Gemini Custom has on their website on their home page their gunsmith shooting a 25 ounce model 329 44 magnum with full house loads in less than 2 seconds and the pistol has zero flip.
I am really impressed. However in order to do this they charge a mini fortune of $1645 since they have to change out the barrel and other things.From their web site: Hybra-Port ™ Porting
Custom one-piece stainless steel barrel
Complete Action Tuning
Crown and Throat Barrel
Eliminate Cylinder Endshake
Straighten crane and extractor +/- .003
Replace all Springs
Polish all Plungers and Pins
SDM custom rear sight
Custom fiber optic front sight and sight base
Test Fire to POA @ 25 yds.
Has any forum member had this conversion done and would
you be so kind as to post some comments about your experience with the finished pistol which seems to be a powerhouse with follow up shots that can be accomplished so rapidly???. If he can do that with 240 grain magnums, imagine how fast you could dump a cylinder with 44 specials!!! A lot of lead in just a second.

I don't have that conversion, but I have seen porting cause problems.

In darkness, a giant sheet of flame leaps out of the top of the barrel and ruins your night vision. The high-pressure gas coming out of the ports can hurt you if you fire the gun close to your body as could happen in a defensive scenario. And I'd like to chrono full-power ammo in that vented barrel--I'm guessing you lose more than a little steam.


Okie John

I have shot and examined several types of guns with porting and I won't argue with those who think it's great and feel like it reduces recoil or muzzle flip for them, but I know from experience with 9mm, 38 super, and 45 comp guns, rifles with muzzle brakes and ported shotguns that such porting is very fickle, easily overdone to make it ineffective and for the most part, a bag of magic beans, in my opinion.

The concept sounds good enough to make us want to believe it, but having shot pistols, rifles and shotguns with porting I find very little if any improvement except in the highest pressure cartridges and that didn't mitigate the recoil/muzzle flip enough to justify the cost and maiming of the firearm to me.

Folks make money selling porting. Naturally, they aren't going to describe it in anything but glowing terms as the greatest thing since sliced bread.

In my experience and opinion, any type of porting that truly eliminated muzzle flip from a 29 ounce 44 magnum would have enough downward thrust/pressure that different people with varying arm and grip strength would notice the muzzle actually pushing down on the weaker side of the scale, kind of a "reverse" muzzle flip. Never heard of that happening so, in short, I don't believe their claims.

hmmm...the guy that did the test shooting on the website you mention...was his name jerry?that may just explain it all !

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Watch the video on the Gemini Custom web site . Dont you think that the gun looks like someone shooting 38 specials?There is no question that compensators on IPSC 1911's work and the gasses going upward push the muzzle downward.I would think that the ports, if done correctly, would accomplish the same resulting difference in felt recoil.
Does anyone out there have one of these guns?

I call sandbagging. He's either allowing more flip with the 629 or he's trying harder to go fast with the 329. Most people here who handload know how much you can vary the energy of a cartridge, especially with larger cases.

I am curious as to know what .44 Magnums he is shooting. Are they really heavy loads? Light handloads? When I had my Model 29-2 with a 4-inch barrel I could just about duplicate his shooting with an unported gun with a handload of 10.0 grains of Unique and a 250 grain cast bullet. The one thing I have learned about porting is that in no or low light, after that first shot you are going to be trying to get your eyes readjusted. I am also curious as to what the target looks like. I remember Leroy Thompson being able to do the same type of shooting with an unported Mountain Gun, of course Leroy is a pretty big guy versus most men.

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Vaya con Dios

They couldnt pay me $1600.00 to ruin any one of my Smith 29's. Remember the "give and take"rule, because there is always a trade off. In this case you get holes in your barrel that will help you control your handgun, but you loose allot of your bullet velocity, thus reducing the effectivness of the weapon. Which is probably why you purchased a 44 mag in the first place. IMHO, if you cant control your 44mag, time to get a smaller gun. The $1600.00 is better spent on ammo and much more time on the range. It never fails to amaze me at the money people spend on gimicks. Please dont get me wrong, in certain cases, such as competive shooting sports, there may be some need for this. Hey its you gun, just my two cents.

