Pistols are great tools for recreational and target shooting, as well as hunting and defense. In fact, Americans buy so many pistols that they make up a significant portion of total firearms manufacturers each year, with the average being 58% of firearms made being some form of pistol. Pistols work well with suppressors and the number of options is growing. When you ask the question, "Can you put a suppressor on a pistol?" The answer is yes, you can. It just may be a little trickier than suppressing a rifle.
Are Pistol Suppressors Necessary?
That's a loaded question. Of course I am going to say that a pistol suppressor is necessary, but not because I work for a suppressor company. Personally, I think pistols need to be suppressed because of usage. Don't worry, I'm going to explain myself.
If you've been reading this blog much, and I hope you are because it's got a lot of great information in it, you know that I am a big proponent of using suppressors to protect your hearing.
I'm older now, and in my youth I liked a lot of loud things to the point now that I have to sometimes ask my wife to repeat what she says because I can't hear her. And no, that's not because I'm not paying attention to her when she's talking (unless she's talking about us spending the day at a craft show, or something like that). I can't be blamed if I don't hear her tell me to do some chore either, but it's for medical reasons. Really! I have lost hearing because I like loud music and loud toys such as dirt bikes, and I shoot guns. Suppressors help these days, and if you want to know exactly how suppressors protect your hearing, you need to read the blog post I did on the subject.
Any firearms suitable for a suppressor. Pistols are especially important for those times when they are used in close proximity. I don't want to come right out and say that you may have need to use one indoors, but... well, you might.
Advantages of Shooting with a Pistol Suppressor
Regardless of whether your handgun is for self-defense, hunting, or fun, you'll appreciate the benefits of using a pistol suppressor:
Noise Reduction: Pistols, like every other firearm, can be deafeningly loud, especially when shot in confined spaces. A suppressor will significantly reduce gunshot noise, protecting you from hearing loss.
Improved Accuracy: Besides reducing the sonic footprint of your gunshots, a suppressor reduces felt recoil. Less recoil allows you to shoot more accurately because you'll experience less muzzle rise. More importantly, you're less likely to flinch when a suppressor lowers felt recoil and gunfire noise, leading to better accuracy.
Hide Muzzle Flash: The muzzle flash from an unsuppressed pistol can temporarily blind you when shooting in low light conditions. It can cause problems if shooting to take down prey or an assailant. A suppressor can reduce your muzzle flash to protect your eyes and hide your position.
Questions about adding a suppressor to your pistol
One of the more common things we get asked is if you can still use your regular iron sights with a suppressor. The answer is usually no, but there are suppressor-height sights available, or you can go with an optic, like the author has done with his Springfield. Photo by Derrek Sigler
Okay, I'm not going to lie to you. There can be some issues with adding a suppressor to your pistol. Let's jump right in and see if I can answer all of your questions and concerns.
How do I mount a suppressor to my pistol?
As you likely know, you need a threaded barrel to mount a suppressor to any firearm. More and more pistols are coming directly from the manufacturer with an extended threaded barrel. Unlike rifles, where you can just take off your barrel, or barred action, and send it in to be threaded, pistol barrels can't be threaded because they don't extend past the slide. You have to take off your stock barrel and replace it with a threaded barrel.
How do I get a threaded pistol barrel?
Some manufacturers offer replacement barrels that are extended and threaded for a suppressor. Silencer Central now offers accessory threaded barrels for purchase for select pistol models and more are coming. The Silencer Central barrels are made from pre-hardened 416R stainless steel for reliable strength and long service life. Each one features a 1:10 twist rate with 6-groove button rifling for consistent accuracy and if it ain't accurate, I'm not interested. They look great with a black nitride finish that adds corrosion resistance and a clean, durable look. If you have a Glock or a Sig, you might want to check these out.
Can I still see my sights with a suppressor on my pistol?
For the most part, no, you cannot usually see the sights on your pistol with a suppressor attached. You will want to also switch to a set of high sights, of if your pistol has the RMR cut in the slide, you can add a rear-mounted reticle red dot sight. The pistol red dots are becoming extremely popular lately. I am a big fan of them because I'm old, but they also work great for accuracy and I like accuracy.
Like the threaded barrels, you can get Suppressor Height Pistol Sights from Silencer Central. Currently available for Glock pistols, you can get Rear Sights and select from several options for Front Sights.
