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View Full Version : Charles Daly M5 Review



Dutch
13 August 2008, 21:14
Charles Daly /M5 Commander

http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Charles%20Daly%20Carbines/IMG_5540%201028%20WEVO.jpg

The Charles Daly M5 Commander is made in Israel by Bul Inc. and imported to the U.S. by KBI of Harrisburg PA, is a polymer framed high capacity 1911. The 4.3 inch Commander model is what was provided for review. The black polymer re-enforced frame is topped by a blackened steel slide with a stainless steel grip safety. The model tested came with 4 13 rd magazines with metal bodies and plastic/polymer base plates.

http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Charles%20Daly%20Carbines/IMG_5503%201028%20WEVO.jpg

The over all fit and finish is very nice! The frame has a standard cross checkering pattern along the grip surfaces, with the front strap and removable mainspring housing is checkered. The magazine well is slightly beveled to aid in speedy magazine changes. The grip safety is a beavertail style with memory grooves and bump, it is made of stainless steel and slightly polished it ensures a positive grip repeatedly. The magazine release is tall and sharply cross checked for positive contact. The trigger is skelotonized short style trigger which is listed to break between 3.5 and 5 lbs.

http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Charles%20Daly%20Carbines/IMG_5652%201028%20Stick.jpg

The barrel to slide fit is very tight with little to no side to side movement, it has no barrel bushing and is flared at the muzzle. The barrel has 6 lands and grooves, with a rifling twist of 1:16 left hand. The slide is a flat black finish with a curved top for no glare sighting. The sights are dovetailed into the slide and is standard tongue and groove. The slide to frame lock up is very tight also, though the slide does not actually come in contact with the frame but with the steel slide rails of the insert. Slide movement is smooth and burr free. The slide engraving is deep, smooth, and even providing a professional overall appearance. You can see that a close eye was kept of keeping fit and finish up to shooters expectations. The Commander model has angled cocking serrations on both side of the slide rear.

Range Day: This is best part of doing a review on a weapon or new piece of equipment. Having the chance to see if you reviewed item meets up with your pre-conceived perceptions. Well I really am a fan of the 1911 platform and was eagerly awaiting the chance to let the slide forward on a charged magazine. I will admit I was concerned how this pistol was going to shoot with it light weight when not loaded. I had nothing to worry about, it absorbed every ounce of recoil given by the mixed lot of 230gr cartridges I feed it. The pistol fit very comfortably in my hands which I consider to be medium in size. Point of aim and point of impact were extremely close if not right on. The M5 ate roughly 250rds of factory loaded ammo that day. I used Winchester White Box 185 gr, SPEER Lawman, SPEER Gold Dot, Remington Golden Saber and Magtech in 230gr as my samples and was very pleased with how the pistol handled each cartridge. Each pull of the trigger provided sharp extraction and positive ejection of each casing far to my right side. I flipped back forth between magazines loaded with different brands of ammo and the pistol just kept thumping away. It was doing its job the way it was intended too. I was able to shoot every shoot well within my skill ability level, and the M5 helped me along the way. I was very pleased with it s performance at the range and anxiously awaiting the opportunity to head back out with it.


Specifications:
Overall length: 200mm Sights: fixed sights
Overall height 135mm Safeties: thumb safety
Weight: 860gr grip safety
barrel length: 110mm Trigger pull: 3.5-4.0 lb
Sight radius: 150mm
Calibers
Capacity: 9mm/18rd, 40sw/17rd, .45/14rd

Dutch

Stickman
23 August 2008, 15:25
A comment was made on another board, and I'll share it over here. The statement was made that weaponevolution.com never seems to post any reviews that reflect poorly on a product. I'll happily agree that we haven't yet, and the answer for that is simple, I don't have the time to take an item that our staff feels would be a failure. If Dutch or myself had thought the Charles Daly M-5 would be a problem child, we wouldn't have requested it. If there was a problem, it would have been noted in the review.

Secondly, if something is an item that our Staff is lacking in experience, or we don't have the time to get it to a Staff member who has the experience, we won't do the review. We won't write fluff pieces, and won't write about things if we lack a solid knowledge base. Because of that, we've found it necessary to turn away reviews.

