Comping or porting a defense gun?

[mummer]

What do you folks think about porting or comping a gun meant to be used for home defense. Would the increased muzzle flash in your face (especially in dark conditions) outweigh the lessened rise/kick??

[NButler]

mummer said:

Would the increased muzzle flash in your face (especially in dark conditions) outweigh the lessened rise/kick??

i think most here are uneasy about giving suggestions for a self defense firearm. but many would hold that a ported barrel would do more harm then good outside the range. if kick or rise are an issue, try a different handgun (perhaps a larger frame model) or a smaller caliber. there is also the legal question of customizing a defensive gun. I have been told (but not observed) that a custom gun can cause legal issues in the event of a self defense trial.

edit: and welcome to the forum!

["DoubleAction"]

mummer; I've only had one ported revolver designed for defense, but it was a honey. This one was the S&W 640, Weigand Custom "4PJ Executive", fitted with the Schuemann tuned ported Jarvis barrel, in .357 magnum.
When shooting the gun in low light conditions, the flash from the ports would rise above the front site, which did not impair my vision. One thing about the ported guns are close quarters use inside an automobile, or shooting the gun while holding it close to the body. There are different methods for porting barrels; this is my preferred choice. I no longer have this gun, it went to my brother on a trade involving a couple of Wilson CQBs. I now rely on the Sig 239 in .40 S&W/ 357 sig for my bedside defense, it has front and rear Tritiums, easier to reload, a lighter trigger, no manual safeties, faster follow ups, and more rounds in the magazine. Would I port my 239? No reason to, the recoil is already quite tame; I just hope those spent casings don't hit me in the face if I have to shoot it from inside my vehicle.

[TMan]

Let me weight-in on the low light conditions. The only thing that I shoot that is compensated is the Sig 220, and the muzzle flash at the range, with the lights dimmed is hardly noticable. I would imagine that with a shorter barrel, it would be a lot worse. So length matters.

The question I have is how fast do your eyes react to light. If the pupils shutdown from the flash, how long will it take them to re-adjust to the darkness? It probably depends on age. (When you get older, nothing works as well.)

My bedside companion is my Ruger P90. Unlike me, it just keeps getting better with age. ;D

[oldman]

Springfield Armory ported compact 45 (mine). We shot this at my range after we closed up one night for testing. No lights and no ear protection just to see what it would do if this was fired in a room at home at night. As you might guess - noisy but only slightly distracting from the rising gases. After a while, I sold it to a fellow co-worker. None of my current handguns are ported or compensated. Current house gun is either a Smith 4513 TSW or my Kahr K40 (usually the 45).