.327 Federal Club thread

Oh... I should have pointed out in my previous posts, that that data was taken on a cold day, with cold ammo (45 F ambient, probably 35-40 F ammo).

On hot days (80-100+ F), I have hit 1,725 fps with the American Eagle load, and 1,600 fps with the Hydrashoks.
 
Iknow this is a revolver thread but a 327fed mag in a 10-12" contender should really make them scoot.
 
Hmmm, maybe I should have gone .327

I've known about the .327 ever since it came out. I knew it would beat out a .38 special +P any day, and with similar recoil. It really makes a perfect carry round for a small revolver, giving you 6 shots when normally you would only have 5.
I never thought I'd get one... it didnt make sense for me. It was brand new, and expensive. And .357/.38 special seemed like a more practical way to go because it was tried, true, and established.
Looking at ammo prices... target ammo for .327 and .357 is about the same at $30.00 per box of 50.

Since I'd only use .38 specials in a small carry revolver (not .357) I wonder if I would have been happier with the same gun in .327 and an extra shot.

I guess it's no big deal; I can always carry a 9mm auto if I feel like I want a few extra shots available without a reload. But man on man, the .327 with 6 shots in a small revolver sure would make for a GREAT carry gun! I wish I had more money…………………….. lol
 
This may have been answered in the previous 9 or so pages of posts.. but.. can't a revolver capable of shooting 327Fedmag shoot also the 32 H&R, 32 long, and 32 S&W??

4bullets 1 gun?

Because if it can shoot the 32 long it can shoot the 32 S&W.

Sort of like the 22short, 22long, 22long rifle ..??
 
Hornady has not taken the 327 MAG round seriously enough to manufacture it, but has a Critical Defense version of the 22 MAGNUM out.
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I've wondered a bit about that, as well. But... people have complained for a long time, about .22 WMR performance out of short barrels (such as NAA revolvers). I've been wondering if the Kel-Tec PMR30 had anything to do with Hornady's choice to develop that load.

This may have been answered in the previous 9 or so pages of posts.. but.. can't a revolver capable of shooting 327Fedmag shoot also the 32 H&R, 32 long, and 32 S&W??

4bullets 1 gun?

Because if it can shoot the 32 long it can shoot the 32 S&W.

Sort of like the 22short, 22long, 22long rifle ..??
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I haven't seen any of the firearm manufacturers officially endorse the use of .32 S&W, since it has slightly different case dimensions.

Like Glenn, Crankylove and I shoot .327 Federal, .32 H&R, and .32 S&W Long in our revolvers.
Since my revolver is a single action, I also sometimes feed it .32 S&W and .32 Auto. However, those short cartridges have a long jump to the cylinder throat, and can have unpredictable performance. The .32 S&W and .32 Auto loads have to be loaded hot, to be reliable in a .327 chamber. Sticking with the "big three" is the best choice (.327, .32 H&R, .32 S&W L).
 
Crankylove and I shoot .327 Federal, .32 H&R, and .32 S&W Long in our revolvers.
Since my revolver is a single action, I also sometimes feed it .32 S&W and .32 Auto.
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Even if I wanted to shoot the .32 Auto's, they will not fire in my SP101. They will chamber just fine, but apparently the firing pin on my little Ruger does not protrude far enough to set off primers in the .32 Auto cases. .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag, and .327's are fine, but the little guys just don't want to play nice. It's not a big deal to me though, as I have a decent supply of .32 Long brass and use that for all my low end loads (.32 S&W cases have been out of stock locally for a few months now), and load progressively hotter with the .32 H&R and .327 cases.

This gun and its versatility (with regards to ammo interchangeability) has become one of my all time favorites to shoot, and every one that tries it out comes away with a smile on their face.
 
Crankylove, I have fired .32 auto in my SP101 without any problem. Guess it must be a variation between guns.

willr
 
I had not really heard of others having an issue with it, and Frankenmauser's Blackhawk will shoot them just fine. Maybe my gun is a little out of spec........who knows, not really a big deal for me as those little cases are such a pain to load anyway.
 
I've known about the .327 ever since it came out. I knew it would beat out a .38 special +P any day, and with similar recoil. It really makes a perfect carry round for a small revolver, giving you 6 shots when normally you would only have 5.
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I keep seeing this and I think people are missing something. There is really no reason for only five shots of .38spl in a J-frame gun. Taurus brought out the 856 and proved the point. With an increase of less than 1/16th of an inch the were able to fit in the extra round.

The guns are reliable for long shooting lives. I have a friend with 2,000 rounds through his. The minimal expansion did not compromise the durability of the gun at all.

Instead of coming up with a new catridge, give us the gun that we want. A 6 shot S&W J-frame would sell fairly well. Instead we get a new round from Federal. On top of that the gun press generally covered the high end guns that were chambered for the round. It was bad timing for a new $600 revolver.

