Ported Barrel Question

[blazer610]

What is the general consensus on ported versus non ported barrels for personal defense wepons? I have never owned a ported weapon but I'm considering one. Is the reduced recoil worth the trade off for muzzle flash?
Is the muzzle flash so increased that ported barrels are out of the question for night time self defense use? Is the reduction in recoil considerable?

Thanks in advance,
Larry

 

[Erich]

I hesitate to claim to know the general consensus, but most folks I know consider porting a little silly on personal defense guns. Hunting guns, maybe, but personal defense guns? When was the last time you read of someone who was killed because he was unable to get his follow-up self-defense shot off in a timely manner?

You don't specify the calibers you're considering, but I think porting is unnecessary with the "personal defense" guns you ask about. You're generally not firing cartridges that produce all that much recoil to begin with, and then you'd be bleeding off velocity (often low to start with from personal defense size guns) with the porting.

That said, I just got into a brand-new snub .41 mag Ti Taurus model 415 this weekend that has the porting. The gun weighs under 21 ounces, and the porting does make what would probably be a pretty unpleasant shooting experience bearable - barely. The gun was priced so cheaply that I HAD to buy it (actually, it was part of a trade), and I plan on mostly using it while hiking. If I'd had the choice, I would have gotten it w/o porting, but the porting clearly makes it more pleasant to fire than it would otherwise be.

You betcha there's increased muzzle flash with porting. Is it worth it? Your call. Again, I don't think "personal defense" revos need it. I would say the recoil reduction is substantial in the .41 Ti (I know what these loads feel like in my 4 5/8" 38-oz Blackhawk, and they're not doubly unpleasant in the 21-oz 415), but I've found it to be just moderate in .357 revos. Again, a personal defense-type revo like a .357 is not that hard to control to begin with. Is the flash so bad that you wouldn't use it at night? Well, I'm not a big fan of ANY short bbl revo (with personal defense type ammo) in the dark, so I'm not sure it would make a huge difference in my decision to carry. I mean, this .41 snub is going to throw a ton of flame in the dark, regardless of porting. Same goes for any .357 snub I've shot. I don't think worries about night shooting would play a big part in my personal decision re: porting.

But, personally, I think you're better off spending your money getting your personal defense gun's action smoothed out. Or on ammo for practice.

 

[James Bondrock]

I do not have any ported handguns, so do not have actual shooting experience with them. I resisted the idea of ported barrels on handguns for a long time, believing that the only hole that has any business in your barrel is the one drilled through it for the bullet to pass through. Lately I have modified this a little bit. If the porting is unobtrusive (e.g., the small slots in the Magnaporting system) and does not have a series of holes all the way down the barrel (the Hybrid system), and if you used loads with flash-retardant powders, the blast/flash should not be all that bad. Porting does not reduce the recoil per se, but does greatly reduce the muzzle flip (the upward torque of the barrel when the gun is fired, present in all firearms). Avoid shooting positions that require you to hold the gun close to your face or body (e.g., hip or retention position shooting), as the side blast may injure you. Actually, this is not bad advice to follow with any revolver.

 

[10-Ring]

I've had a couple ported guns & get to shoot a few others. THe big downside to them is the debris they spray when you shoot them & the flash you have to deal with. Might be fun on a competition or range gun, but for me, I like the solid barrels for self defense.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I have 2 ported guns. One is a beretta md96 with magna porting and the other is my P9ultra that has 4 ports in it. I had briley put a new barrel into the p9 and they could not duplicat the ports so now I have one barrel with and one without porting. My comment is simple porting makes an amazing difference in recoil perception with the same loads. This is something that has to be felt to be believed. Yes there is more blast though. Now is this true of a low pressure cartraige like a 45 auto? probably not, but with a 40s&w and the right gunpowders it can be a shock when you change barrels.

I really don't have an opinion on a defensive weapon. I carry a H&K P7PSP and with a 9mm why worry about porting?

 

[Black Snowman]

My primary concern over ported barrels on defensive firearms would be if you were forced to fire in very close quarters, for instance holding an attacker at bay with your off hand. The port blast could injure the shooter. Not a likely occurance but something to weigh into your decision.

That said, I still wouldn't hesitate to defend my self with my ported Glock 24P or my ported Taurus 669 but my first go-to gun is a rifle and I can't CCW legally (both of those guns are a little large for that anyway).

 

[Ala Dan]

I'm not a fan of ported barrel's, for most of the reasons
mentioned above; as well, the bright muzzle flash in low
light conditions is blinding!

