To Port or Not to Port

[03hemi]

I say do it!
Then get an AR pistol with a 7.5" barrel in .556 then when you shoot it at the range, no one will ever notice the puny little report of the ported pistol at all. Trust me, people pour out of the range when you open this baby up on binary.

 

[Muss Muggins]

It's your pistol. Do what makes you happy . . .

 

[WR Moore]

Since no one has stepped up about limited ammo selection......If you very carefully read all the stuff on the back of an ammo box, some ammunition warns against use in ported barrels.

Never having seen any, my best guess is that lead bullets and plated bullets "have issues" (or the lawyers are worried about potential issues) in ported barrels from shaving the surface of the bullet. I used to build compensators and the lead build up from .45s could get interesting. You see the same thing in .22s. You can probably get used to the flame from the ports. I recall being startled the first time I shot a comped .45 in dim light. BUT, that isn't a .357.

 

[Bhfromme]

I say do it!
Then get an AR pistol with a 7.5" barrel in .556 then when you shoot it at the range, no one will ever notice the puny little report of the ported pistol at all. Trust me, people pour out of the range when you open this baby up on binary.

That's funny you mention that. Just yesterday at an indoor range the guy in the next lane was firing an AR pistol. I could literally feel the floor shake when he let that thing rip.

 

[VictorLouis]

There is no giant muzzle flash that blinds you while shooting...There are plenty of internet photos of the extreme flash from the B/C gap. Why are we all not blinded from that ?

Simple. On any unported revolver, that field of your view from 11 to 1 o'clock is entirely blocked by topstrap and barrel. Muzzle flash exiting at the crown is dispersed equally 360 degrees. With ports, much of that gas is obviously redirected upward, rocketing out of the ports. Your eye can't HELP but pick this up in your line-of-sight. Under the indoor lighting of your range, this may merely be disconcerting. With lack of light, such as night hours, this may be perceived as far more intense. You've really got to shoot your chosen gun/s and load/s in such conditions to judge if the porting is really worth the benefit you perceive.

 

[NJM15]

i bought a ported barell ---

purchased it seems to cut down lift but flash discolors my my front sight

 

[jcelect]

There will always be haters of ported firearms

They repeat the same incorrect assumptions that have been circling the Internet and the water cooler/coffee shops that came before the Internet. Sometimes they even quote a firearms expert or two. You will set your cloths on fire if you shoot from retention, or you will blast debris into your eyes. The muzzle flash will blind you if you have to shoot at night, you will be deafened by the sound from the port, etc, etc.

I have had an L-comp since they were released in 2000.

This is not my first ported/compensated firearm and by no means is it my last. I have put tens of thousands of rounds down range through the firearms over the decades

I am guessing that you have not yet fired an L-comp or one of it's many Smith & Wesson brothers

There is no giant muzzle flash that blinds you while shooting. If one actually existed, EVERY shooter would have been blinded by the flash that comes from your revolvers barrel/cylinder gap. There are plenty of internet photos of the extreme flash from the B/C gap. Why are we all not blinded from that ?


If you are on the fence enough to listen to a few hundred Internet opinions, then your best bet is to actually shoot one of these firearms or something similar. That is the only way that you will know if it works for you or not

Unfortunately you never went into your profile to complete the information. We have no idea where you are located. If you are in the Central Florida region, I would be glad to meet with you and give you the opportunity to shoot an L-comp along side some non-ported snubbies

He owns TWO POCKET ROCKETS! That is almost 1% of the total population of that model! No wonder I can't find one! ! ! !
jcelect

 

[rockquarry]

I've never owned a ported handgun. Is the main function to reduce recoil?

 

[colt_saa]

He owns TWO POCKET ROCKETS! That is almost 1% of the total population of that model! No wonder I can't find one! ! ! !
jcelect

 

[jcelect]

Now that is "showing off" or rubbing my nose in it! That is 1% of all !
jcelect

 

[Jeff97223]

The laws of physics cannot be bypassed. Porting works. It HAS to because of physics. The stouter the load the better it works. Period. I majored in physics and took a course on ballistics. Does it increase nuzzle blast? Again, it HAS to. Is it horrible? Not so much in handgun loads but in a rifle it is significant. If it did not work Mag-Na-Port would have gone out of business a long time ago. I have a 4" 629 that I sent to them decades ago. They called me to ask me what load I was going to be shooting in it. I replied that I was using 300 grain hard cast, heat treated gas checked bullets. They suggested double porting the gun. Just about everyone who has fired it has tried to buy it from me. Apparently, it has not hurt its value at all. This is probably the most I have ever written in a post but I felt compelled to set the record straight.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

There will always be haters of ported firearms

They repeat the same incorrect assumptions that have been circling the Internet and the water cooler/coffee shops that came before the Internet. Sometimes they even quote a firearms expert or two. You will set your cloths on fire if you shoot from retention, or you will blast debris into your eyes. The muzzle flash will blind you if you have to shoot at night, you will be deafened by the sound from the port, etc, etc.

