Which is better, compensated or ported barrels?
So you may be wondering if you should go with a compensator or a ported barrel for toning down recoil on your firearm. Both approaches have pros and cons, some of which is definitive and some of which is subjective. Today i’m going to walk through both solutions and then give my reasoning for my preference between both options.
So I have shot through several compensated Glock builds. On this channel I’ve reviewed Parker Mountain Machining’s comp, the agency arms 417, and even the griffin micro carry comp. I also have an upcoming video where I’ll review Brownells Ported Barrel and Brownell’s RMR Windowed slide.
I believe Ported Barrels are Better, but there’s pros and cons to both
I’m going to be straight with you, I think ported barrels with windowed slides are the way to go, but lets compare the different aspects of each.
Ported Barrels win on Price
The first consideration we’re going to discuss is price. The cost of a quality threaded barrel is generally speaking about the same price as a quality ported barrel with a little bit of deviation, however, with a threaded barrel you also have the price of the compensator, typically speaking goes for about $100 for basic models. Or you can spend well over $300 to get a barrel + comp solution like the Radian Ramjet and Afterburner. My Brownell’s ported barrel was $60, but it does neccessitate the use of Brownell’s RMR windowed slide, although if you’ve seen my other review on the Brownell’s slide, that is my go to on all of my builds anyways.
So as far as price goes, ported barrels are the winner.
Performance – Compensators have a slight edge
Next we’ll disccuss performance. Compensated barrels work by adding a device onto the end of a threaded barrel, with porting on the compensator that directs gasses from the compensator up, putting a downward force on the muzzle, making recoil easier to control. They work really, really well.
Similarly, ported barrels cut holes into the top of the barrel, paired with slides that are windowed to allow gas to escape up. This results in similar downward force pushing the muzzle of the firearm downward, again, helping you control the firearm better. I would say that compensators may work slightly more effectively, and that may be because being on the end of the barrel there is more leverage against the fulcrum of the gun versus the having it be part way down the barrel. But the difference seems to be minimal, I think if anything barely noticeable, so that is probably subjective without some definitive lab experiment.
However, there is velocity loss with the ported barrel, as some of the gas escapes before the bullet leaves the muzzle. I don’t have a chronograph so I can’t show you exact numbers, but general concensus in the community is that you can expect to lose about 50FPS of velocity with a ported barrel.
So for overall performance we’re going to give compensators the win.
Reliability – Ported Barrels and Quality compensators are both ultra reliable
As far as reliability goes, I’d say with the right compensator they are equal. My PMM comp will eat any ammo I throw at it. My ported barrel eats any ammo I throw at it. My Agency Arms comp was super picky. So it seems to be brand and product specific to an extent. I’m going to call this one a tie as both my PMM comp and my ported barrel run flawlessly with any ammo that I throw at them.
Both are extremely loud. I’m also going to call them equally obnoxious in this regard. Make of that what you will, but being that i’m not an operator, my only consideration here is how annoying it is for other people at the range. It is significantly annoying for both not going to lie.
Maintenance – Ported barrels are more convenient
As far as maintenance goes, its a mixed bag. Compensators are a pain unless you buy something like the radian ramject that disassembles easily. Most have set screws with locktight or they require rockset like the PMM comp. So generally speaking, they are semi permanent fixtures as they are a pain to take off. The ported barrel obviously doesn’t have this problem as you clean it like you do any barrel.
However the ported barrel gets everything a lot dirtier, so you do need to clean your gun more frequently in my experience. I’m going to call that one a toss up because its a mixed bag.
Aesthetics – Compensators look cooler
As far as aesthetics go, compensators just look plain cool. So compensators get the win here.
Concealability and Comfort – Biggest advantage of a Ported Barrel
Now here is the main reason that I think ported barrels really shine. They are more concealable for every day carry. And this is in my opinion the most important consideration, all other things held equal. The ported barrel isn’t going to add any length to your gun, so concealed carrying it is just as convenient as carrying the stock configuration of whatever handgun you’re running. The compensators, even if you have a micro carry comp like the radian ramjet or PMM JTTC micro, are adding length to the firearm making it closer to Glock 17 length. This extra length defeats the purpose of having a subcompact pistol. That also means you don’t have to worry about any custom or universal holster solutions. It’ll fit any holster that’s made for your particular gun since it has the same profile as the stock barrel. And so it is my opinion that ported barrels make a whole lot more sense than compensators for this reason alone.
Weight Reduction – Ported Barrels Win
Similarly, there is also a factor of weight reduction, since the ported barrel doesn’t have any add on devices on the end, although compensators are generally made with aluminum and very light weight.
One last consideration is risk of burning yourself in a concealed carry context. The ported barrel seems to put out more gas at a higher pressure being further up the barrel then the compensator, so I suspect burn risk if you’re in a ground fight with an assailant is worse with the ported barrel but I don’t know that for sure. Again its my subjective guess there. I don’t think this is really that big of a consideration though at all.
Conclusion – Ported Barrels are better than Compensators
So overall because of the convenience factors of easier maintenance, similar performance, reliability, relatively low price, and mostly because they are extremely comfortable to carry, I definitely prefer ported barrels to compensators, but try both and see what really floats your boat. I hope you guys have a great day and we’ll see you next week with another video.
