Porting a Barrel

Pistolgripshotty · September 22, 2012, 08:04 AM

Does anyone have any experience with porting a barrel...I was considering porting mine on my 500 but need a little more knowledge about it. Any info is good info. Thanks!

jaguarxk120 · September 22, 2012, 10:20 AM

Some people say it's good and some say it does nothing. I lean to the nothing people.

Shotguns operate at much lower pressures(12,000psi) than a rifle(50,000psi), and venting off some of the powder gas won't do much help in controling recoil.

In rifles part of the recoil impulse is from the jet/rocket effect from the gas comming from the muzzle, and a brake will help control recoil. Shotguns the recoil impulse is more form the fact you are shooting a 492 grain hunk of lead out the barrel.

The porting makes the gun sound louder (venting gas closer to shooter) and some think the ports/holes look cool.

big al hunter · September 22, 2012, 10:46 AM

My 835 came factory ported. It helps with muzzle rise on 3 1/2"mag loads with 1 1/4 oz loads of steel shot or 1 3/8 oz lead turkey loads. It does not seem very effective on 2 3/4" shells. At least I don't notice any difference with other shotguns. If your not hunting turkey it probably wont change much. The best recoil reducer I have found is a flex tech stock. Beneli and Thompson Center have them as an option from the factory. Cuts recoil 40% according to the adds. I will say they come very close to meeting their claim.

mete · September 22, 2012, 11:26 AM

It does nothing with target loads .Try to understand the physics of it.

It does help with full loads .Putting the porting at and above the center line of the bore helps reduce muzzle rise which can reduce felt recoil.

40% seems way high , 25% is more likely .I wonder how they arrived at 40% ?

Tombstonejim · September 22, 2012, 11:59 AM

I hate to ask this silly question. But if porting does nothing for target loads why are most high dollar trap and skeet guns ported?

jaguarxk120 · September 22, 2012, 12:10 PM

Kolar, Perazzi, and Zoli do not come ported, although if you want porting any of the three will be more than happy to port the barrels for a slight extra charge.

Chuckusaret · September 22, 2012, 01:15 PM

I have several ported guns and it does reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip/rise. Mine were ported by Mag-na-port.

BigJimP · September 22, 2012, 01:27 PM

Its often debated on here....personally, I do think it reduces muzzle rize for your 2nd shot ...even using relatively light target loads.../ and it might reduce recoil a little ... but others say its just a marketing ploy ...

But all of my target guns ....Browning O/U's and my Benelli super sports are all ported ...at least the 12ga and 20ga's...not the 28ga or .410....

but I think the OP is wondering whether he can take a drill ...and drill bit ...to his gun and start drilling holes ...??

....but I wouldn't suggest " do it yourself porting "...not even on a 500.../ you're going to need a fixture to hold the barrel stead, variable speed drill press, some bits that will cut the steel in the barrel ...and be able to de-burr the top and the inside of the barrel with a hone or something.. and potentially touch up the finish....

porting - is not a do it yourself project - in my opinion.

Chuckusaret · September 22, 2012, 01:48 PM

BigJimP is correct, the muzzle flip/rise is reduced by a noticeable amount but the felt recoil is reduced by maybe 5% or so. Would I attempt to port any of my guns, never. It takes more than a drill press and drill vise.

big al hunter · September 22, 2012, 04:12 PM

Mete, the flex tech stock has a very flexible core and butt pad that is surrounded by a vented shell. The combination allows a large amount of the recoil to be absorbed into the stock and released slower. Thereby reducing felt recoil. I have one on my TC Encore 12 ga. slug gun. It is close to half what I feel from my other shotguns. You should try it.

look

tcarms.com

mete · September 22, 2012, 04:33 PM

big al , that looks interesting !

In addition to understanding the physics of the recoil we did some serious testing . Tombstone --There are many gadgets that are really scams and people who don't know the science etc are taken in .That happens in almost any field.

I was part of a test with some very good ,very experienced sporting clay shooters .Two identical Browning SC guns were used, one with and one without porting .A round of SC was done by shooting half the rounds with each gun. The shooter was asked if he could detect any difference , and the watchers were asked if they could see any difference.
No difference was seen or felt with target loads.

Pure target loads made by companies like Remington have powder carefully chosen that will burn all the powder completely within the barrel.That removes any jet or rocket effect that is reduced by porting.
The porting however will act on powders that are burning outside the barrel and reduce recoil.
It's all physics but they don't teach science in schools anymore !

zippy13 · September 22, 2012, 10:58 PM

Pistolgripshotty,

Mossberg will port your barrel for $35. At that price, it's hardly worth considering doing it yourself.

