I removed baffles w/o cutting the cones off. First tried a hole saw but had trouble getting an acceptable start. I compensated by centerpunching a series of spots about 3/32" apart around the perimeter of the inner pipe then drilled 1/16" holes at each centerpunch mark. The remaining metal is easily broken with a tap of a cold chisel (small chisel). Once the inner pipe was extracted, I filed the rough edges of the remaining hole.
Oh, after breaking free the inner pipe I used a long rod to bend the baffle to come out the hole. Just take your time and FIRMLY clamp the silencer in a soft cloth to keep from scratching the outside - a work-mate bench vise is perfect.
