Best 9mm Suppressor

Suppressors, silencers, cans, or whatever you want to call them, can be some of the best accessories you can purchase. The National Firearms Act, along with state laws, make owning a suppressor difficult, but in my opinion, it’s still well worth the time and money. One of the best calibers to suppress in 9mm. There are lots of great calibers to suppress, but 9mm is one of the most affordable, and subsonic ammo is widely available. 9mm handguns come in all shapes and sizes. 

At its core, a suppressor is a safety device. The most obvious safety feature comes from the device’s ability to reduce the noise of a gunshot. This can preserve your ears. You might say earplugs do the same thing, but when you use a suppressor with subsonic ammo and ditch the muffs, you have better situational awareness, which results in an overall safer environment. 

In other situations, a set of earplugs might not be available. In a home defense scenario, a set of earplugs isn’t something you’re likely to have on hand. A suppressed 9mm handgun or PCC for home defense provides a short and capable package for home defense that won’t blow out your eardrums when used indoors. 

There is a certain addiction that comes with shooting suppressed. Once you start, it’s tough to stop, and suppressors are a lot of fun. Even if you don’t have a serious use case, a suppressor can make a range day a different experience, and since most of our shooting is on the range, it’s well worth the investment. 

How To Pick The Best Suppressor 

We gathered seven suppressors that we think are outstanding for 9mm PCCs and handguns. How did we pick these suppressors? That’s a valid question, and our goal was to provide a diverse group of suppressors who excelled in various categories. The main goal of suppressors is to quiet a gunshot, so we looked for the quietest suppressors, but that wasn’t the be-all, end-all decider of the suppressors on this list. 

We also wanted to factor in ergonomics. How do they affect how the weapon handles? This is a major consideration since it’s easy for certain platforms to be front-heavy. We looked at durability since these accessories are often lifetime investments. Some suppressors have a multi-caliber capability, which was also a consideration. 

There was also a look at suppressor design. If a suppressor can do something somewhat unique and different, then we have to consider whether that’s an innovation worthy of mention. Innovation pushes the industry forward, so it weighs heavily in our choices. 

This selection criteria allows us to pick and choose more than just the quietest suppressor; it also opens up some truly unique and fantastic design options. 

Buying Suppressors 

Buying suppressors isn’t as easy as purchasing a firearm. When you purchase an NFA item, you have to deal with the Federal Government. This includes the ATF and the Department of Treasury. Before you even start shopping for a suppressor, you should ensure they are legally owned in your state. You can follow all federal laws and still be banned from owning a suppressor simply because of state law. 

When you purchase a suppressor, you have to fill out an NFA Form 4 to decide whether to purchase as an individual or a trust. Part of the application process involves a fingerprint card and passport-style photo. You must also pay the 200-dollar tax stamp to transfer or create an NFA item. Then, we have the waiting period. Admittedly, the eForm process has reduced wait times, but you’re looking at anywhere between two weeks and nine months. 

Starting this process can be intimidating and admittedly frustrating. However, it’s not as bad as it seems. Transferring is easier than creating, and the waiting period is the worst part. Waiting and waiting for approval is way worse than constantly watching tracking numbers. 

So you buy a suppressor and toss it on your favorite 9mm handgun, only to find that it is pretty darn tough to aim with your sights blocked. You already spent how much money on a suppressor, and now you have to spend another hundred bucks or so on a set of suppressor height sights. That could have all been avoided if you purchased an Osprey 2.0 as your handgun’s suppressor. The Osprey 2.0 is my favorite handgun suppressor. 

SilencerCo took the design of a suppressor and squared it. Or maybe rectangle it. I’m not sure how you want to describe it. They got rid of the idea of a round suppressor for a polygonal option that placed most of the blast chamber below the bore. This lowers the gun’s profile so you can use your stock standard iron sights without issue. 

This does require a certain degree of indexing, but with the 2.0 design, a button was added to make it much easier to index the gun and Osprey. It’s super simple and refined for modern users. The Osprey looks bulky but fairly light at 8.8 ounces and measures 7.06 inches. 

The Osprey 2.0 drives 9mm down to 129 decibels. It’s hearing-safe with subsonic ammo and perfect for your average handgun. It’s also capable of suppressing subsonic .300 Blackout, and it would run nicely on a pistol-caliber carbine. The Osprey 2.0 is a great suppressor and comes with SilencerCo’s excellent reputation. 

Pros and Cons

Suppressors are almost always made from metal, right? Stainless steel, aluminum, and even titanium. That’s the standard, and there was a time when handguns were the same way, but they gladly made way for alternatives, like polymer. Suppressors are going the same way, but not necessarily with polymer, but with carbon fiber. The Carbon Research CR9 implements carbon fiber mixed with titanium and kevlar to produce an efficient and very lightweight suppressor. 

The Carbon Research CR9 weighs a mere 6.5 ounces. It attaches to handguns easily and provides a smooth and balanced design for handguns. As you’d imagine, handguns get off balance awfully quickly, so suppressors like the CR9 give you a very well-balanced design. This is especially true for micro 9mm handguns. Guns like the SIG Sauer P365 work exceptionally well with the CR9. 

