.327 Federal Club thread
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Cosmodragoon
New member
I noticed this too and it seemed strange since I didn't notice it with the LCR 38. I'd be curious to hear from other people who've had this problem.
FrankenMauser
New member
Mine was quite stiff, as well.
It's getting smoother as it breaks in, though. And as it gets smoother, it doesn't feel quite as stiff.
I haven't had been able to get to the range and put more rounds through it for accelerated break-in, but I load and unload the LCR about twice a day (always at least once - unloaded at bed time and loaded when I get up). I also dry-fire it every 2-3 days to help the trigger break in, which involves verifying that it's empty. So the latch has been cycled quite a few times already - probably 120-150, minimum.
I don't consider the stiffness to be a problem. It just takes a little more effort to open.
Plus... it probably feels worse than it really is, since I'm used to larger cylinder release latches that have better mechanical advantage, and distribute the force over a larger portion of my thumb -- such as on S&W J-frames, SP101s, and GP100s, in particular.
FrankenMauser
New member
I still haven't made it to the range for a proper session with the 4" SP101.
It's killing me.
I pull it out of the safe almost nightly and dry fire it* for 5-6 cylinders' worth of imaginary ammunition. (*With once-fired brass, about half of the time, just to make sure the star is aligned properly.)
But, the weather's improving. Aside from meaning it'll be reasonably warm in the mornings (only 25-30 F, instead of 5-10F), it also means that the road to the range will be nasty once the sun comes up. And a nasty road means more time with the range to myself, before the first idiot shows up.
Maybe tomorrow or Monday. Maybe...
It's killing me.
I pull it out of the safe almost nightly and dry fire it* for 5-6 cylinders' worth of imaginary ammunition. (*With once-fired brass, about half of the time, just to make sure the star is aligned properly.)
But, the weather's improving. Aside from meaning it'll be reasonably warm in the mornings (only 25-30 F, instead of 5-10F), it also means that the road to the range will be nasty once the sun comes up. And a nasty road means more time with the range to myself, before the first idiot shows up.
Maybe tomorrow or Monday. Maybe...
FrankenMauser
New member
FrankenMauser
New member
I finally made it to the range with the SP101 4".
I took the LCR, SP101, and GP100. The Blackhawk had to stay behind to hold down the "Ruger shelf" in the safe.
TL;DR: I had fun, but the SP101 is going back for repair.
It was cold and breezy, at 14 F with 10-15 mph wind. Not terrible, but not as nice as the May and June mornings at 50-60 F.
The GP100 did what it does. Bang. Hole in target. No drama. No surprise. ...Actually the best I've ever shot with it.
It only saw the 100 gr AE factory load.
The LCR was surprising. I've shot it before - not much, but enough to be familiar - but today it got put away very quickly. With cold hands -- and, brace yourselves, I'll probably never say this again -- it was quite painful to shoot. Honestly, it hurt like a sum-B. I made an effort to finish off the cylinder, but put the revolver down, cussed a bit, and shook my hand like Peter Pan in an Elementary School play for a good 30 seconds.
Other loads might not have been as bad as the 100 gr AE factory load, but that's what I fed it. It was a day of recoil comparison (for two .444 Marlin rifles, as well), so I figured everything would get the same baseline.
The SP101 will likely supplant the GP100 as my favorite .327. It's a joy to shoot. It's just as tame as the GP100. And, even with the heavier trigger pull and grips that don't really work for me, I shot it better than I shoot either the GP or the Blackhawk. Plus... I have speedloaders for it. Who doesn't like speedloaders?
With 100 gr AE factory fodder, .32 S&W Long "BB gun" loads (94 gr lead @ 480 fps), and .32 S&W 'hot' loads (94 gr lead @ ~850-900 fps), I was managing about 2-3" at 8.5 yards. While not impressive to anyone else, that's pretty good for me - especially with a 4" barrel. (Remember, I'm a rifleman. I don't spend much time with my handguns.)
The SP101, however, will be going back to Ruger. The barrel is crooked, the rear sight is maxed out to the right and still needs to go farther (due to the crooked barrel), firing one chamber causes the cylinder to lock up, and, at least twice, I got hit in the face with shrapnel when I fired a cartridge in the "bad" chamber that causes the cylinder to lock up.
