SilencerCo’s Sweet New Spectre 9 Suppressor
William Lawson
Suppressors are more popular than ever. Gun enthusiasts across many applications are waking up to the advantages of suppressed shooting. SilencerCo’s exciting new designs are helping lead that charge. I recently got my hands on a new SilencerCo Spectre 9 titanium suppressor to see just how exciting it is.
I jumped at the chance to run this can, especially since I have a few threaded barrel firearms. In the interest of full disclosure, SilencerCo provided the Spectre 9 and the necessary accessories. I do not get to keep it.
Spectre 9 Features
Suppressor construction has come a long way. Hiram Percy Maxim’s Model 1910 Silencer was all steel, as are many modern suppressors. But it’s 2024, and we have options. The Spectre 9 is one of SilencerCo’s new all-titanium silencers, providing strength in a surprisingly lightweight package. I was, frankly, taken aback by how light the suppressor was when I first opened the box.
It’s so light and compact that I noticed it not at all on my Henry Homesteader 9mm carbine, and just barely on my full-sized 9mm pistols. It even felt light on the Beretta Tomcat mouse gun I ran it on. SilencerCo says the Spectre 9 is engineered for “minimal impact,” and I agree. I’ve often thought a suppressed pistol would feel clunky, but that wasn’t the case at all with the Spectre 9.
SilencerCo designed the Spectre 9 for pistols and subguns chambered in 9mm or .300 Blackout. It’s rated for fully automatic weapons within its specifications and is one of the few silencers that can handle a full-auto Glock. I ran it on semi-automatic 9mm firearms, as well as .380 ACP and .32 ACP handguns.
Mounting and Accessories
The Spectre 9 benefits from the easy SilencerCo mounting system categories and is compatible with the Alpha and 3-Lug accessories. I like how SilencerCo makes it simple to get what you need. And yes, you do need to mount the suppressor correctly. It’s not like the movies where it just screws onto the barrel.
The Spectre 9 can be mounted using the following SilencerCo accessories:
- Alpha Direct Thread Mount (not intended for handguns)
- Alpha Piston Mount
- Active Spring Retention (ASR) muzzle device paired with an Alpha ASR Mount
- 3-Lug Mount
I used all but the 3-Lug, which was not provided. Let’s briefly touch on each one.
Direct Thread Mount
This is the simplest mount since it just screws onto the barrel, upon which you thread on the suppressor after removing the already installed piston housing. This method worked well on my 9mm carbine but is not intended for handguns.
Piston Mount
The Spectre 9 suppressor comes with the piston mount housing already installed. The piston inserts into the housing, which is then screwed onto the barrel. The piston is designed for handguns, and I also employed it on the two Stribog pistols I used for testing.
ASR Mount
The ASR Mount requires a SilencerCo muzzle device, whether it be a muzzle brake or flash hider. I already own an ASR single port muzzle brake, so I went with that. The ASR mount threads directly into the Spectre 9 and directly onto the ASR muzzle brake. The ASR mount acts as a locking collar, holding the suppressor to the brake. Very solid. I used the ASR mount with my carbine since the ASR brake already rides on it. Once again, the reliability on the carbine was 100 percent.
Mounting was easy once we learned the systems, which took less than 10 minutes. It’s really not difficult at all. SilencerCo recommends checking that the suppressor stays tight on the muzzle, but we had no problem with that at all through some 800 rounds in seven firearms.
A Versatile Suppressor
The Spectre 9 is very versatile, as demonstrated by the platforms on which I ran it. I tested it on four handguns: a 9mm IWI Masada Tactical, a 9mm Taurus G3 Tactical, a .380 ACP Beretta 80X Cheetah, and a .32 ACP Beretta 30X Tomcat.
I also ran it on my Henry Homesteader semi-automatic 9mm carbine, and two 9mm Stribog pistols. Rainier Arms generously loaned me the Stribog SP9A3, and the good folks at Global Ordnance sent me the SP9A3G model. The latter gun will appear in other SilencerCo projects.
