[SHOT 2026] Daniel Defense DD4 X1 Will Take Them To The Next Level
In the world of ARs, you’ve got to keep moving forward or you’re going to be left spinning your wheels while the rest of the industry leaves you behind—especially in the defense sector. And since that’s where Daniel Defense plays, they’re aiming for the future with a new prototype rifle, displayed at SHOT Show, which just might be their premier offering when it debuts. It’s called the DD4 X1.
Daniel Defense moves forward @ TFB:
- A Daniel Defense Engineer on the Daniel H9 Pistol
- Daniel Defense Pathfinder - Limited-Edition Frogskin Rifle
- POTD: Quack Rifle - The Daniel Defense DDM4V7 in Duck Camo
- Daniel Defense Limited Series: TAIGA
Side project
The X1 project was actually started by Daniel Defense in order to fill a military contract, said a staffer at the Daniel Defense booth. It shares parts of its design with other Daniel Defense rifles, including the same bolt-up system as the DD5 rifle, which imparts added rigidity.
The bolt carrier also shares design input from the DD5 platform, with DLC (diamond-like coating) finish to make it hold up to the rigors of the field. A tungsten weight smooths out the recoil, aiding accuracy.
Because the rifle was built for a military unit that wanted to avoid excess heat signature, Daniel Defense used several tricks to achieve that goal, including carbon-fiber inserts underneath the handguard that function as a heat shield on each side of the barrel. The whole rifle is covered in IR-defeating Cerakote to reduce its visibility under night vision.
While the rifle on display at the show was very much completed, Daniel Defense reps indicated it would be a while before we actually see this thing on the market. When it comes out for sale sometime in Q3 of 2026 (if they stay on schedule), expect a price roughly around $3,000; the rifle will be positioned in their lineup at the very top. Daniel Defense staffers said if their V7 was “Good,” their R3 was “better,” then this would be considered their “Best.” Or at least that’s the idea for now; more details and specs when they actually take the covers off this thing for real.
Professional hoser with fudd-ish leanings.
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Will it still have a junk trigger like all the rest of the DD ar rifles? Lmao
Lol a tungsten weight? Like bro we all been using tungsten in our buffers for years. Prob with the terrible milspec trigger still in there too.