Summary:
Barrel is crooked.
Timing is off.
But I still like it, and look forward to getting it back from Ruger.
I took the LCR, SP101, and GP100. The Blackhawk had to stay behind to hold down the "Ruger shelf" in the safe.
TL;DR: I had fun, but the SP101 is going back for repair.
It was cold and breezy, at 14 F with 10-15 mph wind. Not terrible, but not as nice as the May and June mornings at 50-60 F.
The GP100 did what it does. Bang. Hole in target. No drama. No surprise. ...Actually the best I've ever shot with it.
It only saw the 100 gr AE factory load.
The LCR was surprising. I've shot it before - not much, but enough to be familiar - but today it got put away very quickly. With cold hands -- and, brace yourselves, I'll probably never say this again -- it was quite painful to shoot. Honestly, it hurt like a sum-B. I made an effort to finish off the cylinder, but put the revolver down, cussed a bit, and shook my hand like Peter Pan in an Elementary School play for a good 30 seconds.
Other loads might not have been as bad as the 100 gr AE factory load, but that's what I fed it. It was a day of recoil comparison (for two .444 Marlin rifles, as well), so I figured everything would get the same baseline.
The SP101 will likely supplant the GP100 as my favorite .327. It's a joy to shoot. It's just as tame as the GP100. And, even with the heavier trigger pull and grips that don't really work for me, I shot it better than I shoot either the GP or the Blackhawk. Plus... I have speedloaders for it. Who doesn't like speedloaders?
With 100 gr AE factory fodder, .32 S&W Long "BB gun" loads (94 gr lead @ 480 fps), and .32 S&W 'hot' loads (94 gr lead @ ~850-900 fps), I was managing about 2-3" at 8.5 yards. While not impressive to anyone else, that's pretty good for me - especially with a 4" barrel. (Remember, I'm a rifleman. I don't spend much time with my handguns.)
The SP101, however, will be going back to Ruger. The barrel is crooked, the rear sight is maxed out to the right and still needs to go farther (due to the crooked barrel), firing one chamber causes the cylinder to lock up, and, at least twice, I got hit in the face with shrapnel when I fired a cartridge in the "bad" chamber that causes the cylinder to lock up.
Summary:
Barrel is crooked.
Timing is off.
But I still like it, and look forward to getting it back from Ruger.
Picked up a LCR in .327 before X-Mas. About 2 cylinders worth of 100 grain American Eagle was enough for me to switch to some .32 H&R reloads of mine. Tried Aguila .32 acp in it as well and got about 60% ignition.
Last week made some 100 grain lswc loads at .32 h&r levels. Still haven't gotten around to trying them out, but hoping they'll be fairly pleasant to shoot.
Last week made some 100 grain lswc loads at .32 h&r levels. Still haven't gotten around to trying them out, but hoping they'll be fairly pleasant to shoot.
Cosmodragoon
New member
While considerably less expensive, those American Eagles really have some pep. That's fine in the steel guns. In the LCR, I feel like it trades against an important benefit of .327 Federal. It's not just that you get an extra shot but a comparatively favorable balance of power and recoil. Maintaining that favorable balance means picking the right level of heat for the platform. In the LCR, I think 85-grain Hydra-Shoks hit the sweet spot.
FrankenMauser
New member
I agree.
When I carry the LCR, it's stuffed with either 115 gr Gold Dot factory ammo, or 85 gr Hydrashoks. While the Gold Dot load might sound offensive to shooters that haven't tried it, it's actually pretty sedate (in my opinion).
But yesterday wasn't about "practice". It was more direct comparison with the same ammunition. Since the 100 gr AE load is what I use as the baseline for everything, that's what I used.
It really isn't bad in the LCR with warm hands. But with cold hands yesterday, it was quite unpleasant.
Oh, now that Dan-O has reminded me...
I did try .32 S&W and .32 Auto in the SP101. Both ran 100%. I got lucky.
I don't shoot the shorties very often, but it's nice to know that I can. (I usually try to stick with .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R, and .327 Fed.)
Hopefully it's still capable after it comes back from Ruger.
Low Friction
New member
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nOe4O0Jr0g&feature=em-uploademail
Hickok45 posted a video of his first impressions of the 327 LCR. Too bad he didn't have any 100AE...
