The 8 Best Pistols to Suppress 2024

Shooting suppressed is one of the most fun things you can do, and using a suppressed pistol is one of the most fun ways to do it. Whether you’re plinking cans, training, or prepping for home defense, a suppressed pistol is your best friend.
Of course, there are a ton of pistols on the market, and not all of them make good suppressor hosts, so we’ll run down what you’ll need at a minimum as well as some options in different calibers for various situations.

What Makes a Good Suppressor Host?

What actually makes a good suppressor host is very subjective. However, there are some very basic things that all suppressor host guns should have. They are:

• Threaded Barrel: Without a threaded barrel, a suppressor cannot be attached to the gun. Whether you get the gun from the factory with a threaded barrel or you buy an aftermarket one makes no difference, but you absolutely have to have one.
• Proper Sights: Most suppressors will block standard height pistol sights. While it’s certainly possible to “sight through” the suppressor, most people prefer to actually have sights they can use. This will mean that you either swap out standard height sights for suppressor height ones or you swap out the slide for one that has different sights when you’re shooting suppressed.
• Good Springs: Running a suppressor changes the dynamics of how a pistol cycles. If you don’t have the proper spring weights, then you’ll have a quiet semi-auto pistol that has to be cycled by hand after each shot.

What’s the Best Pistol Caliber to Suppress?

Again, this is very subjective. However, there are some very common calibers to use with a suppressor.
First up is .22LR. This small caliber is quieter than others anyway, and when you add a suppressor into the mix, it’s just a ton of fun to plink with all day long. Plus, suppressors mitigate recoil, so your .22 pistol will have almost no recoil when suppressor. Oh, and don’t get me started about using subsonic ammo. Now it’s even quieter!

Glock 19

The Glock 19 is one of the most popular handguns of all time. It’s also chambered in one of the most popular calibers of all time: 9mm.

Out of the box, the Glock 19 is not suppressor-ready. However, there are more aftermarket options for Glocks than any other pistol. Look around, do some research, and grab your favorite threaded barrel and suppressor height sights and you’re ready to go. To make things even better, grab some subsonic ammo to go with it.

Specs:

• Caliber: 9mm
• Weight: 21.1 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 15+1
• Price: $560

Beretta M9A3

For 32 years (1985-2017), the Beretta M9 was the standard sidearm of the United States military. There are plenty of people who want to carry and shoot what the military uses, and so the M9A3 was the latest variant used by our armed forces. It can be shot double action or single action, has a Picatinny accessory rail, and ambidextrous controls.
Best of all, though, is that this gun is ready to rock and roll with a suppressor right out of the box since it comes with a threaded barrel.

Specs:

• Caliber: 9mm
• Weight: 33.3 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 17+1
• Price: $1,100

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FNX-45 Tactical

FN’s FNX-45 Tactical is one of the best suppressor-ready pistols on the market. Factory threaded barrel? Check. Suppressor height sights? Check. Cut for a red dot optic? Check.
Designed for the U.S. Joint Combat Pistol Program, this pistol is a solid option for shooters who want peak performance, unmatched durability, and the ability to shoot a “real caliber” with serious “knock-down power” (i.e. .45 ACP).

By its very nature, .45 ACP is a subsonic round, so you don’t have to buy special ammo for optimum sound suppression, so that’s a big plus.

Specs:
• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Weight: 33.3 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 15+1
• Price: $1,349

Ruger Mark IV Tactical

Ruger’s .22 caliber pistol design has been a mainstay for plinkers for more than 70 years. The Mark IV Tactical model improves upon an already almost-perfect design. For one, all Mark IV pistols have much easier takedown and reassembly than their forebears, but the Tactical version comes with two big suppressor benefits right from the factory: a threaded barrel and suppressor height sights.
With Picatinny rails above and below the barrel, this gun is ready to become your ultimate custom quiet plinking pistol.

Specs:

• Caliber: .22LR
• Weight: 34.6 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 10+1
• Price: $689

Sets up Great with the Banish 22

Springfield Armory SAINT Victor

OK, now it’s time to split some legal hairs! Equipped with an SB Tactical SBA3 brace and a 9-inch barrel, this gun may look like a short-barreled rifle (SBR), but it is actually a pistol.

With the SAINT Victor pistol, you get all the benefits of an SBR built on the AR platform without any of the National Firearms Act (NFA) headaches.

Perhaps best of all, though, is the caliber: .300 Blackout. A subsonic caliber by nature that can use existing AR magazines, this pistol is just begging for you to run it suppressed. It’s a ton of fun at the range and a good option for home defense.

Specs:

• Caliber: .300 BLK
• Weight: 5 lbs 9 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 30+1
• Price: $1,100

Check Out The Award-Winning Banish 30

Nighthawk Custom GRP

Almost all 1911 pistols come with standard, unthreaded barrels. They’ve been that way since John Moses Browning came up with the design 110 years ago. However, there are plenty of aftermarket threaded barrel options to choose from, but buyer beware: due to the nature of the 1911, most of these barrels will require fitting by a gunsmith.

To avoid this, you can flash some cash and get a top-notch 1911 from Nighthawk Custom with a factory threaded barrel option. While the GRP pistol is certainly pricey for what they consider to be their entry-level pistol, you’re guaranteed to have peak performance from this gun – with or without the suppressor.

Specs:

• Caliber: .45 ACP
• Weight: 36.9 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 8+1
• Price: $3,399 ($3,199 base + $200 for threaded barrel)

CZ P-09

One of the biggest bummers on the range is having to stop and change magazines. It pulls you out of your shooting groove and interrupts your trigger time. Luckily, the CZ P-09 remedies this with its unrivaled factory mags that give you 21-round capacity!
Equipped with a threaded barrel, suppressor height night sights, and a Picatinny rail, this is a solid range gun and home defense option.

Specs:

• Caliber: 9mm
• Weight: 32.2 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 21+1
• Price: $655

Smith & Wesson M&P M2.0

Smith & Wesson’s M&P line of pistols has proven to be incredibly popular, and the M2.0 version upgraded an already great gun.

This suppressor-ready model is a great option for target practice and concealed carry. It comes with a factory threaded barrel, suppressor height night sights, and a slide cut for the red dot optic of your choice. This pistol will be right at home on the range, on your nightstand, or in your holster.

Specs:

• Caliber: 9mm
• Weight: 27.2 oz (no mag)
• Capacity: 17+1
• Price: $969

What About the Best Suppressors for Pistols?

Whether you’re looking for a rimfire suppressor for the Ruger Mark IV Tactical, a bigger bore caliber pistol suppressor for the Nighthawk Custom GRP, or a rifle caliber suppressor for the Springfield Armory SAINT Victor, we’ve got the right can for you.

Silencer Central’s own BANISH line of suppressors are perfect for all of the guns on this list – plus tons more models. You can’t go wrong with our BANISH 22, BANISH 45, and BANISH 30 or BANISH 30-Gold suppressors for the guns mentioned above.

Give us a call and let us put you on the road to suppressor ownership. Take advantage of our eZ-Pay plan and let us take care of all the paperwork for you – including setting up a free gun trust – and then let us mail your suppressor (or suppressors!) right to your front door upon ATF approval.

The process couldn’t be any more simple than that, so what are you waiting for? The sooner you call, the sooner you’ll be at the range with your suppressed pistol!

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