Load .32ACP in Ruger chambered for .327?

M

Mr.Bluster

New member
I know I know the .32 ACP is a little smaller diameter -- .309" to .312" and it is semi-rimmed. But they seem to be more plentiful (one website lists 49 products to 12 for .32S&W and only 5 for .327 fed mag) and a bit cheaper. Not worth any damage to the firearm or its user, of course. That's the question: what is the downside of using .32 ACP in my .327 SP101?
 
They WILL work in a pinch. But there's a potential problem, and it's bad enough that I wouldn't recommend this as a practice load setup.

The 32ACP rim is "barely there". It's enough to headspace safely, so it'll shoot just fine, but there's a decent chance the SP101's ejector star could pass the rim and tie the gun up. Worse, if you either try to unjam it OR you don't notice it and try to close the gun, you could bend or break part of the ejector star.

In the 327 Blackhawk 8-shooter or any of the SA 32H&RMag guns this isn't an issue and it's perfectly reasonable to use 32ACP as practice fodder or for a newbie shooter to start them off with near-zero recoil.

But...in a DA 32H&R or 327 gun, I recommend against the practice.

If you still want to do it, consider doing your ejecting with a piece of brass rod poking cases out from the front instead of using the DA ejector system. A piece of brazing rod or the like wound into a ring on one end should be perfect, or use a brass or aluminum cleaning rod. DO NOT use steel of any sort!
 
From my limited experience, there's a problem with accuracy. Seems the smaller .32 ACP doesn't want to straighten up and fly right.
 
It is quite true that the ejector star may miss the 32 acp case when ejecting. However, I have had the ejector star miss a case on every wheelgun I have, even when using the proper ammo -- 38 spl, 357 mag -- Ruger or S&W -- as well as 327 cases in the SP101. Care is needed in every revolver, it seems to me.

willr
 
Willr,

If all of your wheelguns extractor stars miss rounds every now and again, try opening the gun, tipping it backwards 'till the barrel points skywards, then rapping the ejector rod smartly with the palm of the left hand. Rap it twice for good measure.

This also positions the hand well for grasping the cylinder with the left hand, pacing the thumb on a cylinder flute. Now grab a speedloader with the right hand, placing your trigger finger between two rounds: Point your right finger at your left thumb, and viola! a no look, no jam reload.
 
It is not likely to damage your revolver and it is, in my opinion, a better choice than .32 S&W Long. .32 S&W Long is going to sound and feel like a misfire compared to almost anything you know. It's going to be like one of those cork-guns that the kids in Cabela's are constantly popping off and for what you get in .32 S&W Long, it's horribly expensive.

The downside to using .32 Auto is that it's also a pipsqueak and the long jump from case to where it's headed doesn't do the accuracy any favors. But the bullet is the same diameter as your .327.

The best advice? Save up some pennies and seriously consider learning to handload. It will open up a new world and if you own a .327 Federal Mag, it's almost a necessity, much like it is for those of us who own, shoot and love 10mm. Handloading the .327 is fun, easy, and will drop your ammo costs so significantly, you'd hardly believe it. (however, let me duly note that there are absolutely some significant start up costs AND dropping the "cost" of your ammo requires making the largest bulk purchases you can make, so there really is no free lunch here)
 
Add my second for reloading the 327 mag. The real downside, however, is that Berry stopped selling the 90 or 95 grain plated bullets. All that is still available in plated is 71 gr. from Berrys and 100 gr. from Ranier. One possibility other than these is the 123 gr. plated from Xtreme Bullets (http://www.xtremebullets.com/). But you will have to guess what load to use.

willr
 
I had complained quite a good bit about the lack of cheap projectiles for the .312" when I started loading for .327 Federal Mag.

However, the more I learned and the different industry folks I got in communication with led me to believe that there's a definite risk in using bullets of a substandard construction at the VERY high max pressure that this cartridge peaks at.

For plinking and target and goofing off? Sure. I've even got .32 Auto bullets, both jacketed and plated (71gr) to work with light charges of Bullseye to around 1,000 FPS (estimated). But if you plan to run them like the cartridge wants to be run, stick to the bullets of serious construction or you risk damaging the forcing cone of the revolver.
 
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