Daniel Defense Engraved Upper Receiver

Product Description

The Daniel Defense Engraved Upper Receiver, part number 04-013-09003, is an upper receiver component for the AR-15 and M4 platform, supplied by Daniel Defense as a retail-packaged assembly and carrying Daniel Defense engraving. It is the part a builder starts from when the finished rifle is meant to be a Daniel Defense upper.

On the AR-15 the upper receiver does more structural work than most buyers credit it for. It carries the barrel extension, indexes the barrel to the gas tube, aligns the bolt carrier group through its travel, retains the charging handle, and provides the surface every optic on the rifle references. When a rifle will not hold zero across a strip and rebuild, the receiver’s tolerances are usually part of the story.

What we will not do on this page is guess at material, finish, rail specification or assembly state for this part number. Daniel Defense produces receivers in several configurations, and quoting a spec that belongs to a neighbouring part is how a builder ends up with a receiver that will not take the barrel he already bought. Call 817-393-4000 with 04-013-09003 and we will confirm the exact configuration against the part in front of us before you commit.

Key Facts

• Brand: Daniel Defense
• Model: Engraved Upper Receiver
• SKU / Manufacturer Part Number: 04-013-09003
• Platform: AR-15 / M4
• Category: Upper receiver component, retail assembly
• Manufacturer: Daniel Defense
• Confirm by phone before ordering: material, finish, rail configuration, and whether this part number is supplied bare or with forward assist and port door fitted — call 817-393-4000

How this fits an AR-15 build

Sequence matters more than brand loyalty on an upper build. The receiver goes into a vice block first, the barrel extension seats against the receiver face, the barrel nut gets torqued to the manufacturer’s figure with a proper wrench, and only then does the gas tube get aligned and the handguard installed. Skip the torque spec and the rifle will shoot, right up until the barrel nut loosens and the point of impact walks. If you are assembling at home, sort out a torque wrench and a receiver fixture before you order parts.

Ordering a receiver component rather than a firearm

Federally, the serialized firearm on an AR-15 is the lower receiver, so an upper receiver is handled as a part rather than a firearm. State and municipal rules are not uniform on receiver components, so confirm what applies where you live before ordering. Cross-shoppers usually want to see our wider AR upper receivers and upper receiver parts selection, and the Daniel Defense category groups everything we carry from the brand.

Ordering from Western Sport in Roanoke, TX

Western Sport has been a licensed FFL and SOT dealer since 2007 and is a Daniel Defense master dealer with a gunsmith on the premises in Roanoke, Texas. We will happily spend ten minutes on the phone confirming a receiver part number rather than letting you find out at the bench. Reach us at 817-393-4000.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Daniel Defense Engraved Upper Receiver stripped or assembled?

A: Daniel Defense builds upper receivers in more than one configuration, and we will not guess which one sits behind a part number. Call 817-393-4000 with part number 04-013-09003 and we will confirm whether the receiver you are quoted is bare or already carries a forward assist and ejection port cover before you pay for it.

Q: Does an AR-15 upper receiver have to transfer through an FFL?

A: Under federal law the serialized firearm on an AR-15 is the lower receiver, not the upper, so an upper receiver is handled as a part rather than a firearm. State and local rules are not uniform, and a few jurisdictions treat receiver components differently. Confirm the requirements where you live, and call us if you want help sorting it out.

Q: What part number should I give you for this Daniel Defense upper receiver?

A: Quote part number 04-013-09003. Receiver components are catalogued tightly enough that part numbers are the only reliable way to order them, and descriptions alone get builders the wrong part. Give us that number and we will match it exactly rather than substituting something that looks similar.

Q: Will this Daniel Defense upper receiver work with a mil-spec AR-15 lower?

A: It is an AR-15 and M4-pattern upper receiver, so the takedown and pivot pin geometry is the standard pattern. Real-world fit between any two brands still varies by a few thousandths, and a receiver pair can be snug or slightly loose. Call 817-393-4000 to talk through your specific lower before ordering.

Q: Can Western Sport’s gunsmith assemble the upper for me?

A: Yes. We have a gunsmith on site in Roanoke, which means you can have the receiver fitted with a barrel, gas system, bolt carrier group and handguard, torqued to spec and headspace-checked rather than doing it on a kitchen table. Call 817-393-4000 to price the labour alongside the parts.

Q: What else does a complete AR-15 upper need besides the receiver?

A: A functioning upper needs a barrel, gas block and gas tube, barrel nut and handguard, muzzle device, forward assist and ejection port assembly, a bolt carrier group and a charging handle. Build order matters because the barrel nut has to be torqued before the handguard goes on. We can quote the whole group together.

Additional information