Best Glock for Suppression in 2024

Handguns are the most commonly purchased firearm in America. Glock is at the top of the list of pistols Americans choose for protection, training, and everyday carrying. 

While Glock proudly touts "Glock perfection," what if there was a way to make them even more perfect? Adding a silencer to your favorite handgun is a fantastic upgrade that will: 

• Save your hearing 
• Reduce recoil 
• Make you enjoy shooting your pistol even more

While Glock models have many similarities, there are advantages to each that make some Glock pistols better suppressor hosts than others.  

Let's discuss the best Glocks, both in general and for suppression, which silencers work best for different Glocks, and why you may choose one model over another.

• The History of Glock
• What is the Best Glock?
• What is the Best Glock for Suppression?
• Suppressing a Glock 19 - 9mm
• Suppressing a Glock 43X - 9mm Sub Compact
• Suppressing a Glock 44 - 22LR
• Suppressing a Glock 21 - 45ACP
• Conclusion

Glock, a prominent firearms manufacturer, was founded by Austrian engineer Gaston Glock in the early 1980s. Originally specializing in polymer-based products like curtain rods and knives, Glock ventured into firearms after winning a contract to develop a new pistol for the Austrian military. 

The result was the iconic Glock 17, introduced in 1982, renowned for its reliability, simplicity, and innovative design featuring a polymer frame. This groundbreaking pistol revolutionized the firearms industry, popularizing the use of polymer in handgun construction. 

Over the years, Glock expanded its lineup to include various models and calibers, becoming a favorite among both law enforcement agencies and civilians worldwide. Today, Glock pistols are renowned for their ruggedness, ease of use, and widespread adoption.

1. Glock 19

The Glock 19 is Glock’s most popular pistol and can be found on virtually any list of the best Glock pistols. 

Either the Gen 4 or Gen 5 is a solid option, but we prefer the Gen 5. Improvements over the Gen 4 include the removal finger grooves from the grip and the addition of a slide stop on the right side of the pistol, streamlining operations without necessitating grip adjustments. In addition, the Gen 5’s widened mag well facilitates faster reloads.

At the firing range, the Glock 19 Gen 5 shines with its redesigned Glock trigger mechanism, offering a smoother pull and crisper reset for improved control and accuracy. The Glock Marksman Barrel (GMB) boasts polygonal rifling, reducing barrel fouling and ensuring more consistent bullet trajectory. 

The dimensions of the Gen 4 and Gen 5 models are almost identical, but only almost. Slight variations may affect compatibility with certain accessories, such as holsters. With either generation, recoil management is on the easy side, thanks to a dual recoil spring assembly and a balanced frame.

2. Glock 17

The Glock 17 was Glock’s original pistol and is the full-sized parent to the Glock 19. 

The Glock 17 quickly gained recognition for its lightweight yet durable construction, intuitive design, and "Safe Action" trigger system, which minimized the risk of accidental discharges. Over the years, it’s undergone several generations of improvements, becoming a staple in law enforcement, military, and civilian circles around the world.

Like the Glock 19, the G17 is available in both Gen 4 and Gen 5 models, with the Gen 5 having the same improvements as the Gen 5 G19. 

3. Glock 43X
 

The Glock 43X is a compact and highly concealable pistol chambered in 9x19mm, boasting a 10-round capacity and a 3.41-inch barrel housed within a 6.5-inch overall length. It strikes a balance between concealability and shootability. 

With 10 rounds, the 43X offers a higher capacity over its predecessor, the Glock 43, despite the slim design, subcompact frame, and single-stack magazine, while still providing a respectable amount of firepower for its size.

One of the Glock 43X's notable features is its secure, comfortable grip despite its compact size. Shooters with larger hands may find the grip size too small, but the pistol’s slim profile and lack of sharp edges make the 43X a practical choice for concealment. 

However, the 43X’s small size has some drawbacks. Its capacity, while higher than that of the Glock 43, is limited compared to compact and full-size frame models. In addition, the pistol's compact size limits sight radius, I recommend a red dot sight for maximum accuracy. 

4. Glock 26
 

The Glock 26, often referred to as the "Baby Glock," has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and compact handguns on the market. Designed as a subcompact variant of the iconic Glock 17, the Glock 26 caters to individuals seeking a small firearm without sacrificing firepower or reliability.

Like the Glock 43X, the Glock 26 has an impressive size-to-capacity ratio and a 10+1 capacity of 9mm rounds. 

