Buyer guide

Choosing a suppressor: caliber, mount and host

Start with the biggest cartridge you plan to shoot and the gun you will shoot most, then work out how the can will attach to each host. This guide covers the decisions, not specific models or prices.

1. Caliber rating is about gas, not just bullet diameter

A suppressor is built for the volume of gas it has to handle. A .22 LR and a .223 Remington have nominally the same bullet diameter but very different gas volumes, and a 7mm magnum rifle cartridge cannot go through a .45 pistol can even though its bullet is smaller[1]. Always use the maker's rating for each cartridge, and check its minimum barrel lengths, which vary by caliber and model[2].

2. Dedicated or multi-caliber

• Multi-caliber cans have a bore big enough for the largest bullet they are rated for, so one can covers several guns. The trade-off is size, weight, and some sound reduction on smaller calibers[2].
• .36 vs .46 bore. A .36-caliber can passes bullets up to about .36 in. (9mm, 5.56, .308, up to .338 Lapua when rated); a .46 adds .45 ACP, 10mm, .44 Magnum, .450 Bushmaster, .458 SOCOM and 45-70[2].
• End caps with a smaller hole matched to your bullet make a big-bore can quieter on smaller calibers[2].
• If most of your shooting is one caliber, a dedicated can is usually shorter, lighter or quieter on that gun[2].

3. How it attaches

• Direct thread: the can, or a mount on its rear, screws straight onto the barrel. You need a mount for each thread pitch your guns use; 1/2x28 is common on 5.56 and 9mm barrels and 5/8x24 on .30-caliber barrels[2].
• Quick-detach (QD): a QD mount on the can locks onto a muzzle device on each gun, so every host needs a muzzle device from the same system[2].
• HUB (1.375x24) rear threads accept mounts from many brands; some cans use proprietary rears instead[2]. Our adapter and mount types guide lists the common systems.
• Threading matters. Muzzle threads must be concentric to the bore, so use a competent gunsmith if a barrel needs threading[1].

4. Match the can to the host

• Tilting-barrel pistols (most centerfire semi-auto handguns) usually need a booster and piston so they cycle with a can attached; fixed-barrel carbines and subguns can use direct thread or a 3-lug mount[2][1].
• Gas-operated rifles see more back pressure with a suppressor; an adjustable gas block or heavier buffer may be needed, and some cans are designed for lower back pressure[1][2].
• Rimfire and cast lead are dirty. A can you can take apart and clean is the better choice for them[1][2].
• Duty rating. Some light titanium cans are semi-auto only or "light duty" on rifles. If you shoot fast strings, check the rating[2].
• Sights. A can may block iron sights; suppressor-height sights exist for many pistols[1].

5. Budget for the whole setup

Most multi-caliber cans ship with one mount. Capitol Armory, a retailer, tells buyers to budget "a few hundred dollars" for mounts, muzzle devices, boosters and end caps to move a can between guns[2]. Add your dealer's transfer fee if you buy online, and your state and local sales tax. The federal tax stamp is $0 since Jan 1, 2026[3][4].

6. Check the law before you buy

See your state in the state law table and read how buying works now.

Sources include retailer guides, which sell the products they describe. We use them only for general, widely documented technical points. American Rifleman's 2022 article predates the 2026 tax and registration changes, so we do not use its cost or wait-time figures.