Daniel Defense... doing it right

[Computalotapus]

No price gouging and still taking orders for custom builds. They open up the custom build site till they meet the order quota to get the product to the customer in a 2 week time frame and then shut the site down till they get caught up. Just thought I would give you guys a heads up if anyone is still looking to pickup a complete rifle.

[UWone77]

You'd think Daniel Defense would stock their dealers before taking orders themselves.

[Computalotapus]

Yes and no.. dealers put in orders for stock rifles. They are filling those orders as quickly as possible but they are also servicing their general customer base at the same time without the price hike seen at "MOST" dealer shops. I think it is a good move on their part.
We have no dealers in a 200 mile radius that deal in DD.. but my local shop where I get my ammo, accessories, equipment from will do the transfer for me if I order direct from DD. I am all about small business don't get me wrong, it is what drives the American economy and small business is where majority of the workforce is at. I do my best to shop locally but when I can't get what I want locally I will order it. Stocking dealers vs custom builds if they can manufacture in the same time frame at the same demand level.. good for them.

I know you can't get a complete custom rifle from any of the other manufacturers right now in a 2-3 week time frame. So I thought I would let everyone know DD is trying to do just that at the same time they are doing mass generic builds like everyone else for their dealers.

[UWone77]

Dealers should always be the Manufactuers #1 customer. If you don't stock your dealers first, why would they support you down the road when product is plentiful?

[Computalotapus]

I understand your comment completely. Just putting it out there that if you are looking for a complete DD hit their site and try to fill out your order as quickly as possible when it is up for orders 2-3 weeks and you can go pick it up and do the transfer paper work. If you want to wait when your dealer has one on the shelf and you are lucky enough to be in the store when it hits the shelf you can go that route as well. They are servicing all of their customers as best they can.

I am a Stag Arms guy so I will wait the year for backorders to be complete.

[Eric]

That's a reasonable method of getting product out, but not getting so backlogged that the delivery times are ridiculous.

[Stickman]

Their customers start with the dealers and distributors, which is how the general public gets to see and handle the various items. I think DD has forgotten that part. There is no doubt they will make more money by cutting out their distributor base, but it is VERY short sighted. If I was a dealer and found a company wouldn't sell to me after dealing with them for years, I would find a replacement for them.

[jbssbw]

Good point Stick here in CT I just ordered an upper off their build it yourself. I tried to get a full build but they don't ship to CT not ban compliant. And the dealers wouldn't get me an upper before they had that option on the site. So I like that part but you should take care of your dealers.

[Stickman]

Good point Stick here in CT I just ordered an upper off their build it yourself. I tried to get a full build but they don't ship to CT not ban compliant. And the dealers wouldn't get me an upper before they had that option on the site. So I like that part but you should take care of your dealers.

If nothing else, continue to ship to your established dealer and distributor network. Maybe the shop that only does special orders and isn't a stocking dealer gets put on hold, but to cutoff the players that put a company where they are seems obscene to me.

[markm]

Hmmmm.. interesting perspectives on both sides of the coin.

As long as DD keeps that hammer Forge rocking... :)

[Stickman]

Hmmmm.. interesting perspectives on both sides of the coin.

As long as DD keeps that hammer Forge rocking... :)


Every eating table at SHOT was covered with a LARGE Daniel Defense logo, and so were all the napkins as well as other items. Evidently their idea of pulling all the money in to themselves is working out nicely!

[LanceCriminal]

Anyone order directly from them on the website before? I'm trying to figure out if being able to add a 12.5" Barrel with pinned GB means they actually have one, or if it's going to be a back order? I really want that combo for the SBR stamp that just arrived today, but none of the usual suspects have it in stock.

[UWone77]

Anyone order directly from them on the website before? I'm trying to figure out if being able to add a 12.5" Barrel with pinned GB means they actually have one, or if it's going to be a back order? I really want that combo for the SBR stamp that just arrived today, but none of the usual suspects have it in stock.

My experience with them is that if you can add it to your cart, then it's available. If you click the drop down menu for a 12.5 with GB and it shows up, then you can buy it. They remove listings of items that aren't readily available.

[LanceCriminal]

Thanks, that's good news. I really wanted to use the DD barrel, saves me a little bit over the BCM SS barrel plus the cost of a LPGB and it's already parkerized. The only problem now is that BCG's are pretty much unobtanium. It's sad that I now have an SBR stamp, but can't find many of the important parts to finally build it out. And even if I can find a bolt somewhere at least, then I have to hope it will headspace with the DD barrel.

