Good morning everyone and thank you for tuning in to TFB’s Silencer Saturday – where the neighbors have no idea how much lead you throw in the back yard. Today we start the difficult task of picking the best suppressors currently on the market. And, as I am not a Dictator, I will rely on your knowledge and experiences fo picking the final list of the best suppressors available today.

SILENCER SATURDAY #82: The Best Suppressors On The Market Today

Based on my past testing and research, I’ve started a list sorted by four categories:

• Rimfire Suppressors
• Pistol Suppressors
• Rifle Suppressors
• Specialty Suppressors

My goal is to come up with three best suppressors in each category for buyers to pick from when making a decision on a new silencer. The criteria I used to make selections in each category may be different from your criteria. For example, I prioritize suppression above weight for rimfire silencers whereas your choice might be the opposite. My list of best suppressors was a ranking of current availability (not discontinued) suppression, weight, overall size, durability, mounting systems, modularity, cost and aesthetics.

I know there are manufacturers and models missing from this starter list: this is partly intentional to force a discussion on features,  but it also has to do with experience. A model may get rave reviews on the web, but if I’ve never even touched it, I find it difficult to recommend it as one of our best suppressors.

Use the JotForm surveys listed below to vote in this first round. We’ll narrow down the list in the next few weeks and come up with a final round of voting.

As always, thanks for reading TFB. Be safe, have fun and we’ll see you all next Saturday here at TFB.

TFB Best Suppressors – Rimfire:

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Dead Air Mask

What sets The Mask™ apart is its marvelous performance and the ease with which it can be disassembled. It provides balance of performance, weight, and extraordinary cleaning intervals that are unmatched by the competition. This isn’t a “me too” compulsory foray into the .22 suppressor market. We wanted the best and we delivered. The performance speaks for itself. Our .22 suppressor features a blend of titanium and 17-4 PH stainless steel construction for direct thread applications.

Q Erector

 

The Erector by Q is the definition of modular. The Erector is made up of hard-coat anodized aircraft grade aluminum baffles, a mount and front cap, complimented by a PVD coated, stainless steel blast baffle.  Notice, we didn’t mention an outer tube. No outer tube means more internal volume, making this silencer so quiet it’s in a class of its own. It’s not only the quietest .22 silencer, it’s also the lightest at only 2.6 oz in it’s longest configuration.  On top of that, it’s also the loudest, longest, and shortest silencer on the market… Wait. What? Configure this silencer with one baffle, or all ten to fit the needs of your host firearm and ammunition.  The choice is yours… choose wisely.

Thunder Beast Arms Takedown 22

This multi-purpose, heavy-duty small-caliber suppressor works great on pistols and rifles chambered in .22 LR, .22 WMR, .17 HMR, 5.7×28, and similar calibers.It is user serviceable and may be taken completely apart. The 22 TAKE DOWN is 5.6 inches long by one inch in diameter and weighs 5.9 ounces. The 22 TAKE DOWN has 17-4 stainless baffles and a Grade 9 titanium tube.

AAC Element 2

The ELEMENT 2 features a number of design improvements that are the result of feedback from you, our customers. The ½-28 tpi mount is now a full-diameter, flush fit design, CNC machined from durable and lightweight Titanium. The mount is permanently installed in the tube, which is now corrosion resistant Grade 9 Titanium. At the heart of the ELEMENT 2 are the same highly advanced, heat treated, 17-4 stainless steel K-baffles that continue to deliver class leading performance with .22 LR, .17HMR and .22Magnum hosts.

TFB Best Suppressors – Pistol:

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Dead Air Odessa 9:

The Odessa-9 features a 1.1″ tube, allowing you to fully utilize your stock sights. That’s right, the Odessa-9 is almost as small as our Mask. It is also fully modular and can be shot in multiple configurations. 11 to be exact (well, 12 if you don’t use ANY baffles). If you stack only four baffles you’ll be close to, or below, hearing safe levels with subsonic ammunition. Stack on the full 11 baffles and we’ve hovered just shy of 122dB with HUSH subsonic ammo. With the smaller tube and this much modularity, your suppressed handgun life just got easier. The Odessa-9 is compatible with legacy pistons such as those from Silencerco and Rugged Suppressors.

