Veteran-Owned & Operated

About Us

Built by the people who carried it. Tested by the people who still do.

Our Mission

Quiet, repeatable, ready.

Deadline Defense was founded by operators who needed gear that could keep up with the standard they trained to. We build titanium suppressors that earn their place on a duty rifle, a hunting bolt, or a competition stage — and we stand behind every serial number we ship.

Where we're built

North Carolina shop. American steel.

Every can is designed, machined, inspected, and assembled in our North Carolina shop — no outsourced shortcuts, no overseas vendors. The same hands that build them are the ones that test them.

Leadership

The team behind the standard.

Deadline Defense · CEO

Paul

Paul spent two decades in U.S. Army Special Forces, deploying worldwide and leading high-stakes teams on sensitive missions. Paul was also trusted to lead the Special Forces Weapons Sergeant Course and brings both deep firearms expertise and combat-proven leadership. After service, he earned his MBA from The Citadel, and transitioned into defense manufacturing. There he served as President of OA Defense, leading a full operational turnaround, modernizing production, relocating facilities, and rebuilding the product line. He founded Deadline Defense to apply battlefield-driven design to next-generation suppressors: quieter, tougher, and more affordable for the end user.

Deadline Defense · COO

Johnny

Johnny Moffitt spent more than two decades serving in U.S. Army Special Operations, deploying worldwide with 15 overseas deployments — including 9 combat deployments — and leading teams in high-risk operational environments. A graduate of SFARTAETC and the Special Forces Sniper Course (SFSC), Johnny most recently served as the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC) of the Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, where he helped develop the next generation of elite operators. Following his military career, Johnny transitioned into the firearms industry, consulting for multiple companies while remaining active in the professional training and competitive shooting communities. As Chief Operating Officer of Deadline Defense, he applies combat-proven experience, firearms expertise, and end-user driven innovation to the development of suppressor systems designed for performance, durability, and reliability in real-world applications.

Deadline Defense · CFO

Auggie

Augest Berndt is a 20-year U.S. Army Special Forces veteran who served in various Tiered direct-action units. He later led testing and procurement efforts for Special Operations, shaping equipment selection and capability development at the highest levels. After retiring from service, Augest was recruited by Daniel Defense as Military Sales Manager, where he secured over several million dollars in awarded defense contracts. As the founder of Deadline Defense, he brings battlefield credibility coupled with deep mastery in contracts, procurement, and government acquisition — ensuring Deadline Defense can scale effectively into military and federal markets.