If the press would have covered the Taurus and other lower priced alternatives it might have caught on quicker. I just could not see buying a $600 gun for a new round that I couldn't find any where.

Why do that when (if the 6th round was so important) I could get an 856 for $300 out the door? It is chamberred for an easy to find round that sells for $16.00 per 50.
 
keep seeing this and I think people are missing something. There is really no reason for only five shots of .38spl in a J-frame gun. Taurus brought out the 856 and proved the point. With an increase of less than 1/16th of an inch the were able to fit in the extra round.

The guns are reliable for long shooting lives. I have a friend with 2,000 rounds through his. The minimal expansion did not compromise the durability of the gun at all.

Instead of coming up with a new catridge, give us the gun that we want. A 6 shot S&W J-frame would sell fairly well. Instead we get a new round from Federal. On top of that the gun press generally covered the high end guns that were chambered for the round. It was bad timing for a new $600 revolver.

If the press would have covered the Taurus and other lower priced alternatives it might have caught on quicker. I just could not see buying a $600 gun for a new round that I couldn't find any where.

Why do that when (if the 6th round was so important) I could get an 856 for $300 out the door? It is chamberred for an easy to find round that sells for $16.00 per 50.
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Hello Mike Nice 81
To put it Plainly, some people like a Rolex over a Timex The 5 shot S&W J-Frame has a slightly smaller width than the Tauras 6 shot revolver. To some size means everything. As Far as Warranty goes on guns I have Heard Mixed emotions on Tauras's warranty. I have Not heard much bad Feedback on S&W's warranty service. In the Long run a S&W revolver will always net you a Much Higher return on your Investment compared to any Tauras. Some People have said that the Internal action of a Tauras is just like a S&W. That is Just a False Statement open the side plate on one and look at it, they are nothing like a S&W they are much more complex with many more internal parts, which to me means more of a chance for something to malfunction or wear out. I have always had Just S&W revolver's in my collection But, I have Traveled to the dark side a few times in the past and bought Ruger, Tauras & Rossi to Later on only get Burned on resale when I Parted with them. I had a Tauras .22 revolver one time that was not accurate at all. I have Never owned any S&W revolver's chambered in .22 that were Not Tack drivers. We all Have different Tastes, if we didn't there would only be one car manufacturer out there. If you feel comfortable carrying a Tauras, I say Good for you, but I will stick with my S&Ws as they have always served me well and grown in collector Market value as time wore on I Like a Return on my Investments not a Loss.....;)
 
To further the argument... IMO, the genius behind the .327 Federal as a possible defense round isn't merely in the 6th shot over 5, it's the reduced felt recoil of a round that puts out more energy than a .38 Special +P and does it without the numbing shock of a .357 Magnum.

Will the .327 Federal anchor a horde of bad guys? I have no idea and if there is any street data on the actual on-target performance of any of the .327 Federal loads on bad guys, I've not seen it... I really, REALLY don't know.

But IMO, that's the main draw of the new round. Not just the 6th shot.
 
Wow, thank you for taking me to task over mentioning an alternative and an opinion that people had. I never said Taurus was better than S&W. I love how people feel the need to rant about Taurus every time it is mentioned.

I personally own a Taurus 85b3. Next time I'm tearing a ragged hole in the X on my b-34 target I'll remember how much it sucks. Next time it saves my life (two times already) I'll remember that I should have bought an S&W. I don't buy guns as an investment. I buy them to perform a task when needed. I wouldn't buy a hammer and expect to make a profit. I buy a hammer to drive a nail.

My point was that the press dropped the ball by only focusing on the expensive guns chamberred in the round. There were less expensive guns chambered in the round than what I saw in the press. Most people see that and think, "why spend the money to get the hassle."

A lot of people want a six shot J-frame sized gun. (I didn't mean to imply Taurus was a J-frame.) A lot of shooters I know said plainly, "why couldn't they just make a six shot snubby like Taurus did?"

I think the manufacturers missed the boat to some extent with the .327 magnum. They could have done better by improving what was allready available. In my area nobody carries .327mag guns or ammo. It is looked at as a toy for a small niche of gun guys.
 
Taurus also makes 2-inch snubs in .327, in varying finishes.
Apparently, they thought it was a good idea also.
 
I was under the impression that they discontinued the model. I didn't see it on their site last time I was there. Of course the 85b3 isn't on there either.

They were one of the lower cost entries I was talking about. Of course the media missed that one. A lot more people would have been interested to try a new round in a more affordable package. They just didn't know it was out there. Remember a lot of guys and gals in the community aren't as die hard about finding the info as people on here.