The Carbon Research CR9 doesn’t weigh much, but it still offers excellent suppression capabilities. The CR9 takes the explosive noise of a gunshot and pushes it down and down by about 36 decibels. With the right subsonic ammo, the CR9 is hearing-safe. You might think that such a lightweight can isn’t that tough, especially with the carbon fiber design.  

It’s okay to be wrong. The CR9 can work with .300 Blackout subs and supersonics. It eats ‘em up and spits ‘em out. That’s not a bad quality in a 9mm suppressor. The CR9 and similar suppressors might be the future of suppressor design. The downside of the future is that it will be expensive. 

Pros and Cons

Pistol caliber carbines and large format pistols in 9mm are quite common these days, and one of the big benefits is how easy they are to suppress. Pistol caliber carbines are a bit longer than handguns and are pressed further from the shooter. This creates an issue where the suppressors are heavy and creates a balance issue with your rifle. Is it all that bad? No, but it’s annoying. That’s okay because the SilencerCo Spectre 9 is here to save you. 

The Spectre 9 is one of SilencerCo’s latest suppressors. It’s made entirely from titanium and weighs only 3.9 ounces. The length tops out at a hair under five inches, but the Spectre 9 gives you a hearing-safe sound reduction with subsonic 9mm. While it’s a 9mm suppressor, the Spectre 9 can handle supersonic and subsonic .300 Blackout. That’s not a bad thing by any means. The fully welded designs make things tough, and sealed. 

The downside of a sealed system is the cleaning factor. You can’t take it apart, so your ability to clean the suppressor is limited. For that reason, it’s best to avoid using straight lead ammo. Ammo without a jacket will leave heavy metal debris in your suppressor and will drive the lifespan down. 

The Spectre 9 system makes it easy to suppress a home defense weapon and keep it nice and short. The Spectre 9 makes your gun manageable and easy to use in close-quarters environments. Of course, the Spectre 9 does quite well on handguns. It’s not modular, but it doesn’t need to be, given how light and short the suppressor is by design. On a home defense handgun it will keep things quiet and preserve your hearing at the range. 

Pros and Cons

When you want the quietest of quiet suppressors, the PTR Vent 2 provides a super quiet suppressor. I’ve been impressed by the Vent 2’s suppression capabilities, but my ears aren’t scientific enough. The folks at Pew Science have declared the Vent 2 a “…represent one of the most significant advancements in the suppressed small arms state of practice.” PTR is taking a high-tech step towards producing Vent 2. 

PTR utilizes 3D printing to produce the Vent 2, and the can is made entirely from titanium. This flow-through system reduces back pressure and keeps gas from being thrown rearward. On a handgun, this isn’t a big deal, but when you toss it on a PCC, the gas being thrown into your face gets really annoying.

Inside the Vent 2 sits this odd mesh-like structure. It’s a titanium foam design, and it’s a truly fascinating design. The Vent 2 weighs only 8.9 ounces and measures 7.6 inches. The unique design prevents modularity, so you get what you get. The PTR system is unique, and unique means it’s expensive. Sadly, this isn’t a budget suppressor, and it’s not for everyone. The Vent 2 system does represent the future of suppressors. 

The Vent 2 suppressor gives you the quietest 9mm suppressor currently on the market. It does so at a lightweight, decent length but with a hefty price tag. If that’s not a deal breaker, then the Vent 2 will give you the best performance possible. 

Pros and Cons

Do you want the smallest, lightest, and shortest suppressor on the market for 9mm handguns? JK Armament has you covered. They’ve become well known for producing tiny, super lightweight suppressors, and the 105 CCX brings us a suppressor small enough to conceal carry. Would I suggest conceal carrying a suppressor? No, not at all, but the JK Armament 105 CCX allows it. 

The 105 CCX isn’t just short. It’s super small and very lightweight. How light? Light enough to use on a short recoil handgun without the need for a Nielsen device. Most of the time, the suppressor is so heavy that it requires a Nielsen device to ensure the weapon cycles with all that extra weight. The JK Armament 105 CCX weighs only 2.5 ounces in its heaviest configuration and 1.2 ounces in its lightest configuration. 

Oh, I forgot to mention it’s modular. You can remove baffles to make it shorter and shorter. The shortest length is 1.9 inches, and the longest overall length is 4.6 inches. As you shorten the suppressor, you lose sound suppression. One thing you can do to improve suppression is add an ablative material. This includes purpose-built materials, petroleum jelly, water, etc. 

The JK Armament 105 CCX doesn’t provide the highest level of suppression. When you go small and light, you have to make some sacrifices. In its longest configuration, with ablative material and subsonic ammo, the suppressor can be hearing-safe. It’s an interesting design, and while it won’t be the best option if you want the quietest suppressor possible, it’s unique and innovative. Suppressors don’t often come this light, this short, and this cool very often. 

