.327 Federal Club thread

The .32s are great if you are a reloader, especially if you have one of the .327 fed mag guns. You can reload pipsqueak rounds or powerful rounds all using the same gun and same dies, pretty cool.

The blackhawk makes a really great hunting handgun, it is heavy though. The Blackhawk is a finely finished gun too, I thought it was better finished than the .45 colt Blackhawk I had. It had a better trigger out of the box and the grip was just right.

I thought about buying the GP100 model too, just because I had the other two Ruger versions and I thought I would round out the collection, but realized the SP model does a really great job for a defense gun and at the range, so there was no reason. If I was to get another gun in .327 federal, I would really want a lever gun (has anybody made one chambered for it yet?). A Bullberry barrel for the Contender is not out of the picture though.
 
I started working with the round three years ago (almost to the DAY!) when one of my buddies decided to take a wild turn and bought the SP-101. My experience was limited to concocting loads and trying them out in his revolver until I had them where I wanted them, then simply making a few boxes for him to practice with a couple times a month. A handful of times each year, I'd experiment with new loads when I had a chance to get behind the revolver.

I agree with much of the marketing hype with regards to the fact that you've got bullet speed and "power" without near the felt recoil punch of .357 Magnum. Certainly, you've got a lot of blast. I still have no idea--none whatsoever of the .327's round effectiveness in real shootings, but functionally, the SP-101 is a well-built little unit that can be well employed in a defensive role.

Another buddy of mine whom I get to see and shoot with more often snagged the stainless Blackhawk. It's much like my .30 Carbine Blackhawk but prettier, with a more manageable barrel length and 8 rounds capacity. It was with this one that I began to chrono my handloads for the first time and get a little more gutsy with what I was building.

In early June, I finally got my own and I was a little hesitant because I love -- or very nearly REQUIRE a very good deal to get drawn in to another handgun. This one was used and clean, but not as low priced as I hope or expect a used gun ought to be. But these guns...they just don't show up all too often enough, new or used. I ended up paying for it a similar price to what used ones were going for on Gunbroker at the time. New ones are still a bit more on the rare occasion that you see one.

I bought it because I have enjoyed toying with the round.
But I didn't really believe that I was going to love it this much.

I carry a semi-auto so the SP-101, while a darn good gun, it was simply not going to be something I needed to buy. The Blackhawk is too much like my .30 Carb, so that wasn't going to happen either...and truly, it is much larger than it needs to be for fun, enjoyable .327'ing. It feels like you've got a .44 Mag in your hand.

The GP-100 is, in my opinion, BY FAAAAR the absolute gem of the three. The Hogue grip was quite comfy, but it looked like a slab of rotten roadkill attached to the revolver, so it went away. The previous owner had this revolver Mag-na-Ported, of all curious things, because it was purchased to be his wife's protection piece (a bit large for that role?!) so my GP-100 is different than...well, EVERYONE else's. :p

What a joy this revolver is. If Bill Ruger came to me in a dream and asked me to improve it, I'd suggest a 5-inch barrel. Would give a bit more sight radius, a bit more punch and the balance wouldn't be compromised. And an already good lookin' fireplug would look just a little bit better with a little less than an inch added.

It makes me happy that a revolver made like TODAY can still give me the warm & fuzzies that I get from my older and "they won't EVER make 'em like this again" Smith & Wessons. :)
 
You want to try .327 Federal right now? Here's how I rank them.

1) GP-100 for fun and utility, but too big for concealed carry unless you open or duty carry. If most of your handguns are like most of mine and you just wish to enjoy it, there's no better choice.

2) SP-101, not a micro size or snubbie, but runs like a 4-inch K-frame...with either more power (over .38) or a LOT more manageable (over .357)

3) Blackhawk. Pretty, solid, well made, but it's big, fat & heavy. If you are the hunting type...certainly. 8 rounds on board is pretty cool! If you are just shooting for fun and enjoyment, the GP-100 is more friendly.

4) Freedom Arms. Never even touched one or seen one in the flesh, but their reputation speaks volumes. You won't get one for under $1,200, but I'm sure you'll have an heirloom piece for your money. If you like the Blackhawk but you want a Rolls Royce, go this route.

