who needs another 1911 manufacturer at the moment anyway?), it was a precision gun that accepted the newest NFA items (with only a few caveats).

Marty Daniel is driven to push his company into any every firearms market–precision shooting isn't his last stand by any means. Eventually, he plans for Daniel Defense to manufacturer the guns and everything that goes with or inside of them. Our main theory is that this means brand-new DD AICS mags will be in circulation soon.

More Than It Looks
Admittedly, at first glance, I thought the stock was from a Magpul Hunter. And oh exactly how wrong I was.

Everything on the Daniel Defense Delta 5 has been engineered for repeatable shots. Aside from the standard adjustments for the cheekpiece and length of pull, there are a lot of conscientious upgrades one wouldn't notice at first.

Like what? A phenomenal groove to place your thumb. As a guy who practices “finger discipline” with AR-type rifles at distance, it was a welcome addition.

The forend of the Delta 5 is full of M-Lok compatible slots, perfect for that expensive WML you've been eyeing or a bipod, which is a necessity for a precision rifle.

The stock of the DD Delta 5 can also easily accommodate both short and long actions and free-float either. While initial offerings will be in 7.62N, 7mm-08, and 6.5 Creedmoor (of course!) long action cartridges can't be too far behind.

Additionally, the magazine release is optimized for strong or support-hand removal (though we would like to see an in-line lever too for those used to standard AI actions).

The scope mount is, of course, Picatinny. No drill and tap needed, the rail mount of the Daniel Defense Delta 5 almost (but not quite) mimics a Scout Scope mount.

And since you're asking, yes, the Delta 5 accepts both factory and Magpul AICS magazines.

So How Does It Shoot??
And thus is the question with any precision gun. Insofar as mechanical accuracy, you can only go so far–but once you land some ML the rest of the AI continuum becomes mostly limitless.

Three separate times I ended up with a five-shot group under .3-inches only to ruin it with a fifth shot that brought it closer to .65-inch groups. Obviously, the gun is more accurate than me.

John Patton of The Gun Collective shot the smallest five shot group I had ever seen at something nearing a .25-inch five-shot group.

We note that even the hosts of many so-called “Precision Rifle” podcasts didn't even come close to that group, let alone most others.

Here's what they have to say about it:

Daniel Defense has taken the modularity of the AR platform and integrated it into a one-of-a-kind bolt action rifle. From an interchangeable cold hammer forged barrel to a user-configurable stock, the DELTA 5 features out-of-the-box customization that would normally require professional gunsmithing. Designed for the user that expects more from their rifle, the DELTA 5 provides the ultimate long range shooting experience from the day it’s purchased. No custom wait time required.

Daniel Defense gave us a ton of additional specifications:
+ CALIBER: .308 Winchester | 6.5mm Creedmoor | 7mm-08 Remington
+ BARREL: User-interchangeable, stainless steel cold hammer forged to contour
+ BARREL LENGTH: 20” (.308 Win) | 24” (6.5 Creedmoor) | 24” (7mm-08 Rem)
+ BARREL TWIST: 1:10 RH (.308 Win) | 1:8 RH (6.5 Creedmoor) | 1:9 RH (7mm-08 Rem)
+ MUZZLE THREAD: 5/8” x 24 TPI (Threads Per Inch) with thread protector
+ WEIGHT: 8.9 lbs (.308 Win) | 9.5 lbs (6.5 Creedmoor/7mm-08 Rem)
+ LENGTH: 40” Max (.308 Win) | 44” Max (6.5 Creedmoor/7mm-08 Rem)
+ ACTION: Mechanically bedded stainless steel action with integral recoil lug
+ BOLT: Three-lug bolt with a 60 degree throw and rotating bolt head
+ BOLT KNOB: 5/16 – 24″ removable bolt knob
+ TRIGGER: Adjustable single stage Timney Elite Hunter with two position safety (1.5 – 4 lbs)
+ PICATINNY SCOPE BASE: 20 MOA/ 5.8 MRAD of elevation with four #10-32 bolts
+ BARRIER STOP: Integrated into pillared bottom metal for stability
+ ERGONOMIC STOCK: Constructed of carbon fiber reinforced polymer
+ ADJUSTABLE CHEEK RISER: For preferred height, yaw, and drift
+ CONFIGURABLE BUTTSTOCK: Offers length of pull and butt pad height adjustments
+ ATTACHMENT: 11 total M-LOK points along forend with one point on bottom of buttstock
+ QUICK DETACH: Ambidextrous M-LOK QD sling points on forend and buttstock
+ MAGAZINE: Accepts AICS pattern detachable single feed magazines
+ MSRP: $2199.00

Visit https://danieldefense.com/