Customizing early 66

[Slicktop]

Sometimes I get wild hairs.
Is it possible to port a pinned barrel on a 6inch?

 

[ken158]

If you are talking something like Mag-Na-Port, sure you can. No doubt there are other porting options available also but the value of your 66 will likely be reduced and you will likely be disappointed with the results.

 

[stansdds]

There is no reason why a pinned or non-pinned barrel cannot be ported. I will say that if it is a good condition early Model 66 that has not been modified, such a modification will actually decrease its value.

 

[BAM-BAM]

I ported a 3" 65 back in the 80s. Unless you're shooting a lot of hot ..357 it doesn't have a lot of effect IMHO.

 

[ronbwolf]

Porting is "possible," but foolish on an original, no dash 66. First, you diminish it's value. Second, it's a .357 mag, which you can not buy "real," .357 mag loads for ( 158 gr. bullet, 1500 fps). Third, Magna Porting, means no more lead bullet shooting.

The upside.... there is no upside!

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[stansdds]

You can still shoot lead bullets through ported barrels. You just have to spend a lot of time trying to clean the lead fouling from the ports.

 

[Slicktop]

I have bought many guns over the years but have never sold one nor do I intend to. Value is relevant only to me.
My favorite rounds to shoot are 180gr hardcast. I'm thinking that porting will reduce muzzle rise.
BTW I have a 1916 model 1911 that I've had re-blued. Did it reduce the value? Not to me. It's a creampuff.

 

[AveragEd]

It's been proven many times that porting is only effective at reducing felt recoil if the load being shot develops very high pressure. For porting to work, it has to reduce pressure within the barrel by bleeding some of it off prematurely which in turn reduces muzzle velocity. Shooting the same load over a chronograph using two guns as identical as possible except for one being ported usually shows little change in MV therefor regardless of what the shooter thinks is happening to the recoil, little change is actually taking place.

Shotguns and muzzleloaders typically do not generate enough gas pressure and/or volume for porting to work. High-pressure handgun and rifle rounds usually do but a heavy bullet alone will not increase pressure unless the powder charge is in the higher realm.

I've shot identical trap shotguns and S&W Model 629s and 686s over my chronograph with one shotgun being ported and one each of the revolvers being PowerPort models. The differences in MV were negligible at best. The most noticeable difference was the amount of powder debris in your face from the PowerPort revolvers.

To me, a ported gun is of no interest. It's a marketing tool at best.

Ed

 

[stansdds]

Porting gained a lot of attention back in the 1980's when IPSC and USPSA competition pistols, generally built on the basic M-1911-A1 platform, introduced compensators. These were attached to the barrel and usually had one or more vent ports that directed gases upward. These pistols were usually chambered in the 38 Super cartridge and were loaded to pressures at or beyond SAAMI maximum. I think a big part of the reduced felt recoil came from the chunk of steel attached to the end of the barrel and not so much came from the porting.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

You can still shoot lead bullets through ported barrels. You just have to spend a lot of time trying to clean the lead fouling from the ports.

AND the front sight........Don't do it......It's more of a jimmick.

 

[Slicktop]

I've seen enough replies to agree it's a useless endeavor.
It would be cool looking if done right. I was imagining forward slant ports on just top half of barrel.