Does it add a lot of weight to my pistol to have a suppressor?
It does add weight, but with the materials used in most pistol suppressors - titanium and aluminum - the weight added is not much. My current favorite pistol suppressor, the BANISH 9K, only adds 2.7 ounces and doesn't even feel like it's on the barrel.
My Picks for the best Pistol Suppressors
Rather than dole out a list of a bunch of different suppressors for you, I'm going to be a little more personable and tell you about some of my favorite pistol suppressors and my experienced with them. I'm not saying I'm the end-all, be-all authority on the subject. I'm a gun guy and like many of you, I've pulled my fair share of triggers over the years. I've even written a couple of books on the subject back in my Gun Digest days.
BANISH 9K
The author's Springfield Hellcat Pro with the BANISH 9K attached. There is virtually no weight from the can. Photo by Denali Sigler
I was really quite excited about the BANISH 9K when I heard it was coming. This is a tiny, lightweight 9mm can that weighs just over two ounces and is only four inches long. It is made from titanium and is constructed using additive manufacturing, which is kind of like 3D printing, but a little more involved. I screwed it onto the barrel of a Springfield Armory Hellcat Pro and let me tell you something - it is a suppressor to be excited about.
It is light enough that, at least with the pistols I've tried it on, there is no need for a piston to keep it running correctly. I have heard that some pistol models, like some Glocks, with certain ammo have had issues with cycling, but those reports are few and far between. I think it is more of an ammo issue and anything.
I am going to add a rear mounted red dot to this pistol. In fact, I have one on backorder from Vortex since they added a green dot option. For now, however, I have been simply lining up the target above the front bead, as it is just under the line of the can, and it has me back on target with the pistol. Honestly, I've thought about keeping that way, since I really like the sights that come on the Hellcat Pro.
The BANISH 9 mounted on the author's Springfield Echelon with a Holosun sight. This is a crazy quiet and accurate package. Photo by Denali Sigler
When the engineers were developing the BANISH 9K, they were also hard at work on the BANISH 9, the full-sized 9mm pistol suppressor that impressed me with just how quiet it is. If you're read my other stories, you likely know that I put this can on my Springfield Armory Echelon and it exceeds my expectations.
Shooting the BANISH 9 is enjoyable. The first time I did, I was rather excited to try it out, so I just loaded up a mag and went out into my yard with a couple of jugs of water, because it's fun to shoot a jug of water some times. I fired a couple of rounds and was impressed, but what really made me laugh was when one of my chickens casually strolled up and started drinking the water spilling from one of the now ventilated jugs. Normally they steer clear of me when I'm shooting, so it must not have been so loud to the chicken.
The BANISH 9 reduces sound output from 9mm rounds by up to 34 decibels. It is made from titanium and aircraft-grade 7075 aluminum and boasts 14 baffles. The BANISH 9 is 7.16 inches long and weighs 8.57 ounces when configured with the Micro Booster™ installed. The BANISH 9 is also compatible with optionally available direct-thread mounts for popular PCC and rifle barrel thread pitches. Rated for popular cartridges like .380 ACP, 9mm, .300 BLK, and 350 Legend, the BANISH 9 is full auto rated for 9mm super- and subsonic loads, as well as .300 BLK subsonic ammo.
My experience with the Rugged Obsidian9 is limited, but the time I did spend shooting one was a good time. It's not the lightest, or the quietest, but it is very durable and affordable. I was shooting it on a buddy's Glock 17, a pistol that is somewhat notorious for being difficult with suppressors. It seemed to work just fine for me with the Rugged can on it. Of course, we were shooting higher-end, home defense ammo since someone else was paying for the ammunition.
The Obsidian9 is an excellent choice for a 9mm suppressor for those of you looking for a good can on a budget. It is made from an aluminum tube with stainless steel baffles. What I was also impressed with is the modularity of Rugged’s ADAPT™ Module. It let me choose between the full configuration at 7.8 inches and 12.7 ounces, and the compact configuration at 4.8 inches and 8.7 ounces. It uses a 1/2×28 non-slotted piston design that reduces blowback, resulting in a smoother and more enjoyable day at the range.
A good buddy who lives down the road bought the FN Rush 9 Ti can for his FN 509 Tactical pistol. It is a great suppressor and works very well with the FN 509 and the look fits right in with the pistol, so you have a great looking can that actually works. I have run a few mags through it and appreciate how well it functions.
