Ported barrels for EDC - ammo type?

[Jcon268]

I recently ordered one of these guys. Now first off, the porting has nothing to do with not being able to manage recoil. It's 9mm and it's a subcompact pistol so while recoil is manageable, it will tend to be "snappy" and a lot of guys are reporting positive results with minimal muzzle rise for quicker target re-acquisition and more consistent, tighter groups using a barrel/slide combo like this.

One of the main concerns with the ported barrel is a reduction in muzzle velocity, albeit minimal, which could lead to less effective expansion of the hollowpoint round on target. Some guys are using +P ammo to counteract this reduction but I question if this nullifies the effectiveness of the port and that snappy muzzle rise you were trying to eliminate to begin with.

Does anyone have any real world experience with these ported barrels, specifically the type shown here? What kinds of ammo did your gun like the most with it?

FLEX PORT MOD-X COMPETE UPPER G43/43X

1317682

swprecisionarms.com

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[Yarome]

I recently ordered one of these guys. Now first off, the porting has nothing to do with not being able to manage recoil. It's 9mm and it's a subcompact pistol so while recoil is manageable, it will tend to be "snappy" and a lot of guys are reporting positive results with minimal muzzle rise for quicker target re-acquisition and more consistent, tighter groups using a barrel/slide combo like this.

One of the main concerns with the ported barrel is a reduction in muzzle velocity, albeit minimal, which could lead to less effective expansion of the hollowpoint round on target. Some guys are using +P ammo to counteract this reduction but I question if this nullifies the effectiveness of the port and that snappy muzzle rise you were trying to eliminate to begin with.

Does anyone have any real world experience with these ported barrels, specifically the type shown here? What kinds of ammo did your gun like the most with it?
View attachment 1817019

FLEX PORT MOD-X COMPETE UPPER G43/43X

1317682

swprecisionarms.com

Well... I would say... ported or unported, in most respects, really makes no meaningful difference and simply depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Pro's vs. con's... it's pretty much a wash, IMHO. IOW., whatever you gain you are also giving up something else.

Muzzle velocity. In testing, the lowest drop is only about 5% (say... 50fps) Some loads there is absolutely no drop at all, and some loads may even have a slight increase.

Felt recoil is a tiny bit more with ported, but muzzle flip is less. That energy has to go somewhere, right. Shooting close to the body or at night with a ported "may" have the possibility to affect night vision a little more or blow a tiny bit of debris your way, but on the flip side, target reacquisition is faster. Meaningfully so for someone shooting unported and trains often?

In a defensive shoot there is something to be said for 'Slow is steady. Steady is fast.'

Sound. From measurements I've seen... it doesn't make your firearm and louder or quieter in the grand scheme of things. Ported though... some of that sound is directed more toward the shooter so it may be perceived as "louder". Splitting hairs, but such as it is.

As for +P. to compensate... you really may or may not be compensating for anything and you're just shooting a hotter load as anyone. As such... any of the pros and cons listed above will be enhanced just like you would expect in any firearm, ported or not, shooting +P. At worst, is 50pfs going to make a difference in penetration and expansion? It "may", but is it within a margin that will make or break a load? If so though, it's probably not a load you should really be carrying for EDC, anyway. I mean... that's what? The difference between someone with a thin dress shirt on vs. someone wearing a hoodie?

 

[Jcon268]

Well... I would say... ported or unported, in most respects, really makes no meaningful difference and simply depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Pro's vs. con's... it's pretty much a wash, IMHO. IOW., whatever you gain you are also giving up something else.

Muzzle velocity. In testing, the lowest drop is only about %5 (say... 50fps) Some loads there is absolutely no drop at all, and some loads may even have a slight increase.

Felt recoil is a tiny bit more with ported, but muzzle flip is less. That energy has to go somewhere, right. Shooting close to the body or at night with a ported "may" have the possibility to affect night vision a little more or blow a tiny bit of debris your way, but on the flip side, target reacquisition is faster. Meaningfully so for someone shooting unported and trains often?

Sound. From measurements I've seen... it doesn't make your firearm and louder or quieter in the grand scheme of things. Ported though... some of that sound is directed more toward the shooter so it may be perceived as "louder". Splitting hairs, but such as it is.

As for +P. to compensate... you really may or may not be compensating for anything and you're just shooting a hotter load as anyone. As such... any of the pros and cons listed above will be enhanced just like you would expect in any firearm, ported or not, shooting +P. At worst, is 50pfs going to make a difference in penetration and expansion? It "may", but is it within a margin that will make or break a load? If so though, it's probably not a load you should really be carrying for EDC, anyway. I mean... that's what? The difference between someone with a thin dress shirt on vs. someone wearing a hoodie?

