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reducing recoil with barrel porting?

9K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  GCNM 
#1 ·
i'm shopping for a very concealable lightweight handgun. not sure if i want 9mm, 40 or 45 at this point. is barrel porting an option for handguns? if so, what are the pros and cons of doing it? does it dramatically reduce recoil?
 
#2 ·
Don’t port it... or at least I wouldn’t. IMO porting is good for games but does not belong on a defensive sidearm. Firing a ported gun from the retention position could result in a wash of hot gasses and unburned power venting into your eyes. Not good if you plan on seeing what your target is doing after you’ve fired your first shot. Reduce and control recoil the old fashioned way, through dedicated practice.
 
#3 ·
BTW: porting does not reduce recoil on a revolver or typical auto. It does reduce muzzle flip (slighltly), but on the two I had ported barrels for the effect is very slight. The hotter the load, the more effect it has because of higher gas pressure through the ports. The loads most people shoot won't do much. The only really effective "porting" I've seen is on open guns with the extended compensators. Those shoot gas upwards and to the rear so they reduce lift and slightly reduce recoil. Personally, I hate the upward gas spray because I shoot at an indoor range and the crap bounces off the walls and ceilings of the booth and come back on me. Both of my ported barrels are in the closet gathering dust.
 
#4 ·
I'll have to disagree about ports not reducing recoil. I recently bought an S&W 629 with a ported barrel. There is a large reduction in recoil compared to the regular 629s

I would avoid it on a defensive weapon. If you load your own, start by loading lighter loads and work up
 
#5 ·
Another point to consider. Although I have not run tests on ported pistols, I have run tests on rifles with muzzle brakes and in every case the rifle was more accurate sometimes a lot more accurate without a brake on it. Disturbing the exiting gases in a firarm simply does not help accuracy in the slightest.

If you are a flincher you will flinch with or without porting or a muzzle brake. I have seen it happen in real life with no difference to the ability of the shooter to consistantly get good groups. Only in the case of some very heavy recoiling rifles and shotguns with slugs have I seen some shooters do only slightly better with them provided they had heavy duty ear protection and the light was very bright which obscured the tremdous muzzle flash that on dark days often actually caused the shooter to flinch even more than if he would have not had the muzzle brake installed.

It is interesting to note that most people I have known that bought the Boss system eventually replaced the muzzle brake system with the optional non- ported boss system. What does that tell you?

I vote thumbs down for them. They have more disadvantanges than advantages. W.R.
 
#6 ·
I have run tests on rifles with muzzle brakes and in every case the rifle was more accurate sometimes a lot more accurate without a brake on it. Disturbing the exiting gases in a firarm simply does not help accuracy in the slightest.
More than a few competitors with highly accurate rifles and pistols will disagree with that. One highly regarded 'smith tells me precision rifle guys like comps precisely because the do direct gases away from the bullet. A good comp can reduce the gases blowing by the bullet as it exits the muzzle by 70%.

Back to the original poster though...

I also agree no comps or porting on defensive guns.
 
#7 ·
Unless you are into competition and just must have a "racegun" - I would steer clear of "porting", "compensators" etc etc.

They are a practical impediment in the long run; fine for the classic "Weaver" or other "arms extended" shooting. But if you have to shoot with the gun close to the body etc - that re-directed gas/blast is going to be more than a mere annoyance.
 
#11 ·
I have a Springfield Armory Ultra Compact V-10 (10 exhaust ports on top of the barrel arranged in a vee). This pistol without the ports would be quite a 'flipper', but the ports keep the muzzle flip equivalent to a full-size 1911. The pistol is accurate and a 'blast' to shoot! Unfortunately, I have come to realize as the others have stated that it's a dud for defensive use because of the vertical blast from the ports endangering not only your eyes but your hearing, particularly from the retention position as pointed out. You should see the fireworks coming out of the top of the 3" barrel at night or around dusk - I'm talking about sparking particles of powder as well as the luminous gas. With shooting glasses, ear protection and arms extended, though, it's a great pistol. I have to join the vote against a ported handgun for carry or defense purposes.
 
#13 ·
I had a thought on the V-10; Why not order a plain non-ported barrel from Springfield (they make a non-ported version), then it would be the same as the Colt Defender or any other compact .45. The slots in the slide would make no difference whatever, and you could easily swap the ported barrel back in (much easier than a full-size, since there's no barrel bushing.
 
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