Employee AR-15 Spotlight – Nathan’s Build

If you were to get a behind the scenes look into the life of a Daniel Defense employee, you would likely feel at home.  With similar values – God, family, country, and a love of the guns and the Second Amendment – these men and women work hard, and play even harder.  So, what setups do customer service reps, engineers, manufacturing techs and other employees, have tucked away in their home safes?  We spoke with Nathan B., one of the most enthusiastic individuals you’ll ever meet, and inside sales rep for Daniel Defense, and this is his build:

DD: What Daniel Defense firearm are you sharing with us?

NB: This is my personal DDM4 V7.

DD: What made you choose this Daniel firearm specifically?

NB: I wanted something that was lightweight, but still extremely durable, that was able to reach out a little farther than my MK18.

DD: What is the main purpose/role for this Daniel for you?

NB: This rifle has really stepped into the role of a Recce (reconnaissance) build. I tend to grab it whenever I feel like I am going to be making shots out past about 150 yards at my farm. I have also started shooting a few 2-gun matches and have really found it to be a great option with the LPVO (low power variable optic) on there.

DD: What has been done to it? Any details? Modifications?

NB: Nothing too crazy. I have swapped the trigger to a Giessele SSA, installed a Radian Raptor Charging Handle, and put the Surefire 3-prong on the rifle in order to run my Surefire RC-2 on the gun.

DD: Is your Daniel "done" or are there any changes you plan to make to it? 

NB: This rifle is pretty much done, except for a few accessory changes. It definitely needs IR (infrared) on it, so either a DBAL (laser) or potentially a MAWL (green laser aiming device) will be happening at some point. The light head will definitely be getting an upgrade to a Modlite shortly. I have also toyed with the idea of adding an offset red dot like an Aimpoint T2 since the Unity mount has integrated mounts for it, but with 2 kids and a wife I can only get away with so much before there are questions!

DD: How were you introduced to gun culture?

NB: Growing up shooting sporting clays with my Grandfather who was a Korean War Marine Corps veteran. While shooting shotguns was fun, the day he let me shoot his prized M1 Garand I was hooked and have never looked back.

DD: What is the gun industry/culture to you?

NB: The firearms industry as a whole is a pretty small world, so you end up running into the same guys at all of the shows and expos, and it really becomes a pretty tight-knit group. Everyone loves to see everyone else’s new offerings and see what the latest/greatest product is going to be. It really helps when we can give real-world feedback on questions that we get from customers since everyone that answers the phones here at DD actually runs the guns. If we don’t know the answer, or don’t have the product to look at, odds are we can get you the contact info for someone who does!

Build List:

    • Daniel Defense Firearm: DDM4 V7
    • Optic: Vortex Razor Gen ll-E MRAD
    • Optic Mount: Unity Tactical FAST LPVO
    • Irons: None
    • Muzzle Device: Surefire 3-prong
    • Suppressor: Surefire SOCOM RC-2
    • Light: Surefire M-600 Dual Fuel with a Surefire Dual switch
    • Light Mount: Daniel Defense M-LOK Scout Light Mount
    • VFG: Daniel Defense M-LOK Vertical Foregrip
    • Buttstock: B5 Systems 1st Generation SOPMOD   
    • Grip: Daniel Defense Pistol Grip with Rubber Overmolding
    • Trigger: Giessele SSA
    • Magazine: Daniel Defense Magazine