Method · September 22, 2012, 11:43 PM

I've got porting on my competition gun. I haven't noticed a distinct difference in recoil compare to guns without the porting. What I have distinctly noticed is that cleaning a ported barrel is much more difficult with a ported barrel. I find myself with q-tips and pipe cleaners trying to get into every little hole...and even then I end up with a couple residue flakes I can never seem to get off.

Like many things (e.g. raised ribs on skeet guns), I think there's solid science and engineering behind porting...but I personally don't find the benefit in recoil reduction to justify the additional hassle in cleaning.

I would not disqualify a gun for purchase if it had ported barrels, but it is most certainly not a requirement for me, and I prefer the regular barrels.

TheKlawMan · September 23, 2012, 12:47 PM

Don't forget a major factor. They look cool! KInd of llke the old Buicks.

340 Weatherby · September 23, 2012, 06:35 PM

Klawman that's the best reason I've heard yet! LOL

PJR · September 24, 2012, 07:52 AM

Some friends tested this by swapping ported and non-ported factory barrels of identical length and weight on a Beretta 390. Using target loads we each fired 25 shots without knowing which barrel was on. Initially I could not tell the difference based on recoil or muzzle rise. Eventually I could tell the difference but only because the ported barrel was louder.

I've owned ported guns and for clay shooting I wouldn't not buy a gun because it was ported but currently none of mine are and I certainly would not spend money getting it added to a gun in the aftermarket.

TheKlawMan · September 24, 2012, 12:23 PM

Quote:

we each fired 25 shots without knowing which barrel was on

How did you manage not to know?

Firefighter88 · September 24, 2012, 12:41 PM

Does porting a barrel, that was originally not ported, affect the value of the gun at all?

BigJimP · September 24, 2012, 01:21 PM

If its done right ...probably not ...

If its done by some "Bubba" in his garage....yes, probably ...

If you have a barrel ported ...or any major changes in a gun done ( like going from Inertia triggers to mechanical triggers ) - I'd suggest you keep copies of the work order ( kind of like you would on a car )..especially if its an expensive gun with retail value over $ 4,000 or so .....to prove the work was done by a well known gunsmith or a reputable shop ( like Briley Mfg ) or if the original mfg did the work, etc...

PJR · September 24, 2012, 07:04 PM

Quote:

How did you manage not to know?

Blocked out shooting glasses on the shooter, testing done under controled conditions. The gun was loaded with two shots and handed to the shooter who could not see which barrel was on the gun. One guy fired, one guy loaded, the third made sure the muzzle stayed in a safe direction.

g2gunny · September 25, 2012, 09:01 AM

Lots of great info, thanks for the response....helped me too!

.300 Weatherby Mag · September 25, 2012, 09:40 AM

The only ported shotgun that I haven't detested in some way is KlawMan's Browning XS skeet... Many ported guns are noticeably louder, which to me is a big drawback... I shot someone's K gun a while back that would blow fowling back at you from the top barrel to point that after a round my glasses had to be cleaned... I have no idea who did the porting on that gun, but it was pretty bad to get both fowling and hot gas directed back toward your face...

TheKlawMan · September 25, 2012, 01:57 PM

If you are going to shoot a ported barrel, try using a dirty powder like Promo. Not always, but often I get a look at a puff of smoke billowing out of the left side and it't kind of cool.

zippy13 · September 25, 2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

we each fired 25 shots without knowing which barrel was on

What's important is: is your average score, over 1,000 rounds, higher with porting? You can't tell much with only 25 rounds. Only one of my comp guns isn't ported -- why, because it's one I never seem to use (it's a #2 back-up gun).

B.L.E. · September 25, 2012, 05:45 PM

Barrel ports or muzzle brakes redirect the power gasses in a direction that does not add to or even cancels some of the recoil.
These powder gasses weigh just as much as the original powder charge that generated them.

With a target load, you have about 18-20 grains of powder and 580 grains of shot. The mass of the shot is responsible for almost all of the recoil so taking that 18-20 grains of powder out of the equation will barely be felt.

With rifle loads, you might have 45-50 grains of powder accelerating a 150 grain bullet. Removing the powder's contribution to recoil will be noticable.

As you get to the 4000+ fps varmint rifles, the powder often outweighs the bullet. A 100% effficient muzzle brake could theoretically make such a gun kick forward.

A muzzle brake might be effective in a shotgun for black powder loads, where the powder charge weighs 80-90 grains.

