I have been collecting NFA items at a pretty good rate since I joined this forum. I joined in Sept 2014 and in three years I have built two nice riles including an SBR and I have purchased a total of 5 suppressors. I am still not done with NFA items just yet. I can see at least another .22 can and possibly another .30 cal can. Depending on how things go I might SBR another lower at some future date. Other things are still TBD.

One hang up I have though is with .45 ACP. I am not sure if it's worth it just because of what it is but I figured I would get other people's opinions before I rule it out. I had part of this conversation in private but I have been thinking about it a lot lately so I wanted to expand the circle some and hear different opinions.

.45 ACP seems like it's apparently hard to suppress. Why that is I don't know, but I looked at some Silencer Shop videos and it seems like that caliber is not even in the same ballpark as 9mm and in fact even suppressed not always hearing safe.

While yes it's quieter than 160DB unsuppressed but at best from the looks of it your average .45ACP can is only border line hearing safe. My 5.56 can metered at the muzzle quieter than most .45 cans. (At the ear on an AR it's louder but that kind of makes me wonder about a dedicated .45 ACP can.)

With 9mm subs even in the short configuration the DB level is still in the mid to high 120's. Shooting 9mm subs suppressed is somewhat addicting. I can do it all day without ear protection.

I wouldn't give my 9mm can back for anything. That said having something huge hanging off the end of your barrel is cumbersome and takes a little getting used to, but in hind sight a 9mm can is a no brainer. Given the shorty cans are a lot more friendly, but on a .45 a shorty can is definitely not hearing safe. 9mm though you are easily hearing safe in either configuration.

Anyway I would like to hear other people's opinions about dedicated .45 cans. After being a bit more familiar now than when I started all this NFA stuff I am not so sure about .45 cans. I am kind of on the fence about them and I am trying to get kicked over one way or another.