649-3 Ported Barrel

[DoubleDelta]

Picked up a 649-3 with ported barrel at LGS.
Please provide information serial # CBH3295
Was it factory ported??
When was it mfg??
Thanks DD.

 

[colt_saa]

I would bet that the answer is YES, there was a ported 649 Lew Horton exclusive produced in 1997 which does correlate to the time of your CBH serial number prefix revolver.

You would need to know the product code to answer your question for certain. Do you have the box?

Your revolver was Mag-na-Ported. The trapezoidal shaped ports are Mag-na-Port's trademark

The Factory has shipped many firearms that were Mag-na-Ported as part of the original configuration

Here is my Model 60 Small Hunter, product code 102432

Here is my Model 625 Hunter in 45LC, product code 170081

The revolvers above had their ports cut by Mag-na-Port International, Inc.

Here is my Model 640 Quadraport, product code 170078

You will note the 640 has oval ports instead of trapezoidal. These ports were done by Smith & Wesson themselves

 

[DoubleDelta]

Thanks for the reply
Product code is 1032102
Spec. Ord. 6320

It looks to be unfired
Any idea what is worth??

 

[colt_saa]

Your revolver was manufactured on December the 6th of 1996

In that condition and being complete with the box, it would probably top $800 on the various auction sites

 

[DoubleDelta]

How do your ported versions shoot compared to a non ported??

 

[colt_saa]

How do your ported versions shoot compared to a non ported??

Many folks are dissapointed in porting mostly because they misinterpret what it does. Porting Does Not Reduce Recoil. Porting reduces muzzle flip

How effective porting is, is totally dependent on what ammunition you are using

If you are just shooting 38 Special there will be very little to no difference between a Mag-na-Ported revolver and one that is not

For those ports to do their job, they need gas volume. If you are shooting true full power 357 Magnum ammunition, you will have noticeably reduced muzzle climb.

Low recoil ammunition, is not full power. That is how they lower the recoil

Many of the haters of porting will tell you that the muzzle flash will blind you at night. This is totally false for several reasons. First, many folks that make such a claim have tried ported guns with practice ammunition. Practice and many Foreign ammunitions do not have flash suppressant. This is because that adds cost and practice ammunition is usually cheap.

Premium Defense ammunition is manufactured with low flash powders that include flash suppressant.

Now secondly, the flash from the barrel cylinder gap is far more spectacular than what can come out of the ports, after all pressures are MUCH higher at the B/C gap than at the end of the barrel

 

[DoubleDelta]

Thanks for the info

 

[orangehole]

In todays market a minty prelock 649 .357 should fetch a nice price. What's is worth is relative. On GB to a collector with deep pockets, I would think you could get $750-$1000. In a local market $500-$600

 

[DoubleDelta]

I paid a little more $675 out the door
But I’m partial to 649s

 

[orangehole]

I would be happy to pay that price for the 649 especially in the condition you claim it is in

 

[colt_saa]

I paid a little more $675 out the door
But I’m partial to 649s

I own the 39th production Model 649 ever manufactured

I paid more than $675 for it.

It is one of 25 Model 649s hand picked from the first day of production. The 25 chosen were between serial number 18 and 53

The revolver is unfired since leaving the Factory

I do not have the original box, paperwork or tools but that does not bother me with this revolver. This is one of those in the right place at the right time deals. I never could have found this even if I had known that they existed

These 25 revolvers received what Mr Jinks called Master + engraving

 

[NCBeagle]

If that is the one that was at Hyatt, you beat me to it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[DoubleDelta]

Yep Its right at home now

 

[yugolovr]

Great looking 649 O P. The bodyguard series of j frames is one of my favorites.

 

[CH4]

Here’s my Magnaported 625-6 MG .45 Colt - bought it new with porting. Here’s a picture of the box and label with code, it has all the paperwork, stickers, etc. Always wondered why Smith ported a .45 Colt, its story is, numbers produced. Nice to see it’s not the only .45 Colt out there.

 

[stansdds]

Here’s my Magnaported 625-6 MG .45 Colt - bought it new with porting. Here’s a picture of the box and label with code, it has all the paperwork, stickers, etc. Always wondered why Smith ported a .45 Colt, its story is, numbers produced. Nice to see it’s not the only .45 Colt out there.

Why? Because it was all the rage at the time and a way to add $$ to the price of a special production run.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

I have 2 rifles a M-28-1 and a Super 14" TC barrel that are mag-na-ported. I higher velocity or heavy recoil rounds the recoil reduction is as high as 35%, in all rounds the muzzel flip is reduced. (They claim the muzzel flip reduction comes from the air in front of the bullet venting: the recoil from the gas behind the bullet.)

Dad had a pair of 2.5" 640's with Mag-na-porting. I never got to touch let alone fire them. His claim was the 357's were unbearable and hot 38's were barely manageable. I tried to talk him into trading to me for something he could stand to shoot.

In My 300 Win Mag with 200 grain ammo, the sporter weight rifle is easy to shoot offhand with the Mag-na-porting. My sniper rifles use muzzle breaks for similar results, but they add length and weight!

In the 80's rifles cost $115 and handguns were $85 (retail) which was a sizeable increase to the cost of a gun!

Ivan

 

[white cloud]

I think that's a dandy carry gun and would be very reluctant to sell it. I like humpbacks a lot and wish S&W would come out with a Pro Series 649.

 

[colt_saa]

Here’s my Magnaported 625-6 MG .45 Colt - bought it new with porting. Here’s a picture of the box and label with code, it has all the paperwork, stickers, etc. Always wondered why Smith ported a .45 Colt, its story is, numbers produced. Nice to see it’s not the only .45 Colt out there.

Interesting. My example of 130045 is not ported. BTW, I like that the product code ends in 45

Mine is younger than yours. The serial number prefix is CAU

I wonder if it is a one off sample, perhaps for the marketing guys. If it does not go forward as a product, they do not create a new SKU, they just pick an existing one to put on the box.

I have two one of a kinds that were assigned to standard SKUs instead of one that actually described the firearm being sold.

 

[CH4]

Interesting. My example of 130045 is not ported. BTW, I like that the product code ends in 45

Mine is younger than yours. The serial number prefix is CAU

I wonder if it is a one off sample, perhaps for the marketing guys. If it does not go forward as a product, they do not create a new SKU, they just pick an existing one to put on the box.

I have two one of a kinds that were assigned to standard SKUs instead of one that actually described the firearm being sold.

Thanks for sharing, I didn’t know that. May be the case. Not that it really matters, but I always wondered if it was done after it left the factory. Since I bought it new from an LGS, I just assumed it was a factory sanctioned; however, none of the other examples I’ve seen with that product code are ported.