Ruger reintroduces the 3" SP101 327 Federal

I'm glad I bought my 3"when they first came out. It was before they used MIM parts. I have nothing against MIM but I'm still glad mine is all stainless. It shoots really well and is balanced really well with the 3"barrel. I shoot it at 25 yds with pretty good success with my handloads. Mine also has the windage sights and I had to adjust them a little.
If I had to aim off to hit my target, I don't think I'd have that revolver very long. I'm to used to aiming right on from reflex.
The 3" is a good barrel length for the SP101.
 
some of us prefer the fixed rear sights, as we don't intend to use these revolvers for anything else but close SD and/or plinking.

So why not offer both in 3"?
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Hard to argue with Armybrat's suggestion.
 
I don't see the 327 Fed going away ......Ruger has filled a void with the 327 .. With the SP101 and the Single Seven ...
 
Master Blaster said:
Because some folks want the ability to adjust the sight so POA =POI for their reloaded ammo, and for different power levels of factory ammo. The adjustable sight is not a huge manufacturing change. The SP101 match champion is already being made with the adjustable sight in .357 magnum.
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Exactly.
 
DM357,
What do you mean by there QC? Does Ruger have a QC issues lately? I think I would like that SP101 3" 327 one day? Thanks for any info.
 
I'm not a 327 fan
I'm not an sp101 fan
I'm not a carry revolver fan

This still looks like a great product many will enjoy and I certainly wouldn't mind owning one.
 
What are the advantages of this cartridge? I'm having trouble seeing the point in an SP101. Especially when my SP101 snubby shoots .357 mag and .38 special.
 
What are the advantages of this cartridge? I'm having trouble seeing the point in an SP101. Especially when my SP101 snubby shoots .357 mag and .38 special.
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That is a tired old question. A search should find plenty of discussion on the matter. I wouldn't want to have to defend my interest in the cartridge every time I mentioned it. Sort of like admitting you think the Taurus Judge is cool and then suffering the storm of tedious comments.

All I can tell you is that with too many guns to take them all, a .327 Federal Magnum is always on the list to go to the range with me. I am currently packing one of my 327s, but I do worry about how crazy "loud" (high frequency, high pressure) the 327 report is from serious loads. The key though is the step up to 6 rounds instead of 5 while having comparably effective performance, staying with a lighter, smaller frame gun.
 
Snub357 said:
What are the advantages of this cartridge? I'm having trouble seeing the point in an SP101. Especially when my SP101 snubby shoots .357 mag and .38 special.
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1. 6 shots over 5 shots

2. Less recoil. I don't know if this is true or not, I havne't shot a .327 yet, but I have hot loaded some .32 H&R and they feel like a .38, so the .327 probably must feel like a .38 +P, but with the power of a moderate .357 load.

3. Can shoot .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Mag, and maybe .32 ACP. This kind of feeds in with reason #2 in that the recoil is low, sometimes VERY LOW, with some of this ammo. I'm talking .22 recoil, but with a bullet more than twice the size of a .22.

4. Great small game cartridge, probably a decent deer cartridge too. This is the big one for me and why I'm getting a Henry in .327 soon. I like that with proper ammo, I can take squirrel, rabbit, fox, etc. all the way up to deer, all in one rifle. Accurate too, more so than .357 as it's trajectory is flatter.

In a revolver tho, unless it's a snub or something with a 3 inch barrel or less, I'm beginning to wonder about the same. Some say they don't feel much difference in recoil from a .327 to a .357. Again, I can't vouch for that, but if that's the case, it makes it really tough to say an extra round in a cylinder is worth the cost of the ammo over .38/.357.

One thing I can say is if you want to buy a .32 revolver, you're better off getting a .327 over a .32 H&R Magnum because it's much more powerful and peace of mind as you're covered with a factory warranty as Ruger currently makes .327 revolvers.
 
I think the main reason for getting a 327 over a 32 H&R is to be able to shoot either round. I do know from experience that shooting 32 H&R without hearing protection isn't too bad. 327 though will drop you to your knees.
 
volkstrm said:
DM357,
What do you mean by there QC? Does Ruger have a QC issues lately? I think I would like that SP101 3" 327 one day? Thanks for any info.
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What I mean is that Ruger revolvers in the last couple of years have a habit of going into boxes with lots of burrs, cosmetic issues such as tool marks where sights were installed, surface cracks, throat measurements, etc. Basically a lot of simple things that can happen with mass production. They've gotten to where SW has been, where the customer is the QC worker that sends back the firearms for correction. The good thing about it, is that Ruger is top notch when it comes to corrections and making fixes.
 
Snub357 said:
What are the advantages of this cartridge? I'm having trouble seeing the point in an SP101. Especially when my SP101 snubby shoots .357 mag and .38 special.
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Not much if you get past the talk of its fans. Anyone who has ever fired a .327 load with any oomph to it will, if they're being honest, tell you there is not much difference in recoil, considering both calibers in the same gun. The real advantage to the .327 is 6 shots in an otherwise 5 shot frame. That's about it. The available rounds you can go out and buy are just too light to give you the performance expected of this caliber.

Velocity and penetration are not the end of the discussion when it comes to the variables of the human body. And, with the available loadings, they aren't really all that fast, often coming in at 11-1200 fps, which as you probably know is in the realm of weak .357s. I concern myself with what happens after a bullet penetrates, which means hitting barriers such as bone. I've not been impressed with anything I've seen or read. So, we get back to the real and sole advantage of the caliber, 6 shot snubs. Of course, as always, that's just my opinion based on the information I have. Other opinions are going to vary.
 
And, with the available loadings, they aren't really all that fast, often coming in at 11-1200 fps, which as you probably know is in the realm of weak .357s.
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Um... No.
Are you just making stuff up? Or looking at Bubba-Found-The-Internet's ballistics tables based on light handloads?

Even the "slow" 100 gr Gold Dot load punches the clock at 1,350 fps from the "snubby" 1-7/8" barreled .327 LCR. Add barrel length - such as with the 3" SP101 - and that number just increases.

Either you are mistaken, or your sources are grossly incorrect.
 
FrankenMauser said:
Um... No.
Are you just making stuff up? Or looking at Bubba-Found-The-Internet's ballistics tables based on light handloads?

Even the "slow" 100 gr Gold Dot load punches the clock at 1,350 fps from the "snubby" 1-7/8" barreled .327 LCR. Add barrel length - such as with the 3" SP101 - and that number just increases.

Either you are mistaken, or your sources are grossly incorrect.
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I'm thinking he's reading data somewhere of the 85 grain Federal Hydra Shocks, which are loaded lighter than the 100 and 115 grain loads are.
 
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