SILENCER SATURDAY #291: Pistoling with the Silencer Central Banish 46

Good afternoon everyone and welcome back to TFB’s Silencer Saturday brought to you by Yankee Hill Machine, manufacturers of the new YHM R45 Multi-Host Suppressor. Last week we got a general introduction to the Silencer Central Banish 46 multi-host suppressor. This week we screw on the piston system and put the Banish 46 though some subsonic pistol caliber ammo testing. Let’s see how quiet we can get these host combinations in both the short and long configurations.

Man, the above combo is definitely throwing off some ‘80s vibes.

We’ll skip the ‘pistol suppressor utility’ speech for today and focus strictly on shooting pistols and pistol caliber carbines with the Banish 46. My hypothesis is that the Banish 46 will suppress very nicely with subsonic 9mm ammunition. With a diameter approaching 2” and the full length right at 10”, the Banish 46 has plenty of internal volume to contain most of the expanding gases inside the walls of the suppressor.

Some of the immediate draw backs of a large suppressor include the added overall length of the system itself, the weight on the end of the barrel (where it will be most noticeable), and the loss of an unobstructed sight picture.

The best part of a modular silencer is that it is – modular. Unless you are trying to take your new Taurus down to the the lowest decibel levels possible, the short configuration is still eight inches long which is comparable to the longest pistol suppressors on the mark. Not to worry, we’ll still be shooting it the longer, full banana length for today’s testing.

At 16 ounces in its short form, the Banish 46 is heavier than most pistol suppressors on the market today. As a comparison, the Banish 45, a dedicated pistol silencer, weighs only 9.6 ounces. But the price we pay for wide compatibility is usually paid in ounces. The Banish needs to handle the pressures of high powered rifles which are double that of their 9mm counterparts.

The loss of a clean sight picture is a controversial subject; about 50% of us demand to see their sights overlayed on the target. The other crew, myself included, is fine using a both eyes open sighting technique to ghost the sight picture on the back of the suppressor which is then overlayed onto the target. If you aren’t familiar with the Bindon Aiming Concept, the process basically assigns the dominant eye to the sight picture and the non-dominant eye to the target and its surroundings. In my opinion, most tactical/defensive shooting should be done with both eyes open.

Like I said, we will ignore the issue with pistol suppressors more than doubling the length of the weapon system, basically removing the benefits of a handgun platform. If you want a pistol caliber tool, a small PDW/carbine/SMG with a moderately-sized suppressor is a much better choice for aiming and control.

For reference, the Banish 46 numbers are listed below.

The Banish 46 really isn’t a pistol suppressor. This is a rifle suppressor that has the capability to suppress pistols. It’s a bit long. It’s definitely at the upper weight limit for a handgun silencer. And it has a massive diameter. But it does sound great – all that volume did, in fact, help to give it a deep tone and a great overall report. The piston system works as it should and it feels right at home on a sub machine gun.

The size and weight limitations shouldn’t hold you back if you just want the capability to shoot your pistols quietly in between hunts or long range shoots.