porting advantages?

mybadodge

what are the advantages to porting other than less recoil?

Thanks in advance.

Bob

"Ignorance spreads lies" - puddle of mudd

offeror

Porting, when properly calculated and executed, MUST have some real, measurable advantages or it wouldn't be done by some of the best experts in the country.

But you are not quite right about the purpose being to reduce recoil. It's primary purpose is reducing muzzle flip more than felt recoil. The primary use of porting is to keep the gun on target for follow-up shots, particularly with machine guns but also for any gun in a tactical or competitive role.

The disadvantages can include more muzzle flash in your eyes above the barrel, and a louder bang to contend with. Porting also reduces the effective barrel length by the distance from the crown to the rear of the ports. This can result in a loss of muzzle velocity. In a typical handgun at nominal velocity, the number seems to run around 50 feet per second of lost velocity. A screw-on or welded-on compensator does NOT reduce muzzle velocity, because it obviously does not reduce the effective barrel length. It still, however, will help reduce muzzle flip if properly designed.

If I have not got this quite right, someone will no doubt correct me; but that's pretty close to your answer.

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

mybadodge

offeror,

Ok, that makes sense as to certain advantages. I was just going by the following I read on Glock's website when researching the Glock 32 and 32C which is where I assumed it was mostly for less recoil.

"Shooters who are recoil sensitive will especially appreciate the GLOCK "C" models."


Bob

"Ignorance spreads lies" - puddle of mudd

He Dog

In hand guns, much of the recoil is translated into muzzle flip because it is essentially pivoting on your wrist. Unless you are shooting rapid fire or for competition accuracy, it is probably a wast of money.

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand

offeror

Even Glock only ported comptetition, long barrelled guns for quite a long time. There is a recoil reduction "benefit," if porting reduces "perceived recoil" by reducing muzzle flip, and when it reduces actual recoil by reducing muzzle velocity. But if you are thinking in terms of primary benefits of porting, I would still say the primary benefit of a compensator is to reduce muzzle flip, not reduce recoil. In fact, many people who port guns choose stronger loads to make up the lost velocity. Still, for the consumer who is "recoil-sensitive," Glock's ad makes a certain amount of sense. I was not disagreeing, just trying to clarify the primary benefit, if any, of a port or a compensator. It would, however, be interesting to hear what the .50 Barrett shooters think about the primary benefit of a compensator. At that level of recoil, it is possible that the recoil-reduction benefits begin to outweigh other considerations.

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

He Dog

Offerer, you and I agree substantially. I also have no experience with the use of porting or compensators on large caliber handguns. On rifles and ordinary pistols I am inclined to see them as mostly a gimmick, though I have thought about one for the .375 H&H!

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand

offeror

He Dog -- I wish I had a .375 H&H to think about.

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

mudge

I have an "add on" compensator on my Commander. I love it. REALLY reduces muzzle flip. The flash, at night is a bit much. That's a HUGE flame jumping up in front of your face. If you close one eye, you'll retain a lot of your night vision when you open it again.
Realistically, how many of us shoot at night? If it's in a dark bedroom and you're stopping a threat, just blaze away 'til you hear somethin' hit the floor.

"Just funnin' son, just funnin'"

Mudge the compensatorial
(Did I say that right?)

I can't come to work today. The voices said, STAY HOME AND CLEAN THE GUNS!