Exactly the conversation I was looking for. Without getting super scientific, there should be enough margin for error that if someone was wearing a thicker jacket or hoodie, the hollowpoint would still expand effectively every time. This really sounds like a matter of ammo selection over everything else. 50 fps at the muzzle, is probably similar at the target when most self defense distances are within 15 ft or so.
I'd rather not shoot with +P ammo and wear out my barrel faster and potentially lose any perceived gains of shooting through the ported barrel.
Just to be clear, I won't be using this as my HD gun and I spend most of my nights at home where I'll have a completely different set of tools to deal with a threat so the blast/flash won't be a huge problem.

 

[TTSX]

You say it's not for recoil control, then essentially say it's for recoil control in the next sentence. Porting is proven to be effective, especially in higher pressure rounds and if you're in a defensive shooting you're not going to be far enough away to get below expansion threshold anyway. Now, if you're taking an already truncated barrel in a subcompact and reducing velocity even further, I'd suggest very strongly that you chronograph any loads you want to use. Frankly, I think you're putting in lots of mental energy for very little return and should just shoot your pistol in whatever configuration it left the store in but hey it's your gun so do what makes you happy

 

[Yarome]

Porting is proven to be effective,

Proven effective in reducing barrel rise, but also proven to increase felt recoil which can have an impact on target reacquisition as well. Obviously, more so with a casual shooter vs... say... a competition shooter. IMHO, benefit or not for the casual/hobby shooter depends on the person more than ported vs. unported. It's not a given that it will improve reacquisition time for all.

Frankly, I think you're putting in lots of mental energy for very little return and should just shoot your pistol in whatever configuration.... makes you happy

Slightly edited, but fully agree.

And as you said @Jcon268, load choice, for the average Joe, has a great impact on your proficiency and timed accuracy. I wouldn't overthink ported vs. non or make ammo selection choices based on with or without.

 

[dangerranger60]

The reason I did not want a ported barrel on an EDC is the blast is directed straight up. If I'm shooting from a retention position it directs that blast up into my face. The most recent gun I have tried was the PC Shield. From the retention position with the gun indexed on my ribs I could feel the brim of my hat lifting and could feel the blast coming up under my glasses.
To defeat this I could tip the barrel out from my body with the mag still indexed on my ribs, or just not shoot ported guns as edc. DR

 

[Jcon268]

You say it's not for recoil control, then essentially say it's for recoil control in the next sentence. Porting is proven to be effective, especially in higher pressure rounds and if you're in a defensive shooting you're not going to be far enough away to get below expansion threshold anyway. Now, if you're taking an already truncated barrel in a subcompact and reducing velocity even further, I'd suggest very strongly that you chronograph any loads you want to use. Frankly, I think you're putting in lots of mental energy for very little return and should just shoot your pistol in whatever configuration it left the store in but hey it's your gun so do what makes you happy

Not recoil control...it reduces muzzle flip/angle. Basically it shoots flatter which to ME = shoots better. That's just me though.
I feel like you're reintroducing my original question by suggesting I should chronograph my loads. What ammo tends to work with these ports best?
Subcompacts are becoming more common for EDC and so it becomes a valid question.
Everybody likes to have a "range gun" that they can shoot really well but then they can't shoot their EDC for bubblegum, the one that's most likely to actually save their life. I'd like to have a very shootable AND concealable EDC. If porting helps me shoot even 5% better and I have to try out ammunition to get the right combination, it's worth it.

 

[Jcon268]

The reason I did not want a ported barrel on an EDC is the blast is directed straight up. If I'm shooting from a retention position it directs that blast up into my face. The most recent gun I have tried was the PC Shield. From the retention position with the gun indexed on my ribs I could feel the brim of my hat lifting and could feel the blast coming up under my glasses.
To defeat this I could tip the barrel out from my body with the mag still indexed on my ribs, or just not shoot ported guns as edc. DR

I do see this as a possible problem. The porting on the slide I'll have is closer to the muzzle so I suppose you'd be only getting a little more blast than you would be directly from the muzzle. Some barrels are ported pretty far back from the muzzle, I think those guys would be feeling some of that blast. I guess it comes down to the likelihood I'll have to shoot from retention and risk vs. reward. Risk is I get some muzzle blast under my chin and face. Reward is I just saved my life from an assailant that was close enough to need to shoot from retention.

 

[Certaindeaf]

With the help of a stick they are a fine field expedient fidget spinner so it's really a no-brainer.

 

[Jcon268]

With the help of a stick they are a fine field expedient fidget spinner so it's really a no-brainer.

If you run out of ammo you can tie a shoelace through it and have a good swing at a bad guy