I’m new to suppressors, but I see why people love them so much. Admittedly, for a long time, the juice was never worth the squeeze due to the wait time for a Tax Stamp requirement. With eForms and falling wait times, it became a lot more accessible. It helps that I also work with SilencerCo and now understand suppressors much better.
Shooting Suppressed
Since my foray into the world of suppressed shooting, I’ve discovered many things. I’ve learned that flow-through cans are a must for me and suppressed ARs. I get why people love short-stroke gas pistons, and some guns are just more gun-suppressed than others. Fun is a very unscientific way for me to highlight guns I like to suppress more than others.
Suppressed Fun
These aren’t guns that are objectively better suppressed than others. These are just the five guns that make me giggle when shooting suppressed. They paint a smile on my face.
Beretta 30X
The Beretta 30X swung in like a wrecking ball; right out of the gate, Beretta released suppressor-ready models with threaded barrels and suppressor-height sights. That’s the model I snagged, and it’s been such a joy to shoot suppressed. From the short 30X barrel, the .32 ACP is almost always subsonic, so it cuts out the supersonic crack.
The gun sounds more like a range stapler than a firearm. The suppressor takes some of the blowback sting out of the firearm, making firing the little 30X much more fun. It’s quiet and easy to suppress, and the fact that the suppressor is longer than the gun is hilarious. I feel a bit like some European spy saving the world. Quietly.
CMMG Banshee
The CMMG Banshee series are the best AR-type PCCs on the market. The radial-delayed PCCs come in several calibers, but I stick with the 9mm guns. My model, the M17, uses P320 magazines, has a five-inch barrel, and is perfectly suited for some suppressed fun. The radial-delayed blowback system cuts recoil to nearly nothing.
Add in some subsonic 9mm and a suppressor, and we will have an ultra-quiet platform that is so much fun to shoot. Some people swear by the MP5 as a suppressed PCC, and I’m sure it’s fun, but the Banshee makes you feel like a 1980s commando freeing an embassy. It’s super quiet, and the gun’s ultra-short, which makes it well-suited for home defense but also tons of fun to shoot.
Benelli M4
Shotgun suppressors are few and far between, but they are fun on semi-auto shotguns. I’ve only ever suppressed a Benelli M4, but it runs like a champ suppressed. Semi-auto shotguns can generally be a little finicky, but this one runs reliably when suppressed. The ARGO system is no joke.
Some subsonic shells are out there, but they aren’t all that common. Avoiding the supersonic scream is tough, but it’s not that bad. It makes a shotgun feel like what I picture a Bolter from 40K is like. Even the noise is vaguely futuristic. Seeing the power of a shotgun suppressed is downright amusing.
Rossi Brawler .300 Blackout
I only fired a few rounds through this gun, but it is without a doubt one of my favorite suppressed firearms. The Brawler in .300 Blackout is a new entry into what’s essentially becoming an affordable and available Thompson Encore-like family of giant pistols. It comes with a threaded 9-inch barrel.
This makes it perfect for suppressing, and is honestly downright necessary to enjoy this gun. Why wouldn’t you suppress this thing? Throw an optic on it, and you have a quiet but effective hunting weapon. The Brawler, a .300 Blackout, is a blast to shoot suppressed and will make you smile widely!
Any .22LR Bolt-action rifle
Last but not least is a suppressed .22LR bolt-action rifle. Combine subsonic .22LR ammo, a bolt-action design, and a suppressor, and you get a gun so quiet you can hear the projectile smack cardboard. It’s absurdly quiet, which makes it absurdly fun. You’ve never lived until you equip a suppressor with a .22LR rifle and a thermal, and hunt varmints and pests.
It’s the cheapest way to get into effective suppressed weapons and one of the most satisfying. It’s the closest you can get to movie-like quiet from a suppressor. Not only is it fun for me, but it’s also fun for new shooters who might be a little scared of noise. A suppressed .22LR bolt-action rifle with subsonic ammo is airgun-like, quiet, and fantastic.
Keep It Suppressed
Suppressed guns are always fun, but some are more fun than others. ARs are fun, AKs are fun, and more, but the above five guns make me smile. A suppressor can completely change your shooting experience and make what’s typically already fun into an over-the-top experience.
