This model 29-2 has been Mag-Na-Ported. Will it change the value? How much? +/- Thank you.

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It pretty much removes any value at all as a collector and puts it solidly into "shooter grade" territory.

$500-600 maybe

It's a shame when people do this stuff.

Definitely a major hit to value. So much so,to me at least,that it makes it worthless.
f.t.


p.s. Don't post very often,huh? Two in 11 years?

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South Carolina-God's country

Any handgun aftermarket porting, compensating, etc., moves it from something I may be interested in to don't want to even look at it.
I'm not a fan and IMO it can ruin an otherwise good handgun.

IMHO it quickly turns what would be a 750 dollar gun into a 500 or less gun. I've fired a few ported guns and it doesn't seem to make much difference for me in muzzle rise and no effect in recoil.

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Even older, even crankier....

Depends on who buys it and what the condition of the gun was/is. If you find the right buyer, it certainly won't be negative and might even be positive, but there won't be as many "right buyers" as for an unmodified gun. If the gun was in good enough condition to attract a collector, it probably won't now, Magnaported.

It would make it a no-go for me. I feel the same about most non-factory modifications.

I would never, ever consider buying or owning any revolver with a ported barrel. Porting may have some scientific benefit but I find it gimmicky and totally unnecessary. Much harder to clean after shooting, I'm told.

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FBINA, 204th Session

I don't find it to be any less or more value.
Had a 4" nickel 29 around 1975 ported, got a lot more then what I paid for it.
Had as chance, I would take it back in a heart beat....
I don't have Smith's for safe queen's, I shoot all of mine...

Sort of like putting a variable choke device on a nice Winchester Model 12 shotgun. A quail hunter may value that feature, and may even pay more for it, but no collector will be interested. There are exceptions, as Winchester did offer Cutts Compensators installed at the factory. Those guns will suffer no loss of value, if factory installation can be documented. Likewise, if S&W offered Mag-na-porting (I don't think they did) as an original factory option, value would probably not be diminished, and possibly even enhanced. It all has to do with how the gun left the factory. Anything changed after a gun leaves the factory that represents a permanent and irreversible change is likely to be undesirable from a collector/investor viewpoint. As always, there can be exceptions in special cases - for example Wells Fargo's cut-down barrels on their S&W Schofield revolvers can enhance value, if WF marked, due to the historical significance of the change.

You will find 29-3's from Lew Horton as the Classic Hunter with full lug barrel, un-fluted cylinder and 4 position silhouette front sight and Mag-na-ported. I have seen several and they are all mag-na-ported the same. These were 1988 guns.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I believe S&W had a version of the 629 called the trail boss that came from S&W with and without porting. There was one at a LGS and even though it had what I consider a desierable barrel length, 3" it was ported and I passed.
I've seen videos of how porting actually lowers muzzle jump on rifles but I'm not convinced that it would be benificial on handguns. I feel that the added muzzle flash, two extra holes, would be detrimental to eye sight in lower light situations to say nothing of the muzzle blast!

I've had cash money in my pocket and primed to buy, and upon finding mag-na-ports in the barrel turned the gun down. To each his own. It's always been my experience that the ones who claim they get great recoil reduction from such are ones who already own one and can't sell it for they think it should be worth. In doing A/B tests with the same length barrels and loads I personally noticed no discernible difference in recoil or muzzle flip. The main reason I don't care for them is they are pretty much a lost cause if you shoot a lot of lead. There are those who love them and insist they're the greatest thing since pockets . . . they can have my share, though I'd be tempted at half the price of a normal specimen.

Edited to add -

Looking at your thumbnail pic there, I'm guessing that porting was not done by Mag-na-port, but some copycat outfit. It doesn't appear to follow the configuration of what Larry Kelley's company offered. However, I would also suggest it is safe to say that the term "magnaporting" has generally become a generic description for most shooters rather a reference to the original company/process. As such, though, when talking about values I personally would tend to value one done by someone unknown even less than I would one with Mag-na-port provenance.

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Qui plantavit curabit

Years ago I went down to south Missouri to buy a Colt Bisley in a very rare calibre, got it too, BUt... I looked on the gunsmiths wall & there was a cherry Win mod 42 field grade in Skeet choke...........special order only bought it too, but....... he had another Win 42 pump, barrel marked Cutts & he had sawed off the compensator off a true 98%-99% shotgun... ruining an extremely desirable piece....... I bought the mint skeet choked gun ($650.00, if that tells you how far back it was), both the 42's wer made early post WWII................. Cried on the ruined skeet............

If the condition of the S&W warranted, I'd pick it up & find the right barrel for it...............it would still be a great carry gun in the meantime.........

No value any more. It is now noiseier and will have flames in front of the sight. The barrel is ruined.

For me, subtract the total cost of having the correct original type barrel installed from the asking price and that is what it worth to me. Just my opinion.

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Have Canon, Will Travel

I've bought a couple nice 29s over the years that folks have had magna-ported. I have never regretted it. Some I have rebarreled, and I think one (a 4-inch gun) still has its original ported barrel.

Obviously, the guns are not going to be of interest to a collector, but that wasn't why I bought them. As shooters, I do not object to them too much, and I got good prices on what were otherwise mechanically excellent revolvers. I take that to mean that most potential buyers react like most of those here who have said they wouldn't buy a magna-ported gun regardless of price.

To me, the porting hurts the value of the gun more than it does its utility. I don't think anyone could make a convincing argument that it ever increases the value of the gun, though I have seen a couple sellers try.

A Fellow lurker I see .

it may be done professionally, but to me it has the same effect on value as someone using a bench vice and drill.

What about the 629 Comp Carry with the ported barrel in front of the front sight? It was done at the factory by the Performance Center...

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Jack C

I have one gun ported, that was a toolbox grade Ruger Super Black Hawlk
No real value to loose in collector market and Bain and Davis slick-up and Meatal Life finish made it a great hunting gun. Don't know if it was worth the cost , but it is a great shooter. Makes my 29-2 a safe queen.

The porting is orginal Larry Kelly. I bought the revolver new, sent it for porting myself.

If it was free I'd accept a ported then immediately send it to S&W for barrel replacement (assuming I could source a barrel).

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

One post seems to be missing. I had ask about installing a new hammer nose on my M28-2. When i have a problem with a Smith, i look here. Great website. Thank you.

I wouldn't pay any more for one, but I really wouldn't expect to pay much less for one either.

I wouldn't think it was a collector grade anyway. It's surely been fired, probably more than a few times.

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John 3:16 .