5) S&W Model 632 Power Port. Never played with one of these, but I would imagine the port is similar to what I'm running in my GP with my porting. S&W couldn't be convinced to build a classic, normal K-frame and this is their only offering. If you think hardly anyone buys a .327, check with S&W and you may believe that NOBODY has EVER bought a .327. :(

The others...I just can't recommend with confidence, and here is why.
1) Taurus...they quit making them and now they can be found -REALLY- cheap. It's not that they aren't cheap enough (wow, are they low in price!) but it's physics. The .327 Federal simply has to have a bare minimum of a 3-inch barrel to make the cartridge run at it's extreme pace. We've known for generations that longer=faster in handgun barrels, but in the case of the .327, the cartridge gets clipped and just plain neutered under 3 inches. The Taurus revolvers in .327 Federal are all snubs and not a single one of them has the capability of running the .327 without shedding HUNDREDS of FPS off any of the rounds. If you want the blast of a magnum with the hitting power of a .380, this platform can do that. :rolleyes:

2) Charter Arms Patriot...they made some of these in snubbies (skip them for the same reason) and some of them with four inch barrels. Now the four inch -- I would really like to play with. You'd get the full power & capability of the round and for a low-$ expenditure. I told myself if I found one for cheap, I'd snag one. But I don't have almost ANY confidence in the durability of what we can all agree is a low-buck firearm...only in this case, attempting to run a 45,000 PSI bottle rocket. Remember that a Charter running .38 Special is running 17,500 PSI. .327 beating on this?! Add it up and I think you'd shoot one of these to failure. I could be wrong--show me! ;)

3) Bond Arms...a stack barrel derringer. Hmmm. I'm sure some folks like these, but they aren't for me. It does have a full 3-inch barrel, though, so you'd get the bullet moving properly. But these guns are awfully limited in function...and they aren't exactly cheap. I'm sure there's one or two in existence. They have a reputation for quality.

4) Contender barrel... I don't see it. And actually, I am a Contender guy, have a Super 14" .223 that has been a blessing to me. But if you are going to go with a single shot and a large platform, there's like a HUNDRED choices and certainly, there's going to be many ways to get a stubby 100 grain pill to rocket up toward 2,000 FPS in a more exciting, interesting or even ballistically superior way than to go .327 Federal. But by all means! :D
 
I dunno what went "wrong" on the industry side, because there is certainly no lack of interest: this thread has around 750 replies and nearly 55 THOUSAND views .......

Maybe it does not have the profit margin of the sR series, but a good many people are certainly interested in it.
 
There's one more option, but you've gotta have a little dough, you've gotta be REALLY savvy in the gun show circuit to find one, you've gotta have patience while it's being transformed and, well, you gotta have good gun karma to find yourself in the position of putting it all together.

I dream of one...

Search "Hammer It" and his revolver and his posts about it. :cool:

Put THAT one just above the GP-100 in the list. ;)
 
I dunno what went "wrong" on the industry side, because there is certainly no lack of interest: this thread has around 750 replies and nearly 55 THOUSAND views .......

Maybe it does not have the profit margin of the sR series, but a good many people are certainly interested in it.
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I'd like to think this is the case, but it's really not representative of the real market and the real interest.

Try this... at the next gun show you attend, keep count of the .327 Federal --ANYTHING-- you find. Ammo, brass, even 85-115 grain .312" component slugs, guns, load data in manuals...start asking folks at the show. MANY of the dealers, even. Some of the actual GUN dealers will have heard of it and the one or two handloading tool sellers will nod that they are aware that such a round exists, but the lion's share of people at the show wouldn't know a .327 Federal from a .327 Chevrolet.

This thread is a slew of enthusiasts and a handful of people that clicked to say quite simply that "it's an answer to a question nobody asked..." :rolleyes::mad: <puke smiley>
 
Taurus...they quit making them and now they can be found -REALLY- cheap. It's not that they aren't cheap enough (wow, are they low in price!) but it's physics. The .327 Federal simply has to have a bare minimum of a 3-inch barrel to make the cartridge run at it's extreme pace. We've known for generations that longer=faster in handgun barrels, but in the case of the .327, the cartridge gets clipped and just plain neutered under 3 inches. The Taurus revolvers in .327 Federal are all snubs and not a single one of them has the capability of running the .327 without shedding HUNDREDS of FPS off any of the rounds. If you want the blast of a magnum with the hitting power of a .380, this platform can do that.
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This won't bother the Taurus target demographic: the low information shooter/ballistic innumerati .... they sold a ton of Judges based on "power of a shotgun in a pistol" thinking ..... :rolleyes:
 
I should add to my post above about the blackhawk - the weight really helps with recoil absorption, which seems to help with accuracy. I would say 50 yards is within a good handgun hunting range with it, maybe more depending on how cold I am.

