To Port or Not to Port

Bhfromme

Bhfromme

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 17, 2020
Messages
450
Reaction score
538
Location
Maine
My newest love is the 586 L-Comp. Love the 3" barrel, the 7 rounds of .357 Magnum and the ability to reload fast with moon clips. Sounds ideal, right? Plus the ported barrel makes the recoil more manageable which seems like even more of a good thing, right? But then I read the negatives on ported barrels and the little devil on my shoulder is asking if I really want all that muzzle flash in my face. But then the angel on my other shoulder reminds me that the L-Comp would never be used as a carry gun so if I'm only shooting it with good lighting the muzzle flash won't be an issue.

And then of course there is the issue of noise. Do I really want to be that guy at the range with a revolver that can shake the windows in a house a quarter of a mile away?

So once again I turn to you experienced shooters and collectors for advice. Let's have a discussion for all the newbies out there (yes, that includes me) on the good, the bad and the ugly of your experience with ported revolvers.
 
Last edited:
There will always be haters of ported firearms

They repeat the same incorrect assumptions that have been circling the Internet and the water cooler/coffee shops that came before the Internet. Sometimes they even quote a firearms expert or two. You will set your cloths on fire if you shoot from retention, or you will blast debris into your eyes. The muzzle flash will blind you if you have to shoot at night, you will be deafened by the sound from the port, etc, etc.

I have had an L-comp since they were released in 2000.

l-comp%20Ls2.jpg


This is not my first ported/compensated firearm and by no means is it my last. I have put tens of thousands of rounds down range through the firearms over the decades

I am guessing that you have not yet fired an L-comp or one of it's many Smith & Wesson brothers

pocket-rocket3s.jpg


F-comp1s.jpg


41class-3%20small.jpg


There is no giant muzzle flash that blinds you while shooting. If one actually existed, EVERY shooter would have been blinded by the flash that comes from your revolvers barrel/cylinder gap. There are plenty of internet photos of the extreme flash from the B/C gap. Why are we all not blinded from that ?


If you are on the fence enough to listen to a few hundred Internet opinions, then your best bet is to actually shoot one of these firearms or something similar. That is the only way that you will know if it works for you or not

Unfortunately you never went into your profile to complete the information. We have no idea where you are located. If you are in the Central Florida region, I would be glad to meet with you and give you the opportunity to shoot an L-comp along side some non-ported snubbies
 
I have a M&P 2.0 Performance Center 9mm which is ported (my first ported handgun).

I'm not sure it makes much of a difference with 9mm, but the porting is barely noticeable after awhile, and the smoke and flame look like a V - if you can see it. Even so, I'm a fan.

Not a big deal. Others should comment on the more powerful ported handguns in .44 magnum, etc.
 
The only problem I’ve ever had with ported guns -besides more fun- was a slightly more narrow cartridge selection.
 
colt_saa said:
There will always be haters of ported firearms

They repeat the same incorrect assumptions that have been circling the Internet and the water cooler/coffee shops that came before the Internet. Sometimes they even quote a firearms expert or two. You will set your cloths on fire if you shoot from retention, or you will blast debris into your eyes. The muzzle flash will blind you if you have to shoot at night, you will be deafened by the sound from the port, etc, etc.

I have had an L-comp since they were released in 2000.

l-comp%20Ls2.jpg


This is not my first ported/compensated firearm and by no means is it my last. I have put tens of thousands of rounds down range through the firearms over the decades

I am guessing that you have not yet fired an L-comp or one of it's many Smith & Wesson brothers

pocket-rocket3s.jpg


F-comp1s.jpg


41class-3%20small.jpg


There is no giant muzzle flash that blinds you while shooting. If one actually existed, EVERY shooter would have been blinded by the flash that comes from your revolvers barrel/cylinder gap. There are plenty of internet photos of the extreme flash from the B/C gap. Why are we all not blinded from that ?


If you are on the fence enough to listen to a few hundred Internet opinions, then your best bet is to actually shoot one of these firearms or something similar. That is the only way that you will know if it works for you or not

Unfortunately you never went into your profile to complete the information. We have no idea where you are located. If you are in the Central Florida region, I would be glad to meet with you and give you the opportunity to shoot an L-comp along side some non-ported snubbies
Click to expand...
Thanks for the offer Colt SAA. Unfortunately, I'm no longer in FL or I would take you up on your very gracious offer. I've edited my profile to reflect that I live in Maine now.

I'm not on the fence at all. I love the 586 L-Comp and yes, although it's a pricey little number I learned long ago that you generally get what you pay for in this world.

I have revolvers in several different calibers and actually love the muzzle flash especially from my .44 Magnum. There are two responses so far saying the flash from ported barrels is not unmanageable so I'm most likely going to be bringing an L-Comp home in the near future. Again, thanks for your great offer to come shoot with you.
 
Ported guns have a much restricted pool of potential buyers than an unported gun in the event you ever want to sell the gun. They are harder to sell and they generate lower prices than comparable unported guns. Ported guns don’t hold value very well.

The proverbial muzzle flash isn’t a practical concern, contrary to the keyboard warriors’ fears. The porting does make a bigger cleaning chore.

In my experience, a ported L frame in 357 doesn’t help my shooting.

Ported guns are miserable devices for anyone besides the shooter on a firing line: the enhanced noise and blast won’t make you any friends at the range. Of course, if you get some pleasure by rattling other shooters, a ported gun is just the thing for you.

A significant portion of big game hunting guides won’t guide hunters using ported rifles because of the noise and blast they generate.
 
More noise for sure. Also some can be a pain to clean with some loads. I also agree about resale value normally be poor as well.
 
