Picking a suppressor comes down to what you'll shoot through it, how it mounts, how big and heavy you want it, and how you'll clean it. Here's how to think about each — and how buying one from us works.
1. Match the caliber
Every suppressor is rated for a maximum caliber. You can shoot smaller calibers through it, never a larger one, and always within the maker's rating — check it before you buy.
- Rimfire cans are made for .22 LR and similar rounds. They're small and light, but rimfire ammunition is dirty, so most come apart for cleaning.
- Pistol cans (9mm, .45 ACP) are short and light, and many also fit a pistol-caliber carbine.
- Rifle cans: a 5.56 can is the lightest choice for an AR-15. A .30-caliber can covers .308, 6.5 Creedmoor and .300 Blackout, and with the right mount 5.56 as well — one can for several rifles.
2. Pistols usually need a booster
Most semi-auto pistols have a barrel that tilts as the slide cycles. On those, the suppressor needs a booster (also called a piston) so the pistol keeps running with the extra weight on its barrel. Fixed-barrel pistols, rifles and carbines don't. Check that the can comes with — or can take — a piston for your barrel's thread pitch.
3. Thread pitch and mounts
The thread on your barrel has to match the can or its mount. In the US the most common are 1/2x28 (.22, 9mm pistols and 5.56 rifles) and 5/8x24 (.30-caliber rifles); .45 ACP barrels are often .578x28, and some imported guns use metric threads. The pitch is usually on the barrel's specification sheet or in the manual.
- Direct thread — the can screws straight onto the barrel. Simplest and shortest.
- Quick-detach (QD) — a muzzle device stays on the gun and the can locks onto it. Faster on and off, and easy to move between rifles that wear the same mount.
4. Size, weight and materials
A larger can is generally quieter; a short ("K") version handles better and gives up some sound. Titanium is the lightest. Stainless steel and Inconel are heavier but stand up better to heat and wear, which matters on short barrels and when you shoot fast.
5. What to expect
A suppressor reduces a gunshot's report; it doesn't make a gun silent. Supersonic rifle rounds still crack downrange, subsonic ammunition makes the biggest difference, and we still recommend hearing protection.
Buying one from us
A suppressor you buy from us and pick up at our Saco shop goes out on a Form 4473 with a NICS background check (Maine residents) — the same paperwork as any firearm. Buy it at the counter or from our suppressors online, bring a valid government photo ID with your current Maine address, and take it home once your background check clears. You must be at least 21 and legally eligible to own a firearm.
Out of state? We can send it to a licensed SOT dealer near you, where it transfers on an ATF Form 4. State law is separate — several states have their own suppressor rules — and we confirm yours before you commit. Why it's a 4473, and how the Form 4 works for SBRs and other NFA items: NFA & Suppressors.
Not sure which can fits your guns? Email sales@sticksandstonesweapons.com with what you shoot and we'll help you choose — or come by the shop at 1021 Portland Rd in Saco.
General information, not legal advice. Always check the maker's caliber rating and the current rules for your situation before you buy.