Looking for a silent pew? You’ve come to the right place.

The wide world of the NFA encompasses the most fun guns and accessories.

If you are willing to brave forms, fingerprints, $200, and a wait time best described as horrid – then you can access some of the coolest toys around!

The NFA is a giant paperwork and tax mess that makes freedom tough to enjoy…so you want to make sure you’re spending that money and time on a tool that is truly quality.

Suppressing the good ole 9mm AND .45 ACP is easy, and there are plenty of options out there.

By the end you’ll know the best suppressor for your handgun, PCC, or sub-gun.

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Best 9mm and .45 ACP Suppressors

1. Silencer Central Banish 45

Looking for a suppressor that will handle rimfire through .45 ACP?

Silencer Central’s Banish 45 might be the perfect solution if you have a couple of handguns that need suppression and you don’t have loads of cash to pay for multiple tax stamps and silencers.

Did I mention it’s titanium for super lightweight, easy to clean, and also modular? You can unscrew the last two inches for something even more compact.

Plus, you get to utilize Silencer Central’s easy setup, where they send you things like fingerprint cards so you never have to step foot in an FFL.

Need some barrel threading? They’ll do it professionally for $99, along with a free NFA gun trust, EZ-Pay layaway, and direct shipping to your door once it’s all done.

Enough about that…here is the Banish 45 in action on the 9mm M18 with its short configuration:

And now, in its even more quiet long configuration:

A good ~10dB difference, so you can make the call on if you want it quieter or shorter.

Manufacturer Specs (Banish 45):

• Decibel Rating: 36 dB reduction
• Rating: Rimfire to .45 ACP
• Weight: 9.6 oz (6.7″) or 11 oz (8.6″)
• Diameter: 1.375″
• Length: 6.7″or 8.6″
• Construction: Titanium and Aluminum
• Mount: direct thread

Check out our full review and video right here.

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What’s your take on the Banish 45? Rate it below!

And now…it’s been featured in our review of the Kalashnikov KP-9 (9mm AK). We ran around 3,000 rounds through the suppressor without cleaning on the KP-9 and other 9mm in one week.

2. Rugged Obsidian 45

Want a super durable steel that can take anything a handgun can throw at it? Check out the Rugged Obsidian 45.

You can unscrew the top cap to make it shorter. Plus…even in the short mode, it still sounds pretty good.

And since pistols are dirtier…it’s a good perk that you can take it apart to clean it.

It also takes SilencerCo Alpha mounts, so it’s super modular.

There are also caliber-specific endcaps, but we have found negligible effects of having the correct one if you’re sizing down.

See it in action with its 9mm version that has a pronounced pop on the first shot:

And .45 ACP version:

Manufacturer Specs (Rugged Obsidian 45):

• Decibel Rating: 129.3dB for .45 in full config; 123.7dB for 9mm in full config
• Rating: belt-fed pistol up to .45 ACP; rifle calibers up to .300 BLK, .350 Legend, & .450 Bushmaster
• Weight: 10.7 oz (6.8″) or 12.8 oz (8.6″)
• Diameter: 1.37″
• Length: 8.6″or 6.8″
• Construction: Stainless Steel and Aluminum
• Mount: direct thread

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3. CGS Mod-9

The CGS Mod-9 has an initial steel booster and one steel baffle…with the rest aluminum.

You won’t be going full-auto for long periods of time, but it will take anything a regular handgun can do. We recommend pausing a little after the equivalent of 60 rounds for it to cool down.

However, that steel in the back gives it a great balance on most handguns. And the little extra weight in the back helps mitigate the more pronounced *cachunks* (first-round pop) of shooting with suppressors.

Another cool thing? It’s good for rimfire rounds and also breaks down for easy cleaning.

Manufacturer Specs CGS Mod-9):

• Rating: rimfire to .300 BLK Subsonic
• Weight: 10 oz
• Diameter: 1.37″
• Length: 7.7″
• Construction: Stainless Steel and Aluminum
• Mount: direct thread

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Want to go shorter? Check out the CGS Mod-9 SK model.

4. SilencerCo Osprey 45

No pistol suppressor list is complete without the SilencerCo Osprey series.

Today we have the Osprey 45 with its iconic rectangular shape, which keeps it under the front sights…negating the need for suppressor height irons or switching to red dots.

