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Silencers 101

A List of the Top Suppressor Manufacturers in 2024

Some shooters know the top suppressor manufacturers the way sports fans know baseball or football statistics. Most of us know who we are familiar with or what our local SOT (Special Occupation Taxpayer) might have in stock. The truth is there are hundreds of manufacturers out there and their quality ranges from little more than an oil filter with amount to marvels of scientific engineering built with space-age materials.

To help you navigate the complex silencer market, we put together a list of the top suppressor companies that should be your go-to list for US silencer manufacturers in 2022.

How to Evaluate Suppressor Companies

The easiest way to evaluate a suppressor company is by researching the company itself. This seems easy on its face by reading reviews found on online blogs and hard copies of gun magazines where there are featured suppressor reviews. YouTube videos can convey a great deal of information as well.

However, the quest for knowledge goes beyond that. Talk to people you know who own suppressors and ask them about what they have. A suppressor is a lifetime purchase and beyond price, performance, or looks, it is important to find out how the manufacturer deals with customer service or repairs after the suppressor is in hand.

Some companies seem to process their paperwork faster or more efficiently than others. You might want to ask your local SOT who will be handling the transaction if a company is reputable or fast when it comes to processing the Form 4.

The List: Top Suppressor Manufacturers

  • Silencer Central’s Banish Line
  • Dead Air
  • SilencerCo
  • Gemtech
  • Yankee Hill Machine (YHM)
  • Elite Iron
  • Thunder Beast Arms Corporation (TBAC)
  • Bowers Group LLC

Silencer Central’s Banish Line of Suppressors

The Banish line of suppressors is one of the best lines of silencers available in the US today. These suppressors are exclusive to Silencer Central and they hit all the checkboxes as far as quality materials, adaptability, and modularity. They are built and designed by Mack Brothers.

Allan and Dale Mack have spent almost their entire lives manufacturing firearms, and continue to operate their family-owned company to this day. They operate from their state of the art, high volume manufacturing facility to best serve the tactical firearms market.

The Banish 45 is a modular pistol suppressor that can handle 9kk, 40 S&W, 45 ACP, 10 mm, and every pistol cartridge in between. Fully user-serviceable, an interchangeable piston system with threaded inserts allows this versatile silencer to be hosted on a wide variety of platforms.

Perhaps even more versatile is the Banish-30; it may be the first commercially viable user-serviceable rifle silencer capable of suppressing everything from rimfire through the mighty 300 Weatherby Magnum cartridge.

Dead Air

Dead Air Silencers was founded by Mike Pappas, a legend in the silencer community, with silencer designer Todd Magee. Pappas founded Dead Air in order to build "the no-compromise suppressors that I’ve always wanted to make. No corporate bottom lines. The only thing that matters to me is how it sounds; And the Sandman sounds awesome…”
The Sandman might very well be the company's flagship line and they cut no corners on the materials used in these suppressors. Every Sandman baffle is constructed from 100% Stellite. This material is three times the cost of stainless steel and stands up to the hardest use and conditions. Dead Air uses high-performance, precipitation-hardened stainless steel in the construction of their tubes for the ultimate in lightweight strength. The exception to this is the Sandman Ti which uses the highest grade of titanium.
In addition to materials, Dead Air is on the cutting edge of suppressor technology with their multi-caliber pistol cans: the Wolfman, the first effective AK-47 suppressor (Wolverine), extreme .30 caliber Nomad series, and the Mask in rimfire.

SilencerCo

SilencerCo was founded in 2008. Not unlike many Silicon Valley start-ups, the company was started by two guys in a garage. Over the past 12 years, this company has probably produced more silencers than any other manufacturer.

From the beginning, Josh Waldron founded SilencerCo on the principles of both quality and innovation. They built the first commercially viable user-serviceable rimfire can: The Sparrow. SilencerCo was responsible for the first non-circular pistol silencer with the Osprey and the first commercial modular shotgun silencer with the Salvo 12. Eventually, they produced the first integrally suppressed 9mm pistol that is holsterable and hearing-safe with all factory ammunition: the Maxim 9.

Other innovative designs include the Saker and the Harvester and their interesting mounting systems.

Gemtech

Gemtech was founded by Dr. Phil Dater in the early 1990s. They have long been known as a manufacturer of silencers for pistols, rifles, submachine guns, and personal defense weapons (PDWs); including several integral designs. The company produces subsonic 22 long rifle and 300 Blackout ammunition, as well as a number of accessories from pistol lanyards to rifle bolts and various other firearm products.

