Let's talk about porting.

[Dusty Miller]

I've got a ported 7.5" FA 454 Casull.  Since I've never shot the gun w/out the porting there is no way for me to tell if it does me any good whatsoever.  It sure as heck looks kinda sexy but then again I've never met any woman at the range!  My theory about porting is that somewhere along a power curve it does indeed reduce muzzle flip but not recoil.  Does it do any good with the 44 mag. but not the 357 mag?  I don't know.  Maybe you've got to get to the heavy 45 loads to get a any benefit.  Anybody want to weigh in on this topic?

[Graybeard]

I'm as dead set against porting (in general) as anyone walking around on this green earth rat now. But in revolvers I feel differently. With the barrel end so close to you and the cylinder gap about all the noise it's gonna make is already there on a revolver. My objection to porting is the increased noise at the ears which to me at least doesn't seem to be there with revolvers.

BUT on a single action? Dunno. The general idea of the grip on single actions as a whole is to let it roll in your hand to absorb the recoil energy. Adding a brake or porting should at least theoritically reduce that roll. Since the roll is supposed to be the only advantage for the single action in recoil reduction countering it and reducing it seems counter productive at least in theory.

Now I'm one who hates the roll and thus in general single actions for heavy kickers. So I think I might actually like a ported single action. But how anyone who claims to prefer the rolling recoil of a single action could then claim a ported one is an improvement defies my understanding. But then so does folks who prefer the Bisley or FA grip over the Colt or Ruger grip yet claim to prefer the rolling recoil of a single action. Since both the Ruger Bisley and FA grip reduce roll. BTW the reason I prefer them as the only single actions I shoot.

[myronman3]

my f.a. 44 came with magnaporting.  i would just as soon not have it on there.   but it isnt hurting anything being there, either.  

i also have a 586 357 with a 4" barrel.   i see no need whatsoever on a 357 for porting.  if it werent for the noise, i would think it is missfiring.   i think sometimes useful things are applied in places they were not designed for more as a gimmick than anything.   porting on smaller caliber guns is one of the most obvious examples of this.

[Redhawk1]

I have 4 handguns that came ported. A S&W 629P 44 Mag, S&W 460 and two S&W 500 Mag's. I would put the 460 and 500 in the category of needing porting, but I have also shot my BFR in 500 Mag without porting. The 629 44 Mag in my opinion does not need porting. My FA 454 Casull is not ported and will stay that way. The noise from porting to me is irritating.

As stated above the porting reduces muzzle flip but not felt recoil.

[unspellable]

Ports direct a big part of the muzzle flash upwards.  This is not good at all for your night vison when you are shooting in very low light.  On a hunting handgun this makes little difference since we generally hunt in the daylight.

It's true that ports do reduce muzzle flip much more than actual recoil.  How ever, muzzle flip is a large part of "perceived" recoil as opposed to actual recoil, so maybe it has some psychological advantage.

[Jim n Iowa]

Maybe I am missing some thing here, To me muzzle flip and recoil are the same, in a pistol. One takes the recoil in the hand as opposed to a rifle that attacks the shoulder. We are talking on the bench here. Even short barrel rifles will flip up ie; 44 mag 1894p, ported and get your attention as it muzzle flips up and the stock comes back. I only shoot 44 mags, and the heavy loads are enough for me. How ever I may port a short barrel to ease the handling in a carry gun.
Jim

[Graybeard]

Muzzle rise whether you call it flip or flop is but one component of recoil. It is NOT recoil but merely a single component of it.

On my .358 JDJ barrel which started life as a blued 14" .35 Rem barrel muzzle rise/flip/whatever was horrendous. It climbed over a foot off the bag and twisted violently to the left. The twist was again another component of recoil.

I have arthritis in my hands, wrists and elbows quite badly. It was very difficult and painful for me to hold onto it. I sent it back to SSK and they installed an SSK Arrestor muzzle brake.

With the brake and exact same loads there was ZERO lift from the bags and zero twist. NONE whatsoever. Nada. You get the point.

BUT WOW did it RECOIL! Straight back into the web of my hand. Problem with that is I happen to have a growth, bone spur, calcium deposit or whatever on the base of my right thumb. No way was I able to live with the straight back recoil. To me it was worse then the violent twisting and muzzle rise or flip.

So by your definition it had zero recoil. By mine it had more.

[KN]

My personal take on the subject is, If you can control the pistol with out any problems, leave it alone. If the muzzle jump bothers you to the point of not shooting it well then by all means port it. I have a 45/70 Encore pistol that I cut down to 10" (just for the fun of it). I could not hit the side of a barn with it because of the severe muzzle jump. I could feel the barrel brushing my hair every time I fired it. It was totally uncontrollable. I put two rows of ports on the last 1-1/2" of barrel consisting of five 3/16" holes at 45 degrees from center, and four at 90 degrees with a 10 degree rearward angle. This done to both sides. 18 holes total. This directed some of the gasses rearward as well as upward. Out come, It was a totally deferent gun. I can reasonably hit what I am aiming at and it has almost no muzzle flip. But as GB stated, the rearward recoil pounds the palm of the hand. I was also shooting full house 405gr loads in this pistol.  KN

[Redhawk1]

My personal take on the subject is, If you can control the pistol with out any problems, leave it alone. If the muzzle jump bothers you to the point of not shooting it well then by all means port it.  KN

Well but there KN.