.327 Federal Club thread

Heh, I may have to take my words back.

Just peeked at the S&W site, and I saw this model 632.

2.1" barrel, dovetailed front and rear night sights. 6 round capacity. Pro Series. The only catch is that it isn't an Airweight or Airlite frame.

DO WANT. Must discuss this one with my local shop this afternoon.
 
I would love to see a lever action rifle chambered in .327 magnum. Or, maybe even a single shot rifle in the flavor of a Steven's Favorite. Now those might be kind of fun.
 
In the mid-1950s a bomb shelter made a lot more sense than a .327 Magnum makes today.
Click to expand...

A bomb shelter was completely useless as anything other than a root cellar or a place for hanky panky...... 20 years later, most of them ceased to exist.

20 years from now, revolvers chambered for the .327 will still be useful, and fully functional.
 
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.
Click to expand...

The first .327 I saw was a 3" barrelled Ruger sp-101 with an adjustable rear sight, exposed spurred hammer and sticky rubber grips: hardly a pocket snubby, there. Too many folks see what they want to see- you saw "Ruger sp-101" and assumed it was a SD gun (thoughit would work for that).

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.
Click to expand...

I'd betcha that the "nearly equal to .357 energy levels" claim would go right down the drain if you chop the barrel in half: with that light bullet, the energy relies on velocity......



Me, I'd like to se a 4" or 5" barrelled sp-101 with better sights in .327..... but I have other things I need to buy first.
 
IMHO it's a catch 22. I love the 32 H&R mag, so the idea of a more capable round that could shoot the H&R's is appealing. However, the ammo and components are expensive so i will not buy it until prices go down and availability is better. Of course, prices and availability won't improve unless more folks buy it...
 
i'd love a 6 or 7 shot sp101 in .327, but i am not sure how or what the muzzle velocity would be out of a 2" barrel for a bullet of this weight.

seems like the lighter the bullet, the more it accelerates through an increase in barrel length.

from a manufacturer's perspecitve- i'd have to see how the muzzle energy of a 2" .327 would compare with that of a .38 special + p prior to building one.

if my intuition is correct with respect to bullet weight and barrel length having a strong correlation to muzzle velocity an ammo manufacturer couldn't rightly pack more powder into a .327 round for the shorter barrels- else people would be using them in the full length barreled models as well, and this may well run the risk of overpower through these models.

again, i could be wrong, but intuition tells me the lighter the bullet, the greater the change in muzzle velocity due to barrel length.

.327 may be near the limit of acceptable muzzle velocity differentials.
 
Your areas must still be price-gouging like crazy on the .327 ammo.

Around here, a box of the .327 Federal American Eagle 100 gr JSP ammo is going for $22.99 to $24.99. The .357 Mag equivalent American Eagle 158 gr JSP is going for $23.99 to $28.99. The same goes for the defense loads. At least in my area, .327 ammo is cheaper than .357 Mag, and about equal to some .38 Special ammo.

1,700 fps out of my 5.5" Blackhawk, with a 100 gr bullet that can handle that velocity; versus 950 fps out of a .38 Special, for the same price? Yea... I'll take the .327 Federal.

The American Eagle 100 gr SP is the only factory load I am willing to buy. Everything else comes from my reloading bench (.32 S&W through .327 Federal).


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.
Click to expand...
The .327 may not be far behind (though, likely in a limited aspect). I bought a large lot of once-fired .327 brass from a company that supplies LE agencies in Tennessee and Kentucky. When I placed my order they said they would have another 16,000 pieces of brass a few months down the road, because they had several agencies testing S&W and Ruger .327s as possible duty weapons. I don't know how likely the change would be (or what the particular use would be), since they would probably be going from a hi-cap semi-auto to the revolver. But, just the interest was intriguing.
 
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).
Click to expand...

I can't agree there was a void there since .32 Magnum was capable of nearly the same velocities as the .327. Of course you had to reload to get that performance! They introduced the cartridge with low pressure limits and with some minimally strong guns from H&R. Companies like CorBon thought about making SD loads for it that really had high velocity but you always had to worry that somebody might put one in an H&R.