I have been shooting a comped 686 at the Bianchi Cup for many years. Won a lot of stuff with it. A compensator is the same as porting with more holes. One of the great things about it is that the recoil of my 140 power factor loads is about the same as a bunny fart wadcutter in a non ported gun.

The best way to get the most out of ports or comps is to use a powder made for that purpose. There are 2 powders I have used for that. One is AutoComp and the other one is Power Pistol. Both are formulated to generate more gas than usual (I think), and so work the ports or comp more effectively. The AutoComp burns hotter than the Power Pistol, so in a revolver you can burn your hand on the cylinder during a reload with fewer rounds than you would with PP. There is more flash and noise than with other powders, which seems logical.

I also have a 3" M65 that is ported with 1/8" holes on either side of the front sight, similar to some Taurus revos. That one shoots about any load from light target to magnum to about the same POI when using the normal POA. I didn't expect that when I ported it, but it's a really nice side effect. Apparently the different gas pressures make it self regulating.

An easy way to make ports and comps stay cleaner and clean up easier is to start out clean and spray the holes with Dillon Case Lube or welder's anti-spatter before firing and about every 50 or 100 rounds.
 
So....Colt ssa......we'll put you down as "undecided" on the whole ported barrel thing!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL.... I've got a 3" magna-ported 65 from about 1986...... not blind and can still hear..... but given that I carry +P .38s in urban concealed carry ..... wouldn't do it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I have no real reasons....

...just an opinion. Personally, I just don't care for ported guns. It's a macho thing I guess that goes with shooting big guns. Of course that's just stupid personal opinion, so feel free to port, or not to port, if that is your question.

If it helps you shoot better, that's a good reason to have a ported gun.
 
I have ported and non-ported guns, I have not noticed any appreciable benefit between the two. I will note the fireball at night might be a bit more but not greatly so for the ported handguns.
 
Rpg said:
The proverbial muzzle flash isn’t a practical concern, contrary to the keyboard warriors’ fears. The porting does make a bigger cleaning chore...

Ported guns are miserable devices for anyone besides the shooter on a firing line: the enhanced noise and blast won’t make you any friends at the range. Of course, if you get some pleasure by rattling other shooters, a ported gun is just the thing for you.
Click to expand...

I have never found cleaning the exterior of the gun around the ports to be much of a chore. Usually just a wet patch or two and a few swipes with a brass brush for a really stubborn spot.

How can the gas venting UPWARDS cause discomfort for the people standing BESIDE the shooter?
 
I have a ported 4" 29-3 that I bought unfired. It's a beauty, and I got it very cheap for an unfired piece because of the porting.

I can't tell much difference in recoil between this and my non-ported M57, and an M58 with similar loads. The ports are a pain to clean; as well, when I shoot lead bullets the red ramp quickly becomes a gray one. While I love the 29, I would NEVER pay to have a revolver ported.

This info is worth what you paid for it.
 
The increased smoke and muzzle flash from an L-Comp compared to a conventional 586 won't be a problem. Probably would make shooting even more fun. And the indoor ranges I use are always filled with young guys blasting away with their very loud guns so the extra noise would pose no problems there but I can see the extra noise being an issue at my outdoor range. Last thing we want is complaints from the nearby houses so I hesitate to shoot any mag loads at my outdoor range.

Would a 3" 586 L-Comp seem significantly louder than comparable loads in my little 3" Model 60?
 
Just enjoy your 586 L Comp.

I have a S&W M19 Carry Comp 3" and a 2 3/4" 66-8. Can't tell any difference in "Flash or Blast". Recoil seems a bit moderated with the Carry Comp.

I've had a 6" Magnaported Freedom Arms .475 Linebaugh and a custom 5" S&W M29. Also had a ported S&W 7 1/2" 629 Stealth Hunter along with the aforementioned S&W 19 Carry Comp. Never found "Blast or Flash" to be an issue. Never had a problem cleaning ports.

On several occasions with different people a side by side comparison of the magnaported FA .475 Linebaugh and an unported S&W M329 .44 mag, both with top end loads - H110 in the 475 and A2400 in the M329 - consensus, the M329 was quite a bit lowder.

FWIW,

Paul
 
Last edited:
Forgot to mention the Taurus Titanium 2.5" 41 magnum - ported and definitely makes a difference in felt recoil compared to it's Charter Arms stable mate with no dif in blast or flash.

taurus lower left - it's a couple of ounces lighter than the Charter Arms


thumbnail_IMG_3152.jpg
 
Last edited:
Bhfromme said:
...if I really want all that muzzle flash in my face.
Click to expand...

What muzzle blast ?!?

.

large.jpg


.

Ported 460XVR snubbie.

Just messing with you. No comparison.

.
.

Bhfromme said:
Would a 3" 586 L-Comp seem significantly louder than comparable loads in my little 3" Model 60?
Click to expand...

Why would it? A comp/port doesn't create extra gas, just redirects part of it.

You wear eye & ear protection when you shoot, right?

Stop worrying about it.

Buy it if it's what you really like.

But if you want quiet, buy a BB gun. :p

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Picked up a 642-2 Power Port
Replies
0
Views
326
stainspoop321
S
D
Is this a 629–2 Magna-Port
Replies
16
Views
768
CH4
CH4
M
686-4 Plus Quad Port
Replies
7
Views
651
rvolvr
R
D
To Polish or Not to Polish?
2
Replies
22
Views
775
wproct
wproct
8shot
686 PLUS with Power Port?
Replies
4
Views
698
Rubone
Rubone

Latest posts

Back
Top