Wildalaska
Moderator
Sure can if you are not a native, but which is more fun to shoot?
WildyoushouldntarguewithmeitsanexcersizeinfutilityAlaska *™©2002-2011
.327 Federal Club thread
- Thread starter farmboy
- Start date
Sure can if you are not a native, but which is more fun to shoot?
WildyoushouldntarguewithmeitsanexcersizeinfutilityAlaska *™©2002-2011
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
For every person, there is a dog, significant other and round. Your opinion may vary on what you think of that person's choices.
As long as you don't pay for it and the dog and significant other don't bite you or the round doesn't poke into you - we can all get along.
I like my 632 and that what counts.
As long as you don't pay for it and the dog and significant other don't bite you or the round doesn't poke into you - we can all get along.
I like my 632 and that what counts.
327 Federal
I was in a Cabellas recently and a guy was commenting to his wife about the 327. My advice to them was that at this point it's a great round but still a reloaders cartridge. 38's and 357's can be found anywhere and would be better for them if they don't reload. 327s are pretty rare in my area. My GP100 hasn't seen one factory round yet but with the hot 32 H&R ammo I load it's not really a big problem. Blast with full bore 327s is sure to be less comfortable than a 38 but flat trajectory, acuracy and cost of reloading are advantages the 327 will continue to enjoy for a long time. It will make a big bore shooter giggle with delight without the pain associated with 357 and 44 mags. I wish ruger would have offered a 6" GP100 or a 7.5 hunter model in the blackhawk. The 4" barrel is handy but limits effective range and velocity a bit more than I would like. They are not taking serously the ballistic advantage of this cartridge also. In a 6" GP100 velociites of close to 1700fps would be possible. In a hand gun with faster powders the 327 is cheaper and easier to reload than 30 carbine and would have less blast than typical 30 carbine ammo designed for use primarily in semi auto rifles. It gets real close to 30 carbine in a handgun without the same level of noise and blast as a 30 carbine and would be a fantastic ranch gun in a rifle for those wanting something in the 30 carbine/32-20/22 hornet class of weapon. Like 44 special and 454 casull, I see this caliber hanging on as a cult favorite midget magnum, not a mainstream caliber like 40 S&W. rc
I was in a Cabellas recently and a guy was commenting to his wife about the 327. My advice to them was that at this point it's a great round but still a reloaders cartridge. 38's and 357's can be found anywhere and would be better for them if they don't reload. 327s are pretty rare in my area. My GP100 hasn't seen one factory round yet but with the hot 32 H&R ammo I load it's not really a big problem. Blast with full bore 327s is sure to be less comfortable than a 38 but flat trajectory, acuracy and cost of reloading are advantages the 327 will continue to enjoy for a long time. It will make a big bore shooter giggle with delight without the pain associated with 357 and 44 mags. I wish ruger would have offered a 6" GP100 or a 7.5 hunter model in the blackhawk. The 4" barrel is handy but limits effective range and velocity a bit more than I would like. They are not taking serously the ballistic advantage of this cartridge also. In a 6" GP100 velociites of close to 1700fps would be possible. In a hand gun with faster powders the 327 is cheaper and easier to reload than 30 carbine and would have less blast than typical 30 carbine ammo designed for use primarily in semi auto rifles. It gets real close to 30 carbine in a handgun without the same level of noise and blast as a 30 carbine and would be a fantastic ranch gun in a rifle for those wanting something in the 30 carbine/32-20/22 hornet class of weapon. Like 44 special and 454 casull, I see this caliber hanging on as a cult favorite midget magnum, not a mainstream caliber like 40 S&W. rc
When I was a kid, my father had a 22, a 30-06, and a 12 ga.
Anything else seemed like a bastard to me.
Now I am 59 and I have over 60 cartridges I shoot.
Now my father is 89 and still only has a 22, a 30-06, and a 12 ga.
If I see a 327Fed revolver on a gunshow table, I will likely buy it.
My father will not likely buy it.
Anything else seemed like a bastard to me.
Now I am 59 and I have over 60 cartridges I shoot.
Now my father is 89 and still only has a 22, a 30-06, and a 12 ga.
If I see a 327Fed revolver on a gunshow table, I will likely buy it.
My father will not likely buy it.
.327Fed as a carry or duty round; US made revolvers...
I highly doubt the .327Federal or .327Fed load will see increased use as a concealed carry or duty round as time soon.
