Without a doubt the most enjoyable of almost all Smith and Wesson 44 magnum‘s to shoot is the 629 PowerPort
At least 30% less muzzle rise and felt recoil
I shot two of mine this evening nearly 150 time with full house 240 gr jacketed hollow points
50% of double action and multiple rounds single handed both strong and weak handed
They are so sweet and extremely accurate I don’t understand all the hate…….
Tom

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I also love the ported guns. Your photo seems to be missing a 3” PC 586. I’ll check back later for an updated image.

Couple more pictures
A couple of N frames, L frames and a straggly K frame

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First, they are hideous looking.

Really? Drill another innocuous hole in a perfectly good piece of steel. To what resolve?

If your current choice of handgun needs to be 'tamed' down that much then maybe you should choose a smaller caliber. A .22 l.r. maybe. Just saying...

HaHaHa...

enjoy,
bdGreen

Nothing against the Powerport here. I've put several thousand rounds through my 629-4. This gun is crazy accurate and very balanced, tagging along with me to the range twice a week. It's also made a good companion at many IHMSA matches. Great thread.

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Don't You Ever Wash That Thing

If you stand next to one in an indoor range,
That will challenge your tolerances!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

BD. I think you spoke most all of us. Porting makes LITTLE TO NO difference. Fellers that like "em" should hold that gun down by their waist and shoot it.......May put their eyes out......AND gimmicks sells guns.

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S&W Accumulator

Back in 1991 I bought a 6” 629 that was previously Magna Ported. Still carry it today during deer season. I think the Magna Ports are more attractive than the powerport. It does reduce muzzle flip a little bit. But it’s loud, increases muzzle flash and is one more thing to clean. But man that gun is accurate. I love it.

Porting does reduce muzzle rise and recoil. The laws of Physics will substantiate that. If you are recoil sensitive you will note a difference. If you are not recoil sensitive then there will be no significant difference to you. To each his/her own. The comment about added muzzle blast is however valid and for a while when trapshooters ported their shotguns you could really tell the difference when on the line.

Hate? I have no "hate" for ported guns, I just prefer non-ported. Sort of like I don't hate brunettes or redheads, just prefer blondes ...

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Pisgah

Same here, I don't tell others how to spend their money...

If I posted about how much I love my wife, how beautiful she is, and how I love the way she feels in my hands, you wouldn't tell me she was ugly would you?

...Or would you?

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What could possibly go wrong?

I'm surprised nobody ever marketed any sort of bolt on muzzle brake. Recall seeing one for the Dan Wesson years ago, Gun Parts Corp. lists a barrel with compensator for the M1911.

Really why would that be if it does not vent gas upwards…..
And why in the hell would I shoot a 44 magnum from the hip.
I know when I compare my Powerports to standard 629‘s there is a difference and as far as noise goes there’s really not that much difference overall.
From 1989 through 1995 I shot the Smith and Wesson masters international handguns championships in Barry Illinois at PASA park during that time I was practicing and shooting between 25,000 and 50,000 rounds a year. I am not a keyboard shooter
During that time Compensators and red dots and scopes were all developed for handgun competition and I’ll guarantee you a comp on a 1911 race gun it makes a difference.
Tom

Post pics

This was offered by S&W many years ago for the K38.

Apparently wasn't a mover and a shaker.

More of a novelty by today's standards.

bdGreen

I don't really care for the looks of the PowerPort the way the front sight looks on the barrel. Others may not care, and thats all good that both of us are putting lead downrange. I have two 629-5s, both 7 1/2 inch slab side barrels. One is stainless Magna ported, and the other Birdsong finish, non ported. They both shoot great and I really can't tell the difference in recoil, which is hefty and about all I can handle anymore.

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Richard Gillespie
FBINA 102

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Enough said.

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Waiting for the break of day

“From the hip” was a poor choice of words IMHO.

But if you ever need to fire a ported handgun from a close in retention position you’ll have a better understanding of why porting is a poor choice for a self defense handgun. It’s also sub optimum in low light conditions.

Range toy? I don’t have any problem, with it, as long as you go to the opposite side of the range, especially in an indoor or at a covered outdoor range where there are surfaces to reflect and focus the sound.

In other words, many of us would hate them a lot less if their owners were a lot more considerate in how, when and where they use them.

<thinks to self…”would it be a good thing to tell him how many people on this forum agree with how good his wife feels…or would that be a bad thing…. >

No dislike from me...

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Richard
Engraved S&W fan

I really enjoy shooting my 629 PP, so I guess I am "pro-port."
Really do not like ported barrels in a waterfowl blind, but most other places I'm fine with it. Even 16yrd trap. I enjoy compensated rifles and pistols and I know they help with quick follow up shots.

The PowerPort does reduce torque and recoil for full house loads from my 6.5" PP 629. Yes, it seems louder, but you kind of expect that with heavy 44M loads. The PP benefits aren't really noticeable with the mellower loads I mostly shoot though.

It all started with shotguns and went to rifles and revolvers, later on.

I just don't like more "Holes" in my barrels to collect powder etc. , that
makes for a longer cleaning session and more work for me.

If you are at an outdoor range that has a metal roof and you are sitting between
two rifles that are ported.....................
you will understand, why a lot of people, dislike ported, any thing.

I will not let a person with a ported shotgun hunt near my dogs !!

If you like ported, great.

I've owned two, a 629 Classic and a 686-4. I've never shot the 686 as it somehow escaped being factory test-fired, according to the S&W-trained gunsmith to whom it was shipped. But I honestly felt no reduction in felt recoil compared to my non-PP 629s and if there was less muzzle rise, I missed it. It did however allow combustion debris to be blown back into my face by the slight headwind in which I was shooting the one time I shot it before selling it.

There is a reason why that feature is no longer offered...

Ed

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For me, I dislike the looks, I distrust the idea of possibly having gas and debris projected upward into my face and eyes, and those admittedly personal and subjective concerns, together with possibly increased noise, are why I will not buy one. And yes, I have shot one, admittedly one with a short barrel. Oh, I forgot to mention the Clint Smith article in American Handgunner on the subject of ports. It is worth a read.

I was accused of shooting magnums at steel plates with this years ago. The R.O. was calling for a ceasefire while roaring up on his ATV. I said, "What? It's only a .45 Colt, with mild reloads."

625-7.jpg

I don't recall the last time I shot a jacketed bullet in a revolver. I do shoot some plated in semi-auto's. I think a port has the possibility to put a cast bullet out of balance as it passes.

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Front sight and squeeze

Sounds like maybe you would then???

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What could possibly go wrong?

I don’t hate ported guns. I just do not have a use for one.
I have only had one handgun that was ported. Dan Wesson 44 mag.
The noise level from that thing was vicious.
Maybe they have improved them since then? But it cured me of wanting another ever again.

I dislike ported guns.

For me, the very modest reduction of muzzle flip and perceived recoil don’t come close to outweighing the very troublesome increase in blast and noise that comes with ported guns.

I don’t like ports or engraving. But, I think that revolver looks magnificent!

I don't hate the ported guns just not for me.

In 30+ years of shooting full size all steel revolvers I never once thought to myself, "I wish this thing was ported." I don't shoot handgun speed competitions or fire hundreds of rounds of max load magnums in one range session.

Even shooting short barrels magnums like my my 686 2.5" the blast and concussion are more annoying than recoil to me. And 99.9% of my shooting takes place on a covered range and it seems like a ported gun would be worse yet.