September 22, 2012, 08:04 AM	#1
Pistolgripshotty Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2012 Location: Somewhere out there Posts: 184	Porting a Barrel Does anyone have any experience with porting a barrel...I was considering porting mine on my 500 but need a little more knowledge about it. Any info is good info. Thanks! __________________ *12 Gauge Fury!*

September 22, 2012, 10:46 AM	#3
big al hunter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2011 Location: Washington state Posts: 1,558	My 835 came factory ported. It helps with muzzle rise on 3 1/2"mag loads with 1 1/4 oz loads of steel shot or 1 3/8 oz lead turkey loads. It does not seem very effective on 2 3/4" shells. At least I don't notice any difference with other shotguns. If your not hunting turkey it probably wont change much. The best recoil reducer I have found is a flex tech stock. Beneli and Thompson Center have them as an option from the factory. Cuts recoil 40% according to the adds. I will say they come very close to meeting their claim. __________________ You can't fix stupid....however ignorance can be cured through education!

September 22, 2012, 11:26 AM	#4
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	It does nothing with target loads .Try to understand the physics of it. It does help with full loads .Putting the porting at and above the center line of the bore helps reduce muzzle rise which can reduce felt recoil. 40% seems way high , 25% is more likely .I wonder how they arrived at 40% ? __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

September 22, 2012, 04:12 PM	#10
big al hunter Senior Member Join Date: March 12, 2011 Location: Washington state Posts: 1,558	Mete, the flex tech stock has a very flexible core and butt pad that is surrounded by a vented shell. The combination allows a large amount of the recoil to be absorbed into the stock and released slower. Thereby reducing felt recoil. I have one on my TC Encore 12 ga. slug gun. It is close to half what I feel from my other shotguns. You should try it. look tcarms.com __________________ You can't fix stupid....however ignorance can be cured through education!

September 22, 2012, 04:33 PM	#11
mete Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2004 Location: NY State Posts: 6,575	big al , that looks interesting ! In addition to understanding the physics of the recoil we did some serious testing . Tombstone --There are many gadgets that are really scams and people who don't know the science etc are taken in .That happens in almost any field. I was part of a test with some very good ,very experienced sporting clay shooters .Two identical Browning SC guns were used, one with and one without porting .A round of SC was done by shooting half the rounds with each gun. The shooter was asked if he could detect any difference , and the watchers were asked if they could see any difference. No difference was seen or felt with target loads. Pure target loads made by companies like Remington have powder carefully chosen that will burn all the powder completely within the barrel.That removes any jet or rocket effect that is reduced by porting. The porting however will act on powders that are burning outside the barrel and reduce recoil. It's all physics but they don't teach science in schools anymore ! __________________ And Watson , bring your revolver !

September 22, 2012, 10:20 AM	#2
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	Some people say it's good and some say it does nothing. I lean to the nothing people. Shotguns operate at much lower pressures(12,000psi) than a rifle(50,000psi), and venting off some of the powder gas won't do much help in controling recoil. In rifles part of the recoil impulse is from the jet/rocket effect from the gas comming from the muzzle, and a brake will help control recoil. Shotguns the recoil impulse is more form the fact you are shooting a 492 grain hunk of lead out the barrel. The porting makes the gun sound louder (venting gas closer to shooter) and some think the ports/holes look cool.

September 22, 2012, 11:59 AM	#5
Tombstonejim Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2007 Location: Tombstone Az Posts: 202	I hate to ask this silly question. But if porting does nothing for target loads why are most high dollar trap and skeet guns ported?

September 22, 2012, 12:10 PM	#6
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,620	Kolar, Perazzi, and Zoli do not come ported, although if you want porting any of the three will be more than happy to port the barrels for a slight extra charge.

September 22, 2012, 01:15 PM	#7
Chuckusaret Junior member Join Date: December 5, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 708	I have several ported guns and it does reduce felt recoil and muzzle flip/rise. Mine were ported by Mag-na-port.

September 22, 2012, 01:27 PM	#8
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Its often debated on here....personally, I do think it reduces muzzle rize for your 2nd shot ...even using relatively light target loads.../ and it might reduce recoil a little ... but others say its just a marketing ploy ... But all of my target guns ....Browning O/U's and my Benelli super sports are all ported ...at least the 12ga and 20ga's...not the 28ga or .410.... but I think the OP is wondering whether he can take a drill ...and drill bit ...to his gun and start drilling holes ...?? ....but I wouldn't suggest " do it yourself porting "...not even on a 500.../ you're going to need a fixture to hold the barrel stead, variable speed drill press, some bits that will cut the steel in the barrel ...and be able to de-burr the top and the inside of the barrel with a hone or something.. and potentially touch up the finish.... porting - is not a do it yourself project - in my opinion.

