About Gemtech
Gemtech’s roots go all the way back to the 1960s, when its founder Dr. Phil Dater started exploring the suppressor concept in his home shop. Gemtech was officially established in 1993.
In 2011, the company was crucial to the establishment of the American Suppressor Association. You can thank the ASA for your short wait times, the Hearing Protection Act, the recent victory in cutting the NFA tax, and the continued fight to overturn the NFA. Gemtech also has worked to legalize suppressors in many states, including Minnesota, which in turn allowed me to do this review.
In 2017, Gemtech was acquired by another old American brand, Smith & Wesson. For the past few years, Smith & Wesson has been working to revitalize the brand with new designs to be competitive in a market that is currently skyrocketing. In 2022, I had the chance to visit with Smith & Wesson and Gemtech down at Frog Bones in Florida. After testing and evaluating several of their new suppressors, I was impressed with the direction of the company.
The Gemtech Lunar 9
The Gemtech Lunar 9 is a lightweight, modular 9mm suppressor that is weld-free. The suppressor features an aluminum sleeve with a removable baffle system for easier access to the baffles for cleaning. Each baffle is made from 7075 aluminum, except the first blast baffle, which is constructed of 17-4 PH stainless steel. This allows for a strong blast chamber where the suppressor experiences the most wear.
The Lunar 9 is 7 inches long and weighs 10 ounces in its full configuration. The modular end extension can be removed, shrinking the can to 4.7 inches with a weight of only 7 ounces. This weight includes the Nielsen device (piston/booster), which is designed to aid in reliability for Browning action handguns. Spacers are available if you want to add the suppressor to a fixed rifle barrel.
The Lunar 9 is rated for 9mm, including full-auto fire, although shooting in bursts is recommended. The suppressor is also rated for subsonic .300 Blackout loads when fired from a barrel of 8 inches or longer.
On the Range
I pulled a couple of threaded 9mm handguns from the Certified Used inventory at Guns.com to use with the Lunar 9: a Beretta APX and Beretta 92FS. As these handguns offer two unique operating systems, this would let me evaluate the performance of the suppressor. The APX offers the tilting Browning action, while the Beretta 92FS has a more fixed barrel design.
I did not have any subsonic ammunition, but even with standard 115-grain FMJs, sound performance was admirable. While I still typically shoot with hearing protection, I did take a handful of shots without ear pro, and the suppressor makes this hearing safe. Even in the short configuration, there is a significant reduction in sound, outside of the supersonic crack of the ammo.
The lightweight Lunar 9 is super easy to maneuver and move from target to target. It doesn’t alter the handgun’s balance, but the slight addition of weight seems to make the gun snap back faster after recoil. This makes for quicker and easier follow-up shots. Outside of a dry APX in the beginning (which was remixed with some oil), the suppressor was reliable.