Gemtech was headquartered in Eagle, Idaho, and did business as GSL Technology out of Jackson, Michigan, until 2016. Some of their more notable suppressors include the Outback series of rimfire suppressors, the Aurora, which used wipes instead of baffles, an integral 10/22 barrel and suppressor called the Mist, the Lunar series of handgun suppressors, rifle silencers such as the Trek, Tundra, and One. Dr. Dater was also instrumental in developing the tri-lug attachment for mounting suppressors without the use of barrel threads.

In 2017, Gemtech was acquired by Smith & Wesson, primarily known for the manufacture of pistols and revolvers.

Yankee Hill Machine (YHM)

Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) has been a part of the small arms industry since the 1960s. They are noted for designing and producing the segmented cleaning rod kit that stores in the buttstock of the M16 service rifle. One of the first firearms companies to delve into CNC manufacturing in the 1980s, they went on to produce flash hiders and other muzzle devices such as the Phantom Flash Hider.

In 2005, YHM began manufacturing sound suppressors such as the 556 Phantom; which was one of the first high-quality quick-detach units that were affordable by the average shooter. This was followed by the 556 Phantom QD, the Stainless 556 Phantom M2 QD, the Titanium 556 Phantom QD, and the .30-caliber Resonator. They also offer the Sidewinder line of pistol cans and a rimfire suppressor called the Mite.

Additionally, YHM manufactures AR-series rifles known as the YHM-15.

Elite Iron

Elite Iron has been a premier designer and manufacturer of professional-grade firearms equipment and accessories for 17 years. They are particularly well known for their professional-grade sound suppressors that are designed to provide enhanced accuracy and superior sound reduction for calibers ranging from 17 HMR through 50 BMG, and every round in between.

Beyond silencers, their Revolution Bipod is one of the most unique takes on a bipod design for stability from any shooting spot or position and is sought after by shooters from the competitive shooting circuit to members of the military's most elite sniper teams. The revolution places the rifle beneath the apex of the legs as opposed to placing the rifle on top for the utmost in strength, stability, and durability.

Primarily known for their long-range big-bore caliber suppressors, Elite Iron builds silencers for pistol calibers, rifle calibers, and even rimfire. Their customer service is also widely lauded.

Thunder Beast Arms Corporation

Thunder Beast Arms Corporation (TBAC) has been a popular suppressor manufacturer among precision rifle shooters since its inception. The company was founded and is currently run by precision and tactical rifle competitors who are all about long-range accuracy. The end result is that their products are designed by shooters, for shooters. It is a simple fact that for years TBAC's suppressors have dominated long-range precision rifle competitions, with a huge percentage of the top shooters in the United States and the rest of the world using TBAC suppressors.

In recent years the company has branched out with full-auto rated stainless steel cans, as opposed to mostly lightweight titanium ones. They have also produced a rock-solid bipod that is setting new standards for accuracy in hunting, shooting, and military applications.

Bowers Group LLC

Tom Bowers began manufacturing suppressors under the Bowers name in the mid to late 1990s. His goals were to make a quality submachinegun silencer for a reasonable price and to provide great customer service. The company has since shifted from a sole proprietorship to Bowers Group LLC. They still make great full-auto-rated silencers but Bowers Group presently manufactures sub-gun/carbine suppressors in 9mm and 45, three 22 offerings, and they have made a name for themselves in the big-bore market with the Bowers Group Vers 458 and Vers 50 silencers. They also make an ultra-lightweight 45 ACP pistol silencer called the ASP.

Several years ago Bowers Group LLC began manufacturing a variety of thread adapting inserts for use with their products. They offer 24 Versadapt inserts for the Vers series of silencers for subgun/carbine and big bore cans and 10 ATAS inserts for the ASP pistol suppressor and the USS 22 (User Serviceable Suppressor).

Bowers Group is also known for its patented line of high-temp silicone suppressor covers. They were the first to introduce a silicone cover that protects the shooter and the shooter's gear from a hot silencer, reduces the IR signature, and does an amazing job at reducing mirage. They currently manufacture 23 models of these covers which fit most silencers on the market.

Buy Your Silencer the Easy Way

This is a good roundup of the best Suppressor manufacturers in the United States as of 2021. Take a look at what each one of them has to offer and make an informed decision. Silencer Central can be your one-stop shop for all your suppressor needs as you go forward and decide upon the best silencers for your firearms.

We provide the most hassle-free way to buy your silencer from start to finish. We offer direct delivery, help with establishing an NFA Trust, and even payment plan options. Send us an email or give us a call today to get started.