You've also got to remember that Taurus is notorious for trying out new and unusual ideas just to see if they fly. A lot of times their "new products" catalog is filled with things that don't come out. Thy put it out there in concept form and gauge the public's reaction. Taurus may be a lot of things, but the management is adventurous.

Another question I kept hearing was, "why do I want a .32 that penetrates like a .357? My .38 will do that with (insert manufacturer) hollow points." There is some validity to that.

I carry Federal LE 158gr+P LSWC-HPs that will go through fabric and rip a half inch hole out of five water jugs. That is roughly ten inches of penetration in gel. At the time why would I have sunk good money in to an unproven round that was costing as much as $40 a box in some places?

My use of I may get confusing. I am using it generally and personally at times. That is the down side of typing after a 12.5 hour shift.
 
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CDNN got a crapload of them and is selling them at stupid-low prices. That would lead me to believe that Taurus did indeed discontinue them. If Taurus had made them in a 6-inch barrel and CDNN were selling those for cheap dough, I'd already own one.

I will agree that I have to give Taurus credit for having the guts to market all kinds of ideas. That's something we just don't see out of most of the gun makers. (as a sidebar, did the Raging Thirty, .30 Carbine double action revolver ever actually hit the market? I wanted one!)

Problem is, their attention to detail and finishing and the use of quality parts and workmanship is seriously lacking. This is not the thread to debate that, but if you disagree with me (which is fine), I will assume that you've simply got some love for them and you are willing to overlook the facts. (that's fine as well)

For my buck, I like the .327 Federal Magnum... but be it Taurus, S&W, Ruger or even if the ghost of Sam Colt tooled up a Python chambered in .327 Federal Magnum, I think it's a bad idea in a two-inch barrel.

It's a high pressure round that gets neutered severely when the barrel is clipped. Just comparing the velocities from the longer-than-three inch SP-101 to the 5.5" Blackhawk shows you how quickly it loses steam when it doesn't have time to spool up in a longer tube.

A two-inch .327 revolver is a huge compromise for the round... which is obviously already a compromise right from the get-go.
 
I carry Federal LE 158gr+P LSWC-HPs that will go through fabric and rip a half inch hole out of five water jugs. That is roughly ten inches of penetration in gel. At the time why would I have sunk good money in to an unproven round that was costing as much as $40 a box in some places?
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Personal preference.

People that liked the cartridge put their money behind it, and brought the price down for everyone else. Sometimes, it sucks to be a beta tester, but we got what we wanted, and didn't have any problems (and it's obvious that we don't regret the decision). The last 2 years were really rough for ammunition and component availability, but that's because it was selling so well - not because no one was making it. Ammunition and component demand absolutely eclipsed what the manufacturers had predicted for the cartridge, and they just couldn't keep up.

If it's not worth it to you, to 'sink money into an unproven round', with 'expensive' ammo... then don't do it. That's all there is to it.

I think the .357 Mag is a superfluous cartridge for revolvers, with the advances we've made with powders, bullets, and metallurgy (a hand loader can get .38 Special to safely do nearly anything factory .357 Mag will do); but I understand why so many people keep buying the firearms and ammunition. It's cheap, and widely available. (But so is .327 Federal, in my area. - .327 Ammo is now cheaper than .357, and on the shelves in every shop; and the firearms in .327 are very reasonably priced.)

.327 Federal is about as far as I see the .32 bore size going, for a useful power level, in revolvers. But it's justifiable. The .32 H&R case can't quite provide the same performance (evidence of which, are all the .32 H&R revolvers being converted to .327).


The .32s aren't for everyone, but many of us have found amazing versatility that just isn't found elsewhere.
 
I haven't bought factory, read Federal, .32 H&R ammunition in years, but the last batch split length-wise full 20%. Federal said they'd replace the box if I sent them the entire box at my expense...that was the last box of Federal ammunition I bought for over ten years...BTW, the gun was a Smith Model 16-2, and the fired rounds showed little case web expansion....go figger...I now use Starline and have had no problems...Has anyone had recent experience with Federal .32 H&R brass, or for that matter, the .327 brass?

I brought up the question because it's a foregone conclusion that .327 owners are not going to use that hi-pressure round 100 % of the time...

TIA, Rodfac
 
I haven't bought factory, read Federal, .32 H&R ammunition in years, but the last batch split length-wise full 20%. Federal said they'd replace the box if I sent them the entire box at my expense...that was the last box of Federal ammunition I bought for over ten years...BTW, the gun was a Smith Model 16-2, and the fired rounds showed little case web expansion....go figger...
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Hello
That gun being a Model 16-2 was chambered for .32 S&W Long Cartridges....:confused: The Only model 16 I am aware of being able to fire the .32 H&R Magnums is the Model 16-4 revolver...;) Hammer It
 
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