I just pulled mine out since I was thinking about it, figured I would clean it a little. Man, it is a nice looking single action.

I think the USFA or a Freedom Arms model 97 would be quite excellent for this round.
 
I'm rich

Took a look at that GunBroker auction referenced above. $765 is pretty good for a N.I.B. gun that retailed at $639 in the 2012 catalog (and catalog prices are always on the high side. You could get them for about $550). I'm not worried; .32 is plenty available (mainly from European manufacturers). I'm guessing that Ruger reopens the line in a year or two.
 
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Ridiculous.

I paid right around $505 for the Blackhawk, and something like $489 for the GP100. I believe Crankylove paid even less for his SP101.
 
I was able to get mine from a local shop (not known for killer deals :p) for $530 before tax. That's for a used GP-100 with very light use and a hundred bucks worth of Mag-Na-Porting already done to it.

Now, I call it "hundred bucks worth" because you'd spend just under that if you dropped it off at MnP in Michigan, but you'd have to add $20-$35 for shipping if you sent it. But realistically, you can't put a price on "custom work" that's already been done to a used gun...especially when you didn't order or ask for that custom work.

Does the porting make a difference on my GP-100? I'm sure that it does, but it's difficult for me to relay how much, or to what degree. I'm not a full-out handgun recoil junkie, but I find that recoil bothers me a bit less than many folks. I never would have even considered Mag-Na-Porting this revolver considering the chambering, but I don't mind that it's been done.

A GP-100 on .327 was on my "heck yeah" list, but I wasn't actively searching for one when this revolver jumped out of the case and in to my right hand. :p When I got home with it, I ran some Gunbroker searches and found two of them available. One new, one barely used, both were right around $620 before shipping and FFL fees.

Funny how sometimes a used gun deal presents itself. I'd been to this shop a half dozen times in the last 2 years and never found anything that I'd even consider. But this GP that came home with me was sitting RIGHT NEXT to a H&K P7 PSP tagged at $749 and firm. That's another one I'm on the lookout for...but I know that I did the right thing on that day. And looking back 7 months later...now I really, really know I brought home the right one! :D
 
They're all great, but....


The GP100 is the star of the show
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Yeah, I can't really agree with you here.:p I honestly think the star (at least in terms of Ruger's offerings) is the SP101, great concealable 6 round defense revolver, accurate and fun as heck at the range too.
 
Well I picked mine up at lunch time! SP101. Since Ruger is dropping it, I figured now is the time. Got it for $500, not great, but in the current market not too bad either.

I was in there Friday looking at it, and their revolver case was full. Went there today, and there were many missing, including my .327! The owners said they sold 5 or 6 Ruger snubbies on Gunbroker over the weekend. I asked (with a sinking feeling in my gut) "including that 327?" She said, "No, that guy over there is looking at it". He handed it to me and said it's all mine if I want it. So that was that. Now to find some reloading supplies.
 
I had my GP100/327 out shooting a couple weeks ago. That reminded me how sweet it is. If the 327 stays limited to the current feeble offerings of the manufactures, I'm guessing factory ammo will become expensive and hard to find in the future. Please tell me this isn't happening to our beloved 327's? Fortunately reloading can keep the true niche enthusiast in business.
 
Fortunately reloading can keep the true niche enthusiast in business.
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In my [admittedly limited] experience with the cartridge I was of the opinion that handloading is the one truly discernable benefit the .327 possessed for me. Using plated and cast bullets I could load it to moderate levels as cheaply as I load 38s and even cheaper than 357s and have a blast all afternoon.

I sold my SP-101, but kept all my reloading supplies...just in case Ruger announces the long awaited .327 Single Six at the SHOT Show next month. :D
 
At the prices guns are going for now I may never get my sp 101 a big brother , REALLY would like to get a GP100 , 327 . May just have to trade the 357mag gp for one.
 
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