To port or not to port

[Crazy Horse]

Hello, I have been here a few days reading some of the threads on the Freedom Arms section. I am going to order a FA 83 field grade 475 Linebaugh. I want the 4 3/4" barrel, black micarta grips, gold bead express style sights and a 3 pound trigger job. I was thinking about getting 2 ports in the barrel but I can't decide for sure if I want them. Do y'all think it would help that much or should I use that money for a nice holster?

[Ken ONeill]

I had my 7 1/2" and 9" .475's 4-ported, and I scoped them, as serious hunting guns. My 7 1/2" .454 is also 4-ported and scoped. I've hunted a good bit with all of them. Personally I prefer that 6" barrels or shorter remain unported, and all but one of mine are.
I believe that porting does reduce muzzle climb, as does the weight of a scope and rings. However, 2 friends and I did quite a bit of testing on 3 FA 7 1/2" .454's about a dozen years ago, and found that with that cartridge, a ported gun will lose about 100-125 fps vs. an unported gun, depending upon the load.
My own objection to ports on the shorter barrels is more related to aesthetics, and muzzle blast / debris through the ports, though, than to velocity loss.
I'd buy a flower carved holster instead.

[Hairtrigger]

The ports can always be added later

[Crazy Horse]

Thanks for the advise..........

[Del]

My main hunting handgun: FA mdl. 83 / .454 w/a 6 inch barrel was not ordered w/mag-na-porting, I wanted to try it w/o the porting first.

After the revolver arrived I mounted a Leupold 2x scope set in 3 rings on a T'SOB mount, even w/the extra weight on top the muzzle flip was more then I wanted to deal with, so I ended up sending it in for the 2 traditional mag-na-port job.

The porting helped reduce muzzle flip considerably!!  I would recommend it to anyone!!  Save the cost of shipping both ways to Mag-na-port, do it now when you order the handgun from FA.

My main woods carry / hunting back up handgun is a custom Ruger Super Redhawk .454 w/barrel cut to 4" & 6 ports (3 each side of the front sight), I wouldn't want to shoot full power loads w/out the porting!!

Porting = Faster follow up shots & less wear and tear on the wrists. 

That's my opinion,
Del