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Round Gun Shooter]

I prefer ported barrels for defensive purposes. I have shot them for some time under various conditions including shooting from retention, shooting in low light, and shooting in no light.

You need to test ammunition for lowest flash levels and when you have that down, I feel a ported barrel on a short barrel revolver is the best combo you can find.

My next project will be to have a 2.5" S&W Model 66 Magnaported. That is the last step in my quest for the perfect defense revolver.

It took a lot of testing to find what works best for me but that was half the fun.

Regards,

 

[Tamara]

First:

I think on most guns it makes less difference than it's worth. It takes some serious gas pressure in serious volumes to drive ports or a comp efficiently, and serious volumes at serious pressure are not something normally delivered by a .38 +P round.

Second:

I think the "night blindness" thing is way overhyped. I've won drinks on this bet before, and I'll be happy to get liquored up on someone else's tab over the issue again. As far as the ejecta problem when firing from a close retention position goes, it is more likely, but can be minimized by technique and training. (And has yet to be a problem for me, despite plenty of rounds shot from the retention position with ported revolvers...)

 

[Standing Wolf]

The good folks at http://www.magnaport.com ported and crowned the barrel of my pre-agreement Smith & Wesson model 60. Anything that reduces perceived recoil is a plus to my arthritic wrist. If hot gases escaping through the ports set my jacket on fire while I'm defending my life at close quarters, I'll buy a new jacket. Jackets are easier to replace than lives.

 

[Lord Grey Boots]

I find the flash issue isn't valid. I see the same flash out of my 3" 686 as I do out of m 2 1/4" ported SP101 with the same ammo.

The debris/blast issue is more real, but depends on the size of the porting and the round used. Real high pressure rounds with big ports like those on IPSC race guns will shoot a column of gas straight up about 4' from what I have seen.

I find the porting takes the sharp edge off the recoil pulse just a bit, and recovery time for round to round feels faster.

 

[BluesBear]

I have shot several ported revolvers and except for one 8-3/8" S&W 29 I didn't see much advantage either way.

I see it as a matter of personal preference. I just prefer mine without.

I'm just glad Taurus doesn't make their five shot .41/.44/.45 snubbies in an all steel model without the ports. If they did I might have to buy them.

 

[sendtoscott]

For a revolver, wouldn't what comes out of the cylinder gap be more blinding than anything coming out of the ports?

 

[gulogulo1970]

That's what I think. I have a Glock 23C and the flash really dosen't seem much worse the the cylinder gap flash of a 357 magnum. Only it's in your direct line of sight. I didn't like it at first but I'm used to it now. Most of the ranges I shoot at are pretty dark so the flash blinding me is not a problem. I think the only real problem is you might be a little more deaf after shooting it in an enclosed space, it is louder.

 

[twoblink]

I think the number 1 reason against porting is::

DIFFICULT TO CLEAN.

You have yet more holes to clean, and it's blowing out gunk... Not worth the trouble..

 

[BluesBear]

I think that barrel porting on the snub Taurus models is mostly advertising hype.

Most people think that any caliber beginning with a 4 has too much recoil for use in a small gun. By advertising ports to tame the recoil, some will think the recoil will be magically removed.

So some people whould would have shyed awaywill buy them because of the ports.

Now I ain't saying that ports don't decrease muzzle climb. I know for a fact that it helps on a 8" .44 mag. I am just questioning their effectivness on a 2" barrel.

 

[mousecat33]

Shot a coyote (the 4-legged kind) once around 9:00pm with a magna-ported 4" S&W 66. Had to wait a good 10 min. for my eyes to readjust. After my vision returned, I found him about 10 ft. from me. Bullet hit him in the snout, went through mandible and into chest cavity. I'll never do that again. Lucky a** shot. Might have been another story had it been an intruder.
Regards from TX
mc

 

[Betty]

I have a ported Taurus 617.

Oleg wanted to get some muzzle blast photos, so I happily complied. It was very dark outside. I shot a cylinder's worth of .357's out of the little gun, and there was no blinding flash to complain about.

Porting greatly reduces muzzle jump and somewhat reduces felt recoil, making the 617 a lot easier to shoot than my 2 1/2" S&W 66 and 2 1/2" 640.

If you're using a ported gun as a carry weapon, learn to shoot retention with the gun slightly canted to the side so you're not shooting gunk into your eyes.

 

[Lord Grey Boots]

I think the point is that Mousecat would be just as blinded with a non-ported M66 as he was with his ported version.