.327 Federal Club thread

Now I just have to talk my father into letting me borrow his chronograph....
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Hello FrankenMauser
I have the F-1 Chrony. It is the base model but I find no need for paying any more for features of Print outs and such as mine shows and stores the load information. I bought it un-used for $50.00 off a guy in a gun forum, but this model is still availalable for Less than a Hundred Bucks New ! see the link below No need to Borrow one at this Price...;) Hammer It






http://www.shootingchrony.com/products_SCMMCM.htm
 
Quick question, how is the 100gr jsp load for defense? It looks nearly as hot as the full power 115 gr GD load, but the sp might promote slower expansion and more penetration, no? The fact that they are half the price of the other loadings doesn't hurt either.
 
Quick question, how is the 100gr jsp load for defense? It looks nearly as hot as the full power 115 gr GD load, but the sp might promote slower expansion and more penetration, no? The fact that they are half the price of the other loadings doesn't hurt either.
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Hello Catzor
I see no reason to use the 115 Grain Gold Dot bullets in this cartridge and have found that hand loads using the 90 Grain Sierra Sport's Master Hollow Point bullets are far More accurate on Target than any other bullet weights in this round. I felt confident enough with the 90 Grain Sierra bullet that I loaded it and Killed my Large Bobcat with it using one shot to do so....;) Hammer It
 
Either way, I've had a couple of the single sixes in .32 H&R, and liked them at the time. The only thing negative I could find about them is the same "problem" with the .30 carbine.... they are LOUD!
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I can't even begin to imagine where calling the .32 H&R loud comes from. Not in the realm of centerfire pistols at least. My 4 5/8" Single Six is no louder than any .38s I've shot and compared to a stout .357 load it's nothing. And that's with my fairly stiff handloads. Heck, I don't find it much if any louder than a .22 in comparable barrel lengths. I'm sure the .327 has a good crack to it but the .32 H&R? Please...........

Not to diminish your bobcat kill for that's a great shot and I can only dream of getting one someday with mine but............ I don't know of a .32 bullet made that won't DRT a bobcat (or coyote and more than likely bigger cats) in it's tracks with a fair shot or better to the chest. That includes hardcast. Heck, I wouldn't be all that afraid to shoot a small deer with the .32 H&R within MY limits. Not sure killin a bobcat is a good test for center handgun bullets.
 
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I can't even begin to imagine where calling the .32 H&R loud comes from.
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Perhaps I'm overly sensitive? :rolleyes:

To me, it has a much sharper, intense blast than most pistol cartridges, with the exception of the 125gr .357 in a 4" or shorter barrel. YMMV, of course.

To me, it was comparable to the .30 carbine, and the 7.62 Mauser out of those surplus CZ pistols that were so prevalent about 18-20yrs ago.

No big deal, though. It's all subjective. You say tomato....
 
no reason to use the 115 Grain Gold Dot bullets in this cartridge
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A 327 MAG 115 grain bullet moving at 1300 fps nearly duplicates the much venerated 115 grain 9mm BPLE Illinois State Police round. And has greater sectional density. That's not a bad standard for a compact six-shot revolver aimed squarely at the self defense market to aspire to. And I suspect in a larger revolver chambered for seven or eight rounds, it might make a good LE handgun round. Which brings up the next prospect: a 327 MAGNUM manually operated patrol rifle.
 
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This is the first time I've seen the American Eagle 85 gr JSP load available (haven't really been looking, though). At 1,400 fps (3" bbl), it shouldn't be too bad. I had been hoping for a bit more velocity, though. ;)

And, I'm with everyone else... To me, .32 H&R loads aren't loud, at all. Some of my .32 H&R hand loads are quieter than a .22 Hornet in a rifle (known for its mild report, and operating at the same pressure as .327 FM).

.327 Federal is a different story. It is loud, and "full house" loads do have some muzzle blast (though, it's much more tame in the Blackhawk). I find factory load sound/blast levels in the SP101 to be roughly equivalent to .38 Spcl +P out of a 1 7/8" J-frame; but nowhere near as bad as "full house" .357 Mag loads.
 