Israel Weapon Industries also sent the Masada Tactical pistol for SilencerCo projects, now and in the future. Global Ordnance provided the subsonic 9mm ammo I used for the tests, and my friends at Ammo-to-Go provided the .380 ACP and .32 ACP rounds. Finally, Meprolight sent the MPO Pro-F closed emitter red dot so I could run an optic on the SP9A3G. I thank all five of those companies for their generous support, which made this review possible.
Spectre 9 Performance
I’m smiling as I type this because the Spectre 9 is just that much fun. My co-testers and I were like little kids at first, wanting to see how it did on this gun or that gun. But suppressors get hot, so we had to contain our enthusiasm for switching it back and forth. I need to invest in a good SilencerCo suppressor cover.
I quickly decided to limit each range trip to one or two firearms. That gave me a good excuse for many range trips with the Spectre 9.
The recoil impulse on the handguns was a bit less, which we verified by alternately running the gun suppressed and unsuppressed.
The Stribogs shot a little easier, though using the SP9A3’s brace as it’s intended creates some muzzle flip, suppressed or not. The SP9A3G doesn’t have a brace, and we ran it with an extended 3-point sling. The Spectre 9 was perfect for that application, slightly reducing the recoil.
We didn’t really notice a recoil difference on the Homesteader carbine, but it doesn’t kick much anyway.
I’m happy to report that the Spectre 9 ran flawlessly on all platforms, with both supersonic and subsonic ammo. There was no negative effect on how the guns cycled. I wondered how it would do with the little .32 ACP Tomcat, what with the ammo being naturally subsonic, but it was great. I think that was the gun I enjoyed shooting the most, since the Spectre 9 significantly reduced both the recoil and the noise.
It also helped the .380 ACP Cheetah, which can be a bit snappy. But the Spectre 9 settled it down a bit, and I liked it. Those two handguns look awfully “secret agentish” wearing that Spectre 9, so the cool factor is definitely there.
How “Quiet” is the Spectre 9?
We all used ear protection since silencers don’t actually “silence” anything. They do suppress the noise caused by the muzzle blast, which is the gas released when a gun is fired. But they have no effect on the bullet’s sonic boom as it crosses the sound barrier. Only subsonic ammo can do that, despite how Hollywood portrays it.
The Spectre 9’s decibel rating is 132.7 for regular supersonic 9mm ammo. That may not sound like a big reduction from the hearing safe level of 140 dB, but it is. Decibels increase and decrease on a logarithmic, not linear, scale. Seven to eight dB is a big deal, and noticeably affects the noise level, though it’s still uncomfortable for the ears. It’s technically safe outdoors, but you notice it.
We ran 115 and 124-grain supersonic 9mm loads and 147-grain Sterling subsonic rounds. I advise ear protection even for the subsonics, though they weren’t as loud as the supersonic rounds thanks to eliminating the sonic boom.
The only firearm we tested that was comfortable without ear protection was the .32 ACP Tomcat. It sounded like an unsuppressed .22 rifle. The naturally subsonic rounds no doubt helped.
Final Thoughts
My two co-testers and I enjoyed the Spectre 9. We appreciated how light it is and how it didn’t really affect the guns’ feel. Honestly, the piston mount assembly weighs more than the suppressor itself.
It performed well with 9mm ammunition, noticeably taking the edge off the gunshots, though, as noted, supersonic ammo is still supersonic. The subsonic ammo takes an extra edge off, as you’d expect.
The Spectre 9 also tamed the sometimes snappy .380 ACP rounds and the little .32 Tomcat was downright pleasant. On a side note, I really wish a had a full auto subgun, but alas…
The quality construction and obviously superior workmanship are apparent. Everything fits just like it’s supposed to with nothing loose or rattling. Such attention to detail gives me confidence in the product’s overall quality.
Overall, I’d give the Spectre 9 a high grade. Firearms and accessories always have trade-offs, and the light weight and small size come at the cost of a few decibels. It really depends on what you need, and the Spectre 9 fills a niche on that sliding scale.
If you’re looking for a high-quality suppressor to fit that niche for you, give the SilencerCo Spectre 9 a look. Quality does matter, and SilencerCo has a proven track record. The Spectre 9 continues that standard.
William Lawson
