Every AK owner who has tried to run a suppressor has bumped into the same three problems: the barrel lacks a shoulder for a conventional mounting index, the gas system produces back pressure that increases cyclic rate and parts wear, effectively decreasing longevity, and that same back pressure drives toxic gas straight into the shooter's eyes and lungs. These are the realities of the Kalashnikov design, and the suppressor industry has largely answered them with AR-centric solutions dressed up in AK-compatible threads. JMAC Customs' Combloc Division and Richmond Tactical have taken a different approach, engineering the Banka suppressor for the AK from the outset.
JMAC Customs Combloc Division
JMAC Customs, headquartered in West Virginia, has built its reputation on precision-machined components and accessories. Their product catalog includes just about everything a serious AK enthusiast could ask for. The Combloc Division is JMAC's dedicated Kalashnikov-platform line, and the Banka is its first suppressor.
The Banka was co-designed and manufactured in collaboration with Richmond Tactical. JMAC Customs’ owner Justin McMillion is direct about what they are and are not trying to accomplish with the Banka.
"Quality versus quantity. We're a quality company. We don't have any expectations of selling thousands of these… The people who own them should be very proud. I want them to be extremely happy,” Justin said to me in an interview.
Design and Materials
Although Justin acknowledges that 3D printing enables internal geometries that machining cannot replicate, neither JMAC Customs nor Richmond Tactical is fully sold on the idea that 3D printing has reached the quality threshold required for full-production suppressors. That is why the Banka is machined from 6AL-4V titanium.
The Banka measures 7.1 inches in overall length and 1.85 inches in diameter, providing ample internal volume for high-pressure gas to expand while internal chambers trap, slow, and cool these gases before allowing them to escape into the atmosphere. This results in gases leaving the suppressor over a longer period, mitigating rapid pressure change and reducing sound signature.
The Banka weighs 15.5 ounces and features a .410-inch bore to cover a wide range of calibers. Two finish options are available — Combloc Carbon, a PVD DLC coating, and Smoked Brass, with a heat-treated bronze appearance. For this review, I selected Combloc Carbon to match my Palmetto State Armory Soviet Arms AKS-74U “Krinkov.” However, this left me feeling like I needed another AK with a custom finish, so I could have an excuse to own the Smoked Brass version also. It really is very attractive.
The core engineering feature is a dual-chamber front exhaust system. At the center is a traditional baffle stack that functions like a conventional suppressor. This stack is sealed when the endcap is installed, allowing gases to work their way through the baffles before exiting the bore. Surrounding that inner stack is a second outer chamber, with twelve holes around its circumference. Gases that enter the outer chamber at the base of the suppressor expand and are vented forward, through an identical set of twelve holes in the endcap. The result is extremely low back pressure with a corresponding reduction in port pop and cyclic rate. Justin credits the Richmond Tactical engineering team as the driving force behind the internal architecture.
"The best way to explain this is it's kind of like two suppressors in one… I gotta give credit to Richmond Tactical on that — we just made it specific to the AK,” McMillion said.
The end cap is user-configurable. The standard vented end cap, which ships with the suppressor, allows gas to exit the outer chamber forward, prioritizing shooter comfort and reducing back pressure. Sealed end caps are available separately to close the outer chamber and force all gases through the baffle stack for improved sound suppression. This option comes at the cost of a modest increase in back pressure. End caps will be available for 7.62, 5.56/5.45, and .360/9mm, in both sealed and vented configurations. Each end cap features a 3/4-inch hex pattern for easy removal and installation, and wrench flats on the mount serve the same convenience.
Lacking a defined shoulder to ensure concentricity risks inconsistent alignment and raises concerns that could affect accuracy and may result in baffle strikes. The same issue may occur when attempting to index on an often-crooked AK front sight block. JMAC Customs has been addressing this obstacle for some time, using a facemount instead to index off the muzzle crown, threading all the way down until the inside of the muzzle device presses flush against the flat, square face of the barrel. When used with JMAC Customs 360HD or 360HDM mounts, the Banka has no barrel-length restrictions and is also compatible with most other HUB-based adapters and mounting devices.
Additionally, high back pressure suppressors on AK-pattern rifles produce a loud port pop — a loud, concussive noise caused by gas escaping from the ejection port as the bolt unlocks — at the shooter's ear while increasing cyclic rate and venting gas directly into the shooter's face. Remedies, like dust cover gaskets and aftermarket pistons, address symptoms rather than the cause, and require rifle modification to accommodate the suppressor, rather than engineering a suppressor system that works in harmony with the rifle. I looked forward to seeing how the Banka would perform and if this issue would be relieved.
Due to the titanium construction, JMAC Customs recommends limited use in full-auto, and maintenance can be performed with an ultrasonic cleaner. MSRP is $1,195.95, which includes a customer-selected muzzle device to accommodate the Banka’s 1.375-24 HUB mount.
