Daniel Defense DDM4 V5 300 AAC Blackout

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Quiet — Accurate — Hard-Hitting.

Like many modern cartridges, this Advanced Armament Corporation development was born of a perceived military need. The primary focus was on exceeding the close-range performance of the 5.56 NATO round with a cartridge completely compatible with the AR platform. It would be a standardized version of several 30-caliber rounds based on the .223/.221 fireball cases loaded to the same length as the 5.56/.223. Performance expectation was it would mirror the 7.62 Kalashnikov round and perform well in short-barreled suppressed arms.

The Wildcat Whisper and Blackout cartridges are very similar, and some manufacturers deem them totally interchangeable. However, it’s advisable to follow the recommendations of the firearm manufacturer on this.

The Daniel Defense DDM4 V5 with the YHM Titanium Phantom suppressor.
This combo allowed shooting with no hearing protection, however it
did affect velocity on some loads.

Internals are best quality mil-spec.

Daniel Defense M4

The Daniel Defense Company of Black Creek, Ga., fields a very well respected version of the AR-15. Starting as a supplier of after-market parts, they applied many of their innovations to their basic rifle, its variations and the sport-oriented Ambush Carbine. Daniel Defense offers the AAC Blackout round in the M4 V5 Carbine and several variations, including the 300 ISR (Integrally Suppressed Rifle), combining a 10.5″ rifle barrel with a permanent suppressor. The firm is fully equipped with modern CNC tools and is one of a handful of companies with barrel-forging capabilities.

Daniel Defense barrels are cold-hammer forged of chrome vanadium steel and finished inside and out with a salt bath nitrate process, markedly reducing bullet friction and materially extending barrel life. The CorBon and Barnes bullet loads during our tests actually chronographed 100 fps over the nominal velocity listed by the companies, which may or may not be a result of the barrel treatment.

Our sample DDM4 V5 arrived with the standard 16″ barrel, free-floated in the proprietary rail, a Daniel Defense Vertical foregrip and the standard Magpul 6-position adjustable stock. The magazine holds 30 rounds and is also from Magpul. The lower unit and lockwork are standard to all DD AR rifles, and the trigger is strictly mil-spec, weighing in at 6.5 pounds exactly on my Timney Trigger Pull gauge. The alloy handguard is 12.5″ in length, with Picatinny rails on all four sides, allowing an abundance of sling swivel sockets. There’s an additional 6″ of Picatinny rail over the receiver for traditional optic placement.

The rifle weighs just less than 7 pounds without sighting equipment. Our package contained a set of non-folding accessory sights adjustable in the usual AR-15/M16 fashion and of the high quality associated with Daniel Defense products. Mounting the Burris 1-6×42 MTAC (30mm tube diameter) scope brought the total weight to 8 pounds, give or take a few ounces. We found the package comfortably portable using a Blue Force sling.

The reticule in the Burris MTAC CQB can be alternated between lit (red) or black and is
geared toward close-in work. It also performs adequately at longer distances if needed.

The DDM4 V5 300 AAC Blackout with Burris MTAC CQB. DD forges its own barrels and has
proprietary rails — both are also supplied to other manufacturers. The 6-position
stock and magazine are from Magpul.

Burris MTAC CQB Sight

The Burris MTAC scope has a number of elements desirable in a close-quarters battle sight, and is primarily intended for rapid use at short and intermediate ranges. Nevertheless, the “Ballistic” element of the “Ballistic CQ” reticule provides hold-over points corresponding with the trajectory of the 5.56 NATO 62-grain ball load or, as is the case with our sample, the 150-grain 7.62 cartridge, out to 600 yards. The principle could also be applied to the 300 Blackout, or any other cartridge for that matter.

The primary sighting element is a prominent dot centered in a ring subtending 2.4″ and 25.2″ respectively at 100 yards. The internal diameter of the reticule ring fits closely over the upper torso of the B-17 target, and the large dot promotes instant target acquisition. The ancillary “ballistic” elements, including the downrange aiming points and ranging indices, are not a bit distracting when employing the sight at close range.

Sight adjustment is “repeatable” with 80 MOA of vertical and horizontal adjustment in .25″ increments. The narrow-range eye relief across the 1.5-6x-power range (.7″ from one extreme to the other) and a wide field of view put the shooter seamlessly on-target at normal ranges. The 42mm objective is optimum for light transmission, making it likely this sight will be more practical with gun-mounted illumination than with most tactical optics.

The Ballistic CQ reticule features graduated illumination with the handy feature being every other click of the dial turns the unit off. It’s less complicated than several lighted scopes of competing brands. Battery power is via a CR2032 3V, and should provide for long-lasting and trouble-free operation. The Quick Detachable Burris, PEPR mount places the MTAC 2.7″ above center bore and provides a firm platform for the sight.

The best group came with this Barnes VOR-TX load fired while a
YHM Titanium Phantom suppressor was installed — five rounds at 100
yards from a Caldwell Lead Sled AR-compatible rest. The Barnes and the
CorBon loading of this bullet are essentially the same, as are the group sizes.

CorBon DPX 125-grain Nosler Ballistic Tip at 100 yards.

