Porting

It would take value away for me, but I'm generally not a fan of ported guns. In shotguns, 99% of the shooting I do is at clay targets and I don't worry about recoil on my 12 ga. I see a few of the older guys using ported O/U.

Depends if the guy looking to buy it likes ports or hates them and thinks they are a total waste of money and just make noise. Guess which camp I fall in?

Porting does nothing but take your money and put it in someone else's pocket. It doesn't reduce recoil and in the opinion of most serious shooters would detract value if the gun originally did not come that way. The same holds true for forcing cone lengthening, using ported chokes and other gimmicky stuff

Detract for resale.

Sorry 243, porting does NOT reduce recoil - shooting lighter loads and/or using a heavier gun reduce recoil. Holes in a barrel have ZERO affect on Newton's Laws

While not a fan, it makes sense to me that porting would reduce "felt recoil," as it directs some of the blast upward, pushing the gun downward, instead of backward. Total energy released is the same, but the amount that gets pushed back in to one's shoulder is lessened.

The gas pressure at the end of a shotgun barrel is way, way less than a rifle or a handgun. A muzzle brake like a Pendleton definitely works, and that is why.
I do not think lengthening forcing cones is just a gimmick. I was able to get 3 to 4% more pellets in the pattern at long range, and my buddy and I could tell which barrels had the lengthened cones about 94% of the time, which is way beyond coincidence. However, whether or not you think it is worth the money is up to you. It was to me, then.

My 391 is ported and, though I have no idea if it improves value or performance, it sure does make it LOUDER!

If I bought a barrel and had holes drilled in it you would have to take it back and give me my money or we would slap up some dust.

For me, it would ELIMINATE the value of the shotgun...

The photo i just posted above of Citori 3" mag. , shows what direction the gas is vented.

i have sporting shotguns ported and non ported and i can,t tell the difference and as these guns are not light weights the recoil is no problem. and as we all wear ear protection the noise is not a problem. eastbank.

While not a fan, it makes sense to me that porting would reduce "felt recoil," as it directs some of the blast upward, pushing the gun downward, instead of backward. Total energy released is the same, but the amount that gets pushed back in to one's shoulder is lessened.
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So how does directing blast upward and pushing the gun downward (equal and opposite etc Newton stuff), reduce BACKWARDS movement?

(It doesn't)

It DOES make it louder for folks on either side of you, but the way to actually reduce recoil is to either :A- shoot lighter/slower loads, B- shoot a heavier gun, C- both A & B

It reduces backwards movement because there is a fixed amount of energy generated during the discharge. Without porting, all of the energy exits the front of the barrel (unless it's a revolver, but this analogy would still hold largely true). With porting, the energy that exits the top of the barrel pushes the gun down, while the remaining (reduced amount) of energy that exits the front of the barrel pushes the stock back in to your shoulder. Since there is less energy being directed backwards to your shoulder, perceived recoil (the only kind that matters) is reduced.

oneounceload said:

So how does directing blast upward and pushing the gun downward (equal and opposite etc Newton stuff), reduce BACKWARDS movement?

(It doesn't)

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I agree, porting has little or no effect on recoil. But, I found it helps with follow up on the second skeet target in keeping the barrel down.

But, with less than 1-1/8 oz loads, a heavier gun, probably longer barrels, or sub-gauge tubes in the gun, probably not so much a benefit.

But, it has been close to 20 years since I shot competitive skeet and I am sure advances in gun features have evolved since then.

If i was getting into skeet today, i would not bother getting the gun ported.

For those who think this actually works, I will pose this - Only Browning currently ports barrels and only on target guns where the guns are heavier and the loads lighter than their field guns. Since field loads are more stout and the field models are lighter, why aren't they porting their field barrels? Secondly, why is it that NO other major maker of target guns - Perazzi, Beretta, Kreighoff, Blaser, Zoli, Geurini, Rizzini etc. do NOT offer ported barrels? Why do NONE of the guns used in the international competitions use ported barrels where one bird means the difference between gold and loser?

Simple, it just doesn't work

Only Browning currently ports barrels

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Benelli ports the barrels of their Legacy model, and it's why I won't own one...

I was talking about O/U, but thanks for adding that one to the list. My semi experience lies with 1100s and A400s, neither of which have porting

Not worth the noise

I have a Western Field (okay, it's my son's - he doesn't shoot it yet, he's 9) with a ported barrel, but that is only because when I bought the shotgun, it had a fixed-choke and could not be used for steel shot. I found a ported Mossberg 500 for real cheap and so now my son's shotgun will shoot steel (when he needs it). I kept the old barrel for rabbits and the like.

If porting is directed backwards, it does reduce recoil - Newton's laws must be followed and if the barrel is pulling forward, it bleeds off energy from the rearward thrust of the initial firing. The Swiss used just such porting in the Ljungman rifle, and other nations do so using a muzzle brake. Porting that directs upwards does nothing for recoil but does keep the barrel on target better (in theory) basically the same way the AK brake keeps the muzzle down during rock-and-roll. Porting that vents to the side just wastes propellant gas and annoys anyone close by to no purpose.

But as noted, the pressure at the end of a shotgun barrel is pretty low - that's why they can be so thin compared to a rifle. How much it actually reduces felt recoil is probably pretty low. I can toss a cup of water from the shore into the ocean and the levels will rise. They must. I just wouldn't be able to measure the change in world-wide ocean levels. (Of course, were I to toss the water from a boat, there would be no change as water displaced by the boat would reduce at the same moment the water was tossed).

I wouldn't pay more for porting - I find it annoying and I'm glad that revolvers have gotten away from it, that fad didn't end soon enough. But, I could pay way less for it and be just fine.

However, this does lead to an interesting thought that just came to mind: would porting prevent barrel damage in the event of an accidentally plugged bore?

I have a Winchester Supreme Select Sporting O/U that was ported at the factory. I would prefer the gun to NOT be ported but only because it is harder to get the ports cleaned after shooting. I don't feel it has enough effect on muzzle jump to improve my scores.