Hickok45 posted a video of his first impressions of the 327 LCR. Too bad he didn't have any 100AE...
Arizona Fusilier
New member
Wow. Please, I'm not trying to derail the thread, but you Ruger guys seem to be quick on the draw when it comes to forgiving such egregiously poor craftsmanship. I have never bought a new gun with such serious issues, and if my first exposure to a brand was your experience, I would never buy another. I have never experienced this.....I have never bought a Ruger.
Now I'm not sure what to do. Ruger is for all practical purposes the only game in town with respect to .327 Federal, and I really wanted one. "Making it good", standing by the warranty, customer service.... I'm sorry..... I have bought too many guns that were flawless out of the box to accept that now after 30+ years of gun collecting.
Sorry..... not trying to hurt anybody's feelings.....just trying to grapple with my own.
Well...
I hear you. And as I said above, it is not giving me good feelings about Ruger. But I've been doing guns the same length of time that you have and, well, life isn't perfect.
You seem to have drawn a line in the sand. Appears that you may chase down a used Freedom or maybe a USFA for... $1,500-$2,000. Or you can't play. Neither seems like a good option.
I hear you. And as I said above, it is not giving me good feelings about Ruger. But I've been doing guns the same length of time that you have and, well, life isn't perfect.
You seem to have drawn a line in the sand. Appears that you may chase down a used Freedom or maybe a USFA for... $1,500-$2,000. Or you can't play. Neither seems like a good option.
superspirit
New member
Just got to ask did you quit driving after you had to have warranty work done on your car?
It really bugs me when I read statements like this. as if another manufacturer has never produced a defective product.
FrankenMauser
New member
Don't get your panties in a wad.
Not every firearm can be perfect.
Today, especially, we live in a world where most firearms are "consumer goods" rather than 'durable goods'.
If you want perfection, you'll need to travel back in time to what you view as your heydays. The world has changed.
You can be angry with it. You can regret it. You can do whatever you want. It doesn't matter, because this is the world that we live in.
As for my side of the equation...
I have a few things to mention:
The sarcastic comment about the Blackhawk 'holding down the Ruger shelf' wasn't a joke. That shelf stores Ruger revolvers. (And there are many other Rugers that can be found elsewhere - such as the .327 LCR that rarely makes it to the safe, since it's my primary carry piece.)
One of those revolvers on the 'Ruger shelf' is a 20+ year-old .44 Mag Super Blackhawk that was well-worn when I bought it used. After I wore it out and sent it back to Ruger for a quote on some repairs, they shipped it to me as a completely rebuilt [brand new] and refinished revolver, built on my frames. They even took the time to accuracy test it and sight it in before returning it.
I got a brand new revolver for the cost of shipping ($12) and a piece of paper ($0.15?) listing the repairs I wanted price quotes on.
As far as I'm concerned, I owe Ruger one 'pass' for the ridiculously good way in which they treated me on that Super Blackhawk. They had ZERO obligation to treat me so well, and no other revolver company that I am aware of would do the same. (Springfield Armory sometimes treats their customers the same, but they don't make revolvers...)
None of my other Rugers (rifle, pistol, or revolver) have ever needed to go back for repair. They may not be as refined as some other brands, but they always get the job done and don't give me finicky little issues like some "higher end" brands. (Like my S&W 642 that lost timing on 2 chambers after 47 rounds.
)Plus... Ruger's repair center isn't just a "slap new parts in and ship it out the door" operation, like some others. In my experience (including friends, family, etc.), any firearm that goes through the repair center is going to come back as a better specimen that anything that ever came straight off the production line. It's almost like shipping something to the 'custom shop' (if Ruger had such a thing).
Essentially, I'm counting on Ruger to not just fix the issues, but to actually improve the revolver beyond standard production tolerances. I have no doubt that they will do such.
They do 'off the books' trigger jobs. They fine-tune timing. They get the best possible cylinder fitment that they can. They hand-fit barrels (good luck getting that elsewhere). And more...
If you can point me towards another manufacturer that offers a 4.2" barreled .327 Federal revolver with approximately the same frame size as the SP101, at the same price point, I will consider trading. But, until then, I'll wait on my "custom" SP101 to come back from Ruger.
