Gemtech Abyss 5.56 Suppressor: Full Review

The versatile, quiet Abyss is a true "do it all" 5.56 suppressor you'll need to try. Here's a full review.

November 04, 2025 By Brad Fitzpatrick

There are a lot of suppressor companies today, but I would imagine that Gemtech is the only one of those brands that began in a hospital. In the 1960s, radiologist and avid shooter Phil Dater began tinkering with the hospital’s machine shop, and with his knowledge of ultrasound, he began designing plans for a new suppressor.

Those early days spent dabbling in the hospital machine shop proved to be the genesis of one of today’s top suppressor brands—Gemtech. Since those early days, suppressor technology has advanced substantially, but Gemtech has always been able to remain at the forefront of silencer tech.

Their Abyss 5.56 suppressor is the product of years of design advancement, and it is quite likely a true “do it all” 5.56 suppressor, because it offers a list of features not found on any other 5.56 can. It also manages to stuff all those appealing features into one of the shortest and slimmest cans on the market. Overall length is 6.8 inches with a mount and the diameter measures 1.64 inches. That means you can run the Abyss on a wide range of rifles and carbines while still maintaining a trim, compact profile.

The Abyss is constructed from 17-4PH stainless and 6AL4V titanium and its 1.375-24 HUB (Hybrid Universal base) mounts on a wide range of muzzle devices and the quick on/quick off design makes this the go-to option for many shooters and LE professionals. Best of all, when you purchase an Abyss, Gemtech includes all the necessary accessories to install the suppressor including a ½ x 28 ETM (Elite taper Mount) muzzle brake, ETM adapter, two spanner wrenches, a disassembly tool, and a muzzle shim kit. Also included is a case for the suppressor.

The kit makes it easy to install the ETM suppressor on your rifle, and you can quickly and easily mount or remove the suppressor from the brake. The system ensures that the brake is properly aligned every time when correctly assembled, and the ETM mount greatly reduces the risk of carbon lock, ensuring that the Abyss is as easy to remove as it is to install.

The Abyss is designed so that as the bullet passes through the bore and into the suppressor, gasses expand into the baffle spaces. This helps to reduce decibels and make the rifle more hearing safe, but the design also lowers overall pressure, minimizes muzzle flash, and reduces back pressure because gases are routed forward.

This is particularly important on gas-operated semiautos. On bolt guns the primary consideration is noise reduction, but gas guns will only run with adequate gas pressure. The best cans for gas guns manage gasses so the rifle continues to operate reliably while also preventing excess gas at the action blowing back into the shooter’s face. The Abyss is designed with gas guns in mind, and it is rated for short (down to 7-inch for 5.56 and 6mm ARC, 3-inches for the 5.7x28) barrels and full-auto firearms.

The Abyss comes with a high temperature black Cerakote finish that is designed to withstand the heat generated by even full-auto firing. The mount and muzzle flash feature Armorite and PVD finishes for added durability. Weight of the suppressor is 16 ounces.

At $719, the Abyss is an excellent value and priced around $300 less than many competing 5.56 cans. Its rugged construction, quality components, and thoughtful design make it a great option for serious shooters.

Range Testing

I had the opportunity to test the Abyss at Smith & Wesson’s new Academy in Maryville, Tennessee. Situated on Smith & Wesson’s 236-acre facility in Maryville, the Academy offers a two-story immersive shoot house, 300-yard rifle range, pistol and carbine ranges, and a multi-purpose flex range at the center of the complex.

cus-gemtech-abyss-556-04 — An 11.5-inch barrel AR15 can prove challenging for some suppressors, but the Abyss soldiered through testing on the Smith & Wesson M&P Axe SBR.

Initial testing took place at the flex range, a 360-degree outdoor shooting facility. The Abyss was mounted on Smith & Wesson’s new Axe 11.5-inch 5.56, a short, quiet setup that’s ideal for home defense or law enforcement. My first impression after sending a few rounds downrange is that the Abyss is extraordinarily quiet. That’s due in part to the advanced baffle design, but thick walls also help reduce decibels and make the Abyss even more fun to shoot.

One of the Abyss’ distinguishing features is the GM-S1 endcap which is designed to reduce muzzle flash while venting gases forward away from the shooter. Combined with the Axe’s GVAC upper gas backflow was minimal. The Abyss also helps reduce recoil impulse and allows you to take fast, accurate shots.

As tested, the Axe with Abyss rifle is an ideal SBR setup. It’s short enough for clearing houses, yet unlike other SBRs you don’t have to suffer from excessive back flow. The Abyss also proved to be quite rugged. The finish held up well throughout testing despite rough handling. Of course, one of the high points of this suppressor is having the ability to rapidly remove it. With the HUB system, I could remove the Abyss from one test rifle and swap it to another rifle in a matter of seconds. This is an important consideration for anyone, but especially for shooters who want one suppressor to run on every gun. The HUB system allows for very fast can swaps, making it easy to suppress multiple firearms. The Abyss also ran without any issues on the gas guns tested.

cus-gemtech-abyss-556-05 — Even after considerable range time and rough use, the Abyss only suffered a couple of minor cosmetic scrapes.

I walked away from my time at the Academy range very impressed by the Abyss’s performance. It’s a solidly built, ultra-quiet can that reduces irritating backflow and runs reliably on gas guns. Rated up to 6mm ARC and suitable for short barrel and full auto guns, the Abyss is also quite versatile, and the long list of accessories included with each Abyss make it even more appealing.

There are lots of 5.56 cans on the market, but very few offer the long list of premium features you’ll find on the Abyss. With an MSRP of $719, you’d have a difficult time finding a better value, too.