To even locate a documented use of force event with a .327Fed round would take some effort.
Over time, a few(and I mean a small #) of armed citizen or maybe sworn LE incidents with a DA .327Fed revolver may occur but most self defense or protection uses will be based solely on the caliber's specs or documented ballistics.
Now, don't get me wrong, Im not saying the .327Fed revolvers can't work properly, Im saying it will be years before a solid base is really built up.
The .357magnum, the .38spl +P & the .44spl are all proven man-stoppers.
ClydeFrog
I highly doubt the .327Federal or .327Fed load will see increased use as a concealed carry or duty round as time soon.
To even locate a documented use of force event with a .327Fed round would take some effort.
Over time, a few(and I mean a small #) of armed citizen or maybe sworn LE incidents with a DA .327Fed revolver may occur but most self defense or protection uses will be based solely on the caliber's specs or documented ballistics.
Now, don't get me wrong, Im not saying the .327Fed revolvers can't work properly, Im saying it will be years before a solid base is really built up.
The .357magnum, the .38spl +P & the .44spl are all proven man-stoppers.
ClydeFrog
You've got all these people posting negatives about the round and saying they have no interest in it.... but this has gone on for five pages now! If the cartridge was really a total dud with no public interest, would it really generate that much effort and this many posts?
What's that old show biz quote? "There is no such thing as bad publicity?"
Gregg
What's that old show biz quote? "There is no such thing as bad publicity?"
Gregg
I see the .32's niche as more of what S&W had a bunch of years back.... a "kit" gun. Something to toss in your pack to carry along. A small, light revolver that is still bigger than a rimfire.
I had a Single Six in .32 H&R, and enjoyed it, mostly. It was fun to shoot, though LOUD,
which sort of lowered its value to me as a "kit" gun. If I'm out knockin around, and find something that needs to be shot, I really don't want to stop, put in earplugs, then try to shoot it. Especially if it's an animate type something. Even a .38 is borderline too loud, but it's not as ear-piercing as the .32 mags.
Self defense? Maybe... but I don't see the "one extra round" feature to be that big a deal. If I'm concerned about 5 not being enough, I'd probably go with a high-cap autoloader.
I like .32's... I'd love to have one of the old smiths in .32 Long. I think it would be a blast to plink around with. They just are not very high on my priority list.. more of a "luxury" type gun... one that I buy when I have most of everything else I think I "need".
I had a Single Six in .32 H&R, and enjoyed it, mostly. It was fun to shoot, though LOUD,
which sort of lowered its value to me as a "kit" gun. If I'm out knockin around, and find something that needs to be shot, I really don't want to stop, put in earplugs, then try to shoot it. Especially if it's an animate type something. Even a .38 is borderline too loud, but it's not as ear-piercing as the .32 mags. Self defense? Maybe... but I don't see the "one extra round" feature to be that big a deal. If I'm concerned about 5 not being enough, I'd probably go with a high-cap autoloader.
I like .32's... I'd love to have one of the old smiths in .32 Long. I think it would be a blast to plink around with. They just are not very high on my priority list.. more of a "luxury" type gun... one that I buy when I have most of everything else I think I "need".
I have a couple buddies who analize things to death before buying. Both have bought multiple 32 H&R Magnums over the years. For what reason you might ask? Well I guess they both thought the 32 would get the job done, be cheaper to reload for, with less recoil. The 327 is just another step up in power from the 32 H&R.
Ammo Availbility: My local gun shop has several boxes of ammo on the shelf. Most of what I saw looked to be Carry Ammo.
My 2 Cents
I am retired, I live in a rural area, and I am out in the woods hiking or riding my ATV all the time. I have also been an Officer or Board Member of the local Sportsman's Club for the last 30 years. I carry a handgun open carry or concealed almost daily.
Most of my shooting is on the range shooting paper, or in the field mostly plinking, unless I am deer hunting carrying a serious handgun. For plinking, and target shooting a 32 will poke holes in targets, kill poison snakes, and armodillows as well as a 38 Special. It can be cheaper to reload for than a 38 by a very slight margin. In an SP101 it holds 6 rounds. This is not a bad thing for ccw. If I were to need a DA Handgun in a self defense situation what would I pick? 480 Ruger Super RedHawk if I was not carrying it on my person. Realisticly I carry a S&W 638 in 38 Special with P+ ammo in it when I carry a small light handgun concealed. I am sure a 327 Federal Magnum Carry Load would beat out my 38 +P in a self defense situation. I have no problem with my 38+P having enough punch for ccw, so I doubt I would have a problem with a 327 Federal as a ccw round.