SilencerCo Osprey

The Osprey™ is the lightest, quietest, and only multicaliber polygonal centerfire pistol silencer on the market. The monocore baffle design in a polygonal package allows for greater internal volume and therefore better sound performance. The Osprey uses a patented cam locking system to index so that the flat sight plane can be lined up below the shooter’s line of sight, thereby avoiding blocking most standard pistol sights. 

AAC Ti-RANT 9M

It’s back and better! Behold the evolution of the most legendary 9mm silencer on the planet. Introducing the AAC Ti-RANT 9M! All the features and performance you came to love from the Ti-RANT 9 and 9S (short or “K”) in one improved package! New for 2017 Ti-RANT 9M (Modular) features a tool less take down design allowing the user in a matter of seconds the ability to reconfigure the Ti-RANT 9M from a full sized 8.0” long silencer (9.5 oz) into a 5.84” compact model (7.75 oz)! One stamp – two silencer configurations. The main tube is constructed from Grade 9 Titanium for durability and light weight; while the front module tube is made from high strength 7075-T6 Aluminum for weight savings. The Ti-RANT 9M can be easily hand-disassembled without special tools to allow the entire baffle stack to be removed for cleaning and maintenance.

Bowers ASP .45

The ASP is 1.5” in diameter by 7” long, and as such is one of the smallest .45 pistol silencers offered. Weighing a scant 5 ounces, everything but the insert is aluminum to keep weight to an absolute minimum. The finish is tumbled and matte anodized.

This silencer will provide excellent performance on the HK USP Tactical and MK23 SOCOM, on standard-length 1911 variants, some Sigs, the occasional carbine and even Beretta 92Fs. The ASP is intended to cycle on .45 ACP pistols using full powered ammunition and 230 grain bullets. We recommend the brass cased CCI Blazer ammo as a budget conscious full-powered round. The can will continue to perform well using weaker rounds and calibers, but the firearm will not cycle in most cases due to a lack of sufficient recoil being generated by the round.

TFB Best Suppressors – Rifle: 

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Dead Air Nomad:

Lightweight. Versatile. Modular. The Nomad-30 exists for the everyday user. Designed to go everywhere you go, mounted on whichever rifle suits your job for the day. The Nomad-30 is made with 17-4 stainless steel and Grade 5 titanium. Weighing in at just 14 ounces you’ll hardly know it’s there. Featuring an improved high-efficiency baffle design, you’ll appreciate industry-leading sound reduction at the muzzle and minimal first-round-pop. Don’t let the lightweight fool you. It will enjoy long walks in the woods with you, but will also handle every bit of that rigorous training course. It ships in its direct-thread configuration with 5/8×24 threads. If you are already a fan of Dead Air muzzle devices, you’ll be happy to know the Nomad-30 is Key-Mo compatible. That means your Nomad-30 can have the same robust and proven quick attachment method as our Sandman models, giving you the best of both worlds. Plus, the Nomad-30 is compatible with all Sandman front caps.

Yankee Hill Machine Turbo K

The new Turbo® K utilizes a tubeless design made from heat treated 17-4 stainless steel along with a heat treated 718 Inconel® blast baffle. The combination of these materials allows the suppressor to be full auto rated and designed for rigorous use. The blast chamber of the Turbo® K is threaded to the popular 1-3/8”-24 thread which allows it to utilize many available mounting options currently on the market. The overall length measures 4.9” when in the direct thread configuration and weighs in at 10.5 oz. When using YHM’s Q.D. adapter, the overall length is 5.5” and weights in at 11.7 oz. Having an average sound pressure level of 138dB on a 16” AR shooting 55 grain ammo, the Turbo® K is within the hearing safe threshold of 140 dB. The Turbo® K is built with the same care, quality, and attention to detail that has defined the YHM® brand for generations. With an MSRP of $465 (which includes both direct thread and Q.D. mounts), the Turbo® K was created to supply the modern suppressor community with a full-featured suppressor at an affordable price.

Q Trash Panda

The trash PANDA by Q is the Quickie Fast-Attach version of our half NELSON silencer.  Designed with practical shooters in mind who wish to suppress multiple platforms, this silencer is short, lightweight, and hearing safe.  100% titanium construction with a PVD coating, fully rotary welded with no outer tube, and features standard size wrench flats on the front and back for easily install and removal. Each trash PANDA comes with a 1/2×28 and a 5/8-24 Cherry Bomb muzzle brake.