I have had an L-comp since they were released in 2000.

This is not my first ported/compensated firearm and by no means is it my last. I have put tens of thousands of rounds down range through the firearms over the decades

I am guessing that you have not yet fired an L-comp or one of it's many Smith & Wesson brothers

There is no giant muzzle flash that blinds you while shooting. If one actually existed, EVERY shooter would have been blinded by the flash that comes from your revolvers barrel/cylinder gap. There are plenty of internet photos of the extreme flash from the B/C gap. Why are we all not blinded from that ?


If you are on the fence enough to listen to a few hundred Internet opinions, then your best bet is to actually shoot one of these firearms or something similar. That is the only way that you will know if it works for you or not

Unfortunately you never went into your profile to complete the information. We have no idea where you are located. If you are in the Central Florida region, I would be glad to meet with you and give you the opportunity to shoot an L-comp along side some non-ported snubbies

Remember what I said about opinions..................

 

[Bhfromme]

Well I'm about to take delivery on a new 586 L-Comp. I'll probably put the rubber grips on it, take it to the range and see how it compares to my 3" Model 60-15 with 158gr .357 target ammo. Should be a good time. Does anyone have an opinion on what ammo to use and stay away from with the 586 L-Comp?

 

[Jeff97223]

Simple. On any unported revolver, that field of your view from 11 to 1 o'clock is entirely blocked by topstrap and barrel. Muzzle flash exiting at the crown is dispersed equally 360 degrees. With ports, much of that gas is obviously redirected upward, rocketing out of the ports. Your eye can't HELP but pick this up in your line-of-sight. Under the indoor lighting of your range, this may merely be disconcerting. With lack of light, such as night hours, this may be perceived as far more intense. You've really got to shoot your chosen gun/s and load/s in such conditions to judge if the porting is really worth the benefit you perceive.

The reason that more self defense loads are showing up using low flash powder.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Doug M.]

The comments about short ARs are kind of funny, but also true. I can remember a SWAT team member cranking off a bunch of rounds from a really short AR on "group therapy" at the end of a range session. I was a good 40 yards away and it was obnoxious. There is a reason that many people advocate for suppressors as a safety device.

I've also done some trap shooting with my Mossberg 590. It's a service gun with an 18" barrel, and Vang Comped. When I was not being cussed at, more than a few people called it "The Earthmover". The concussion was epic.

 

[Jeff97223]

Since no one has stepped up about limited ammo selection......If you very carefully read all the stuff on the back of an ammo box, some ammunition warns against use in ported barrels.



Never having seen any, my best guess is that lead bullets and plated bullets "have issues" (or the lawyers are worried about potential issues) in ported barrels from shaving the surface of the bullet. I used to build compensators and the lead build up from .45s could get interesting. You see the same thing in .22s. You can probably get used to the flame from the ports. I recall being startled the first time I shot a comped .45 in dim light. BUT, that isn't a .357.

My guess would be shot loads would be on the list of what not to shoot in a ported revolver.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

 

[Tom Kent]

Several years ago I purchased a 6 1/2' bbl 29-2 that had been ported. I also had a 6''bbl 629. I could not tell any difference in flash or bang between the two revolvers. Both were accurate and both had smooth actions. I would not pay to have any hand gun ported because I don't see the need. YMMV.

 

[BC38]

I only own one ported gun. A Taurus 617 TTi.

The "TTi" stands for Total Titanium. It is a 2" 7-shot K-frame sized snub that weighs around 19oz IIRC. The barrel liner, hammer, and trigger are the only steel parts, and all the rest is a lightweight titanium alloy.

Needless to say, the porting is VERY helpful shooting 357 magnum rounds from a gun this light. It tames what would otherwise be a very hard "flip" of the muzzle into manageable recoil. Flash and noise? How much more flash and noise can you get from a 2" snub nosed 357 magnum revolver? The benefits are well worth whatever slight increase there may be in flash and noise IMO. YMMV.