ported Guide Gun

[Explorer1]

I think this has been covered many times, but why did Marlin drop the porting on their Guide Guns?

A co-worker bought a Guide Gun after handling mine and now wants to have it ported; I am wondering should I also.  Porting my 45-70 Contender was worthwhile.

I do shoot cast bullets. Any one some experience with a ported 45-70 Guide Gun?

[Lloyd Smale]

I think it was after about everyone that owned one begged for a non ported gun. The gun is a hunting gun and to me the ports make it to blasted loud!! Also unless your running ammo well over factory levels they dont do much to reduce recoil anyway. When you get up to the point that they help one shot in the field without ear protection will hurt you for a long time!! My opinion for what its worth is that the noise is a bigger detriment to good shooting then the recoil is.

[Castaway]

Two things I didn't like about the "original" Guide Gun" were the ports and the blasted trigger, not the pull or break, but the shape of it.  Now I just have to take a file and round off the bottom corners.  Each time I shot it I cut my trigger finger on the sharp edge.

[old coach]

I have a ported Guide Gun in 45-70. I hand load to the max, but no over. It is very loud if shot in a confined space, like a enclosed stand and you don't get the bbl outside the roof. Not very pleasent to target practice with for extended time.
If shot in an open field it is fine. In dense cover it is loud.