Originally Posted By Hail Mary:
Quoted:
The ATF letter says you may not increase the caliber without making a new suppressor,
Kharn
The ATF letter does not say this; it's only you.
The letter only mentions caliber change. Is 9mm the same caliber as .22?? No. So, if I shoot .22 thru a suppressor marked on the tube as 9mm, I've effectively changed calibers and violated ...???
Using 22 through a 9mm does not require you machine the baffle stack to make it fit.
If you read the letter really carefully, it only mentions changing the diameter but does not specify which diameter.
It specifically states 'diameter or caliber'
This could mean the diameter of the tube, the diameter of the baffle, the diameter of the bore, or the diameter of the endcaps.
Diameter of the tube is 'diameter', the internal diameter of the front end cap and the bafflestack are 'caliber', rear endcap is an iffy subject due to multiple mount designs.
People just ASSuME that they mean the diameter of the bore of the individual baffles.
I've never heard the OD of a suppressor referred to as the caliber of the suppressor.
They really have a serious problem here because every time you fire a round, you've effectively changed the diameter of the baffle bores. Normal wear and tear will enlarge the bore enough. I've seen a 9mm AWC MK9 that has over 80k+ rounds thru it and with lots of baffle strikes, the holes are large enough to run .45. I've also seen a .223 can made by a small time C2 where the blast baffle will pass a 308, and this one only has 5k rounds.
The ATF accepts baffle clearance from the manufacturer, some 223 cans will pass a 9mm and some 308 cans will pass a 45. Using 9mm in such a can is not an issue, as that does not require intentional modification, but if you take an EDM to your baffle stack and modify a very narrow 223 can with minimal clearance to have enough clearance to use with 6.8 or .30Whisper you're asking for trouble. Wear and tear on a suppressor is normal and to be expected, chucking the suppressor into a lathe or an EDM is not.
Kharn