Under the standard M4 handguards that come on the weapon we see that they are the double shielded style. When mated together, there were no visible gaps or ugly seams. Its hard to get worked up about handguards, but those people who have ended up with warped handguards that don't fit together correctly have a reason to be irrate. In any case, I have no complaints in how these fit, and they locked in tightly to the Delta ring while not being so tight that they were a pain to remove or assemble.
Moving to the upper receiver, its evident that these are engraved with T numbers. The machining is even, and free of chatter or tool marks. The finish is even, and a deep satin black which is a dead match for the lower receiver. The ejection port cover snaps into place without needing undue force, which is more than I can say for some upper end weapons I've dealt with lately. The spring is correctly in place on the ejection port, and is silver in color.
Popping the rear take down pin, and removing the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) and Charging Handle (CH) gives us a good look at the gas tube and M4 feedramps on both the barrel extension and the upper receiver. In this case, the gas tube is perfectly centered, and the alignment on the extension to receiver is well done. The below picture shadowing gives a little more shadow than is actually present on the right feedramp. The feedramps were smooth, despite what my picture may make it look like, and not only does it chamber rounds slowly without hanging up, but pressing in with a fingernail shows nothing out of the ordinary.
Inside the upper receiver we have what many will argue is the most critical part of the weapon, which is the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG). To start, the barrels are randomly proof fired, and then barrels and bolts are batch Magnetic Particle Inspected (MPI). While this isn't something that shooters will ever notice, its a nice step to ensure quality is staying on track in the production line.
The top of the BCG houses one of the weak links in the AR15, and of course that is the Carrier Key. Staking the Carrier Key provides that the screws will not rotate or vibrate loose. When this loosens, gas bleeds and begins to cause short stroking in the system. There have been a lot of unhappy shooters with issues traced back to a loose Carrier Key. Proper staking causes enough metal to displace, and contact the screw head which locks them in place. While heavily staked, CD has made sure they do not encroach above .025 which is the max allowed for Mil Spec.
For those readers who feel that the proper staking is something which can not be over emphasized, here are two pictures to illustrate the staking from different angles.
Inside the Bolt, the ejector had positive pressure, and didn't leave me wondering about its lifespan. The extractor spring was firm, and contained a black insert, as well as Crane style O-ring. This should be enough to rip out just about any casing.
The lower receiver shares the same deep satin black which covers the upper receiver. It appears a teflon coating is used over the anodizing, which provides a finish which resists chipping, marring, and scratches.
Fit between the upper and lower receiver was as good as any of the custom ARs I've spent time with. The push pins were tight, but could be pressed out with firm finger pressure.
The A2 pistol grip is standard, and familiar to all of us who have spent time in military service.
The magazine catch is smooth, and without burrs, though mine appears it could be in an extra turn. With several different new and used USGI magazines, as well as HK, and a plethora of Magpul PMAGs, there were no issues with magazines dropping free. The safety is smooth, has positive release, and "clicks" into place the way I am accustom to with my Colts. The non-safety side shows a red mark to identify at quick glance whether the weapon is on safe or fire. Its a thoughtful touch, and one sometimes done by individual shooters.
The Charles Daly uses standard fire control group parts and pins.
Moving down the weapon, we run into the castle nut. This is another item that some manufacturers tend to skimp on. The military calls for staking of the castle nut in the same way that they demand staking of the carrier key. Some people feel that a dab of thread locker will serve the same purpose, but I've taught courses where those weapons have had their castle nuts loosen up, or in some cases even back off enough to allow the stock to rotate.
Staking serves a valid purpose,and Charles Daly does it nicely. The below picture shows two points on the castle nut that are well staked.
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