Honestly, I'm almost happy that it's going back, simply because I know it will return to me as one of the best 4.2" .327 Federal SP101s in existence.
For the record, I'm not paying for shipping, either. Everything is on Ruger's dime.
It could be worse. You could be on the Ruger fanboy forum. In terms of the 327 Federal Magnum, the one I would recommend is the 4" SP101, because it is in Ruger's regular line, and they should be expected to have parts for it. I am not a Ruger apologist, but the SP101 is not a $1500 gun. There can be a certain amount of "gaming" involved to arrive at a well functioning Ruger on their dime.
I have had chronic cylinder replacement issues with my Rugers. I learned with my Single Sevens that, since the model was a distributor exclusive, they have no cylinders remaining. Cylinder issues were reported on the forums by many people. All Ruger will do is offer another model.
I got my gun back and bought a reamer and now have only the issue of cylinder pin jump under powerful loads. That was my second SIngle Seven, the 4 5/8", which is one of my favorite guns. The first was the infamous loading gate misalignment in the 5 1/2", which my gunsmith "fixed", although breaking through the frame to enlarge the gate. It works great.
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Arizona Fusilier
New member
I guess my experience with all these other firearms has given me unrealistic expectations.
Just out of curiosity Frankenmauser, what would you consider to be a "fail" when testing a firearm.
Just out of curiosity Frankenmauser, what would you consider to be a "fail" when testing a firearm.
A pause for the COZ
New member
Frankenmauser, I am kind of with you on the manufacturing thing.
"These days" Now that pretty much all manufacturers have moved onto Advanced CNC machining and the gain in tolerance they get compared to manual manufacturing and even compared to 1st gen CNC machines.
Were we kind of are in the world right now.
Low cost providers who had so so quality have gained the most. Pretty much across the board they have all gotten better.
On the other side companies that have gone to the new model are still learning how to do it. Consequently I think their over all quality has went down.
Or in other words. When Taurus builds a gun there never was that many hands touching it before it hit the box. Now that the manufacturing tools are better their quality is better.
Ruger, ect had better quality and knew how to do it that way. Since they now have less hands touching the guns, needs to learn how. They kind of make up for it by over providing in their service dept. They can afford to do that with the few that come in and still keep margins across the board.
If you want a really good Ruger. Buy it on line and send it in right away.
bingo!! You have the best Ruger can make. Shhhh dont tell every body though. Other wise the numbers will get screwed up.
Its how they keep the guns affordable. other wise we would be stuck paying freedom arms prices. If you want a nice gun for $500 this is how your gona get it. other wise pay the $1200 and be happy.
Eventually though the foreign companies are still going to kick our butt. They will be able to take advantage of the advanced machines and have low cost labor to put hands on quality testing.
Thats my opinion any way.
Oh BTW Buds has the LCR in 327 in stock now $500.
"These days" Now that pretty much all manufacturers have moved onto Advanced CNC machining and the gain in tolerance they get compared to manual manufacturing and even compared to 1st gen CNC machines.
Were we kind of are in the world right now.
Low cost providers who had so so quality have gained the most. Pretty much across the board they have all gotten better.
On the other side companies that have gone to the new model are still learning how to do it. Consequently I think their over all quality has went down.
Or in other words. When Taurus builds a gun there never was that many hands touching it before it hit the box. Now that the manufacturing tools are better their quality is better.
Ruger, ect had better quality and knew how to do it that way. Since they now have less hands touching the guns, needs to learn how. They kind of make up for it by over providing in their service dept. They can afford to do that with the few that come in and still keep margins across the board.
If you want a really good Ruger. Buy it on line and send it in right away.
bingo!! You have the best Ruger can make. Shhhh dont tell every body though. Other wise the numbers will get screwed up.
Its how they keep the guns affordable. other wise we would be stuck paying freedom arms prices. If you want a nice gun for $500 this is how your gona get it. other wise pay the $1200 and be happy.
Eventually though the foreign companies are still going to kick our butt. They will be able to take advantage of the advanced machines and have low cost labor to put hands on quality testing.
Thats my opinion any way.
Oh BTW Buds has the LCR in 327 in stock now $500.
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