Silencer Central Banish 9K Review: One Compact Can

I tested out Silencer Central’s new Banish 9K to see just how quiet this super compact, lightweight suppressor can really be.

Just a few months ago I discussed pistol suppressors in this column, and I said that short of employment as an assassin, suppressors for pistols are best suited to enhancing the enjoyment of recreational and competitive range sessions or for hunting. This is mostly because, given the compact nature of a pistol, adding a suppressor mostly removes the handgun from practical self-defense application.

For the most part, my opinion has not changed … but I’ll admit that, because of a new pistol suppressor from Silencer Central, I’ve had to rethink it.

Silencer Central Banish 9K Specs:

Length: 4.1 Inches
Diameter: 1.3 Inches
Baffles: 8
Weight: 2.7 Ounces
Material: Titanium
Caliber: 9mm
Caliber Cartridge Range: 9mm, .380 Auto, 5.7x28mm, .300 Blackout
Finish: Cerakote
Sound Reduction: 26 dB
Mount Style: Direct Thread (1/2×28 or 13.5x1LH)
Full-Auto Rated: 9mm subsonic and .300 Blackout subsonic
Warranty: Lifetime
Price: $699

Baby Banish

The new Banish 9K is, as far as I know, the smallest and lightest suppressor available for a 9mm pistol. Unlike most suppressors that manufacturers piece together with internal baffles fitted inside a welded tube, the Banish 9K is 3D printed in 100 percent high-grade titanium. Now, 3D printing is a rather new concept, and many firearms manufacturers use the process when creating prototypes. But the ability to 3D-print a complete titanium muzzle device—with a lifetime warranty—that can withstand the pressure of escaping gases—long term—is bordering on high-level sorcery. It’s like something you would see in a science fiction movie.

The truth is, of course, there’s no magic in play at all. In fact, 3D-printing in titanium utilizes a process called laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). With LPBF, layers of titanium powder are melted together using a high-intensity laser to create solid parts. What makes this applicable in suppressor manufacturing is that you can create extremely complex and very lightweight shapes that are not only strong but also corrosion resistant.

As for the Banish 9K, it’s only 4.1 inches long and has a diameter of 1.3 inches. Any way you measure it, that’s a very compact suppressor. But just as important as the compactness of this suppressor is its weight. The Banish 9K is unbelievably light—it weighs in at only 2.7 ounces.

How light is 2.7 ounces? Well, here’s one way to look at it: A single 9mm cartridge weighs about 183 grains, so the Banish 9K weighs less than seven rounds of 9mm ammunition. That means you could screw a Banish 9K on your pistol and download the magazine by seven rounds and the gun’s overall weight would not change.

Less is Way More

One of the things that allows the Banish 9K to be so compact and light is that, because it is so light, it does not need a Nielsen device for proper functioning. Pistols work by transferring energy from the fired cartridge to cycle the slide. With the short recoil systems of most handguns, the barrel moves, too, and the added weight of the suppressor is usually enough to prevent the gun from properly cycling.

A Nielsen Device, also known as a muzzle booster, helps suppressors work with pistols. Some refer to these devices as pistons, and most handgun suppressors are designed to work with a piston the suppressor mounts to.

Now, this is not a 100 percent guarantee that the Banish 9K will work with your pistol, especially if your pistol is a 1911 with a linked barrel. For example, the Banish 9K worked perfectly on a Bear Creek Arsenal Glock clone, but I had to reduce the recoil spring weight in a Wilson Combat EDC X9 2.0 for reliable functioning. With the heavier recoil spring, the slide would not cycle far enough to the rear for the empty case to engage the ejector.

But, How’s It Sound?

The next thing you’re probably wondering is if a suppressor this small can reduce the sound to a hearing safe level. With the 9mm Luger, the Banish 9K reduces the sound level to 132 decibels at the ear. But this suppressor is not just for 9mm pistols. It will also work with a .380 auto pistol, an FN 5.7x28mm, 9mm carbines … and in 300 Blackout with subsonic rounds it’s even rated for full auto.

Could you everyday carry a 9mm pistol with a Banish 9K attached? Um, maybe. It would depend on how you carried, and I highly doubt you will be able to find a holster that will accept a pistol with a Banish 9K attached. However, aside from everyday carry, a pistol with a Banish 9K would clearly be practical for home defense and even for vehicle carry.

I know some folks advise against vehicle carry, but whether it makes sense or not has a great deal to do with the areas you operate in and what you use your vehicle for. The Banish 9K would be great on a pistol you keep in your ranch truck or maybe in the side-by-side you use on the farm.

For the most part, my opinion on suppressed pistols has not changed: I believe they’re best suited to enhance the enjoyment of recreational and competitive range sessions, for hunting, and for training new shooters who are recoil and noise sensitive. But the new Banish 9K substantially increases the practical application of a suppressor on a personal protection pistol.

I still don’t think it’s optimum for concealed, everyday carry, unless maybe you wear a trench coat—you know, like a hit man.

Silencer Central Banish 9K Deals:

Sportsman’s Warehouse	$699
Silencer Central	$699

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of Gun Digest the Magazine.

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