Knight’s XM9 Beretta “Hush Puppy” – For USAF Survival Kits

The original “Hush Puppy” was a Smith & Wesson Model 39 pistol fitted with a suppressor for use by Special Forced in Vietnam. The name came back in the 1980s, when the US Air Force requested a suppressor for use with the M9 Beretta in its pilots’ survival kits. Knight’s Armament developed a design that used a clever and very quick snap-on attachment method. It was a wipe-based suppressor, with a functional lifespan of about 25 rounds. The pistols were fitted with slide lock levers to further reduce the sound of firing. Approximately 3,800 were supplied to the Air Force, and a few years ago, the company sold about 188 of them on the civilian market.

In practice, this combination is indeed extremely quiet. The report of the shot definitely became louder over the course of about 20 rounds fired, though.

12 Comments

  1. No surprise that airmen do not like the possibility of getting captured. Nasty things like unbridled torture usually await captured bomber crews, especially when the captor doesn’t adhere to international law on the matter… but this is mere speculation on my part.

    • Historically
      1. Parachuting into people you have been just trying to kill is not wise
      2. Most aircrew survivor injuries and deaths are inflicted by civilians, troops are taught that live prisoners are important intelligence asset. Troops are often rewarded for capturing aircrew and have military discipline and training to back that up.
      3. My buddy was a USAF fighter pilot, his conclusion after SERE training – the pistol is so you can shoot yourself

  2. The British Welrod uses the same style of suppressor as the XM9 Beretta. If I’m not mistaken the Welrod used leather for the wipes.

  3. .22” caliber MAB Model F pistol of 1950’s had a similar device to lock the slide for quıetest muffler operation, but it was on the rear side of the slide.

  4. Welrod uses the same ammo and physics laws. 😉
    These are completely different designs.
    The silencer design for M9 repeats the German design of the Schießbecher, which repeats the Soviet Bramit, who repeats something else…
    http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/attachments/world-firearms/69691d1260832081-ww2-german-grenade-launcher-silencer-schalldampfera.jpg
    https://i.imgur.com/NujT8HK.jpg
    https://sovietarmorer.wordpress.com/2014/11/01/bramit-sound-supressor/

    That’s just, these “smart guys” stuffed there wipes of an wrong design, and even from wrong material.

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