Skeeter and Dean Grennel did a magazine article where they showed it was perfectly safe to go over 1500 fps with an 85 grain XTP out of a Single Six. I've been using some of their loads for years in mine. The .327 came along kind of like the .44 Magnum did. A longer case so that the factory could be sure nobody would put a super high pressure .44 Special in an older gun.

To restate: the very best use of the .32 is in smaller frame guns. For an outdoors type of gun, the best thing is to pick a platform that is .22 LR sized. Like a Single Six. If you are going out to plink for hours, you take the Single Six in .22 LR. If you are going to carry the gun all day when working and you just might have to shoot some medium size vermin, you take the Single Six in .32 Magnum. Or .327 if they would make it that way!

Gregg
 
I'm sure it's lovely. It fills no need for me.
Like it or not, it's a niche cartridge. In it's performance envelope, I bet it's brilliant, but few people feel they need it for anything. Perception is everything. Fair or unfair, it is percieved as a solution in search of a problem.
 
22LR/22MAG, 38SPL/357MAG, 44SPL/44MAG, and 45ACP/45Colt. I just dont see where any of the 32 caliber cartridges feel a need in there for me. I might look at a 17HMR or a 474 Linbaugh but thats about it.
 
The answer is

SIMPLE...I have a 1 7/8"barrelled 38 sp+p double action only that is hell on the hands with anything larger than 135gr loads(13 ounce ruger)....but a 327 in a similarly sized gun(sa/da) is easier to shoot with way more energy....especially using it in SA....LOVE IT!!!!!!
 
The first .327 I saw was a 3" barrelled Ruger sp-101 with an adjustable rear sight, exposed spurred hammer and sticky rubber grips: hardly a pocket snubby, there. Too many folks see what they want to see- you saw "Ruger sp-101" and assumed it was a SD gun (thoughit would work for that).
Click to expand...

Yeah, and hardly a trail/field gun, either.

A 3" barrel is still to short, and is still directed towards SD purposes. For a trail/field gun, I want at least 4, and prefer a bit longer. A Single Six with a 4 5/8" barrel would fit me needs just fine. A 3" SP101 would have to be in .357. No advantage in one chambered for .327 mag.

I'm not one to buy a gun just because it's "different". I'm practical in such things, so it needs to fill a need of some kind. A Single Six or small framed smith with a 4 1/2-6" barrel would be great for hiking country where coyotes, badgers, and longer range jackrabbits are found.

I'll stick with the larger cartridges for self-defense.

Daryl
 
I've never wanted one because I could think of absolutely no good reason to have one. Anything it would do some cartridge I already had would do just as well, or maybe better.
Click to expand...
That is my feeling too...
 
I can't agree there was a void there since .32 Magnum was capable of nearly the same velocities as the .327. Of course you had to reload to get that performance!
Click to expand...

You can dance at the edge of Splodeyville with the .327, too, if that is what floats your boat........

A 3" SP101 would have to be in .357. No advantage in one chambered for .327 mag.
Click to expand...

..... besides the extra round (Wow! A sixgun!) and lower recoil.....
 
If there was an affordable lightweight pocket (hammerless) revolver - I'd be all over it as I like the 32 SWL for accuracy. About 13-15oz would be ideal with 6 shots..............OR make it it a 5 shot on something like the old I frame - even smaller
 
The 327 Federal Magnum joins a long list of caliber that look good on paper but will never be mainstream for various reasons, the main one being because there is little to no demand for it by regular consumers.

444 Marlin
41AE
450 Marlin
327 Federal Magnum
30 TC
9x21mm
45 GAP
6.8mm SPC
(Insert next caliber here)

I can understand the concept of "being different just to be different". I rarely practice it but I understand it. But some of us find logic in just shooting a 357 instead of something trying to copy it in everything but selection, availability, and price. Arguing that such things aren't important or don't exist I do not understand.
 
The .327 was an answer to a question no one was asking. The .357 magnum is a wonderful round that has had 75+ years to be perfected. The .357 also shoots a .38 spec which is one of the other best selling revolver rounds anyway. Why would you want a gun that also shoots 327mag, .32 H&R mag, and .32 Long when they are such obscure rounds anyways? Might as well go with the more available, well proven rounds anyways. If we're talking small revolvers and capacity, if 5 rounds of.356 magnum can't do it, than it's doubtful that 6 rounds of .327 would have done it, and you probably need more practice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top