Dead Air Sandman S

At 6.8 inches in length and a weight of 18.5 oz the Sandman-S™ is the perfect cross-over suppressor for your 5.56mm, 300BLK, and 7.62 platforms, even up to .300 Win Mag. The QD system is design perfection. One hand removal in just seconds. No wobble, no seizing, no affected performance; just easy on, easy off, with minimal point of impact shift and no loss of precision. Hunting? Fighting? Competing? The Stellite® baffles are welded into a solid core for added strength and durability. An innovative 7.62 design first, the front cap is detachable and features an integrated flash hider. This affords better performance, particularly in low light conditions. The detachable front cap also provides some level of insurance should the Sandman-S™ get dropped or abused. This equals trouble free replacement in the field.

Energetic Armament Vox

Energetic Armament is disrupting the status quo again. The Vox™ silencer represents the next level of precision engineered rifle silencers. The silencer core is CNC welded from C300 Maraging (MARtensitic AGING) nickel-cobalt superalloy. Energetic Armament is the first silencer manufacturer to apply this ultra-strong alloy to a silencer. This aerospace alloy was developed and used by NASA to meet the extreme high-temp stress requirements of rocket motor casings with an incredible strength to weight ratio. Tensile yield strength is a measure of how much force a material can withstand before it begins to fail. Other manufacturers are stuck with 17-4 H1150 Stainless which has a yield of 100ksi or 6Al-4V titanium which has a yield of 120ksi. The C300 maraging steel used in the VOX™ is heat treated to achieve a yield of over 270ksi. What’s more: It has more strength at 1,000°F than either stainless (17-4 H1150) or titanium have at room temp! The unique material science of the VOX means you don’t have to compromise- you get the rugged full-auto rated capability of a heavy silencer with the light weight of a less rugged titanium can. No other silencer offers this spectrum of capabilities and features.

Allen Engineering AEM5:

The AEM5 is the direct fit replacement for your MK12 SPR. The AEM5 attaches to the weapon via a mount(not included) and a collar that goes over the barrel for alignment. The suppressor mounts via threads on the outside of the mount centering on the adapter fitting. A 20 degree taper on the adapter locks the silencer onto the barrel.

Surefire SOCOM556 RC2

Designed specifically for use with 5.56 mm (.223 caliber) weapon systems featuring a minimum barrel length of 10 inches, the SureFire SOCOM556-RC2 showcases our know-how in cutting-edge suppressor design and incorporates the latest in manufacturing techniques and materials to produce the finest tool of its kind. You can count on the SOCOM556-RC2 to deliver the utmost in sound attenuation and a tremendous reduction in flash and dust signature. There’s no question why it is our best-selling suppressor model. Precision-built of advanced Inconel alloys and stainless steel, and CNC laser-welded for uncompromising durability, the SOCOM556-RC2’s unique internal baffling design reduces back pressure as well as sound to match supreme accuracy with extreme quiet when compared to an unsuppressed weapon. And SureFire’s patented Fast-Attach ^® system makes attachment/removal of the suppressor quick and easy in any environment, from combat to field sports.

YANKEE HILL MACHINE RESONATOR .30

YHM’s .30 caliber sound suppressor, the Resonator®, was created to provide the shooting enthusiast a quiet, lightweight and cost effective suppressor. Capable of being used on multiple calibers and host weapons, the Resonator® can be used on rifle calibers ranging from .17 HMR through 300 RUM making it a great choice for all shooters. Like the Turbo®, the Resonator® uses a tubeless design which consists of heat treated 17-4 stainless steel and a heat treated 718 Inconel blast baffle which allows the suppressor to be full auto rated and designed for rigorous use. Includes YHM-4302 Q.D. Mount of your choice.