The magazine compatibility with larger Glock models, such as the Glock 17 and Glock 19, allows shooters to expand the pistol’s capacity even more if they want. 

Its simple, no-frills design features a comfortable grip angle and texturing for a secure grip and quick target acquisition. 

5. Glock 34

With a 9x19mm caliber and a 17 round capacity, the Glock 34 is a full-size pistol. The barrel is 5.31 inches, significantly longer than standard Glock models, enhancing accuracy and muzzle velocity, so it’s probably no surprise that this pistol was designed for competition rather than concealment. The extended barrel length also provides a longer sight radius. 

The Glock 34 features a stellar trigger with a reputation for crispness and shorter reset. The MOS system allows for easy attachment of red dot or reflex sights, further enhancing its versatility for competitive use.

The Glock 19 is the most popular handgun in the country, if not the world. This is the premier compact Glock, firing the premier pistol cartridge, and by far the most well-known in the Glock lineup.

This is great because quality parts are available from dozens of manufacturers, so finding an excellent threaded barrel, suppressor height sights, extended magazines, improved triggers, and oh-so-much more is easy.   

Also, every single pistol suppressor manufacturer will have verified the proper function of their pistol silencer on the Glock 19, specifically. If the silencer is made for a 9mm pistol, you can rest assured that it will run on your G19.  

A Glock 19 is small enough to conceal and large enough to shoot easily on the range. It is also popular as a duty pistol with law enforcement which,in the US, carry Glock handguns overwhelmingly.

This makes it the best for all-around use. Its compact barrel also performs well when shooting subsonic 9mm ammo, like 147gr, which allows the Glock 19 to be incredibly quiet while being shot suppressed.   

Most of the above also applies to the slightly larger Glock 17 and larger-still Glock 34. The G17 is a full-size version of the G19, so it's harder to conceal, but its popularity means there are plenty of threaded barrel options.  

The G34 was designed with competition shooting in mind and has an extended slide version of the G17. These models also suppress very well, with the same silencer models.  

Three solid 9mm silencer choices that are great on a Glock 19 include:  

Rugged Obsidian9

The Rugged Obsidian 9 is a fan favorite and even took the top spot on our Best 9mm Silencers of 2023 list. It is tough yet lightweight and modular. This extremely quiet, versatile silencer can be shot in the short- and long-configuration. It's also rated for 300 Blackout and is easy to clean. 

SilencerCo Omega 9K 

The SilencerCo Omega 9K gives you big performance in a small package. It is less than 5" long and weighs about 7oz, so it won't weigh down your Glock or make it unwieldy. The Omega 9K is optimized for pistols and subguns, and is even rated for 300BLK subsonic rounds.   

Q Erector 9

Fully modular Q Erector 9 allows the user to size the suppressor baffle-by-baffle. This allows the shooter to choose the balance of length, weight, and sound suppression that's right for the task at hand. It's a very cool-looking, ultra-modern silencer with excellent sound suppression for your pistol. a Glock 19 include:  

The Glock 43X is easy to conceal with its diminutive footprint and slim width. The Glock 43 is even more compact and concealable due to its slightly shorter grip length. Both suppress equally well; the aftermarket has responded with plenty of threaded barrel options.  

The G43X and G43 are very skinny and small, so we recommend smaller, lighter suppressors to match. This may mean a suppressor that's also modular to allow the end user to choose its length.  This and other subcompact models don’t accept normal double-stacked Glock magazines most of the time, but magazines are still plentiful and cheap.

Three great silencer choices for a G43X and G43 are:  

JK Armament 105 CCX  

JK's suppressors are Mission Configurable, meaning the end user can remove and reinstall each baffle to balance length and weight with the desired sound suppression level. 

The JK 105 CCX is one of the smallest, lightest 9mm silencers on the market and is designed for concealment. It's so lightweight that it runs reliably without a booster, even in its longest configuration. A 105 CCX is an awesome match for a sub-compact pistol.  

YHM R9

A top performer on any 9mm, the YHM R9 is always in our top recommendations. It's quiet and rated for use on 300 Blackout and uses a HUB mount to allow easy attachment to your favorite pistol, rifle, or sub-gun.  

Dead Air Odessa 9

Dead Air's Odessa 9 is a fully modular silencer that allows the owner to use 1 to 10 baffles. The Odessa 9's skinny 1.1-inch diameter makes it a good fit on a skinny, sub-compact pistol, and it will stay out of the way of your sight picture, even with factory iron sights installed. It's an excellent choice for the G43/G43X because it can run long for use on the range and short for concealment.