September 22, 2012, 01:48 PM	#9
Chuckusaret Junior member Join Date: December 5, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 708	BigJimP is correct, the muzzle flip/rise is reduced by a noticeable amount but the felt recoil is reduced by maybe 5% or so. Would I attempt to port any of my guns, never. It takes more than a drill press and drill vise.

September 22, 2012, 10:58 PM	#12
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Pistolgripshotty, Mossberg will port your barrel for $35. At that price, it's hardly worth considering doing it yourself.

September 22, 2012, 11:43 PM	#13
Method Member Join Date: July 6, 2012 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 73	I've got porting on my competition gun. I haven't noticed a distinct difference in recoil compare to guns without the porting. What I have distinctly noticed is that cleaning a ported barrel is much more difficult with a ported barrel. I find myself with q-tips and pipe cleaners trying to get into every little hole...and even then I end up with a couple residue flakes I can never seem to get off. Like many things (e.g. raised ribs on skeet guns), I think there's solid science and engineering behind porting...but I personally don't find the benefit in recoil reduction to justify the additional hassle in cleaning. I would not disqualify a gun for purchase if it had ported barrels, but it is most certainly not a requirement for me, and I prefer the regular barrels.

September 23, 2012, 12:47 PM	#14
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Don't forget a major factor. They look cool! KInd of llke the old Buicks.

September 23, 2012, 06:35 PM	#15
340 Weatherby Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 2012 Posts: 139	Klawman that's the best reason I've heard yet! LOL

September 24, 2012, 07:52 AM	#16
PJR Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2000 Posts: 1,127	Some friends tested this by swapping ported and non-ported factory barrels of identical length and weight on a Beretta 390. Using target loads we each fired 25 shots without knowing which barrel was on. Initially I could not tell the difference based on recoil or muzzle rise. Eventually I could tell the difference but only because the ported barrel was louder. I've owned ported guns and for clay shooting I wouldn't not buy a gun because it was ported but currently none of mine are and I certainly would not spend money getting it added to a gun in the aftermarket.

September 24, 2012, 12:41 PM	#18
Firefighter88 Member Join Date: July 3, 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 71	Does porting a barrel, that was originally not ported, affect the value of the gun at all? __________________ Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they don't get it wrong.

September 24, 2012, 01:21 PM	#19
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	If its done right ...probably not ... If its done by some "Bubba" in his garage....yes, probably ... If you have a barrel ported ...or any major changes in a gun done ( like going from Inertia triggers to mechanical triggers ) - I'd suggest you keep copies of the work order ( kind of like you would on a car )..especially if its an expensive gun with retail value over $ 4,000 or so .....to prove the work was done by a well known gunsmith or a reputable shop ( like Briley Mfg ) or if the original mfg did the work, etc...

September 25, 2012, 09:01 AM	#21
g2gunny Junior Member Join Date: September 17, 2012 Posts: 12	Lots of great info, thanks for the response....helped me too!

September 25, 2012, 09:40 AM	#22
.300 Weatherby Mag Senior Member Join Date: September 6, 2008 Posts: 1,777	The only ported shotgun that I haven't detested in some way is KlawMan's Browning XS skeet... Many ported guns are noticeably louder, which to me is a big drawback... I shot someone's K gun a while back that would blow fowling back at you from the top barrel to point that after a round my glasses had to be cleaned... I have no idea who did the porting on that gun, but it was pretty bad to get both fowling and hot gas directed back toward your face...

September 25, 2012, 01:57 PM	#23
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	If you are going to shoot a ported barrel, try using a dirty powder like Promo. Not always, but often I get a look at a puff of smoke billowing out of the left side and it't kind of cool.

September 25, 2012, 05:45 PM	#25
B.L.E. Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2008 Location: Somewhere on the Southern shore of Lake Travis, TX Posts: 2,603	Barrel ports or muzzle brakes redirect the power gasses in a direction that does not add to or even cancels some of the recoil. These powder gasses weigh just as much as the original powder charge that generated them. With a target load, you have about 18-20 grains of powder and 580 grains of shot. The mass of the shot is responsible for almost all of the recoil so taking that 18-20 grains of powder out of the equation will barely be felt. With rifle loads, you might have 45-50 grains of powder accelerating a 150 grain bullet. Removing the powder's contribution to recoil will be noticable. As you get to the 4000+ fps varmint rifles, the powder often outweighs the bullet. A 100% effficient muzzle brake could theoretically make such a gun kick forward. A muzzle brake might be effective in a shotgun for black powder loads, where the powder charge weighs 80-90 grains.