Choosing the PSA AKS-74U Krink in .300 Blackout (.300BLK)
For the host firearm in this review, I chose a Palmetto State Armory (PSA) AKS-74U, chambered in 300BLK with JMAC’s MLOK handguard, 1913 gas tube, railed dust cover, billet AK pistol grip, M-LOK handstop with built-in cable management, 4.5mm triangle stock, and adjustable 7075 aluminum cheek riser. To attach the Banka, I’m running the JMAC M24x1.5 360HDM Facemount muzzle brake. When in Rome, right?
While subsonic .300BLK makes sense for a gun writer who never stops complaining about his tinnitus, the short 8.4-inch barrel on the Krink can be a demanding proposition as a suppressor host, as dwell time is compressed, requiring a larger gas port and the potential for over-gassing, which is higher than on a 16-inch rifle. I was told that the Banka requires no gas system modifications to run on the PSA platform, which would confirm that the low back-pressure claim holds in practice. I look forward to putting this to the test.
Justin was fair to warn me that the Krink pushes the edge of what the suppressor can deliver in subsonic hearing-safe territory, and to be honest, I may not be the best judge of what is safe and what is not, given my advanced hearing damage. Chalk that up to an occupational hazard. Regardless, I stand by my choice to run the Banka on the PSA AKS-74U. It just looks like it was meant to be there, and I’m an SBR kind of guy. The entire package, as seen in this review, weighs 9 pounds 6 ounces with an empty magazine and measures 32 inches in length, or 23.5 inches with the stock folded. Try that on a full-size rifle. Time to hit the range.
Rubber, Meet Road
Picking the Banka up for the first time, the machining and consistent surface finish reflect the manufacturing standard Justin described.
"I own well over 100 suppressors, and I don't think I have less than 10 that I would say meet the quality standards of this, just as far as visually goes," Justin told me.
Installing the Banka on the 360HDM interface is straightforward. I gave the HUB interface the two-handed torque treatment for safekeeping, no tools required.
I ran several loads through this setup over the course of the day. HOP Munitions provided their 220gr Poly ammunition, which has been my go-to for range ammo for the past year. For defensive rounds, I ran AAC 220gr OTM and Black Hills 205gr SKG. Each load ran without a hiccup, adding to the fun and making my job that much easier.
The first thing I noticed when firing the Krink with the Banka attached for the first time was the lack of port pop. This is common in gas-operated rifles and is more pronounced when using a suppressor, which traps unspent gas and forces excess pressure back into the action. With the Banka’s vented end cap installed, port pop is absent because the gas now vents forward rather than rearward, serving as initial substantiation of the manufacturer’s claim.
Cyclic rate is more challenging, if not impossible, to measure without a giggle switch or high-speed camera to measure the carrier speed, so you’ll have to settle for my analysis from shooting the Krink magazine after magazine while trying not to melt the skin off my hands as I installed and uninstalled the Banka. I had difficulty discerning any real difference in the rifle’s behavior, other than a pronounced decrease in sound with the suppressor. This is not typical of conventional suppressors, where added back pressure can be felt in the recoil impulse unless the rifle’s gas system is tuned specifically for that suppressor. This is further backed up by the rifle’s ejection pattern, which remained between 3 and 4 o’clock both suppressed and unsuppressed. Not needing to adjust gas flow at all was my second confirmation of the dual-chamber front-exhaust architecture’s effectiveness.
Being a run-and-gun kind of rifle, I didn’t waste time at the bench beyond zeroing the Aimpoint PRO at 50 yards. I would later set an “infinite” zero for the IR laser by aligning both aiming points at 250 yards. Shooting paper and steel in rapid succession proved to be a cleaner experience for my eyes and lungs. AKs can be gassy without a suppressor and should definitely be even more so with one, but having the Banka attached only revealed a net positive in sound reduction without toxic compromise.
After a full day on the range, I realized I had dug deeper into my ammunition reserves than I had originally set out to do. The AK is a fun platform to begin with, and Palmetto State Armory's chambering of this AKS-74U in .300BLK, with subsonic ammunition readily available, makes it even more of a pleasure on the range. Top that off with the Banka, designed specifically for the AK and delivering all that was promised, and I’d say the extra ammo was well worth the trip.
Although the Banka did not back off its threads while shooting throughout the day, the suppressor was easy to remove once I let it cool down while packing up my gear to go home. It did require a deliberate effort to remove, but only enough to confirm the mount is secure. This is how it should be.
Final Thoughts
The suppressor industry has offered AK owners workarounds for decades. I don’t mean to say they were bad or that they didn’t work, but there was always some form of compromise. The Banka is not a workaround and does not require any compromise. It is a purpose-built solution to a set of issues that the industry acknowledged but never quite resolved, until now. Being equipped with the industry-standard HUB mount and having the modularity to adapt to various calibers and vented or non-vented configurations is yet another bonus for the Banka.
The Banka will run well on a number of platforms, including the AR-15. If you’re looking for a solid suppressor that is beautifully machined and designed to keep you from choking on gases while providing significant sound reduction to your shooting experience, you won’t be disappointed in its performance. If you’re an AK enthusiast, I cannot think of any reason why the Banka should not be an essential piece of kit in your arsenal.
For more information on JMAC Customs parts and accessories, please visit: www.jmac-customs.com.
