I like different. Not necessarily for the sake of different. Instead, I’m after the frontiers that “different” can potentially expand. Plain and simple, I feel that accomplishing the same thing via another means can, at times, be a strong exercise in innovation. It is this very idea that has drawn my attention to the Daniel Defense DD Wave.
The DD Wave is a suppressor that, in some ways, is a lot like other suppressors. It’s a tube with a series of baffles that deaden the sound of a gunshot by efficiently channeling the expanding gases through chambers that absorb energy, allow the gases to cool and smooth their transition into the open space beyond the suppressor.
That part is the same, but I want to talk about the part that is different. That “difference” was evident throughout my time with the suppressor at the recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous in Gateway, Colo.
The Daniel Defense Difference
What sets the DD Wave apart from most other suppressors is its manufacturing process. Most suppressors require a welded tube, which houses the baffles that are in turn held in place with welded or threaded caps. The tubes are generally uniform in thickness both inside and out. That thickness is defined by the amount of material needed to support the areas that experience the most stress.
Not so with the DD Wave.
RELATED VIDEO — The Daniel Defense DD5V2 Breathes New Life Into 7.62mm NATO
The DD Wave build uses additive manufacturing — that’s a fancy way to say 3D printing. Layer by layer molten Inconel 718, titanium and stainless steel are added to build the DD Wave. The result is a one-piece suppressor, weighing a little more than 17 ounces, with no welds and a unique design that cannot be achieved through traditional manufacturing techniques.
You see, it is this different method of manufacturing that helps the Daniel Defense DD Wave to be a better suppressor. The laser sintering allows for more material where it is needed, less where it isn’t, no welds, and the opportunity for an advanced cascading baffle design that might not be economical or even possible with other manufacturing methods.
The DD Wave is available in both 5/8×24 threads for 7.62mm and in 1/2×28 for 5.56mm applications. The DD Wave 7.62 handles everything from 5.56 up to .300 Win Mag. The design is rated for full-auto use. Depending on caliber, barrel length and the circumstances of use, the DD Wave absorbs 30-40 dB, placing your typical .308 at around 140 dB at the shooters ear.
DD Wave vs. the Market
Is Daniel Defense’s DD Wave the most advanced suppressor on the market?
I don’t really know the answer. However, I do know that it’s a valid question to be asking. I like what Steve Jobs said on the subject:
“Here’s to the crazy ones — the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things.”
There are a lot of advanced suppressors out there, but there is only one mass produced, 3D-printed suppressor on the market. Maybe that makes the engineers at Daniel Defense the crazy ones. Or maybe they are the ones that see things differently. Maybe Steve wasn’t thinking of Daniel Defense when he conjured those words, but the quote applies.
RELATED STORY — Born to Run: 4 Daniel Defense ARs That Always Deliver
The DD Wave is different. Whether or not it is the most advanced suppressor on the market is irrelevant. In my opinion, the outside-the-box thinking that Daniel Defense exhibits in the design of the DD Wave has either led to the most advanced suppressor on the market, or it will.
Either way, with an innovative product like the DD Wave, it’s us as the shooters who win.
For more information, please visit DanielDefense.com.
