Power Port?

[boatswainsmate]

Hello All,
Does the Smith & Wesson Power Port make a difference in their 44 Magnum Classic Model ? Thanks in advance. Boats

 

[Narragansett]

Hello All,
Does the Smith & Wesson Power Port make a difference in their 44 Magnum Classic Model ? Thanks in advance. Boats

As i know it, power porting is a series of holes on both sides of the rib on a shotgun bbl. I think you mean Magna Porting. I do not know what bbl length you are referring to, but I am sure it does some good, but if you are talking about a 44 magnum with a 3" bbl. I doubt your wrist will ever know the difference.

Would I want it on a gun, no

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Which model number are you asking about? The current 44 Classic doesn't have any porting.

Porting will help with full power 44 Mag loads but not with reduced loads like 44 Special.

.

 

[boatswainsmate]

Which model number are you asking about? The current 44 Classic doesn't have any porting.

Porting will help with full power 44 Mag loads but not with reduced loads like 44 Special.

.

629 Classic with 7 1/2 inch barrel

 

[Narragansett]

629 Classic with 7 1/2 inch barrel

IMHO, it is not needed for that gun, and I would not do it

 

[cadmike]

The Smith and Wesson power port is quite different than magnaporting and I can assure you it absolutely does make a difference when shooting full power magnum loads. I have the 629 classic powerport with 6 1/2” barrel and I find that the port along with the extra weight of the full lug barrel work to reduce muzzle flip during recoil. The result makes for a very sweet shooting gun, by far my favorite magnum revolver.

If you plan on shooting a lot of full power loads I’d recommend you go for it.

 

[75Vette]

My recoil junkie days are behind me so I can't give you an answer as to how the PowerPort helps with full magnum loads. I can tell you it's my best shooter of all my 44s.





ETA: Boats, they're 6 1/2" barrels

 

[Biggfoot44]

Mag Na Port is a patented process , with specific design . Power Port is one of many names used by various mfgs and 'smiths for generic bbl ports .

Yes, a ported .44mag will have less recoil generally, and less muzzle flip specifically , than non- ported .

Unasked question #1 - Does a 7.5in underlug gun have a need for porting ?

Unasked question #2 - How does either the recoil reduction, or the unwanted side effects compare between this design of Porting compared to other designs , especially the original Mag Na Port ?

 

[Pisgah]

Porting DOES make a difference; it just DOES NOT reduce recoil. What I mean is, porting redirects the recoil, reducing muzzle flip. While the muzzle stays lower, the recoil force remains the same and is directed in a more straight-back direction.

For some people, this is more comfortable; for others, it is even more torturous than just letting the muzzle go up and the grip roll in the hand. To me, porting makes a heavy-recoiling gun less comfortable to shoot. I get much better results by paying attention to what kind of grips I have on the gun -- not too big, so I can get a good, full grip, no finger grooves and no sharp checkering, so the gun can roll up.

To me, learning to "ride" the recoil is much more productive than trying to fight it. Now, someone will say, "Ah, that's true with a single action, but not with a DA", and to that I can only say that one of the most comfortable magnums I have ever shot is my 4" Model 29-2, non-ported and fitted with standard magna grips and a T-grip.

 

[colt_saa]

There is much misconception about what Mag-Na-Port style porting or Power Ports actually do

Neither reduces recoil. However both reduce muzzle flip.

A Power Port reduces muzzle flip over a wide range of ammunition power levels while the Mag-Na-Port style porting is most effective with FULL Power Magnum ammunition

Now, one of the perceived draw backs of either style of porting is increased noise. Since propellant gasses are expelled upwards from ports, if you are shooting in a covered shooting position, there is an increase in noise. When shooting in the open, this is a non-issue. It should also be a non-issue when shooting from a covered position because you are hopefully wearing hearing protection

 

[Lou_the_welder]

There is much misconception about what Mag-Na-Port style porting or Power Ports actually do

Neither reduces recoil. However both reduce muzzle flip.

A Power Port reduces muzzle flip over a wide range of ammunition power levels while the Mag-Na-Port style porting is most effective with FULL Power Magnum ammunition

Now, one of the perceived draw backs of either style of porting is increased noise. Since propellant gasses are expelled upwards from ports, if you are shooting in a covered shooting position, there is an increase in noise. When shooting in the open, this is a non-issue. It should also be a non-issue when shooting from a covered position because you are hopefully wearing hearing protection

Let's not forget the V-comp ports.
I may be an outsider in my opinions, but I do believe shooting magnums out of them feel like specials!
No muzzle flip. And a reduction in perceived recoil. But there are some that believe it doesn't even effect recoil.

If one were shooting a 9mm N frame with a power port. I have and do notice no difference shooting with or without. So much so that I usually leave the cap off.

I believe where ports of any kind really shine, are with large cases filled to magnum levels. Small cases, not so much.
It is my opinion that if you normally shoot weak specials or any kind of reduced load, a ported gun should not be used.

 

[AveragEd]

Actually, porting CAN reduce felt recoil. Anything that bleeds off some pressure prior to the projectile clearing the muzzle will reduce muzzle velocity and therefore felt recoil. Now, will it make a difference in how a firearm feels under recoil? That depends upon the pressure generated by the ammunition.

Shotguns firing target loads at the standard 1,150 to 1,200 feet per second usually do not benefit from porting because the pressures generated by those loads seldom exceed 10,000 units of pressure. Magnum rifles generating upwards of 60,000 and more units of pressure will kick less but at the expense of some muzzle velocity. A porting company estimated to a friend of mine that porting his Remington .300 Ultra Mag would basically reduce its ballistics to that of a .300 Winchester Magnum.

As Lou said above, handguns would have to be fed the hottest of the loads available for the caliber for which they are chambered for felt recoil to be lessened and even then, I found the effect negligible. Ten or so years ago, I bought a 6-1/2" 629 Classic PowerPort to go along with my standard 6-1/2" 629 Classic. The only difference any of the dozen or so people who shot both guns with the same ammo could discern was that more combustion debris was blown back onto their faces by the ported gun (there was a slight headwind that day).

I sold that PowerPort but later had an opportunity to buy a 686-4 PowerPort that the Smith & Wesson-trained gunsmith to whom I had it shipped declared completely unfired - not even factory test-fired - so I bought it and it remains unfired.

With that feature being discontinued on S&W production models, it is possible that guns so equipped might enjoy a slight value bump in the future. We can only hope...

Ed

 

[boatswainsmate]

Thanks for all the reply's. I pulled the trigger. Happy Shooting! Boats
I bought my first ported S&W