The CD M-5 that is being reviewed has spent time with a military firearm instructor, and that instructor has been showing it to MIL, LEO, and Contract Security that he associates with. The comments and input he has gathered have all been very positive, with the biggest negative people have commented on being the lack of magazine availability. I think most of them would rather see the pistol come with three magazines. In their mind, and in my own, another AWB is a matter of time.

If Michael can live without the M-5 for awhile longer, I will be picking it up as the second reviewer. While the weapon has already been carried, I will put a few hundred rounds through it to start, then start carrying it as my off duty weapon for awhile. By living with a weapon, you get an idea of what its really like. Guys who are LE, MIL, stout hunters, or serious enthusiasts understand that extended use brings out a different feel for a weapon. What feels good in your hand in a store, might not feel so good tucked up against your side for 14+ hours a day.

As a city cop, former MIL, and current state instructor, I'll continue to gather the input of novice and veteran shooters. That includes guys coming back from Iraq, as well as guys/ girls who have barely held a firearm before. Sometimes its the thoughts of those people unfamiliar with weapons that spark ideas for me. I tend to have high expectations, and take things for granted. Input from other people helps with me a better insight into certain reviews.

After myself, if the time is still there, it will pass to "Eric", who is another veteran LEO and instructor. He does a good job on testing, and I enjoy reading his reviews, even when they are of the same product I just got done with.

For whatever its worth, "Eric" and myself are both 1911 armorers, and I know that "Dutch" has also built a few 1911s in his spare time.


We'll update the review as time permits, but please remember that you don't want a review that is written by someone who has little time with an item. Because of that, I wouldn't expect any updates for a few weeks at the minimum. Until then, here is another picture....



http://stickman.rainierarms.com/galleries/Charles%20Daly%20Carbines/IMG_5574%201028%20WEVO.jpg

Eric
28 October 2008, 20:32
Charles Daly M5 Commander 1911

I won’t rehash the specifications of the M5, but just share my experiences. During my initial trip to the range, I experienced quite a few malfunctions. There were two types of failures: fail to feed and engagement of the slide lock with rounds remaining in the magazine. With the feed failures, the rounds were getting hung up on the feed-ramp and the weapon was just slightly out of battery. With the slide lock engaging prematurely, the slide lock was just barely hanging up on the slide lock notch. There was only about 1mm of engagement. Both malfunction types were reduced with a primary malfunction drill.

We received four magazines for testing along with the pistol. Each one loaded with the advertised 13 rounds. With the slide in the forward position each magazine dropped free. However, with the slide locked open, two of the magazines would not drop free and they had to be stripped out. This occurred during dry fire drills as well as during live fire.

The magazines actually protrude from the bottom of the magazine well and have a wide floor-plate that makes it easy to get a good grasp. The recoil spring felt somewhat weak compared to what I expected. I figured that some of the feeding problems might be related to the weak spring. However, a replacement spring was installed and a subsequent range session showed similar problems.

This evaluation included fewer rounds than I typically would prefer, but it was limited due to the malfunctions. Total rounds fired was just over 300, which included a variety of 230 grain ball and 230 grain hollow-point. Accuracy was on par with similar weapons and the point of impact for me was slightly left of center. Recoil was controllable, perhaps just a tiny bit more than a Para-Ordinance P13 that is of similar configuration.

The sights were similar in appearance to the Chip McCormick version. The checkering on the front and back of the grip is aggressive, but not overly sharp. The beavertail type grip safety worked as it should, as did the thumb safety. Disassembly is straightforward, except for the guide rod and recoil spring. This assembly requires the use of a tool (paperclip) for removal. I would prefer tool-less disassembly.

I’m unaware of any holster company that has an off the shelf holster for the M5. I’m sure that some of the custom holster makers could something, for a price.

I like idea of a high capacity .45 ACP pistol and I actually carry a Glock 21 while on duty. However, the particular M5 that I tested would not be acceptable as a LE or defensive pistol. At least, until the bugs are ironed out.