Should I Port - The Firearms Forum

60defense · 12-09-2010, 01:55 AM

I have a Smith and Wesson 60 in 357 magnum with the 3 inch barrel, and is my daily carry. I am interested in a port job from magna port. They claim there is no increase in noise level or muzzle flash. I wonder if this is a good idea on a barrel this small and if any one has any experience with this company and services?

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johnlives4christ · 12-09-2010, 03:50 AM

howdy. welcome to the forum and God bless you!

personally i dont have any experience with them. i wouldnt do it if it was me. i have heard that it really doesnt reduce recoil significantly, but i dont know.

JLA · 12-09-2010, 06:49 AM

I wouldnt port. Its just a personal preference though. For me, the .357 in its stoutest loadings doesnt kick hard enough to warrant an expensive porting job.

That is a damn nice smith BTW. I love S&W revolvers

Rick O'Shay · 12-09-2010, 08:49 AM

I've had two guns Mag'na Ported , one was a 44Mag 7 1/2" Super Blackhawk and the other was a 41Mag Black Hawk. I never really noticed any improvement in felt recoil and it seemed to change the handling of the guns to fight the natural roll that the guns were designed with. I sold the 41 to someone who was very happy with it and shortened the barrel on the 44 to 5 1/2". That being said I had a S&W Model 642 given the Protector Package I believe it was called done by Gemmini Customs. They use a porting they call Hybra Porting and did a action job which was fantasic as nice as a Sig 226 9mm DAK. They also polished the trigger bright. Felt recoil was decreased enough to keep the rubber grips from chaffing your palm in extended shooting and getting on target again time for a follow up shot was almost nil. I'm sure getting the whole package at once added more magic to the gun then just getting it ported but I was very much more happy with it then the porting packages I had done years before.

Helix_FR · 12-09-2010, 09:06 AM

Don't bother. Felt recoil shows little change. Muzzle flash is not increased but now it goes up too blocking your view and you'll see spots if the light level surrounding you is low. I shot a ported 3 inch S&W in a low light level range. The flash was more prominent upwards, the follow up shot was hard to acquire for a few seconds.

Bubblehead · 12-09-2010, 09:26 AM

I had a Magna-Port job done on my S&W 686 .357 when I replaced the 6" barrel with a 4" one. I thought that porting would be necessary to compensate for the shorter barrel. No noticeable difference in felt recoil as some of the folks have mentioned. However I did notice another strange effect. When I shoot the gun I can feel a rapid increase in pressure in my nose. I can only assume that when the hot gases vent vertically out of the barrel, they also expanded and that "back blast" caused the effect. It's not unpleasant, just weird.

John

JLA · 12-09-2010, 09:35 AM

That is the biggest difference in ported and unported. You will notice the weapon seems much louder and if its a high pressure magnum like the .357 or .44, itll feel like someone thumping you in the chest.

Warith · 12-09-2010, 11:42 AM

My dad and I brought identical taurus model 66s with 6 inch barrels in 357. We ordered them the same day from the same dealer. When they got in mine was 6 1/2 inch barrel with factory porting and my dads was what we ordered 6 inch barrel no porting. The shope we got them from said they would send mine back but I desided to keep it.

The differance between the guns was the noise (mine much louder with a whine to it) and a very very slight diferance in felt recoil. Ther recoil was not enough to to tell unless you shot one then imediately shot the other one.

grcsat · 12-09-2010, 12:07 PM

Hi, I worked for Magna Port along time ago.
There will be very little differance in the handling of anything with a short barrel.The longer the barrel , the more efective the porting will be.

On a three inch barrel.....don't bother.

As for the gun being louder, There is no change in the DB level. However the sound pitch will be changed giving the apearance of it being louder to the human ear. Many shooters do find the change quite uncomfortable and complain about the so called extra noise.
Porting dose work really well on autos, and I think for a short barreled wheel gun you should think twice.

Just my two cents

JLA · 12-09-2010, 01:40 PM

not a change in DB, just a change in the direction of the soundwaves...

Rick O'Shay · 12-09-2010, 06:48 PM

60defense, heres some links to a couple of videos showing the Hybra Porting in action and as you can see in the low light video that that there is almost no flash caused by the porting it is comming mostly by the barrel cylinder gap and the muzzel of the barrel. The video of the S&W 340 being shot one handed pretty much shows the benifits of Hybra Porting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgAu7xMKtCU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa9wXiPk9FU

12-09-2010, 01:55 AM	#1
60defense Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 15	Should I Port I have a Smith and Wesson 60 in 357 magnum with the 3 inch barrel, and is my daily carry. I am interested in a port job from magna port. They claim there is no increase in noise level or muzzle flash. I wonder if this is a good idea on a barrel this small and if any one has any experience with this company and services? -->

12-09-2010, 03:50 AM	#2
johnlives4christ Former Guest Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kentucky Posts: 3,828	Re: Should I Port howdy. welcome to the forum and God bless you! personally i dont have any experience with them. i wouldnt do it if it was me. i have heard that it really doesnt reduce recoil significantly, but i dont know.

