Porting on Defensive/Tactical Shotguns - juice worth the squeeze?

[Permethrin]

Am curious about the pros/cons of porting for shotguns intended for defensive or "tactical" purposes.
What are the benefits? Are they significant?


thanks

[GJM]

I have paid big money to replace ported barrels on short barrel shotguns with non-ported barrels. First, there is the increase in noise. The big one was, though, was a lesson learned the hard way. I was sighting in a Vang comped and ported 14 inch 870, shooting kneeling, while resting the barrel across the seat of an ATV. My support hand was forward on the grip and my thumb extended up a bit, and when I fired a slug, I thought my left hand was going to fall off. The blast came out the porting, where my thumb was across just a one or two porting holes, turning my thumb black, and for a moment, dazing me. I am glad to not have permanent injury. Can you imagine if your AR barrel,had porting 1/2 inch above your free float handguard?

[Lester Polfus]

I have a 20" barrel that is non ported, and a 28" barrel that is ported and can't tell a whit of difference in subjective recoil with field loads or 3" waterfowl loads.

[Unobtanium]

My former roommate has a ported barrel on his 590A1. I notice nothing special about it.
I have spoken to Hans Vang about it, he says it is helpful.

[Aray]

I think it can be helpful to those who use a traditional both hands pull the gun into your shoulder and hang on hard type technique. If one is adept at the push/pull technique of recoil control, I believe porting is less useful.

[ranger]

I know that a lot of clays target shooters moved away from ported barrels and choke tubes because perception that the issues were not worth the "benefit". For high volume shooters, the plastic wad debris clogs the holes and needs cleaning plus the noise.

[Shawn Dodson]

Porting is intended to reduce muzzle jump (muzzle rise) like a compensator, not to reduce recoil like a muzzle brake. Porting vents gases upward which produces retro thrust force that pushes the muzzle downward.

[Dagga Boy]

My Vang guns (several) are ported. All the Vang guns at my old agency were ported (about Forty). We had no issues. They are helpful when shooting typical full strength old school buck shot and slugs. In a "Low recoil" load world, and controlled shot, not so much anymore. I still like my Vang 870 because nothing guarantees I am getting to use my chosen Federal Low Recoil LE loads. If forced to use what's available, I know he gun will have controlled muzzle climb and keep the red dot tracked, and pattern tight.

My Benelli clay gun is ported. It is a competition clays gun (even though I am totally new to clay shooting...I just liked the gun and got a smoking deal on it). Have no idea what the porting is doing for me, except the gun is a favorite of people who know a lot more than me, and I believe that for some of the clay sports it may add a bit more control of keeping the muzzle tracked.

At this point I am fairly "Meh" on it. I do think it is a positive on your typical pump gun and I teach push pull. It still seems to help. Also, it does take the sting out of slugs.

[Permethrin]

I know that a lot of clays target shooters moved away from ported barrels and choke tubes because perception that the issues were not worth the "benefit". For high volume shooters, the plastic wad debris clogs the holes and needs cleaning plus the noise.

in those sporting situations, on the line shooting trap for example I do not prefer being next to someone shooting a ported gun as it is noticeably loud-er.

didnt realize that they can clog as well but interesting to note.

i'd like to find some decibel data on this if possible - if anyone has any info it would be much appreciated.

i wonder if it's enough of a difference in a closed environment such as a hallway or whatever to go from "wow thats loud" to "ahhh my ears hurt".

(i've never shot in an enclosed environment without earpro).

[Permethrin]

My Vang guns (several) are ported. All the Vang guns at my old agency were ported (about Forty). We had no issues. They are helpful when shooting typical full strength old school buck shot and slugs. In a "Low recoil" load world, and controlled shot, not so much anymore. I still like my Vang 870 because nothing guarantees I am getting to use my chosen Federal Low Recoil LE loads. If forced to use what's available, I know he gun will have controlled muzzle climb and keep the red dot tracked, and pattern tight.

My Benelli clay gun is ported. It is a competition clays gun (even though I am totally new to clay shooting...I just liked the gun and got a smoking deal on it). Have no idea what the porting is doing for me, except the gun is a favorite of people who know a lot more than me, and I believe that for some of the clay sports it may add a bit more control of keeping the muzzle tracked.

At this point I am fairly "Meh" on it. I do think it is a positive on your typical pump gun and I teach push pull. It still seems to help. Also, it does take the sting out of slugs.

interesting to see the conflicting experiences regarding whether or not the ports help with recoil mitigation vs. muzzle rise only.

are the VC ports angled in a way that may drive gases backwards (mitigating recoil?) or are they more vertical?

thanks

[Unobtanium]

Limbsaver recoil pad > Ports by a long shot, IME

[willie]

Consensus among most shotgun shooters is that ports contribute very little to recoil reduction. Experts say that shotgun shells lack sufficient pressure to propel gases to velocity levels needed for the "jet effect". I have a ported barrel on a duck gun. I see it as a marketing gimmick. If a barrel had ports on the very end, i can see how they might reduce muzzle rise.

Many years ago, Lyman sold a gizmo called a Cutts Compensator, which accepted long choke tubes. The contraption had maybe 10 slits on each side. It did work as advertized and was popular with skeet shooters during the 1930s and 40s and lesser so iup through the early 50s. The thing was extremely loud. If you notice that some Thompsons have a knob on the end, you're looking at a version of the Cutts. I've fired shotguns and one Thompson with a Cutts. Now days a Cutts on a shotgn devalues it. For the last 50 years many have called them dog dicks.