TFB Best Suppressors – Specialty:

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SilencerCo Hybrid 46

The Hybrid™ is the silencer for any platform. Compatible with pistol calibers from 9mm to .45ACP, rifle calibers from 5.56mm to .45–70 GOV, and many in between like .458 SOCOM, the Hybrid is both full auto and magnum-rated and can be used on pistols, rifles, and submachine guns. Boasting low-120 dB’s on .300 BLK and remaining hearing safe with .45–70 GOV, the Hybrid offers an unparalleled pairing of versatility and performance — a combination you’ve come to expect from SilencerCo products. The Hybrid is rated down to 16” barrels for .45–70 GOV and .458 SOCOM and down to 18” barrels for all magnum calibers up to .338 Lapua Magnum. With a slew of compatible accessories available, you can turn the Hybrid into the perfect silencer for any demand. 

Bowers Bitty

Nominally 1” in diameter and 2.8” in length, weighing in at a mere 2.6 ounces with a black cerakote finish. The Bowers BITTY is rated for .17 rimfires, .17WSM, .22, .22 Mag, .22 Hornet, 22 TCM, FN 5.7×28 and rated for full auto in .22.  The BITTY on a .22 rifle performs akin to many other manufacturer’s full sized .22 suppressors. On a pistol it is small, fun and comfortable to shoot coming in well under the threshold for hearing safe. It is also hearing safe on a .22 Mag rifle. Our testing was performed with CCI standard velocity .22 ammunition.

SilencerCo Maxim9

The Maxim® 9 is the world’s first integrally suppressed 9mm handgun that is holster-able and hearing safe with all types of 9mm ammunition. Shipped in its full-length configuration, the Maxim 9 comes with everything the user needs to shorten the overall length by more than 1”; in the short configuration, the Maxim 9 remains hearing safe with subsonic ammunition. Regardless of which configuration you use, the Maxim 9 represents one of the greatest strides made in both pistol and suppressor technology. No more choosing between keeping your pistol as short as possible and enduring deafening sound or adding a silencer and dealing with the added length and weight. Now, you can have the best of all worlds with the Maxim 9. 

Tactical Solutions PAC LITE TSS

The Tactical Solutions PAC-LITE TSS™ is a lightweight, accurate, integrally suppressed .22 LR pistol barrel for the Ruger Mark I, II, or III and Ruger 22/45 pistol.  The barrel is engineered and manufactured with an internal silencer built in to the barrel which allows the pistol barrel length to remain manageable and short compared to traditional barrels with screw-on silencers attached.  This integrally suppressed barrel is easy to disassemble and clean and comes standard with a patent pending fiber optic sight system.  Like TacSol’s AXIOM™ and AERIS™ suppressors, the PAC-LITE TSS™ baffles are machined from lightweight and durable titanium. The PAC-LITE TSS™ includes a fully adjustable rear sight, fiber optic front sight, and is easily installed on your Ruger pistol.

Thompson Machine Poseidon 9mm

The Thompson Machine Poseidon micro-9mm suppressor is truly one of the most advanced sound suppressors currently on the market.  At only 4.125” long by 1.25” in diameter and weighing in at a feather-light 3.8oz, the Poseidon offers sound suppression comparable to industry-leading silencers that are twice its size and weight.  Using artificial environment and wipe technology along with a proprietary mono-baffle stack, the Poseidon features a unique design that helps to seal in the end-user’s ablative medium of choice until the suppressor is used; thus eliminating a major downside of wet suppressors.  In other words, your ablative medium won’t run out in your pocket!  As an added selling point, the Thompson Machine Poseidon is also a true multi-caliber suppressor, and is very quiet on .22lr, .25acp, .32acp, 9x18mm, and .380acp host weapons.  The Poseidon easily and fully disassembles for cleaning, and includes the necessary take-down tools at no extra charge.  The Poseidon 9mm is available in 1/2-28, 1/2-36, or 13.5x1LH thread patterns.

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Silencer Saturday is Sponsored by Yankee Hill Machine:

Buy YHM silencers and accessories at:

Silencer Shop – Hansohn BrOthers – dead eye gun supply –

Mac tactical

All YHM Products At Brownells

DEALERS: If you want your link to buy YHM suppressors included in future Silencer Saturday posts, email: silencers@thefirearmblog.com

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Published on Jul 12, 2019 – Surefire

SureFire’s Barry Dueck and Cody Carroll run through the USASOC standardized suppressor test to compare performance of the SureFire SOCOM556-RC2 suppressor against a competitor suppressor. 

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special Thanks: Mac Tactical