I have a Surefire FA556AR and a Gemtech Outback II. I think I want a pistol can next and I’m trying to decide which caliber I want first. It will be mainly a range toy but might serve double duty on a home defense pistol, though my main HD weapon is an AR. It would be neat if it can mount to a carbine as well as to a pistol, but the primary host would be a pistol. Right now I own 3 .40 cal Glocks, 1 .45 cal XD, and 1 .45 cal 1911 I’m not opposed to buying more pistols down the road, of course (I’d love to get a 10mm EAA Witness). I understand that .45 cans are pretty loud when dry but are okay when wet. From what I’ve heard 9mm cans are quiet dry and spooky quiet when wet. I don’t know much about .40 cal cans.

I’d like to know how loud a 9mm subsonic round sounds through a .45 can when it’s dry. If it’s reasonably quiet, I’d be willing to sacrifice the size and weight for the versatility of being able to attach the one device to multiple hosts. I don’t have a lot of money so I need to get as much mileage as I can from each can.

Any thoughts? What would you do if you had it to do again? If you could only have one pistol can, which would it be?

Thanks for reading.

AAC's new .45 can is quiet as f*ck compared to the previous offerings, even dry. If I were in the market for another .45 can, that's what I'd get hands down in a heartbeat. As far as 9mm through a .45 can, it's a pretty decent sized reduction in performance because of the size differential.

Thanks for your response. Have you shot AAC’s newest offering? Not to be rude, but how quiet is fuck, in terms of decibels? What is “decent sized reduction” when it comes to the 9mm through the .45 can? Would it still be hearing safe when dry? I know some folks report better performance when shooting .223 through a 7.62mm can than when shooting it through a .223 can because of the increased volume. Again, I’m not trying to be a dick, just trying to get the most specific information that I can. Once I have the money saved and am ready to buy, I’ll purchase a membership at  http://silencerresearch.com/ .

Reposting decibel reduction or comparative information with specific numbers from silencerresearch would break the user terms of use.  Just pay the $$ when you get a chance, it's completely worth it.

AAC's new offering in 45 is pretty awesome.

It's 100% hearing safe dry. It's the first can to accomplish this. Prior the KAC was the king of the hill and even that wasn't hearing safe 100%. Like he said, I'm not going to post db numbers but if you get a subscription to silencer-research.com you can see for yourself. As far as 9mm through a 45 can, it wasn't comfortable to be at all, even wet. I decided it wasn't enjoyable to shoot that way so I bought a dedicated 9mm can and couldn't be happier.

I apologize. I wasn’t implying that copyrighted findings from silencerresearch.com be posted. What I meant was that someone might know of manufacturer claims or subjective experiences, as inaccurate as that may be and that when I get closer to purchasing, I will get the real dope by paying for a membership. Sorry if it appeared otherwise.

JohnnyC, to clarify, you shot 9mm through AAC's new offering and, although .45 through the can is comfortable to shoot, even dry, the 9mm through the same can was very loud?

I've gone back and forth in my head a couple times and I may change my mind some more, but right now it looks like the next purchase may just be a 9mm. The more I think about it, the more it seems that although the versatility of a .45 can might be worth the extra cost, size and weight, it won't be worth the reduction in performance. I'd be happy to hear any other input, though. Thanks, guys.

I'm sorry, I should have been more clear. I haven't shot the TiRant at all, however I trust John's experiences. His testing methods are very transparent and are valid because of his testing methods. There were also several other members here that were present during testing and echo the experiences. I HAVE shot 9mm through my Gemtech Blackside and it wasn't comfortable, even with 147 grain subs. The bore is just too big for adequate 9mm suppression in my mind. I have the boostered version and it's quieter to my ear now than before they put the booster module on it.