12-09-2010, 06:49 AM	#3
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,328	Re: Should I Port I wouldnt port. Its just a personal preference though. For me, the .357 in its stoutest loadings doesnt kick hard enough to warrant an expensive porting job. That is a damn nice smith BTW. I love S&W revolvers __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-09-2010, 08:49 AM	#4
Rick O'Shay V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southwest Michigan Posts: 78	Re: Should I Port I've had two guns Mag'na Ported , one was a 44Mag 7 1/2" Super Blackhawk and the other was a 41Mag Black Hawk. I never really noticed any improvement in felt recoil and it seemed to change the handling of the guns to fight the natural roll that the guns were designed with. I sold the 41 to someone who was very happy with it and shortened the barrel on the 44 to 5 1/2". That being said I had a S&W Model 642 given the Protector Package I believe it was called done by Gemmini Customs. They use a porting they call Hybra Porting and did a action job which was fantasic as nice as a Sig 226 9mm DAK. They also polished the trigger bright. Felt recoil was decreased enough to keep the rubber grips from chaffing your palm in extended shooting and getting on target again time for a follow up shot was almost nil. I'm sure getting the whole package at once added more magic to the gun then just getting it ported but I was very much more happy with it then the porting packages I had done years before.

12-09-2010, 09:06 AM	#5
Helix_FR TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Imperial, MO Posts: 3,628	Re: Should I Port Don't bother. Felt recoil shows little change. Muzzle flash is not increased but now it goes up too blocking your view and you'll see spots if the light level surrounding you is low. I shot a ported 3 inch S&W in a low light level range. The flash was more prominent upwards, the follow up shot was hard to acquire for a few seconds. __________________ Only cowards shoot with their eyes closed.... helixgunsmith.com

12-09-2010, 09:26 AM	#6
Bubblehead V.I.P. Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pioneer, CA Posts: 480	Re: Should I Port I had a Magna-Port job done on my S&W 686 .357 when I replaced the 6" barrel with a 4" one. I thought that porting would be necessary to compensate for the shorter barrel. No noticeable difference in felt recoil as some of the folks have mentioned. However I did notice another strange effect. When I shoot the gun I can feel a rapid increase in pressure in my nose. I can only assume that when the hot gases vent vertically out of the barrel, they also expanded and that "back blast" caused the effect. It's not unpleasant, just weird. John __________________ There are only two types of ships: Submarines and Targets.

12-09-2010, 09:35 AM	#7
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,328	Re: Should I Port That is the biggest difference in ported and unported. You will notice the weapon seems much louder and if its a high pressure magnum like the .357 or .44, itll feel like someone thumping you in the chest. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-09-2010, 11:42 AM	#8
Warith V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Belton, Mo Posts: 287	Re: Should I Port My dad and I brought identical taurus model 66s with 6 inch barrels in 357. We ordered them the same day from the same dealer. When they got in mine was 6 1/2 inch barrel with factory porting and my dads was what we ordered 6 inch barrel no porting. The shope we got them from said they would send mine back but I desided to keep it. The differance between the guns was the noise (mine much louder with a whine to it) and a very very slight diferance in felt recoil. Ther recoil was not enough to to tell unless you shot one then imediately shot the other one.

12-09-2010, 12:07 PM	#9
grcsat V.I.P. Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: far,far,North Posts: 377	Re: Should I Port Hi, I worked for Magna Port along time ago. There will be very little differance in the handling of anything with a short barrel.The longer the barrel , the more efective the porting will be. On a three inch barrel.....don't bother. As for the gun being louder, There is no change in the DB level. However the sound pitch will be changed giving the apearance of it being louder to the human ear. Many shooters do find the change quite uncomfortable and complain about the so called extra noise. Porting dose work really well on autos, and I think for a short barreled wheel gun you should think twice. Just my two cents

12-09-2010, 01:40 PM	#10
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,328	Re: Should I Port not a change in DB, just a change in the direction of the soundwaves... __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

12-09-2010, 06:48 PM	#11
Rick O'Shay V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Southwest Michigan Posts: 78	Re: Should I Port 60defense, heres some links to a couple of videos showing the Hybra Porting in action and as you can see in the low light video that that there is almost no flash caused by the porting it is comming mostly by the barrel cylinder gap and the muzzel of the barrel. The video of the S&W 340 being shot one handed pretty much shows the benifits of Hybra Porting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgAu7xMKtCU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xa9wXiPk9FU