JK's suppressors are Mission Configurable, meaning the end user can remove and reinstall each baffle to balance length and weight with the desired sound suppression level. The JK 105 CCX is one of the smallest, lightest 9mm silencers on the market and is designed for concealed carry. It's so lightweight that it runs reliably without a booster, even in its longest configuration. A 105 CCX is an awesome match for a sub-compact pistol.  

A top performer on any 9mm, the YHM R9 is always in our top recommendations. It's quiet and rated for use on 300 Blackout and uses a HUB mount to allow easy attachment to your favorite pistol, rifle, or sub-gun.  

Dead Air's Odessa 9 is a fully modular silencer allowing the owner to use 1 to 10 baffles. The Odessa 9's skinny 1.1-inch diameter makes it a good fit on a skinny, sub-compact pistol, and it will stay out of the way of your sight picture, even with factory iron sights installed. It's an excellent choice for the G43/G43X, because it can run long for use on the range and short for concealed carry. 

Glock's first 22 LR pistol, the Glock 44, was instantly popular as a trainer for Glock's centerfire pistols. With the same controls, trigger feel, and ergonomics, shooters can practice and learn on a low-recoil, budget-friendly gun and then take all those skills right over to your EDC or competition gun.  

With a fixed barrel and rimfire ammunition, the Glock 44 is extremely quiet and reliable when suppressed. Thanks to its short barrel length compared to a 22 LR rifle, most 22 LR ammunition is subsonic out of the G44, meaning specialty ammo isn't required to be extra quiet.  

Both Glock and multiple aftermarket companies make threaded replacement barrels for the G44. Look for one with a 1/2x28 thread adapter, the standard size for rimfire silencers.  

Three great silencer choices for the G44 include:

Made from 17-4 stainless steel and titanium, the Dead Air Mask is a hard-use rimfire silencer that's rated for calibers making up to 850 ft-lbs of energy. It's straightforward to disassemble and clean and is known for having no first-round pop and for being one of the quietest rimfire suppressors on the market. It's a great choice for all of your small-caliber suppression needs.  

The Rugged Oculus rimfire suppressor is modular and can be quickly and easily converted between short and long configurations. It is incredibly quiet and compliments the Glock 44 well. The Oculus22 has 17-4 stainless steel baffles and is ideal for harder use, including with more powerful cartridges (5.7x28mm, etc.) or long plinking sessions at the range.

Like all of JK's suppressors, the JK 105 RFX is fully modular and can run with only a single baffle or all baffles installed. This modularity also makes them easy to clean. They're super compact, lightweight, and quiet. The RFX has 9-baffles, including one heavy-duty baffle, ready to rock on the range. 

 A full-size Glock, the G21 holds 13 rounds of big ol' 45 ACP in its standard magazine. That's a whole lot more than the seven rounds of a typical 1911 mag! Built on the biggest frame Glock makes, the Glock 21 maintains good balance even with a larger suppressor, and it's a reliable, solid suppressor host.  

If you're looking to shoot some big bore, grab a threaded barrel for your G21 and a great suppressor for it, like one of these three:  

Modular, strong, yet still lightweight, the Obsidian45 is a fantastic suppressor backed by one of the best warranties in the industry. It's easy to clean and rated for use on tons of calibers, allowing it to suppress more than just your favorite Glock.

Super quiet, modular, and capable of using a wipe in the front cap, the Dead Air Ghost-M is one of the leading 45-caliber pistol suppressors on the market, and for a good reason. It's rated for any caliber that'll fit through its bore, producing 850 ft-lbs of energy or less. It sounds great on 45ACP Glocks and runs reliably without the need to tune and tinker with your pistol.

Compact, lightweight, and made from fully welded 17-4 stainless steel, the SilencerCo Omega 45K is extremely durable. It sounds awesome on big bore Glocks and won't weigh down your pistol. The Omega 45K will hold up to any use you can throw at it, including with 300 Blackout and more. 

The best Glock to suppress is the one that matches your intended use: 

• Concealed Carry 
• Tactical Training 
• Competition
• Plinking on the range  

Choosing the right Glock model for suppression comes down to understanding the unique characteristics of each model and how they complement the addition of a silencer. Whether you prioritize versatility, concealability, cost-effectiveness, or firepower, there's a Glock model perfectly suited to your needs. Equipping your Glock with a high-quality suppressor not only enhances your shooting experience by reducing noise and recoil but also protects your hearing and adds an element of pleasure to every pull of the trigger.