CMMG began its life as many firearms companies do, which is selling parts to people who already owned AR-style rifles and simply wanted them to be a bit better. It is, when you think about it, the gun world's equivalent of a car tuning shop that eventually starts building its own cars. That evolutionary arc has taken the Missouri-based company from aftermarket components to a full catalogue of complete AR-type pistols and rifles, with a particular fondness for compact, calibre-flexible platforms that do interesting things with gas and physics. The Banshee series has been the flag-bearer of that ethos, and for 2026, CMMG has introduced what it is calling the ZEROED Banshee, a firearm engineered from the ground up with suppressor use in mind.

The name is not accidental. The ZEROED line represents CMMG's premium tier of upgraded components and slapping that designation on the Banshee signals that this is not simply a Banshee with a can bolted to the end. The whole platform has been thought through with hearing preservation as the operating principle, and the engineering decisions flow from that central idea rather than being retrofitted onto an existing design. In an era when suppressor ownership is growing steadily, building a firearm that genuinely accommodates the device rather than merely tolerating it is a meaningful distinction.

The ZEROED Banshee is offered in five chamberings: 9 mm Luger, .45 ACP, 10 mm Auto, 5.7x28 mm, and .300 Blackout. The first four use CMMG's radial-delayed blowback operating system, which bleeds energy from the bolt rotation rather than gas pressure, making it a tidy fit for suppressed pistol-calibre firearms where managing back-pressure matters. The .300 Blackout variant takes a different mechanical path, using a conventional direct gas impingement system which is proper given that the round was practically designed with suppressors in mind and has its own well-understood gas dynamics. That CMMG offers both systems under one model name speaks to the breadth of the platform rather than any inconsistency.

The geometry of the ZEROED Banshee is where the suppressor-first thinking becomes most visible. Every model uses a 6.5-inch barrel housed inside a 10-inch M-LOK handguard. That handguard is deliberately oversized and wide enough to accept a suppressor up to 1.58 inches in diameter while partially shrouding it within the furniture. The practical upshot is that the suppressor sits tucked into the handguard rather than jutting out ahead of it, which keeps the overall length more manageable and distributes the heat load more sensibly. Three silicone SD-style covers are included on the handguard to protect the shooter's supporting hand from the warmth that inevitably accumulates during extended use, a detail that sounds minor until you've grabbed a hot handguard in a hurry. A full-length M1913 Picatinny rail runs along the top for optics, and M-LOK slots are distributed around the handguard for lights, grips, and whatever else takes the owner's fancy.

Magazine compatibility depends on the calibre chosen, and CMMG has covered the main cases sensibly. The .300 Blackout model feeds from standard AR magazines, which will please those with existing stocks. The 5.7x28 mm version uses CMMG's proprietary 32-round magazine, which fits into a standard AR-15 magwell which is a neat bit of engineering that preserves a familiar manual of arms. Pistol-calibre versions feed from Glock-compatible magazines as a rule, though a 9 mm variant with a standard AR-15 magazine well that accepts CMMG's own 33-round magazines is also on offer for those who prefer to keep things in the AR family. There are, in short, enough configurations that most prospective buyers will find one that suits their preferences and existing equipment.

The internal appointments are handled by CMMG's ZEROED parts package, which equips each firearm with an ambidextrous charging handle, ambidextrous pistol grip, a drop-in single-stage trigger, trigger guard, and a 60/90-degree ambidextrous safety selector. Upper receivers are machined from billet aluminium and lower receivers are forged, a combination that balances precision manufacture with structural robustness. Cerakote finish options run to Armor Black, Coyote Tan, FS Green, Midnight Bronze, and Tungsten, covering the range from working-tool sobriety to something that will attract admiring glances at the range. Currently, the ZEROED Banshee ships as a pistol with CMMG's RipBrace stabilising brace fitted, with SBR versions planned for those who navigate the relevant paperwork.

Purchasing options split into two configurations. Buyers who already own a suppressor or have one waiting in the queue, as is customary, can opt for the faux suppressor blast diverter version, which accepts a suppressor of the owner's choosing and carries an MSRP of $1,650 to $1,850 depending on calibre. For those who want a factory-fitted solution, CMMG offers the ZEROED Banshee with one of its own ZEROED suppressors already installed, priced from $2,125 to $2,325. All NFA rules apply to the suppressor-equipped variants, naturally, the government's enthusiasm for paperwork has not abated regardless of what the market does.

Alongside the ZEROED Banshee, CMMG is also releasing two new muzzle devices: the RBB and the SVB. Both are compatible with Plan B-style suppressor mounting systems, including CMMG's own ZERO B DAPTER hub, which provides a straightforward attachment interface for those already invested in that ecosystem. The devices cover a considered range of thread patterns and calibres: M12x1 mm left-hand for the FN PS90, 1/2x28 TPI in both 5.56 mm and 9 mm, 5/8x24 TPI in .338 calibre and .45 ACP, and 1/2x28 TPI for .350 Legend. That breadth suggests CMMG is not pitching these accessories exclusively at ZEROED Banshee owners but at a wider suppressor-inclined audience who may be running different host firearms.

The ZEROED Banshee represents a coherent answer to a question that more shooters are asking: what does a firearm look like when suppression is the design brief rather than an afterthought? The oversized handguard that conceals the can, the operating systems selected for their suppressor-friendly characteristics, the premium ambidextrous controls, and the factory suppressor option all point in the same direction. Whether one arrives at the range with a silenced 9 mm or a suppressed .300 Blackout, the underlying thinking is the same: CMMG has built something that takes the suppressor seriously as a component rather than treating it as an accessory that the firearm merely accommodates. That is a reasonable position to take in 2026, and the ZEROED Banshee makes the case for it without needing to shout.