DRTV Weekly: A Day @ Daniel Defense

Last week, I was down in Savannah to spend some time with Daniel Defense including a trip to the shooting range.The first thing I want to say is I love, absolutely love, the Ambush 6.8 SPC rifle! We were shooting the 16-inch version with it’s free-floating barrel in a modular rail system and it’s totally cool shotgun-inspired hand grip on steel at about 40-50 yards, and it was sweet.

All the Ambush rifles are fitted with Geissele 2-stage triggers, essentially 2 1/2 pounds on the first stage, 2 pounds on the second. It is a world-class trigger and made running the 6.8 a breeze. We had a Leupold scope on the test gun, but DD Sales guy Joe Marler both agree that with a red dot the gun becomes just about an ideal hog/brush rifle. The Ambush clocks in at 6pounds without optics and with a Magpul MOE…not a lot of fat to be trimmed off. BTW, the barrel is threaded but does not come with a flash-hider; only a cap.

We also shot one of the Larry Vickers’ spec’ed Daniel Defense carbines with an Aimpoint Mini on that great DD mount. What can you say? This is pretty much the definition of a top-of-the-line AR, and it shoots like it. Of course, I couldn’t resist the 10.3-incher with the Gemtech suppressor!

We spent a good bit of time in the factory, especially on the barrel line. DD barrels are cold hammer forged, essentially a steel “torpedo” — what the steel billet looks like — that has been drilled and then mirror-honed has a carbide mandrel inserted, then the hammers shape the barrel around the mandrel, including the chamber, lands and grooves. It is very impressive, and the barrels speak for themselves.

Reference Links:

Daniel Defense

Ambush Firearms