With FN's advanced booster assembly, mounting the FN Rush 9Ti to any pistol barrel that is threaded ½” x 28 is easy and fast. It has a tight piston gas seal that contains the carbon fouling in the baffle core. This gives you smooth shooting without heavy blowback and stoppages that can be common with some suppressors.
The FN Rush 9Ti has a great strength to weight ratio, thanks to the titanium construction. At just 10.8 oz., this light, easy-to-maintain design breaks down quickly for cleaning, too. FN feels so strong about this silencer that they gave it a limited lifetime warranty.
What's not to like about a rimfire suppressor? The BANISH 22 is a lightweight, titanium suppressor for rimfire pistols that shoot .22 caliber rounds or smaller. The all-titanium suppressor is far more durable than its stainless steel and aluminum counterparts. It’s also one of the quietest rimfire suppressors you can get, and it works with semi and fully-automatic firearms.
The BANISH 22 was designed specifically to maximize your time shooting and minimize your time cleaning. Inside the tube are eight baffles that are engineered for a precise fit to keep lead debris and carbon buildup at an absolute minimum. The BANISH 22 comes apart easily so that the baffles and the tube can be cleaned efficiently. Each baffle is marked on the outside so that you can align them properly and then put it all back together with equal ease to get you back to shooting.
We’ve settled that you can put a silencer on a pistol, but you should know that you can’t put just any silencer on your handgun. You need a silencer that is compatible with your pistol and shooting needs. Find the right suppressor for you by looking for the following:
Mounting
Mounting refers to how a suppressor attaches to a pistol. Several mounting options are available, including silencers that use direct thread mounting or an adapter. Direct thread mounting is your best choice because it allows you to screw a suppressor directly onto your barrel with your hands. It’s simple, quick, and convenient.
Caliber
Manufacturers build some suppressors to work with specific calibers. A suppressor for a low-pressure caliber like .22 will work well with .22 rounds or smaller. Shooting a higher caliber round out of such a suppressor will damage it. However, you can opt for a multi-caliber suppressor, such as our BANISH 45, which shoots everything from .22 to .45. The current trend is toward caliber-specific pistol suppressors, with 9mm getting the bulk of the attention.
Material
The most popular suppressor materials are titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum. You can also get suppressors made with a blend of two or more materials.
Aluminum suppressors are lightweight and affordable but suitable for shooting mostly low-pressure rounds. On the other hand, stainless steel suppressors are suitable for higher caliber rounds because they are heavy and durable.
Stainless Steel suppressors are not that common in pistol suppressors, but many of the aluminum cans have stainless steel baffles. This is quite common and is very durable as well.
Titanium suppressors weigh less than their steel counterparts but are more durable. They are also more expensive. The durability and weight of titanium suppressors make them ideal for gun owners who want a highly durable silencer that won’t significantly change their gun’s weight.
Frequently asked Questions
What is on your mind when it comes to pistol suppressors?
Yes and no. A pistol suppressor and rifle suppressor are interchangeable as long as the calibers match up. The difference is that since a pistol needs some of the energy from the shot that is suppressed to cycle the action, a piston, or Nielsen Device is needed to properly cycle the action on some pistols. There are exceptions, obviously, but for many, it is a necessary thing. .
Pistol suppressors are legal in all 42 states that currently allow any type of suppressor. There is no additional legislation or law enacted that prohibits them any further.
It is a common myth that a suppressor will make your firearm silent. No, there is still sound, even from small-caliber pistols. The sound is just hearing safe.
As long as the caliber matches the capacity of the suppressor, you are free to use any suppressor you own on any firearm. They are pretty interchangeable as long as the calibers match up.
No, in fact most firearms see an increase in bullet stability resulting in increased accuracy when used with a suppressor.
You will currently need a Tax Stamp and approval for any suppressor, not just a pistol suppressor. Beyond that, there is no additional requirements to own and use a pistol suppressor.
Pull the Trigger and Buy a Suppressor Now!
Now that you are sure you can put a silencer on a pistol, what are you waiting for? Silencer Central offers suppressors for various budgets and calibers and provides doorstep delivery to customers in the 42 states that permit suppressors.
While many suppressors can be used on several different caliber firearms, we have some specific models that can make your shooting more enjoyable. Pick the caliber that you have in mind. If you don’t see your caliber, pick one close to it to see our recommendations.
