Is a ported revolver a bad carry piece?

[BAM-BAM]

I've had a ported 3" 65 since the mid-80s...... it was the hot mod from mag-na-port.

Then all the arguments above on both sides started... first in the 'Gun Rags" and then the internet........ with no one changing the other's mind on the subject......

S&W Performance Center put out a "dozen'' or more ported/expansion chamber short barreled revolvers in the 90s and beyond.

I guess I'd come down agreeing with Colt_SAA arguments.....

I saw improvement with muzzle flip when shooting full bore .357 magnums.... but as I generally carry +P .38s in my 65..... if I had to do it over again ...... I'd probably pass.

 

[ShivasIrons]

I carried a ported Glock 23C for awhile. It was easier for me to run than a regular 23.

The key is training, the same as it is with anything else. It is fine to shoot from retention. You just need to tuck the grip into your gut and cant the ports away from you. No Big deal.

 

[SAWBONES]

SAWBONES somewhat answered my main concern about having a ported snubnose (.38 or .357) when he replied...

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"NONE of them blow firing residue into my face, not even with the barrel held inches away."
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With my not owning any ported firearms, nor having ever fired a ported firearm, I have no way to confirm this.

However, my biggest concern is the effect of having to fire a ported snubnose revolver during an encounter where one would be in very close proximity (namely, a hands on struggle) with the perpetrator and having the immediate need to do a contact shot to the perpetrator's upper body while the ported snubnose was close to the shooter, and the port chambers being directed upward, toward shooters face.

In the interest of being as clear as possible, my experience was as follows.

After having zeroed my ported CCW Ruger 2.25" SP101 with Buffalo Bore .357 Magnum 158gr JHC loads (which is the favored CCW load simply because it hits right to POA, in my gun, in my hands), I purposely held the barrel, with different shots, from 2-6" inches from my face, with the ports directed mostly upward and my face to the side, firing that particular load several times and in somewhat different orientations (that is, differing angulations of the barrel), in order to ascertain whether there was particulate matter or hot gases that I could feel on my cheek.

There were none.

I did not place the barrel ports directly in line with my face, since doubtless there would have at least been the possibility of skin burn in that case, but I wanted to be certain about whether expelled material might be an issue in the event of an actual defensive use if the gun chanced to be in fairly close proximity to my face and eyes.

(BTW, I notice that Marc Morganti now seems to offer his Hybra-Porting with the ports directed either about 45 degrees to both sides or straight up. My guns were done by him over a decade ago, when there was only one sort of porting offered, and the ports are oriented directly upward.)

My brief trial shooting as described relieved any anxiety on my part about using this ported gun, with the noted load, in a defensive setting. I know there may be some velocity loss with the porting, but there is also a palpable improvement in felt recoil and a noticeable reduction in degree of muzzle lift.

As to whether other loads (e.g., 125gr .357 Magnum) might expel offensive material , I simply don't know. I don't use that load for CCW because it didn't provide correspondence between POA and POI as well as the 158gr Buffalo Bore load.

I place foremost emphasis on accuracy and precision in any gun. The gun in question has fixed sights, and after having determined the single best load in that gun, I did the "porting close to face" testing with only that single load.

Take it FWIW, no less, no more.
Best.

 

[ken158]

If you NEED to use a CCW, ported or not, you will never notice a difference in a fire fight. Don't let internet speculators and gun fighters make these kind of decisions for you. Buy what you are comfortable with and practice, keeping in mind that a 100% shooter will shoot a 70% in a gun fight and the odds go down from there.

 

[HamHands]

Less muzzle flip is better.

Part of the problem is peoples expectations of what handgun porting is designed to do. Many think it reduces recoil and are disappointed in the experience. As you are obviously aware, it reduces muzzle rise.

I have been carrying ported firearms for decades. I have a ported PC Model 940 Special with me right this minute. It is one of dozens of ported forearms have I have owned or shot

Most of what you hear on the Internet is more Internet rumor than fact.

Cheap practice ammunition is loaded with inexpensive powder that lacks flash suppressant. Most all of your Premium self defense ammunition offerings have a flash retardant added to the mix so this notion of being blinded by your first shot is not the case.

Additionally, if the blinding issue were a true fact, it would be a problem for almost EVERY Revolver out there since gas escapes the barrel cylinder gap long before it reaches a port.

When was the last time that you, the shooter, complained about the muzzle flash from the B/C gap?

Porting is not for everybody, some folks just can not warm up to it. Try it for yourself. Have an open mind and then decide.

Damn you have some nice revo's there! I'd be proud to own them for sure. I agree with your reply and enjoy the muzzle rise reduction of ported barrels. And you're correct again; with any self defense ammo worth it's salt will have flash retardant powder and muzzle flash is not an issue at night. It certainly hasn't been for me and my 1-7/8" barreled "J" frames at least. The only slight negative for ported barrels is decibel increase... which is moot in a self defense situation from my experience.
The only issue with extra noise is going to be the looks you get from the guys shooting to the left and right of you. But then again, it's a gun range and guns are loud. The benefits of porting outweigh the slight downside in my opinion. YMMV...

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Also, I propose we add "ported barrels" to the wife-gun and bear-thread list.

I think I understand your attitude and opinion, and I certainly sympathize with them, but, in the end, I disagree. I have a double-Magnaported 3" 629, and it recoils significantly less than my 4" 29. I don't know anything about milliseconds to recovery, although I could probably find out. I just like my 3" better than my 4" when shooting .44 Mags, and that is a good thing all by itself. If I shot them more, it would probably also mean that my 3" would be more accurate (no flinch).

I have never had to fire a revolver (or any other arm) in self-defense, but I believe that if I had to fire a revolver without arms extended, I would not find gas from ports to be my most pressing problem, and I would probably be trying to take my second shot, if any and if necessary, from the ground. To clarify, I am not planning around shooting while rocked back on my heels, and don't feel that I would gain anything by choosing a weapon for that purpose.

Anyway, what's the difference? My Model 15 and its FBI loads will suffice or won't. At least I actually carry it or its aluminum cousin. How many who are reading this actually carry 16x7?

 

[Mister X]

Don't let internet speculators and gun fighters make these kind of decisions for you.

I absolutely agree.

"The biggest negative thing I see with the porting is that if you have to fire from a retention position, it will blast hot gases and debris up toward your eyes. That's not just a distraction; it could cause permanent vision damage, and at the worst possible time."

- Massad Ayoob

"I don't like ported barrels on self-defense guns nor do I care for them on range training guns. The clearest danger is the risk of hot, explosive gases vented up into the shooters eyes and face."

- Michael de Bethencourt

"Ported barrels can be downright dangerous when fired from retention. I have personally seen where what appeared to be part of the jacket embed itself into the face of one of our officers during retention training. Even if no hard particles leave the port, the gas definitely is directed straight into your face."

- Mike Moore, Gunsite Academy Instructor

"I have zero use for the comped Glocks. I have seen people injured from shooting them from retention and not getting the gun canted outboard enough before pulling the trigger."

- Chuck Haggard

"I do know one thing about the retention position. It sucks when one is using a ported gun!!!"

- Marty Hayes

"Compensated Glocks--retention shooting is miserable, flash is increased, and I am aware of one organization that had reliability issues with them due to debris build-up."

- Dr. Gary Roberts aka DocGKR

"I ran my Glock19C during live fire and had some issues with the muzzle blast during several positions. I had to switch to a regular Glock 19 after my nose and mouth were bleeding."

- John Rooks after attending Craig Douglas'(Southnarc) ECQC class.