Question: Will an extended ported barrel lower POI?

[Orion_VTOL]

I'm interested in getting an extended ported barrel for my HP clone. However, I was told that such a barrel would make the Point Of Impact lower than with the original barrel. Is this true? Why would it change it?

Thanks!

 

[JRR]

I installed a extended and ported Barstow barrel in my Glock 23, 40 cal.. With 180 gr. bullets, the point of impact was lowered about 2" @ 10 yards. The 155 gr. high velocity loads went about 5" low at the same distance. This was extremely annoying because I had just installed expensive Novak night sights. Do the barrel first, then get adjustable sights if you intend to go back and forth with the two barrels. Use a sight that has repeatable elevation settings, so you don't have to go through a major sight in process every time.
Jeff

 

[Orion_VTOL]

Unfortunately, my sites are quite fixed. I would have no way to adjust, nor do I have the tools to put a different rear site on. I wish I did. That would solve a lot of this problem. Anyone have a sight tool I can borrow??

 

[Mal H]

Orion - this is purely a guess on my part. To answer your question as to why a ported barrel will lower the POI, I believe it has to do with the arrest of the recoil action before the bullet leaves the barrel. The gun starts its upward movement due to recoil long before the bullet exits the barrel. So if the movement is stopped or slowed an inch or so before the bullet leaves the muzzle, then that amount of recoil does not take place hence a lower POI. You'll have the same effect with lighter faster bullets as compared with slower bullets. The POI of the faster bullet will almost always be lower at close range when the pistol is sighted in the same way each time. This is especially noticable with longer barrels on revolvers for example.