Would I buy one? I might pick up an SP101 one of these days if I found a good deal on one. I would probably shoot lite loaded 32 H&R reloads in it most of the time. Same as I do my M64 S&W now.
I think it has a place in the handgun battery. As was said before the 32 is a great Kit Gun size round when light loaded. When you want something bigger than a 22 that does not require a lot of punch a lite 32 load will work fine. Put in some Full House 327 and you also have a ccw revolver. It should make a very good dual purpose gun in an SP101. It should be ok in a BlackHawk or GP100 also as a field carry round also.
Bob
Ammo Availbility: My local gun shop has several boxes of ammo on the shelf. Most of what I saw looked to be Carry Ammo.
My 2 Cents
I am retired, I live in a rural area, and I am out in the woods hiking or riding my ATV all the time. I have also been an Officer or Board Member of the local Sportsman's Club for the last 30 years. I carry a handgun open carry or concealed almost daily.
Most of my shooting is on the range shooting paper, or in the field mostly plinking, unless I am deer hunting carrying a serious handgun. For plinking, and target shooting a 32 will poke holes in targets, kill poison snakes, and armodillows as well as a 38 Special. It can be cheaper to reload for than a 38 by a very slight margin. In an SP101 it holds 6 rounds. This is not a bad thing for ccw. If I were to need a DA Handgun in a self defense situation what would I pick? 480 Ruger Super RedHawk if I was not carrying it on my person. Realisticly I carry a S&W 638 in 38 Special with P+ ammo in it when I carry a small light handgun concealed. I am sure a 327 Federal Magnum Carry Load would beat out my 38 +P in a self defense situation. I have no problem with my 38+P having enough punch for ccw, so I doubt I would have a problem with a 327 Federal as a ccw round.
Would I buy one? I might pick up an SP101 one of these days if I found a good deal on one. I would probably shoot lite loaded 32 H&R reloads in it most of the time. Same as I do my M64 S&W now.
I think it has a place in the handgun battery. As was said before the 32 is a great Kit Gun size round when light loaded. When you want something bigger than a 22 that does not require a lot of punch a lite 32 load will work fine. Put in some Full House 327 and you also have a ccw revolver. It should make a very good dual purpose gun in an SP101. It should be ok in a BlackHawk or GP100 also as a field carry round also.
Bob
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L_Killkenny
New member
I love it when someone thinks a round is dead or no one else has interest just because they don't own one or it's not the latest tacticool round. The .32's are a great example. Before the .327 came out Ruger, S&W, Taurus, Charter, and Heritage were all making new guns in .32H&R. Now all those same makers are making guns in either the .327 or the .32H&R and the number of examples has increased thanks to Ruger with their 7 and 8 shot models. Pretty good for a dead cartridge huh? I can see how someone might confuse it with the .45 gap 
The only things that have gone wrong with the .327 is the lack of ammo and components (not strictly a .327 problem the last couple years) and the idiots that condemn it without owning or shooting one. I'm fine if you don't have a use for a .32. Really I am. I myself have no use for a 9mm so it must be a dead round too. Think I'm gonna start a thread asking what went wrong with the 9mm.
LK
The only things that have gone wrong with the .327 is the lack of ammo and components (not strictly a .327 problem the last couple years) and the idiots that condemn it without owning or shooting one. I'm fine if you don't have a use for a .32. Really I am. I myself have no use for a 9mm so it must be a dead round too. Think I'm gonna start a thread asking what went wrong with the 9mm. LK
Glenn E. Meyer
New member
Hey, I like it when SW stopped making the 432s as I picked up a neat J frame for $335 NIB.
While we are both proponents of the round, I will have to disagree with what I've quoted here.
Take a look at the two rounds -- .327 Federal and .30 Carbine. Look at the diameter, the length and the pressure.
The powders to load them? Relatively the same. I use 2400 in both.
The blast? Relatively the same. .327 should theoretically have more at 5,000 more PSI.
Cheaper to reload? At this point, .30 Carb wins because of the brass issue. Otherwise, the same.
.327 is easier at the load bench because you aren't trimming brass with .327 and .327 is much easier to resize.
