.327 Federal Club thread

I have a BH in 327 and for that I can shoot 5 different carts. in it is what stands out the most for me.because i reload my own ammo and casting my own boolits that. I can do more with it.With the way 22lr are going and i use them for trapping and when i come short and do not want to pay the high prce for 22 I will use the 32S&W in the 327 just like I can use 32auto(ACP) and 32S&W Long and 32 H&R Mag beside the 327 Fed Mag. I look at as 5 guns in one.Just to let know that the 32auto is semi rim that is why you are able to use it in this gun and I have used them also.Beside have a 32 auto gun.
 
My SP101 in 327 Fed Mag is doing well with the published load of AA#9 and 115 gr lead. The 11.0 gr pretty much fills the case to bullet level and may be slightly compressed. The cases do require a bit of coaxing to get out, but the ejector rod is not as long as it could (should) be. I really don't think they are over pressure. The load is the cleanest I am currently shooting in any of my guns. Leading has not been an issue, but I do clean to a high standard every time I shoot.

Kleenbore has a special cleaning kit just for .32 handgun.
 
I've got a SP101 in 327 mag and that sounds about right to me. I was burning 12 grains of No.9 to a 100 grain Rainier. Currently using 8 grains Blue Dot to same bullet. A little dirty but don't want to go hotter with the plated bullet. No.9 probably has the edge in favoritism but I've got a lot of Blue Dot.
 
Forgive my ignorance here. I don't know much about this round. What is the bullet weight range? I've seen 115gr on the low end. What's the high end? Does it go lower?
 
There are only three original factory loads from the original pioneer of the ammo, ATK/Federal. The 85gr Hydra-Shock is a "low recoil" load, the 115gr Speer Gold Dot is the top-drawer load in every respect. In the middle is the 100gr American Eagle JSP. Recently, the American Eagle brand offered another JSP load in the 85gr bullet weight.

Some other boutique makers do some .327 Federal of varying weights, but 85 to 115 grains is the original payload range.
 
One way that it could be looked at... if it gives a slightly different perspective... (and draw your own conclusions)

It's a very similar diameter to the .30 caliber, .30 M1 Carbine bullet. That's .308", this one is .312". That one was 110gr and FMJ, this one (the Gold Dot) is 115gr and a cutting edge bonded hollow-point. That one ripped out of an 18-inch barrel just under 2,000 FPS. The .327 Federal Gold Dot exits a 3" barreled Ruger SP-101 at 1,500 fps, and about 100 FPS more for the 4.2" GP-100, and 100 more still for the 5.5" Blackhawk.

The cartridges are similar as well. They both run pressures higher than almost any typical handgun caliber out there. 40,000 PSI Max for the .30 Carbine, 45,00 PSI Max for the .327 Federal.

So, a .327 Federal with it's light bullet... runs roughly 75% of the velocity of an American issued battle rifle, but with a slightly heavier slug of modern technology. Of course, the M1 Carbine has a somewhat maligned history of "on target performance", but the .327 Federal is doing quite an impression of it with a 3-4-5 inch barrel versus the carbine's 18-inch barrel, and with a bullet that is -miles- more capable of imparting damage.
 
Sevens said:
Some other boutique makers do some .327 Federal of varying weights, but 85 to 115 grains is the original payload range.

Buffalo Bore produces two loads for the .327 Mag.
First is a 130 gr. Hard Cast Keith (1300fps/1291fps) (488/481 ft/lbs)
Next is a 100 gr. JHP (1450fps/1315fps) (467/384 ft/lbs)
Website priced at $30.18 for a box of 20 rounds.

For the velocity & energy figures, the first number is the advertised velocity and my calculated energy from a USFA Sparrow Hawk 7.5" barrel. The number after the slash (/) is the velocity & calculated energy from a Ruger SP-101 3" barrel.

Double Tap Ammo makes a 75gr Barnes TACXP Lead Free round ($29.75/20) that runs 1550fps with 400 ft/lbs out of a Ruger SP101 3" bbl. According to Double Tap, from a 6.0" bbl it zips along at 1725fps for 496 ftl/lbs.
 
Wow. Seems to me that Double Tap didn't really attempt to push that lightweight bullet. I know a copper slug is going to be longer and eat up more case volume, but I can push 85 grain slugs that fast without even getting in to the red zone.

So 1,550 for a lighter bullet kind of surprises me as a bit slow for a boutique maker that has built a reputation on crazy-fast velocity outputs in their products. (not that it's slow, mind you, but if I can do it without exceeding published load data with a jacketed slug that weighs 10 grains more... Although, my barrel is 1.2" longer and I'm sure that helps a good bit)
 
Considering the max pressure at which the 327 Fed Mag operates, there isn't much left for Double Tap to offer except loaded down or in the projectile.
 
Interesting. I wonder how many they had to order... Most 'exclusive' models are generally 500 or 1,000 piece minimums. Occasionally, Ruger lets them get away with 300 piece orders, for models that use existing parts - just assembled in a configuration that Ruger doesn't offer.
 
Definitely geared toward a small market, but a neat idea nonetheless. I know the .327 was designed with self defense in mind, but I dont see why it wouldnt work well on small game. These look to be geared toward hunting and woods packing, although if you are one of the "chosen ones" who carry a single action concealed this might roll your socks up and down. I'm still waiting on a .327 LCR.
 
No way its on the Single Six frame, not enough room for 7 shots of 327Fed. My Single Six 32H&R just fits with 6 shots and enough meat on the cylinder left over. Its got to be on the Blackhawk frame. I still would like to pick one up though, its the cover all for shooting most 32 cal bullets.:)
 
Last edited:
Definitely geared toward a small market, but a neat idea nonetheless. I know the .327 was designed with self defense in mind, but I dont see why it wouldnt work well on small game. These look to be geared toward hunting and woods packing, although if you are one of the "chosen ones" who carry a single action concealed this might roll your socks up and down. I'm still waiting on a .327 LCR.

There won't be much meat left, if used on small game. The Fed Mag adds range and bullet expansion. I carry the .327 Fed Mag in my concealed rotation. It is supersonic, so act accordingly...not a good indoor or car gun.
 
Back
Top