[csmith]

The only problem now is that BCG's are pretty much unobtanium. It's sad that I now have an SBR stamp, but can't find many of the important parts to finally build it out.

I'm with you in the search for a BCG. Just remember, anything worth having is worth the wait. Build around it and when BCG's are back in supply it'll be well worth it.

[LanceCriminal]

The thing was that BCGs were already somewhat in short supply before. Now they'll all be directed towards whole rifles methinks just to fill the AR demand on the market.

[UWone77]

Only problem I see with BCG's even when demand calms down... is that the new "norm" for prices I believe will be closer to the $200 mark than the $120-$130 mark before. Look at BCM, $225 for their BCG's, LMT has gone up to $190, as well as Daniel Defense.

[csmith]

That's something I can fully accept. I think most people (this isn't directed at you UWone77, just speaking in generalities) only truly care that today's prices for an object/item is higher than yesterday's when it pertains to items they don't "need". I remember when gas was $0.90 ( in TN) a gallon, and I'm only 28. It rose fast to somewhere just short of $2.00, then floated down to something like $1.10 - $1.15. It's happened quite a few times, and here we sit having peaked at $4.50 last year. BCG's/gun parts aren't going to be much different. Everything is worth the price consumers are willing to pay, and we've slowly been conditioned to accept higher costs. After the current situation rectifies itself I'm sure a $200 BCG will seem like a godsend. Just don't forget the time when they could be had for $120, those will have been your good ol' days.

[LanceCriminal]

It's really making it tough for me to judge how much I need to scrabble together to finish my rifle. I'm stuck between ordering a barrel and BCG from Rainier and just waiting, or getting a BCM barrel and hoping the BCM BCG from my M4 headspaces properly so I can shoot it until BCM BCGs come back in stock. And then hope that BCG headspaces properly too... I've heard the rule of thumb is that anyone making bits within "Mil Spec" should allow any parts to swap, but I've also seen folks state they bought a DD Barrel and DD BCG, but the DD bolt wouldn't headspace properly once everything was assembled and had to send it back. Sadly I can't afford to buy a bucket of bolts from DD and just fish around until one fits...

[Stickman]

It is very infrequent that bolts don't match up.

[LanceCriminal]

At the very worst I can use my current BCG in the SBR, and then whenever Rainier gets BCGs back in stock I mail my upper so they can make 100% sure it headspaces. Hopefully a BCM BCG will work in either a DD barrel or BCM barrel, depends on what's still in stock whenever I get home today. The SBR would become my bedside gun anyways so it's not the end of the world if my 16" rifle has no BCG. That's why I still have the M1A and the 1100.

[csmith]

I've heard the rule of thumb is that anyone making bits within "Mil Spec" should allow any parts to swap but I've also seen folks state they bought a DD Barrel and DD BCG but the DD bolt wouldn't headspace properly once everything was assembled and had to send it back.

Just because it's "one of those things" for me, don't get caught in the mindset of mil-spec meaning something it's not. It's an exceptionally broad term and they may as well have called it the "so we can say we have specifications"-spec. That said, I've only seen a handful of items come in that didn't pass initial inspection, e.g. barrel not passing straightness gauging. Our DAGRs are mil-spec, but as I've said before I believe I'd be hard pressed to find someone willing to give me a Garmin for one.

[LanceCriminal]

Agreed. I was more referencing that while multiple manufacturers are building to the same plans for the most part, their execution and QC can always lead to variations. In any case, the DD barrel I want is still showing on their website as addable to my cart, so I may just say screw it and see if my other BCG works. Anyone seen that picture on Facebook floating around, with a little kid grinning and wringing his hands, with a caption like "this is how I feel when I order gun parts"? That's gonna be me soon!

[LanceCriminal]

So, I just ordered the wrong barrel online and there seems to be no way to cancel it. I hope I didn't click past some warning, but I definitely don't want a lightweight barrel with a heavy suppressor on the end. Anyone know how to cancel an order online? I already called Sales and left a message, hopefully I can cancel it.

[LanceCriminal]

A small update, the title of this thread is dead on! I called DD today, and turned out the 12.5" Govt CHF barrels were still in stock, so they swapped my order for me and everything. I'm glad they helped out and made it right, now just to figure out the rest of the gun!