Pros and Cons

You’ve probably seen a bit of a trend throughout this list. That trend is price. Suppressors aren’t cheap. They tend to cost nearly a grand, or close to it. Sometimes, you just want something a little more affordable, and the Yankee Hill Machine R9 delivers an affordable experience. Budget-worthy suppressors tend to have some compromises attached to them, but the R9 is deceptively awesome for its 500-dollar price point. 

The YMH R9 was built to be ridiculously tough. It’s a dedicated 9mm suppressor designed to withstand the stress of submachine guns. The R9 might be built for submachine guns, but it’s a completely functional option for handguns. The R9 drags the sound of a 9mm shot down to 123 dB. Again, that’s not a compromise in any way due to its price. That’s a stellar performance. 

Even the weight of about 9.3 ounces isn’t bad. It’s not the lightest can, and it’s not that long either. It’s 5.2 inches. It’s not short, but it’s still workable on a handgun. The only downside is that you’ll need to buy a Nielsen device so it can work on most handguns. This is one tough suppressor, and one of the reasons it’s the best budget can is its capability with other calibers.

Most 9mm cans can run subsonic .3000 Blackout. The R9 can run supersonic .300 Blackout, and even .308 Winchester, 5.56 NATO, .350 Legend, and 6.5 Grendel. That’s nuts for a 9mm can, and if you want just one can and don’t want to spend a ton of money, it’s the way to go. For some, this will be the only suppressor they ever need. A budget suppressor that this effective, well-made, and durable sells itself. 

Pros and Cons

I wonder who at SIG removed the space bar, hit the caps lock button, and forgot to turn it off. Luckily, SIG kept the name of the MODX-9 short. I mean, have you seen some of their names? Stuff like the FOXTROT365XR is always a pain to type. MODX-9 keeps it short and sweet and provides a suppressor that can also be short and sweet. This is a modular, high-tech, high-end, and quiet can that’s suited for both PCCs and handguns. 

The MODX-9 offers a unique level of customization. It can be micro-managed to an extreme degree and taken apart to be short, long, or somewhere in between. However, it’s important to note that the noise-cutting capability gets compromised as the suppressor gets shorter. By the time you get to four baffles, you’ll lose the hearing-safe capability of the can. This is a trade-off to consider when customizing your suppressor.

SIG uses additive manufacturing, which is a fancy phrase for 3D printing, to construct the cans. This high-tech manufacturing process allows SIG to reach new heights with suppressor construction. Weight savings are a big benefit to the design, and in its full-length design, it’s only 8 ounces. 

Most of the weapon is placed to the rear, so it doesn’t make your handgun feel unbalanced. Shooters can mount it to a pistol with a Nielsen device or to a PCC with a fixed spacer. One issue you’ll find is that the finish tends to rub, and if you start taking it apart over and over, you’ll scratch the finish if you’re not careful.

The SIG MODX-9 is an efficient, quiet, and capable suppressor for all your suppressing needs. The MODX line from SIG doesn’t get the attention it deserves, but it provides a modular option that allows for excellent customization and the right mix of quiet and ergonomics. The MODX-9 isn’t cheap, but it is surprisingly affordable. 

Pros and Cons

Suppressors and Platforms 

If you’re new to suppressors and you have a 9mm that needs to be quiet, then you should know a little about how the device is mounted to your gun. If you have a fixed barrel weapon, like a straight blowback pistol or a PCC, then you’ll need a fixed barrel spacer. If you have a short recoil pistol, you’ll need a Nielsen device or muzzle booster to ensure the weapon reliably fires. 

As far as I know, every PCC has a fixed barrel. With handguns, you’ll need to double-check. The easiest way to tell is to lock the slide to the rear. Does the barrel move at all? With a short recoil-operated handgun, the barrel should tilt downward at the rear, lifting the tip upward. If your barrel moves, it will likely require a muzzle booster. 

Short recoil guns can be weight-sensitive, and the barrel must be able to move for the gun to cycle. When you add weight, the barrel slows down. A muzzle booster does exactly what it’s named for and allows the gun to cycle. Typically, 9mm suppressors with come with a muzzle booster, but you should always make sure or make plans to order one. With a PCC, you’ll want to remove the Nielsen device in favor of a fixed barrel spacer. 

The Quiet Riot 

Once you start shooting with a can, it’s hard to go back. A suppressor makes a huge difference when it comes to comfortably shooting a weapon. I give suppressors credit for getting my wife into shooting. Not only do they reduce noise, but they also reduce concussions, muzzle blasts, and even recoil. A suppressor is one of the handiest tools you can have. It’s a shame they are stuck behind the Iron Curtain of the NFA and can be simply banned by state law. 

Unlike other firearm accessories, you should take your time deciding which suppressor you want. The waiting period, the tax stamp, and the work put into purchasing one make it tough ever to resell and slow to change up if you don’t care for your suppressor’s capabilities its tough to get rid of and replace. Shop smart, make educated decisions and take careful examination of your needs.