The bullet selection in .327 is wider... you can go from 85 to 115 grains if you can find them. In .30 Carb, it's 100 or 110. If you go with cast bullets in either, you can load whatever you can cast.
The two cartridges are shockingly similar. If anything, the .327 is more versatile and easier to deal with in a revolver and at a load bench. The .30 Carbine has 70 or so years of already being here in it's favor, and unless you want it in a semi-auto, not much else... except for the fact that ATK is a dumb bunch of morons who are willingly trying to smother their baby (.327) in their support of it.
Creek Henry
New member
Honestly, at this point, I want more power, not less. My dream gun (that I cannot justify buying) is the 360DW Casull (a 353 Casull lengthened to accept 1.41" cartridges). At 48k psi using 200 grain pills, this is said to be a true thumper and it will still shoot 38 special light loads.
So... while a 327 sounds like a nifty trail gun, I think it is for the person already in to 32s with a load of H&R rounds already. I think this is sort of the same reason the 9x23 didn't make it and the 40 did... if you are wanting more power, you shoot a bigger bullet not just a faster one!
So... while a 327 sounds like a nifty trail gun, I think it is for the person already in to 32s with a load of H&R rounds already. I think this is sort of the same reason the 9x23 didn't make it and the 40 did... if you are wanting more power, you shoot a bigger bullet not just a faster one!
I don't have any thing against the 327... its more that I don't care about it one way or another. I keep my personal guns with in 2 types of ammo and the 327 is not one of those.
I know there are lots of people out there that like to have many different caliber of fire arms but that is not me I nearly got my guns all down to 4 (12ga, 45/70, 357 magnum and the plinking round which I am not sure of yet 22 or 17hmr)
I know there are lots of people out there that like to have many different caliber of fire arms but that is not me I nearly got my guns all down to 4 (12ga, 45/70, 357 magnum and the plinking round which I am not sure of yet 22 or 17hmr)
I'd like to point out that during the Great Ammo Shortage of 2008-09, sometimes I could not find factory ammo in the 4 handgun calibers that I shoot ...... 9, .45, .357, .38 spec ...... only oddball stuff, sometimes, and somethimes nothing at all ..... The lesson i took from this was: Diversity is not always a bad thing. I know at least once when I was looking for .357 mag there was .32 H&R available.......
I admit to coming in here thinking who cares about .327 mag because I knew nothing about it. I was thinking it would have around the energy of a .380 or 9mm..
Came in with ignorance and left with a little bit of knowledge.
Why not an hi cap autoloader .327? Is it a revolver only cartridge(rimmed)?
Came in with ignorance and left with a little bit of knowledge.
Why not an hi cap autoloader .327? Is it a revolver only cartridge(rimmed)?
I think the 9mm is better. And .38 Special with wadcutters is an excellent self defense round. The .327 seems to me to be mostly just another marketing opporutinity to sell more guns, that did not catch on. I think it works for self defense, but there are already other calibers that do just as good a job.
Wow. Long thread for such an un-needed caliber. We've certainly proved that we all have navels.
Having recently bought a Blackhawk with those 8 little holes in the cylinder because I wanted a "fun gun", I think it's great. Knew ammo wasn't easily obtained but didn't care.
Would love to see Marlington come up with some replica of an old cowboy type carbine chambered for this.
Having recently bought a Blackhawk with those 8 little holes in the cylinder because I wanted a "fun gun", I think it's great. Knew ammo wasn't easily obtained but didn't care.
Would love to see Marlington come up with some replica of an old cowboy type carbine chambered for this.
Thread drift alert: I just checked out that Predator Tactical rifle and the little blurb on the site says it recoils like a 20 gauge.
Uhhh, yeah... a 20 gauge SLUG I'm guessing. No way that rifle doesn't punch your shoulder.
I put 5 rounds through a T/C Encore with a .500 Mag barrel on it and it was... memorable. Not a walk in the park. This one may be a little heavier, but it's not going to feel like a clay target load or a bunch of bird shot.
Uhhh, yeah... a 20 gauge SLUG I'm guessing. No way that rifle doesn't punch your shoulder.
I put 5 rounds through a T/C Encore with a .500 Mag barrel on it and it was... memorable. Not a walk in the park. This one may be a little heavier, but it's not going to feel like a clay target load or a bunch of bird shot.