[kingslayer]

Hey there,just found this this site,looks like lots of good info here.I have a FA 454 with a 4&3/4 in tube,I would like to have it ported to lessen the muzzle flip and recoil.I allready had the frame reworked so I could get rid of the rubber grips,seems to roll up in my hand better.I would like to know if Mag-na-port is still the best port out there,or are there better port jobs being offered now?A brake is out of the question,dont think the barrel is long enough,and this is my fishing/bird hunting side arm.also what kind of recoil reduction can one expect with a port job on the 454?......Thanks for any info on this post...Lance

 

[Gunnut45/454]

I don't have any ported pistols, but I would think your going to get a bigger problem with porting this gun-Very big increase in noise/blast. And you will not want to shoot lead bullets anymore-frags back in face. But if you must it's your gun. Good luck.

 

[jdt634]

kingslayer
why would you go to the trouble of modifying the grips to make the gun roll up in your hand and then follow that up with mag-n-port which will keep the muzzle flip down. my suggestion would be to work up some heavy cast loads at slower speeds and modify the grips for the best fit with that load. you didn't say what type of gun are we talking about, a double action or single? there have been several threads about the 454 and verious loads listed for it ranging from 1000 to 1500 for the 350-360g bullets up to 1300 for the 405g bullet. I agree with gunnut that porting a 4 3/4 in barrel is going to make the muzzle blast quite uncomfortable with a 454 round, I would suspect its already quite a bit, I know my 7 1/2 in barrel is bad enough I wouldn't want to do it with the earmuffs.

 

[gun runner]

Kingslayer, as gunnut45/454 said if you port it your gonna get lead frag out of it. My 10" 44 ruger was mag-na-ported and I get a lot of lead frag from it, also noise is gonna be a major factor. I did find out with my 45/70 that I had ported the gun smith that did the work back bored the bbl to behind the ports and I dont get any lead frag out of it. Just a thought.

Gun Runner

 

[kingslayer]

Thank you for the info.I think I will leave it alone.I did not want to port it for me,but for my wife.When I'm at work on weekends she fishes alot of the time by herself,and she likes to have something with her.She liked my 44 rem and shot it well.She hates the 454 and will not shoot it any more,and she will not shoot slugs or buckshot.So this will give me a reason to get her her own pistol.When I had the 44 rem we would shoot 324 grain hard cast,and the recoil did not bother her.I live in Alaska,So my next question would be,what cal would she be better off with,recoil wise, a 44 rem or a hot loaded 45LC?Whatever I get her it will be a stock ruger...Thanks for the info guys...

 

[jdt634]

kingslayer
a lot of guys in this forum seem to perfer the old standby 45 colt. loaded with 300 to 335g bullets it would be hard to beat in a 5 in bisley.

 

[beeman]

If she can shoot a .44 with 324 grain bullets, that is what she should be carrying. New load data has significantly closed the gap betwix the .44, and the .45. Now I like my .45 Colt, have 2, and I love my Super Redhawk 454, but my .44 is like a laser beam, and it shoots the heavy stuff just as well as the lighter bullets, it is a Super Blackhawk. Just my own opinion.

 

[MikeG]

King, what you should get your wife is whatever is the most comfortable for her to shoot. That encourages practice and practice encourages proficiency.

A .45 Colt would give pretty good performance with slightly less muzzle blast, but if she's already OK with the .44 then no need to change.

Only reason I can see for going to another gun is #1. you want your .44 back, or #2. she wants something a little handier to carry (you didn't say what barrel length the .44 was but the long ones are more trouble to carry).

The short Bisley sounds good to me! If you really want a handy packing gun, I would consider one of the Vaquero or Bisley Vaquero, whichever grip feels better. The fixed sights will make for a smooth draw, get stainless for ease of maintenance. Hey, best excuse you'll find to buy a new gun!

I'd be cautious about the porting. Most people dislike muzzle blast as much as recoil, and porting will make it worse. Just my opinion.

 

[farmer 45]

lead frag

hi , i might have made a mistake .. i have a freedoom arms 83 coming ... 454 plus 45 cyl. 4 3/4 tube... it's getting 2-port magnaport ....want to shoot heavy lead 45s .... does it always shoot lead frags back , or is it less with very hard cast 18-22 brinell thanks farmer 45

 

[Bill M]

Hi,
I could not resist adding some thoughts about porting firearms. I have Mag-na-ported quite a few handguns, one rifle and have 2 Marlins with their porting. Every revolver I ever saw actually comes ported from the factory. It is a large circular port we normally call the cylinder gap. Shoot a magnum charge at night and you'll see that port at work. It's spits gasses out at the highest pressure (far higher than up near the muzzle) and accounts for lots of noise and occasionally spits powder and lead back at the shooter or bystanders. Compared to the "factory porting" I have consistanty found Mag-na-porting to make little to no difference in anything except recoil reduction. When I shoot lead bullets, there will always be some lead deposits above the Mag-na-porting on the sight base. In thousands of rounds, no lead from the ports ever hit me.... though I would not shoot a mag-na-ported gun with lead bullets from the hip. If it is louder, either in handgun or rifle (not so with the brakes... they will bust your ears) I cannot tell with the one exception of shooting under the tin roof at our gun club. If you want louder in magnum handgun the best way I know is to use lighter bullets, more powder and a shorter barrel. The reverse will make a revolver a lot quiter, ported or not. I have mag-na-ported handguns from 4 5/8" (revolvers) to 10" (single shot) and can tell no difference in accuracy or noise.
Because of the big circular "factory porting" on revolvers, bystanders will not notice what's going on in the front of the barrel. I can, however, easily tell the difference in reduction of sensed recoil (as perceived rather than scientifically) and dramatically increase my rate of fire with mag loads since it is far easier and quicker to get back on target with either single or double action handgun.

I know many do not feel as I do. All I know is what I have experienced with porting. I wrote a tech note on this topic a while back. If you would like to review it it's.. http://[email protected]/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/6 . For all the bad press I hear about porting like mag-na-port and the Marlin porting, I simply have not seen or heard the problems. For me it has been a win win for 2 decades now.

Just food for though........... Bill M

 

[farmer 45]

porting

thanks Bill M , you have helped calm my nerves about my 454 4 3/4 " 2-port on the way.....i also have an encore 10" bull 454 with 4- port magnaport & marlin 45/70 guide gun ... love both use muffs for practice ,, nothing in field ,,, i still can hear .... farm equipment has done more damage.... i also have not had any forein material flying back at face ....thanks again farmer 45 ....hope your day is going well