Daniel Defense Unveils DDM4 PDW
Daniel Defense is a company that seemingly came out of nowhere only a few short years ago. The arms maker cut their teeth building high-quality rifles and carbines for the US military, and for building rail systems for SOCOM and the UK Ministry of Defense.
Since then, Daniel Defense has gone on to create some of the most highly sought-after AR-15 carbines on the market, like their MK18. But one variant of AR strangely absent from their product line was a PDW-style weapon. Until now.
Just prior to SHOT Show 2020, Daniel Defense formally announced their DDM4 PDW. A .300blk AR-15 featuring a collapsible PDW-style brace and short, seven-inch barrel. This combination of an ultra-compact brace and short barrel makes the PDW very easy to carry or hike with. The entire setup measures only 20 inches from end to end.
Compact Heat
Of the two calibers, the .300blk benefits the most from this configuration. With the 7.5in barrel, .300blk is substantially more ballistically effective than 5.56mm. Plus, the .300blk with subsonic rounds makes for a very quiet, compact package.
But even if a shooter decides on a 5.56mm variant, they’ll be happy to known they’ll still get decent performance from the round. Especially now that multiple companies are producing ammunition specifically for shorter-barreled firearms.
Either way, the DDM4 PDW accepts STANAG mags for both calibers.
Another interesting aspect of the gun’s design is how Daniel Defense attaches their handguard to the receiver. Instead of simply attaching to the barrel nut, the handguard and receiver both feature four threaded slots that perfectly align. This provides a solid optic-mounting platform, and allows anything mounted to the handguard to retain zero.
The only downside to this configuration, is that the handguard uses a propriety mount. So shooters looking to replace it may have to find a new mount to do so. That is, unless their replacement was designed specifically to work with the Daniel Defense interface.
Modularity be thy name
Additional features include the Daniel Defense standard ergonomic pistol grip and ambidextrous safety selector. Also, the 7.5in in barrel features standard 5/8×24 in .300blk. The DDM4 PDW is set to retail for $1,900 and should be available soon. For more information, visit https://danieldefense.com/
Jim is a freelance writer, editor, and videographer for dozens of publications who loves anything and everything guns. While partial to modern military firearms and their civilian counterparts, he holds a special place in his heart for the greatest battle implement ever devised and other WW2 rifles. When he’s not reviewing guns or shooting for fun and competition, Jim can be found hiking and hunting with his wife Kimberly, and their dog Peanut in the South Carolina low country.