It is a sealed can, but it will likely outlast your guns. But because you can’t crack it open to clean it…don’t shoot rimfire through it since they are so dirty.

For its size, it’s also very quiet.

See how cool it is in real life:

Manufacturer Specs (SilencerCo Osprey 45):

• Decibel Rating: 128.6 dB for .45; 125.2dB for 9mm
• Rating: 9mm to .45 ACP including .300 BLK
• Weight: 11.1 oz
• Diameter: 1.30″ x “1.75”
• Length: 8.06
• Construction: Stainless Steel and Aluminum
• Mount: direct thread

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Check out the other Osprey models, such as the Osprey 9, 9K, and 45K.

5. Dead Air Ghost 45M

We love the Dead Air Ghost 45M for its modularity.

Of course, it can reduce its length and open up for cleaning.

But its last few baffle stacks are aluminum to reduce front weight. All the more abused parts are in the beginning, so you’re still GTG for full-auto usage.

Plus, there are 3-lug adapters for your favorite MP5 clone.

Here it is in action:

Manufacturer Specs (Dead Air Ghost 45M):

• Rating: .22LR to .300 BLK Subsonic
• Weight: 9.6 oz (6.2″) or 12.0 oz (8.75″)
• Diameter: 1.375″
• Length: 8.75″or 6.2″
• Construction: Stainless Steel and Aluminum
• Mount: direct thread and adapters

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Should You Go Multi-Cal?

The NFA (National Firearms Act) is annoying and encompasses a $200 tax stamp (which thankfully hasn’t changed since it started).

Plus, it takes many months to actually process.

If you were thinking of a dedicated 9mm suppressor…you might want to rethink again.

You don’t want to hinder your future suppressing options because you only have a 9mm right now. With a multi-caliber suppressor, you’ll be good to go from tiny rimfire all the way up to .45 ACP.

And some will even handle .300 BLK subsonic rounds.

And if you’re thinking of applying for the NFA without a gun trust…don’t. Definitely go with one. We use Capitol Armory’s $79 option that’s super easy and done from the comfort of your own couch.

Hearing Safe

Before we dive into some awesome silencers, let’s take a moment to talk “hearing safe.”

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s threshold for hearing safe is 140 decibels. Meaning, anything higher than that will damage your hearing.

An unsuppressed .22 LR measures about 145 decibels while a “normal gunshot” (we’re going to guess your average 9mm, .45 ACP, etc.) comes in around 165 to 170 decibels.

On the other hand, most average caliber suppressors cap out around 130 to 140 decibels…scrapping below that hearing-safe threshold. Though, .22 LR suppressors significantly reduce the volume to 115 decibels.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because a silencer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also wear hearing pro. It just means that you might not need the heavy-duty pair you usually tote to the range.

We’re also including manufacturer specs for dBs. The real-world numbers will vary on your gun and ammo…but it gives you a good idea of what is truly “hearing safe.”

Testing Procedures

We here at Pew Pew Tactical try to be as scientific (or at least as even) as possible. So we snagged a Larson Davis SoundTrack LxT-QPR sound level reader that’s rated for the sharp pops of gunfire.

We used a Sig Sauer M18 as the basis for 9mm testing. As well as Sellier & Bellot subsonic ammo. Here’s the baseline with supersonic:

And now subsonic which we used for the rest of the tests. Only around 3dB difference but that’s a lot in terms of pressure…plus you remove the supersonic crack when you go subsonic.

For .45 ACP we used a Nighthawk full-sized 1911 with 230gr ball ammo that’s naturally subsonic.

Final Thoughts

Suppressors are just fun. I fired my first suppressed pistol at SHOT many years ago and was hooked. I loved how the gun felt, how comfortable and quiet it was, and just how effective they are. 

It’ll never be as quiet as movies make silencers out to be, but the reduction in noise, flash, and concussion makes shooting way more comfortable. The added reduced recoil and muzzle rise is also a nice touch. 

Got a favorite, let us know in the comments! Ready to buy? Check out the Best Places to Buy Suppressors. Also, make sure to check out our latest reviews on the Silencer Central Banish 30 and Banish 45.

The post 5 Best 9mm & .45 ACP Suppressors [Tested] appeared first on Pew Pew Tactical.

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