With the drop of the $200 tax and the greatly reduced wait period, I’ve decided it may be time to get suppressed before this state (WA) decides to ban them along with all the other dumbass gun laws they are always trying.


I’ve already lined up a local FFL for the transfers, have been “shopping” online but have a few questions before committing. Here is what I’m looking for info on…

In a perfect world, I’d like to have the following suppressed firearms:

.22lr handgun (P322, already owned with threaded barrel)
9mm handgun(P226, P365, P320, P30 all available options)
9mm MPX 8” barrel
5.56 AR Pistol 7” barrel
5.56 AR Rifle 16” barrel
.308 AR 16” barrel/M1A


I’m curious about the difference in effectiveness of using a .30 on a 5.56 vs having both .30 and 5.56

Same question about using 9mm on a .22 vs separate.

I know .22 and 5.56 should be swappable, assuming built for 5.56 won’t be an issue on .22lr or would larger size/weight of 5.56 rated can be an issue cycling a .22 pistol?

AR’s are all gas pistons, same stated barrel length restrictions apply or is that just on “regular” gas operated models?


I expect I’ll need at least two, maybe three to be covered. FFL will give me a “quantity discount” on the transfer/processing fee if I do all at once though.


Info as well as specific models and sellers greatly appreciated.

I'm sure you will get lots of answers and opinions. But here's my initial thoughts.
You probably want a dedicated .22lr can that can be disassembled so it can easily be cleaned if you do a lot of rounds. And you want it to be light weight, so you don't want to use 5.56 capable suppressors with .22lr. having said that my current favorite .22lr can is sealed but I get really light weight for that and tolerate the huge PIA to clean it. But if I'm not so concerned about weight, I always run a traditional can since the cleaning it so much easier. if I had to just pick one I'd probably pick the one that I can disassemble. But everything in suppressors is a tradeoff.
You can easily cover the 9mm stuff with one can, but again if you are using it on pistols you want to watch the weight and probably spend extra money to get construction that does that.
Go look at the annual Thunderbeast suppressor testing of a zillion cans and what I think it tells is the tale that shooting 5.56 through .30 cal cans is less than optimal on sound and maybe other parameters.
I don't own any barrel shorter than 10.3 so this is a bit of conjecture, but I think a 7" barrel is going to probably limit the number of choices you have (I don't think any of many ones I own are rated for it) and its going to conflict with other things that you might value like weight since it will likely be made of haynes 282 or some other supertough but relatively heavy alloy. but there are certainly choices that permit it.
The .30 cal is easy on its own but if you want it to also tolerate 7" 5.56 you might have to search a bit, its not something I can comment on from experience. But I started life using a .30 cal can for 5.56 because my dealer said it wouldn't matter much, but that didn't last very long as I quickly figured out that a dedicated 5.56 can is so much better in every way.
So I can easily give actual use advice on the .22lr, 9mm, 5.56 and .30cal options, but can't really help on what to choose if you want a .30cal can to also run 5.56 on a short barrel.
All FWIW>
EDITED to add, there are also a new generation of these one and done suppressors that advertise shoot anything you want as long as its less than the bore size. but relative to the stuff dedicated to a specific caliber they carry a lot of excess mass to make that possible, but they do exist .

Whatever you do, I suggest you suppress the impulse to go cheap. If these are supposed to last you for your duration in Washington, you may as well do it right.

Suppressing a 7" AR is going to be on the bleeding edge of the ratings of most of the cans I would consider, if even. Suppressing a 16" AR kind of sucks in general for a number of reasons. My suggestion? Rebarrel both. Everything worth paying attention to in 5.56 is rated 10.3" and up, so I would start there. A pin and weld anything is not your friend if you're moving to suppressors, so if you want a longer barrel, the sweet spot stops from there are 11.5", and 14.5". There are advocates for 12.5" and 13.5" but I don't see the point, really. A 10.3" or 11.5" with a duty-grade can in either .30 or 5.56 is basically the same overall length as your 16" gun, with more weight out front. You already have one 5.56 pistol right now anyways, you may as well do it right and built up a suppressed 10.3 and what you'll gain as far as length will be far offset in the sheer reduction in concussion to your brain every time you pull the trigger. Seriously, shoot suppressed long enough and shoot any AR unsuppressed and it'll astonish you the amount of shock and blast you've been dealing with.

