S&W 586 L-Comp noise

E

Elerius

New member
I have been reading about this 586 and it has my interest perhaps to try carrying. I avoid .357 due to the exceptionally loud report of firing indoors causing permanent hearing damage compared to much less damaging noise levels of other calibers. I dont want another discussion of whether or not this is important, my question is regarding the porting of the barrel.

I don't know a whole lot about porting but I know it's supposed to reduce muzzle flip. Will porting also reduce the noise of .357 to any significant degree? Enough to lower it to other calibers?
 
I've never fired a ported .357, but I have porting or muzzle breaks on a number of my guns:

9mm Kahr K9.
XD V10 Service Model 4" 9mm.
.22 LR Ruger 22/45 Lite.
Rock River Arms Elite Operator 2 in .223.
7.62x39mm SAM7-SF (Arsenal AK variant).

The porting makes a difference in all of them in terms of reducing muzzle flip and getting back on target faster. I can say that on a .22 LR, it hardly matters, though it does slightly. On a 9mm it is significant, and on the AK, it's really nice (very soft shooting with an AK-74 style break).

I'm sure a .357 would benefit from porting, but if you are worried about noise, then porting is NOT for you. My ported XD 9mm pistol is LOUD, like almost centerfire rifle loud. Porting, depending on how the gasses are redirected, also can make for an annoying distraction. I am personally not at all bothered by the impressive muzzle flash often created by porting (which would definitely be present with a .357) with regular/cheap ammunition, but I had to get over a flinching-style reaction from gasses being puffed into my face (it would often cause me to blink). After 1000's of rounds shooting it, I'm pretty much immune to the effects. Also, my Kahr K9 doesn't produce the same effect since the porting is at the end of the barrel and doesn't hit my face as much.

Is porting necessary? No. But it can cut some time from follow up shots or make felt recoil a little lighter. I'd recommend trying a ported gun first before buying one, just to see if you like it. Internal porting (such as on Glocks and XD's) seem to be the most annoying, but also the most effective at reducing recoil.

Oh yeah, that's almost always true with porting. The more noise and "blast" the porting is capable of producing the better the porting is if it can productively direct the gun back to a neutral position. It doesn't mean that the shooter HAS TO feel the effects of this blast and noise (though it's ALWAYS louder than a plain muzzle). If you've ever taken a carbine class, you might know the effects of this as a bystander, too, as "fish gill" style breaks can send gasses out in an upside-down "V" to the back and sides of the shooter as the gasses are redirected to pull/push the gun forward to mitigate recoil.

Hope this answers your question. Sorry for rambling.
 
Short answer is no. Porting will make the gun louder. Have you even been at a indoor range that's been sort of quite, then some guy gets in the lane next to you. You've been shooting for awhile and you're used to the noise you're making. Then the new lets off a couple rounds and it sounds like he's shooting a .50 caliber. You glance over and he's shooting the caliber as you.

Being directly behind your gun is the quietest place to be when shooting. Most of the noise comes from the muzzle and is directed forward. When you port a gun, you're redirecting that blast. And you're redirecting it at an angle closer to your head and obviously your ears.

As you mentioned, there's debate about whether the noise is important in an actual SD situation. Regardless of where you fall in that debate, there's no practical way to reduce the noise. Silencers don't work on revolvers, and you won't want to try to carry a gun with one anyway unless you really like trench coats. You could try to source some "low noise/low flash" rounds. You could just pack .38 +P. If you're really worried about the noise, there doesn't seem to be a really easy solution.
 
I had hoped the porting would split the gas pressure and thus reduce noise, but I guess I'll abandon the idea. I wish I could get a 7 shot K frame
 
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