Valid points, all.I've been carrying a ported gun for several years and I've tried comps but ported is my preference. Just my opinion but purported downsides of ported is overblown to say the least. I held a white piece of paper directly behind the ports and fired the gun without damaging my hand or the paper. I suppose it would be possible to get a blast of hot air firing from retention but I don't see it being an issue in a normal retention position. Blinding flash at night is an internet myth. Even though I carry a gun everywhere the chances of me being in a self defense shooting are VERY small. Chances of being forced to fire from retention even smaller and if that's the case a hot air in my face will likely be the least of my worries. As always your decision but I'll take my chances with the 30% recoil reduction and the minuscule velocity reduction of my ported setup. Of course you do you and YMMV but what ever you do train regularly with what you are carrying to maximize your chances for success.
Is this from personal knowledge or you read it on the web?I vote for neither, if the gun is to be used as a carry/defense tool. A compensator will make a relatively large handgun that much larger/longer. Both compensator and porting have the potential to give you a face full of hot gases and burning powder when fired from any kind of retention position. If that doesn't ruin your day, your attacker will.
Charter Arms Bulldog .44 SPL. Ported. It had a 2.5" bbl, IIRC. Been there, done that. Won't do it again. Need porting to help with the recoil of a .500 S&W Magnum? I get it. Need porting on a 4.5" barrel 9mm carry gun? I don't get it.Is this from personal knowledge or you read it on the web?
I have three,a 41 Smith and I hate to say it but, two Glock pistols. A 19C and a 23C, I have fired a few thousand rounds out of them over the last 20+ years during the day/night and never have had any issues with flash or gas issues myself. The flash is so fast I don't ever remember it being a problem. I will also say that when being shot under a roof at the range, they are Fing loud.Charter Arms Bulldog .44 SPL. Ported. It had a 2.5" bbl, IIRC. Been there, done that. Won't do it again. Need porting to help with the recoil of a .500 S&W Magnum? I get it. Need porting on a 4.5" barrel 9mm carry gun? I don't get it.
I've got a Taurus model 44 6.5" ported.I vote for neither, if the gun is to be used as a carry/defense tool. A compensator will make a relatively large handgun that much larger/longer. Both compensator and porting have the potential to give you a face full of hot gases and burning powder when fired from any kind of retention position. If that doesn't ruin your day, your attacker will.
This. From somebody who has seen way more of this than I have.As others have said, I'd also recommend you stay away from porting on a defensive use handgun. Craig Douglas has banned the use of certain models in his classes. Shooting those up-close and from retention can be less than ideal.
Craig Douglas - Ported Handguns
And with me having the though that I would never own a ported revolver, just shooting a revolver one can get blasted in the face without being ported.Creedmore:
I just don't get porting a 9mm. The recoil simply does not 'need' management. My 14 y.o. grandson shoots a non-ported P365 (his mother's gun) just fine. From the looks of the 2 posted guns, you are also giving up about 1/3 of your barrel. What does that do to muzzle velocity?
DadSmith:
Porting a 6.5" hunting gun makes perfect sense to me. Very few people (none?) take game from a retention position.
Now imagine this. Carry a ported CA .44SPL Bulldog OWB @ 4 o'clock. Quarter away from threat to disguise/hide the fact that you are drawing a gun. Draw to clear holster, rotate hardware up toward threat. Your right (gun) hand is essentially 14-18" directly below your face. Pull trigger. I have done this exactly once. I'm glad it was in a range scenario in my backyard. It did not blind me with flash since it was daytime. It did surprise the **** out of me. In a defense situation, I would have been, momentarily at least, out of the fight just from the surprise of it. THAT is something nobody needs: your own gun interrupting your response to a threat. I stand by my response/advice. Do not carry a ported SD handgun. If you insist, practice shooting from retention positions. At least you'll know what to expect.
Creedmore:
Chamber pressure on 44 spl is 15,000 PSI. On 9mm it is about 35,000 PSI. I would expect the blast from 9mm to be way more than from .44. Admittedly, I've never shot a ported 9mm.
Its from 2017, He banned the factory ported S&W Shield, not all ported handguns.This. From somebody who has seen way more of this than I have.
That's why I've got reservations on a comp on a edc pistol. I can see the plus side of the comp with quicker follow-up shots, more controllable etc.DadSmith:
Porting a 6.5" hunting gun makes perfect sense to me. Very few people (none?) take game from a retention position.
Now imagine this. Carry a ported CA .44SPL Bulldog OWB @ 4 o'clock. Quarter away from threat to disguise/hide the fact that you are drawing a gun. Draw to clear holster, rotate hardware up toward threat. Your right (gun) hand is essentially 14-18" directly below your face. Pull trigger. I have done this exactly once. I'm glad it was in a range scenario in my backyard. It did not blind me with flash since it was daytime. It did surprise the **** out of me. In a defense situation, I would have been, momentarily at least, out of the fight just from the surprise of it. THAT is something nobody needs: your own gun interrupting your response to a threat. I stand by my response/advice. Do not carry a ported SD handgun. If you insist, practice shooting from retention positions. At least you'll know what to expect.