Ports versus compensators

[blownhemi]

I've been lurking for a little while and enjoying the wealth of experience here but I couldn't find and answer to this question.

Are compensators better than ported barrels? or are they essentially the same when it comes to performance?

[Jman]

Highly dependent on the gun, caliber and their intended use. The most effective Open Glock in competition use comps.

Jim

[matt2ace]

The answer to that question can get pretty complex. In my experience with both ported barrels (40 and 9mm) and comps (9mm) on Glocks, it's more about tuning of the combination of ammo and porting (comps or barrel ports) to achieve a flat shooting gun than which of those options is better.

In my experience, 4 and 6-port barrels and hybrid barrels can all work very nice, but do tend to have more dot movement in the sights than comps. You can get these barrels to shoot flat, but it generally takes more work tuning of ammo (powder, bullet, and load) than with a traditional comp. I have found that comps tend to give a more consistently flat shooting profile and are easier to 'tune' for major PF with a wider range of powders and loads. The comp question is complicated by the various comp configuration.....research is always the best method, there is a lot of info out there.

I found that all of the vendors (LoneWolf, GlockWorx, Glockmeister, etc., etc.) are very helpful and willing to provide lots of very good advice.

I am currently shooting a G24 converted to 9mm major with a ported (magna-port 30 degree ports) LoneWolf barrel and LoneWolf conversion comp. I chose to add 30 degree ports based on some experience shooting a 1911 open gun with angled ports. The slide is lighter than a G34 at this point. Overall, this G24 is very flat shooting, the dot moves vertically in the sight, but never leaves the optic field.

Edited June 29, 2008 by matt2ace

[Kingman]

normally you will find barrel ports to offer some reduction in felt recoil and some aid in keeping your dot flatter.

then Hybrid barrels, true schuemann hybrid barrels are one step up. they offer a great advantage in maintaining a flat gun. The ports are designed to mimic the outlet on a rocket. Schuemann originally was a rocket engineer and realized that effective design would carry over. These barrels are not the softest shooting but they do shoot flat.

Comps are more effective at keeping a good solid combination of flat shooting and softness. The wider baffles on a comp help the gasses disperse and allows a softer shooting gun. I find comp guns to shoot very flat if tuned well. Mind you comps have to be bored larger than diameter of the bullet unlike ported barrels and hybrid barrels therefore you will get a bit of blast still coming out the front of the barrel.

Some claim that the best shooting guns contain a combination of a comp and hybrid ports. So many guns built now combine a compensator with some sort of barrel porting. The idea is to get the flattening effect of the barrel port with the softness of a comp.

[blownhemi]

OK, thanks guys.

What I'm doing is building a IPSC Open gun in 357SIG. I don't want to run 9mm major and we don't have the option of 40S&W in Australia so 357SIG is my only major PF option in a Glock.

I've got a LWD slide and LWD extended/ported barrel winging its way over here at the moment. The whole gun will be a ground up build because we can actually buy brand new bare Glock frames here in Australia.

I'll post some build pics when all the parts gets here. Got some stuff already but not all.

Typically I shoot IPSC Production with a Glock 17A but almost everyone else in my club shoots Open and so every once in a while I'd like to try and run with the big dogs. Also I was told that Glock Open guns don't work so that was enough incentive in itself.

This will be more of a knockabout gun rather than a serious attempt at Open division glory.

[atmar]

good luck! comps are better than ports!

[Harmon]

run both comp and ports.

[larry cazes]

My experience in general says that ports dont do very much but create blast and noise.

[Ausglock]

OK, thanks guys.

What I'm doing is building a IPSC Open gun in 357SIG. I don't want to run 9mm major and we don't have the option of 40S&W in Australia so 357SIG is my only major PF option in a Glock.

I've got a LWD slide and LWD extended/ported barrel winging its way over here at the moment. The whole gun will be a ground up build because we can actually buy brand new bare Glock frames here in Australia.

I'll post some build pics when all the parts gets here. Got some stuff already but not all.

Typically I shoot IPSC Production with a Glock 17A but almost everyone else in my club shoots Open and so every once in a while I'd like to try and run with the big dogs. Also I was told that Glock Open guns don't work so that was enough incentive in itself.

This will be more of a knockabout gun rather than a serious attempt at Open division glory.

[edit]... Run a Major 9 in Open. Mine shot great at the QLD State Titles. Chrono 167P/F.

I'm doing a G35 in 357 SIG for STD Div.

Who did you get the LWD slide and Barrel thru?

Hooroo.

Regtards, Trevor.

OZ

Edited July 7, 2008 by Flexmoney