Mag na port question

[bikeboy]

Hello all, long time no posting for a variety of reasons.
I have a pro series 60 38 special with 3" barrel. I also have a 22 with 5" barrel, the 22 is a pleasure to shoot.

I have some hand issues, wrist and thumb in addition to back issues, yea, falling apart...

My accuracy with my 38 has really suffered but I have not really been going in quite a while but again it now sucks and with my 22 it is very acceptable.

So a friend brought up Mag na port, I talked to them, they say about a 2-% decrease in recoil and about 1/3 decrees in muzzle lift.

Any thoughts on this, also, does it decrease or do nothing to the value of the revolver? I know there are some special edition down with this feature, if I did it I would opt for 4 ports to maximize the decrease in muzzle lift.

Thanks

bb

 

[Rpg]

Porting your 38 would hurt resale value if for no other reason than many folks (like me) wouldn't buy one.

I think you can get more benefit by using light target ammo (148 gr wad cutter) than from porting your 38.

If that doesn't do the trick, a larger heavier 38 would help: a K frame.

You may also find that different stocks (grips) would help.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

So, my first comment is that the last thing you need to care about is the value of the revolver. It's simply not rare enough - if that's your shooting gun and you can't handle it without Mag-Na-Porting it then do it. If I am incorrect and the gun is as rare as hen's teeth then dump it - get a good price, buy a 4" Model 10, port that, and be happy. I would not let future value interfere with my fun!

Magna-Porting creates loudness. You need to be aware of that, and there is going to be "stuff" coming out of those ports - keep it away from face and body parts.

Also, before you port that gun, try Hornady's light loads for snubs - they come in a pink box - I forget the name that they use. Maybe that will help.

 

[fclef]

I`m with Rpg.
Get yourself a nice K Frame.
Regards , Pete

 

[Mulebuk Sam]

Any thoughts on this

Thanks

I have to go along with what has been mention already and simply point out as well that the percentage gain for what you will spend on it is not worth it. It's the same idea type **** they try to sell you for a vehicle, in my case I was trying to increase hp and gas mileage and ended up with nothing more than some colored spark plug wires and a half day loss for nothing, not to mention the cost.

Was I ever p o'd, at the time I was only 38 and still rather dumb as a rock. A little better now. (after 10 different guns in 17 months) I do believe I've now got the ultimate keeper. (nothing worst than an older dummy)

 

[Pizza Bob]

Porting of any kind is less effective with low power rounds like the .38 Spl. Try different grips - rubber - and find the ones that mitigate recoil the best for you. J-frame grips are not that expensive, you can probably get all the rubber J-frame grips out there for less than what it would cost you to port the gun. Hogue and Hogue Tamers. The new Crimson Trace non-laser grips. Pachmayr Compacs. Ergo Deltas and whatever else you can find.

I have the Deltas on my 638 and it creates some interesting ergonomics - different than any of the others I've tried. They also give you considerably more to latch onto, without compromising concealability.

Good luck in your quest.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

 

[bikeboy]

Porting your 38 would hurt resale value if for no other reason than many folks (like me) wouldn't buy one.

I think you can get more benefit by using light target ammo (148 gr wad cutter) than from porting your 38.

If that doesn't do the trick, a larger heavier 38 would help: a K frame.

You may also find that different stocks (grips) would help.

I had a K and love it but do to my wrist issues it was just not a good choice, the recoil was much easier to handle. Maybe a 22 magnum will be a better choice for me, I have to try one first, thanks

 

[Laketime]

30 years ago magnporting increased the value of a gun.Today it decreases it.To me it only seemed beneficial on heavy magnum caliber guns.I once paid the extra money back in the day to try it out on a snub model 19 that the previous owner had done.my experience was that it did reduce muzzle jump.noise was increased.clean up was also a choir with fouling coming out the side ports caking side of th barrel.

 

[Brian in Oregon]

Mag-Na-Porting shines for controlling muzzle rise, but its design is less effective for recoil. Especially with lower pressure handgun cartridges.

So when they say 2% reduction, believe that, and realize that the actual reduction is so small you will probably not feel it.

Example. Your gun weighs 24.5 oz, so I went with 1.5 lbs, shooting a 148 grain bullet at 800 fps with 3 grains of whatever powder. That gives free recoil of 3.59 ft-lbs. Subtract 2% and you get 3.5182 ft-lbs.

But if you get, say, a S&W 4" Model 14 or 15 (blued) or 67 (stainless) adjustable sight .38 Special K-frame revolver, gun weight increases to 2 lbs. For the same load, free recoil is now 2.69 ft-lbs, a wee bit over a 25% reduction.

Add to that the larger backstrap on the grips, which has more surface area in contact with your hand.

You can experiment with your loads and gun weight here:
Recoil Calculator

 

[Groo01]

Groo here
First, CHANGE THE GRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The 38 is such a low pressure round that porting will not mean much.
In the 357 , that is a horse of a different color!!!.
I would first try a set of Pachmayr SJ_G Gripper #03249.
They are soft , larger, but thinner.
List for $ 38 but you can do better.
A lighter bullet and load will help, but first make your grip fit.
Ps I use these in my M-60 Pro 3in 357mag.
The allow me to go up to the 180 gr mag loads with out pain.

 

[Zebadiah]

I have to go along with what has been mention already and simply point out as well that the percentage gain for what you will spend on it is not worth it. It's the same idea type **** they try to sell you for a vehicle, in my case I was trying to increase hp and gas mileage and ended up with nothing more than some colored spark plug wires and a half day loss for nothing, not to mention the cost.

Was I ever p o'd, at the time I was only 38 and still rather dumb as a rock. A little better now. (after 10 different guns in 17 months) I do believe I've now got the ultimate keeper. (nothing worst than an older dummy)

...and the ultimate keeper is? Don't keep us wondering what and why.

 

[Biggfoot44]

It's your gun. *IF* it significantly improves your ability, that's more important consideration than a reduction in resale value.

But as noted only the muzzle flip will be reduced to some degree, the straight back push into your hand will stay the same. Depending on exactly what's going on with your hand and wrist, that may or may not help you.

What will definitely help is lower recoil ammunition. The 125gr flat point ammo intended for CAS competion will have even less recoil ammunition than the classic 148 WC .

 

[H Richard]

I would adjust your load before mag na porting. Try a light bullet, something around 125 gr., in a cast lead bullet with 2.7 to 3 gr. W231 behind it. Back when we were shooting a lot of PPC matches, we had a 120 gr. cast bullet (was a 9mm bullet that came out of the mold at .357) and 3.3 gr. 231 and it shot great and grouped within the 10 ring at 25 yards. With a 6" K Frame there was literally no perceived recoil.

 

[Jingles]

I buy 148 gr wadcutter loads that are lots of fun to shoot, light recoil, and very accurate. Try those before Mag Na Port.

Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics Ammo 38 Special 148 Grain Lead Wadcutter Box

 

[bikeboy]

Thanks for all of the replies. I have put a rubber grip on and am using a light load but will try another rubber type grip as suggested above. Maybe that will help a bit.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Some rubber grips are really large and soft!

The M60 is definitely heavier than a M638 but, still, a J frame is a J frame. I changed the stocks on this 638 a number of times - when I saw those huge Hogue grips in shocking pink, well, I jus' hadda do it!

I still don't like shooting that gun much but at least now it amuses me.