. . . and yet another 6" 29-5 that I'll be using this afternoon in hunting deer. And no, that gap near the end of the barrel is not a port, but rather where the rarely seen silhouette front sight was mounted. Mine came with the 4-position, adjustable silhouette front sight (removed to keep the gun quiet during unholstering in the field).

I've taken a bunch of deer with this gun, and it is a real tackdriver . . . and still looks great after many years in the field! And yes, the extra weight will tame recoil a little I imagine.