Shooting

Available ammunition ranges from the 110-grain lead-free Barnes bullets used in three of the available loads, to 155-grain jacketed rounds and a 220-grain nominally subsonic round from Remington. Barnes calls their lead-free bullet “Tac-Tx” and loads them in their VOR-TX ammunition line, while CorBon calls the same projectile the “DPX” or “Deep Penetrating X Bullet.”

Barnes has tested the round for expansion, penetration and weight retention out to 300 yards in standard and short-barrel arms. The Texas company RTBA LTD loads their “Right to Bear” Blackout round with the Barnes also. While Barnes stops short of applying the popular neologism “Barrier Blind Bullet,” others do not, and there’s a broad consensus the Tac-Tx is excellent for military/police operations.

Performance-wise in our testing, the Barnes and CorBon loads are virtually identical. Both produced groups of under 2″, with the RTBA load not far behind at 2.2″. The Barnes had an accuracy edge over the heavier bullet loads, however. Not surprisingly, the slowest burning of the pistol propellants are the powder-of-choice for full velocity handloads. Barnes suggests Hodgdon H110 but others mention Lil’ Gun and WW 296.

With a limited number of empty cases on hand, we tried a couple of handloads using Sierra and Hornady 125-grain bullets over published starting loads with Lil’ Gun and H110. Both shot 3-round groups of less than 1″ at 100 yards and displayed small extreme velocity spreads, enhancing accuracy.

The full-velocity loads displayed the expected consistency, with extreme spreads from 30 to 50 fps. All were functional in the M4 rifle, and also worked perfectly with standard .223 magazines.

The single available box of subsonic loads (thanks to the ammo shortage at the time of testing) was a Remington loading of a 220-grain bullet. There were no failures to function with or without a suppressor in place in our limited observation, although extreme spreads with this ammo were quite wide. Unsuppressed, five rounds went over the chronograph at subsonic velocity. With the added length of the Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) suppressor, three of five rounds actually exceeded the nominal 1,120 fps representing the speed of sound at sea level. The top-quality suppressor did obviate the need for additional hearing protection with full-velocity loads, and our best group overall was recorded through the unit.

To all indications, this Daniel Defense design in 300 AAC will emerge from the current ammunition drought and become a military and law enforcement staple!
By Mike Cumpston

Chart: 300 AAC

Load	Velocity (fps)	Group: 5-round avg. inch/100 yards)
Barnes VOR-TX 110	2,339	1.7
CorBon DPX (Barnes 110)	2,326	1.9
CorBon 125 BT	2,150	2
Remington Match 125	2,207	2.7
Right To Bear 110 V-Max	2,267	2.2
PNW Match 155	1,957	3.2
Remington 220 Sub Sonic
Yankee Hill Machine Suppressor *	1,095	3
Un-suppressed	**1,063	3.5

* Of the five rounds fired through the suppressor, three of the string were hypersonic. Spread: 170 fps
**Of the five rounds subsonic fired un-suppressed, all were subsonic. Spread =120 fps.

Comparison

Barnes Vor-Tx 300 Blackout	Velocity (fps)	Trajectory (inch)
Muzzle	2,339	N/A
100 Yards	2,082	0
200 Yards	1,841	-5.28
300 Yards	1,642	-21.12
.223 20″ Barrel 55-gr. Nosler BT	Velocity (fps)	Trajectory (inch)
Muzzle	3.030	N/A
100 Yards	2,706	0
200 Yards	2,403	-2.05
300 Yards	2,121	-10.21

Details

DDM4 v5 300 AAC Blackout
Upper Receiver: Mil-spec w/ indexing marks and M4 feed ramps • Barrel Length: 16″ S2W profile • Twist Rate: 1:8″ •
Barrel Material: Chrome moly vanadium steel, cold-hammer forged • Weight: 7 pounds • System: MP tested, salt bath nitride finished • Chamber: 300 AAC Blackout •
Flash Hider: Daniel Defense Flash Suppressor (1.875″) •
Bolt Carrier Group: Mil-spec MP tested, properly staked gas key • Gas Block: Daniel Defense Pinned Low Profile Gas Block • Handguard: Daniel Defense DDM4 Rail 12″ •
Vertical Grip: Daniel Defense A2 Styling Vertical Grip •
Rail Cover: (3) Daniel Defense low-profile rail ladders •
MSRP: $1,709

Burris MTAC 7.62 Riflescope
Magnification: 1.5-6x • Tube: 30mm • Objective: 42mm •
Reticule: Ballistic CQ • Length: 12.2″ • Weight: 14 ounces •
Adjustment value: .25″/100 yards • Field of view (100 yards): 33′ low magnification, 13′ high magnification
Maximum adjustment: 80 MOA • Eye Relief: 3.1″ to 3.8″ •
Price: $400 (street price) •
Burris P.E.P.R 30 MM QD Mount: $94.99

Titanium Q.D. Phantom Suppressor
Caliber: 30 cal/ 7.62 • Overall Length: 8.5″ • Diameter: 1.5″ •
Weight: 15 ounces • Suppression Level: -32dB • Method Of Attachment: Q.D. Flash Hide • Material: Titanium and heat-treated inconel 718 • Finish: Natural matte • MSRP: $1,177