Bar-Sto: To port or not to port

[jasons]

Yesterday I treated myself to a brand new Sig p226 in .40S&W. I'd like to buy a Bar-Sto 9mm barrel for it so that I can have some more ammo options.

So - Should I get the extended and ported one, the extended and threaded one (opens up options for external compensators) or the plain one? Primary use will be target practice, but I've been thinking about getting into IDPA. (Any IDPA rules that would prohibit extended or ported barrels?)

If I go for the ported one I can choose 1, 2 or 3 ports - any recommendations there?


BTW, I took the gun to the range last night. Out of the box with cheap Blazer 165 grain .40S&W I was getting silver dollar sized 5-shot groups at 21 ft. Not too bad!

Thanks,

-JasonS


EDIT: This should probably be in "equipment." Sorry mods, please feel free to move.

 

[jar]

No ports in IDPA. Barrels can only be replaced with the factory configuration. The wording could be better, but I think caliber change barrels are OK iff the new caliber is available from the factory. Certainly no one would notice/care about a caliber change barrel at a club match. If I were the MD, I'd let you shoot a ported gun once for no score if you showed up with it not knowing, but after that, no more.

 

[jasons]

No ports in IDPA. Barrels can only be replaced with the factory configuration. The wording could be better, but I think caliber change barrels are OK iff the new caliber is available from the factory. Certainly no one would notice/care about a caliber change barrel at a club match. If I were the MD, I'd let you shoot a ported gun once for no score if you showed up with it not knowing, but after that, no more.

Thanks!

I found an old IDPA rule book on the website (from 2005 - is this the current one?) Would a threaded barrel with a thread protector installed be considered an "externally visible modification?" Sig does make a couple factory p226 models with stock 9mm threaded barrels....

Or should I just STFU get the plain barrel and forget about compensators all together?

 

[jar]

Yes, 2005 is the current rule book. How long is the gun with the threaded barrel installed? To shoot IDPA, the gun has to fit in a box of inside dimensions 8 ¾” x 6” x 1 5/8”.

I'd forget about compensators, but that's just me. Why do you want one?

 

[jasons]

Yes, 2005 is the current rule book. How long is the gun with the threaded barrel installed? To shoot IDPA, the gun has to fit in a box of inside dimensions 8 ¾” x 6” x 1 5/8”.

I'd forget about compensators, but that's just me. Why do you want one?

It would fit, stock is 7.7 inches so it should be no more than about 8.2 or 8.3 with the thread protector installed.

I don't necessarily want a compensator a the moment, I just like the idea of having the option just in case I want one in the future. I like options.