I have one bought in 1982 that has a ported shroud and a ported and a non ported barrel, Dan Wesson 6-inch 44 Mag. I only shoot the non ported barrel because the ported barrel lets copper products from the bullet jackets into the open area in the barrel shroud and it attaches to the barrel at the corners of the shroud junction. After a full range shoot you have to go to extreme measures to get the shroud and barrel separated due to copper build up. I shot them back to back and could not tell the difference in recoil. I have not shot the ported barrel since my second copper fusing with the shroud back in 1982. You are not missing anything without the ported barrel.
