.327 Federal Club thread

the issue with the 327 is basically what came to happen with the 41 magnum when it was introduced.

the caliber/cartridge was touted as having muzzle energy higher then the best 38 special +p ammunition, when chambered in the same gun and barrel length, and the ability to expand to nearly .358 upon hitting the target, as well as having the ability to penetrate through the target like a mac truch through a picket line.

reality showed that most people were happy to wait back and be content with their current low powered handguns and be happy with say federal nyclad and its proven expansion, then swap.
 
I can't speak for anyone but me, so here's my take: I personally wouldn't have one for the same reasons I wouldn't have a pistol chambered in .45 GAP, those reasons being: 1] The whole "new caliber" concept usually strikes me as an answer in search of a question. 2] The Wal Mart factor. If I can only find ammo for it at gun stores and gun shows, it's of little use to me. The gun store's prices are usually too high, and the gun show is [for me] a 120 mile round trip, with an admission fee on top of the high gas prices. I've yet to see a box of ammo for either of these 2 calibers at any Wal Mart in my area, so...thanks, but no sale.
 
The great Obama-induced ammo shortage of 2008-2009 sure didn't help either. At the peak of the shortage the ONLY ammo I could find was 9mm, I couldn't find .22, .40, .45, or any of the revolver calibers. Its hard to convince people to buy a new caliber when they can't find ammo for it.
 
I believe that the American public can be convinced to buy a product that they don't necessarily want or need. (1950: A bomb shelter? Really?)
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Yes, really.

In the mid-1950s a bomb shelter made a lot more sense than a .327 Magnum makes today.
 
It's because no security or government forces have adopted it. Look at the popular cartridges today, they're all in use by government or law enforcement. 38, 357, 9mm, 40, 45, 357 sig. There's only a handful of people who use cartridges like 38 super, 45 super, 32acp, 32 mag etc, and they don't create the demand needed to ramp up ammo production which in turn keeps prices on that ammo high.
 
To be honest I never gave this cartridge a 2nd thought. But, now Im intrigued. I read the GunBlast review on the .327 Mag SP-101 and a couple other sites. Its seems like a relatively low cost fungun if nothing else. Something definately different. I may give it a look when I get back home...just for kicks.
 
I've never wanted one because I could think of absolutly no good reason to have one. Anything it would do some cartridge I already had would do just as well, or maybe better.

Why bother?
 
I like the advent of this cartridge...now if LGS would reliably stock the ammo at a reasonable price it would be my first choice in a CCW snubbie..beats out the 38 sp in terminal performance while rivaling the 357 mag, adding an extra round all while having less recoil than the 357. Whats not to like?
 
I've been a fan of .32 Magnum for many years. I've got one Single Six with adjustable sights and one in fixed with a birdshead grip. And, IMO, therein lies the problem for .327. At least why I don't own one. It's like S&W had a hard time selling .32's that were K frame. If people were going to carry a K frame, why not get a .38? The smaller cartridge needs a smaller gun.

I realize there are some snubbies in .327 out there but the .32 Mag was beloved by many who used it as a field gun. Since we are going to carry this gun all the time while doing things in the woods, it can't be big and heavy. It isn't the 8 shots that turns me off on the Blackhawk, it's that it is a .44 Magnum size gun! They could have used the 50th Anniversary .357/.44 Special frame anyway!

Again, IMO, the ideal .327 would have a medium length barrel. At least 4 5/8ths and probably 5.5" would be better. And it would be based on the Single Six platform. The custom makers have shown it can be done. Or S&W made the Model 60 in .357 Magnum with a five inch barrel. I didn't buy one since it had the damnable internal lock but it sure would be a sweet size for .327.

I just don't see it in a larger gun. OK, as a long barreled hunting gun in some situations. But my Single Sixes in .32 Magnum as just too useful. Same gun in .327 could use my .32 Magnum reloads for general use but have some .327's in the belt loops just in case they were necessary.

Gregg
 
I would have like to seen one made in a 10rd revolver with rails for HD use. It would be large, but could have been a good selling in the states with a mag limit.

Plus, I think it could have brought something to the market that may have caught on and pushed the round to more success.

As a revolver fan I would be very tempted by a 10 shot viable HD tool in .327.

It is hard to change people out of their .38 J Frame which I think is what hurt it for the CCW market.
 
2 thoughts.....

The problem is that the cartridge doesn't really fill any pre-existing void.

I'm actually impressed with the load.
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It actually creates another void: a 6th chamber in a j-frame or sp-101. It is up to YOU to fill it ..... and empty it, and fill it again.....:D

Were you impressed with the .32 S&W Long/New Colt Police? How about the .32 H&R Magnum? No? There is a void it fills: A .32 cartridge with impressive terminal ballistics (for a self defense/Carry gun).
 
I like the advent of this cartridge...now if LGS would reliably stock the ammo at a reasonable price it would be my first choice in a CCW snubbie..
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You know, handloading does not get any simpler than a straightwalled pistol cartridge....... buy your self defense loads at the store, and shoot reloads for practice. Your carry ammo could last forever (no worries about bullet set-back from repeated chamberings like with an auto pistol).
 
I believe the gun makers unwittingly killed it. It's a very cool outdoorsman’s cartridge for fun and for small game. It was however marketed as a defense cartridge almost 100% and put into short barreled revolvers.
I believe is S&W would have picked it up in a 5" J frame or even a 6" K-frame, both with thin light barrels, it would have sold very well.
If Ruger would have put a light 6" barrel on their GP101 in that chambering, I think they would have sold thousands of them. They could also have put it in a Single Six size gun and sold them well, (which I was told they did, but only in very small numbers)
Anyway.....my 2 cents worth....
 