327 Madness

Here's a shameless display of 327 magnum hording. A Blackhawk, GP100, SP101, and a Charter Arms Target Patriot.

I bought the SP101 and CA Target first. I wanted a small frame 6+ capacity powerhouse, but couldn't decide on barrel length. The charter is noticeably lighter than the the SP101 but felt recoil seems about the same. Once I shot the two I was hooked. Nice compact chambering with peak pressures approaching a rifle cartridge. Later I decided that these might not be ideal for hand load development, so the Blackhawk joined the fold. The SP100 just seemed too cool to not have one. I'm using borderline logic here.

I'm guessing the Blackhawk is about the toughest 327 available. At ~48oz it does noticeably deaden the recoil compared to the two small revos. I'm planing on starting with 100gr XTPs and H110. Not sure what primers to use, will probably default to small rifle. Have read about potential squib issues with H110/W296, so I'll be careful with starting loads.

Anyway I'm on a bit of a 327 bender here.

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Ben Amonette, tech at ATK has personally confirmed for me that the factory loads all the .327 Federal ammo with CCI small rifle non-magnum primers. This is a 45k PSI max round and the rifle primer is called for to contain that pressure, so that's the primer you will want to use.

Nice little collection. And I agree that the Blackhawk is bound to be a strong platform, but I can't see it being any stronger than the GP-100 because the GP is a 7-shot and the B'Hawk has 8 holes bored through that .44 Mag sized cylinder. (you want TOUGH? My .30 Carb B'Hawk has the same sized cylinder your .327 B'Hawk has, but with only 6 holes in it. The meat between chambers is substantial)

Another option for a pretty stout .327 revolver? Freedom Arms makes a nice one that's probably not a wimp.
 
If you're going to carry big iron for self defense rather than the lighter 327 MAG revolvers that are available, might as well be chambered for 357 MAG.
 
If you're going to carry big iron for self defense rather than the lighter 327 MAG revolvers that are available, might as well be chambered for 357 MAG.
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Except that you can get more bullets in the .327, of similar energy levels, with less recoil.
 
I'm guessing the Blackhawk is about the toughest 327 available. At ~48oz it does noticeably deaden the recoil compared the the two small revos. I'm planing on starting with 100gr XTPs and H110. Not sure what primers to use, will probably default to small rifle. Have read about potential squib issues with H110/W296, so I'll be careful with starting loads.
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I'm running Magtech and CCI small rifle primers behind all of my hot .32 H&R loads, and any of the moderate-to-hot .327 loads. Lil' Gun is great in .32 H&R. H110/W296 has done well in the .327 (but my testing is still pretty limited).

The Blackhawk is fun. ;)


If you're going to carry big iron for self defense rather than the lighter 327 MAG revolvers that are available, might as well be chambered for 357 MAG.
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That depends on your point of view.
Some of us don't even care about the SD side of the cartridge. My (wife's) 48 oz behemoth is great fun to shoot, legal for deer and antelope, and does wonders on small game. For us, it's not an SD cartridge. It's a freezer filler, plinker, and critter gitter. ;)
 
Small-frame guns aside, I'd like to know how many rounds you could put into larger weapon. If Taurus has an 8-shot .357, what would the equivalent size .327 hold? 9? 10?

Or in a 686 Plus? Eight or nine, I'd guess. With the bulk, recoil would be pretty nice, and 4" or 5" barrel would make noise pretty moderate. Sort of a gentle shooter with a sting. Not sure if they would sell though.
 
Failure to market

I have a Smith 432 on order. I've been fascinated with the possibilities of the cartridge since its introduction--possibilites which have not been taken advantage of by gunmakers. Where is the ultra-slim, ultra-light 5 shot J frame?--it would be the easiest to carry of any defense-caliber revolver. Where is the 6 or 7 shot J frame, no thicker than a .38? Where is the 10-shot Nightguard? Where is the Marlin Lever-action in that chambering? The Colt Single-action? It's fundamentally a great defense cartridge for revolver lovers but it was not marketed as such. It was hardly marketed at all. I'm ordering this gun for my wife to keep in the nightstand--less recoil that .38 defense rounds. But I'm plan to shoot it a lot myself;)
 
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