There's no such thing as a free lunch - even for $1600.

I'll pass...

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-jwk-
US Army '72-'95

Take a look at the basic Physics, as in for every Action there is an equal and opposite Reaction. All the porting does is direct some gasses straight up and the Reaction is this is a downwards force on the barrel. That won't do a thing for the reaction of the bullet traveling down the barrel, the gun is still going to puch hard to the rear. The only way to eliminate that force is to have ports that are directed back at the shooter. While that can work with a Barret 50 caliber rifle, I would not want to be the path of those gas jets with a handgun.

Bottomline, porting reduces muzzle rise, it doesn't do squat for the horisontal vector. Personally I suspect that long term use of a fully compensated revolver with enough recoil would lead to damage to the elbow. Fact is the gun rising during recoil partially transates the push into a rotation and I suspect that rotation helps to protect the elbow.

Now, set aside the effect on the joints, there is one other issue with compensated guns in a self defense setting. That is they are freaking LOUD and I don't think you'll be taking the time to put in hearing protection before drawing your gun. I have enough hearing loss due to a mis-spent youth, I do not want to lose any more.

Bottomline, this is one old fart who won't ever be purchasing a ported handgun.

I have a smith 629 v-comp, and honestly, I never shoot it with the comp, anymore. Too much flash, noise, blast, particles, etc. - at least, for me.....

And in a 329, whether you get muzzle rise or not, the recoil will never be tamed enough to justify the extra blast, noise, particles, flash, etc. At least not with the hot stuff.

I have a 29-2 ported by the leading company in the business. Shooting side by side with very hot loads-ported and non ported it does get the muzzle flip down some. Also if you shoot cast bullets you will forever be wiping your front sight clean ie red insert on ramp and picking the lead from the sides of the sight removing the finish(blueing)from the gun. Never would do it again. Save your money and buy more ammo.

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T. Johnson

This. He takes his sweet time shooting the 629, but bangs 'em out with the 329. I'd also like to see the targets...


Okie John

Flip is only part of the issue. There's no way your gonna tame the 329 recoil to the level of some poofter 38spl with porting.

I think he was exaggerating with the 629.
This is my Astra Terminator with off the shelf WWB .44 mag.
The snubby is not ported.
YouTube - Astra Terminator .44 magnum


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

8 grains of Unique and a 240gr cast bullet will give you 38 Special like recoil. You can easily shoot those all day long.

Those of you on the "anti" side of porting are right with everything you've said. Porting effectively shortens the barrel as pressure is allowed to escape sooner and that lowers muzzle velocity. And all the rest of the porting negatives come into play.

I used to have two 6-1/2" 629-4 Classics, one a standard gun and one a PowerPort. I shot them both back-to-back with the target loads I shoot 99% of the time and honestly could not detect a recoil difference. Oh, I talked myself into believing that the PowerPort had a hair less muzzle jump but I'm not so sure that wasn't imagined. I was so unsure that I sold the noisier, dirtier gun.

I do have one PowerPort, an unfired 686-4. I bought it just to have one and when I saw how absolutely spotless and unstained with combustion residue the rough surface of the inside of the port was, I parked the gun in my safe, haven't shot it and have no plans to shoot it.

Porting works by relieving pressure. If there isn't a huge amount of pressure present, relieving some of it early will not have much effect. So if you shoot maximum loads ALL the time AND are willing to put up with the dirt, noise and flash of porting, it's your gun and your money.

Ed

I like my ported N frame. Handgun porting reduces muzzle flip (rise) but does little for overall recoil. If you are looking to quickly get back on target for follow up shots, then IMHO porting may help with that. Porting can be more effective with higher PSI loads.
I would not use a ported handgun for self defense, for all the reasons already given.
Tailored handloads will go further in reducing overall recoil, if that is your goal.

With regards to the video....Jerry is not exactly your average shooter.