I love my sp101 in .327. Grabbed the first one I found. Put Hogue boot grips on it and haven't looked back. Although to be honest, I'd like to see Ruger make a 1.5" version, with notched sights, to go with the 3" windage adjustable rear. Maybe even DAO, would be a tank of a pocket gun. 6 rds vs 5, with good ballistics, IMHO, it's a no brainer.


Then again, all my other revolvers have at least a 6" barrel. With the 4" GP100, the Blackhawk, and I know Charter and S&W are making versions, I don't think the .327 is dead, it's just starting to get noticed. I think Taurus is making one. I'll have to google, lol.

edit: googled....

Ruger, Charter Arms, Taurus, and Smith & Wesson are the major gun manufacturers producing small frame six-shot .327 revolvers. In addition, Ruger offers a 7-shot version of their GP100, along with an 8-shot New Model Blackhawk, each in .327 FM.Freedom Arms makes a single action as does U.S. Fire Arms with the 8 shot Sparrowhawk.
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Seems as though there are more options then I thought, lol!
 
I'd be eager to get a .327 Fed Mag, but there's one issue:

In order to sell something, that thing must first be actually produced. The only .327 Fed Mag guns I've seen are the Charter Arms products (oh heck no), Ruger SP-101 (good gun, but too large and heavy for a pocket revolver like my 642) and a S&W J frame with a 3" barrel (again, too long for pocket carry).

If S&W would take their aluminum or Al/Sc J frame and make a 2" barrel 6 shot .327, I'd be on it. Ditto if Ruger would do the same with the LCR. I'll be swinging by my gun shop this afternoon, and if they'd have such a thing sitting on the shelves, I guarantee I'd buy it.

But nobody makes one.

It would also make for an interesting 8 shot K or L frame revolver, particularly if they made them with a 3" barrel and a lightweight frame. Great for carry, plenty powerful, good capacity. Again, but nobody makes one.

I don't think it's lack of interest on the part of the consumers, I don't think it's a lack of capability on the part of the round, I think it's that the gun makers are more interested in making .410 bore revolvers. :barf:
 
I, foolish me, bought a SW 632 J frame - SS 3" comp barrel. I wanted it - which is a good enough reason.

However, it is a sweetheart to shoot and with the 327 six round cap - is a reasonable SD gun for the small hands folks. I ain't a giant. It is a nice shootable fit for my family members. With SW Long rounds, no sweat. BTW, my theory is that if someone can put a round into the BG, that's ahead of the game, so spare me the stopping power rants. Dad here can handle the cannons.

It is also a companion to my SW 432. I got it for a great price when SW was discontinuing them. It's a very light pocket gun with 6 rounds and reasonable oomph. I like it to drop in a pants pocket for a stroll to the mail box or whatever.

Now, normally I gear up - semi, mags, bug, knives, flashlight, OC, phone - etc. - but sometimes you just like to have that 432 and a speed loader. Better than nothing.

It's the free market - don't buy one. I do agree that a SC J snubby would be a fun gun if the round works in it.
 
I lean toward the view that "standard is better than 'better'"

I reload 7 calibers already. 1 more just isn't worth the trouble.
 
I never had any interest in this caliber. I want something
I can walk into Walmart, and find. Yes, my Wally World
carries .357 mag :)
 
I didn't know about this. or that others hated it alot. I absolutely love the .327 mag. And its a great Self Defense round.
 
Ok, I've read a few posts; certainly not all of them, but I disagree with what I've read so far.

Plain and simple, the .327 magnum was mis-marketed; badly.

They aimed it at the buyer in need of a SD cartridge, and largely ignored the sport-shooter crowd. When they finally offered it to the sport-shooters, they offered it in firearms that compete with more common, and more powerful cartridges.

I.E., it was first offered in snubnose revolvers, and it competed with the .38 special and .357 mag. Performance is said to be between the two. With the cost and (lack of) availability of ammo, most folks just went with the time proven two that the .327 competed with.

Then when Ruger finally "woke up", if only slightly, they offered it in a full sized SA Blackhawk, and a GP-100. Again, they're placing a smaller cartridge to compete with larger calibers in the same gun. With the option of shooting .38 specials or .357 mag ammo, most folks won't opt for the smaller cartridge(s) that can be shot from a .327 magnum.

Quite honestly, they should have offered it in a Ruger Single Six. Reason? Then it's competing with smaller cartridges in the same sized gun. A Single Six is very packable on the trail; more packable than a Blackhawk, for sure. The added power offered by the .327 in this small framed SA revolver would appeal to me, as well as other shooters. Perhaps S&W should have offered it in a longer barreled J or K frame for the same reason.

As it stands, I'm still very interested in a .327 magnum. I'm just not interested in it in the platforms that the firearms manufacturers are offering it. If I buy a GP-100, it's going to be chambered for .357 magnum. Ammo is far cheaper, and with the ability to shoot .38's, which are also highly available, I don't want one in .327 magnum.

And if I'm buying a SP-101, the same idea applies. If I'm buying a J-frame snub, it'll be in .38 special. With the price and availability of ammo, the manufacturers shouldn't try to make the .327 mag compete with these two.

The day I find a Single Six in .327 mag in my gunshop, I'll take it home with me. Until that day, I'll stick with the older and proven cartridges. I'd also jump on a K-frame Smith so chambered, as long as it has a ~6" barrel. Such a gun would seem very useful to me.

Daryl
 
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