does a can affect precision?

[dakotasin]

i decided my birthday present next month should be a suppressor. i know almost nothing about them, so i'm looking for a little help.

i was thinking of putting the can on one of my ar's, but i think i remember reading here that a can on a semi-auto creates some problems w/ the ar. so then i thought i would put one on one of my 308 bolt guns, and the rifle i want to put it on is my precision rifle - used for prairie dogs, targets, etc out to about 1200 yards. but putting the can on this rifle wouldn't make much sense if it destroyed its accuracy.

so will a suppressor destroy the precision of a rifle? is a 308 bolt gun a good candidate for a can?

 

[General Geoff]

A well engineered suppressor installed on a properly threaded barrel should not affect precision. It may slightly shift the POI, but any such shift will be consistent.

 

[dakotasin]

thank you!

follow up question: are cans chambering specific, or rated? i.e., are cans 'rated' to handle 300 win mag? if such a rating system exists, would a can 'rated' for 308 win work on a 300 win mag?

 

[woodybrighton]

The new AI .338 for the Britsh army comes with a suppressor
http://www.sportingservices.co.uk/accessories.asp
think they make them caliber specfic

 

[General Geoff]

Generally speaking, suppressors that are made by respectable manufacturers will be rated for a specific caliber. Any lower power calibers of the same diameter, generally speaking, are safe to use with the higher rated suppressors. You *can* use larger diameter suppressors for smaller rounds (.338 Lapua Magnum suppressor for .300 Winchester Magnum, for example), but their effectiveness will be slightly reduced.

 

[LaEscopeta]

D'oh, posted before reading #5 above.