I'd suggest titanium if you really want the weight savings, but if you want something that's absolutely going to hold up to everything, you want an inconel can. The temps where Haynes starts to pull away in performance over inconel is GunTuber meltdown-for-clicks shit.

If it were me, I'd get a titanium .30 cal can because you're probably not going to punish it enough for it to matter, and the weight savings on a heavier rifle will be welcome. Inconel 5.56 can on short barrels to offset the weight from the can, and because it's the smart move anyways. I strongly suggest flow-through or "low backpressure" designs for the 5.56 can. Maybe the .30 cal, but absolutely the 5.56.

For 9mm, the Cat Street Crack (yeah I know... I know it, they know it, we all know it, but hey... points for being edgy) and the Dead Air Mojave 9 are the current winners in terms of suppression to backpressure to weight and that whole ratio. No, they are not cheap, but you could use either one on a PCC or a pistol. If you wanted to totally ball out, pick up either of those as a pistol can plus the Cat Mobster as a dedicated PCC can.

Hrcjon is definitely on the money about a lightweight .22 can vs using a 5.56 can. I've put a fair number of .22 rounds through my Polonium and wouldn't hesitate to keep doing it, but that's still a lot of weight to contend with for anything that isn't trying to be an AR trainer. It's hard to overstate the weight thing, really. So far, I'm really pleased with having a one-piece 3D printed titanium .22 can. Honestly haven't cleaned it yet, and I've got probably a thousand rounds through it since December, but when I do, it's just going to soak in a jar of Breakthrough Suppressor Cleaner for a couple days, then take an hour or so heated bath in my ultrasonic. What does or doesn't come out, oh well. Supposedly cleaning .22 cans is a total nightmare, but I'm lazy and there is such a thing as good enough. A 3oz titanium can on a lightweight .22 pistol is a joy you simply have to experience to understand. My current favorite gun for just putting a smile on my face is a S&W M&P 22X with a B&T Print-X Tiger with an O-Sight SE. 20 round magazines, "high velocity" ammo is enough to cycle it and remain subsonic, and it's that famed "Hollywood Quiet" everyone talks about. Get an actual .22 can, whatever it is.

I've recommended Cat twice now, and Dead Air once. A year ago, I wouldn't have believed that, but there it is. They're currently the in-class winners on those suggestions according to my ears, at least. I have a relationship with Stealth Additive Works, and a number of their cans, but I think their wheelhouse is solidly just really fantastic performing cans for the size. I think their 5.56 Tisha is still the top rated 5.56 can, and if not, it's for sure the quietest one under 6". They make it in a 9mm as well, and on my Stribog and the post-sample MP5 I got to try it out on, it was comfortable to shoot with subs without ears on, and I have pretty sensitive hearing. It is astonishingly quiet, but I also didn't get to compare it 1:1 against the Cat and Dead Air cans I mentioned, so maybe they're quieter, but they definitely aren't for the size, that's for sure. It's one to look at, anyway.

my experience on 9mm has been the DA Majove9 is the current champ. I like it a lot and its distinctly better than the maybe 10 other 9mm cans I have.
I would normally recommend the B&T Tiger as its the best .22lr can I own but the situation at the moment at b&t makes buying anything of theirs way too risky. But my second best one is the DA Mask and its a really decent .22lr can well proven and well liked. But I'm sure there are other ti ones that might be better but I haven't used them to recommend. To me if you really aren't shooting a ton of .22lr the mask would be just fine.
Again nothing I know anything about personally from use would apply to your 5.56 situation.