Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag

[gdeal]

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag considered a good concealed carry self-defense weapon?
And if so how does it compare to any 9mm since we are talking small caliber here.
Does the .327 Federal Magnum have any knock down power?
Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag the future of Concealed Carry Self-Defense?

 

[LE-28]

I seriously doubt it's the future of much of anything. It does have interesting characteristics and in some cases is thought to be superior to 357mag by some.

Here is a link to an American Rifleman article on this same subject.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/ArticlePage.aspx?id=2340&cid=1

I have an SP101 in 327federal mag and I really love it. As far as reloading there's not much of a choice of bullets to use. XTPs are all I can find around here. There are only about two companies that make bullets for the 32 cal that can stand that kind of pressure and velocity without breaking up on impact.

 

[Daggitt]

You touched a controversial topic. Check the archives for the nearly 30 page thread on this. It's an outstanding self defense round. It's not as popular as the 357 , but well liked by most who have one.

 

[FrankenMauser]

The massive thread: http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448008

 

[CWKahrFan]

Yep, as above... the long recent thread:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=448008&highlight=327

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag considered a good concealed carry self-defense weapon?

Yeah... but it's kinda heavy compared to poly autos or light-alloy revolvers.

And if so how does it compare to any 9mm since we are talking small caliber here.

Ballpark comparable... a bit stronger... see thread.

Does the .327 Federal Magnum have any knock down power?

Yeah... But it's not .357.

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag the future of Concealed Carry Self-Defense?

No... But if you like carrying it, you're not alone.

 

[deadcoyote]

I had an interest in the .327 when it came out, as I have alot of raccoon and bobcat problems on my property and had considered the long barrelled blackhawk (i think that's the 8-shot model?) for packing around. When I weighed it all out with ammo availability and black bears being the greater concern, I figured .357 would be a better all around option. I would tend to feel the same way if you were concerned about two legged critter problems.

 

[Kreyzhorse]

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag the future of Concealed Carry Self-Defense?

I'm sure it is great round and the SP is a great gun but the .327 was damn near DOA for a lot of reasons mentioned in the thread above.

So, no, it is more likely to be a footnote in the future rather than the future.

 

[327 FM]

I carry mine daily with confidence.

 

[PT-92]

There are some mighty fine buys out there right now on .327 revolvers. But as previously mentioned in the thread, the very future of the .327 cartridge is at the moment dubious at best .

So I think if you could purchase one at a bargain price (and they are out there ) and stock up big-time on the ammo (if you reload it's moot) GO FOR IT yesterday already. Conversely, I know too many people that would buy the gun and a box of ammo, and in the future he may or may not be able to find enough ammo for frequent range use...

 

[farmboy]

There is no reason NOT to consider the .327, if you learn to reload.

You can set up with a Lee hand press, dies, and powder scoops for under $100, and it will all fit in a shoe box.

It's easy to do, it makes it cheap to shoot, and it broadens your horizon in the field of firearms and shooting.

My SP101 is my constant companion, and well worthy of consideration.

 

[jimbob86]

Does the .327 Federal Magnum have any knock down power?

Knock down power?

No such animal, this side of small cannons launching explosive projectiles scoring direct hits.

With the borderline of significant hydrostaic shock at 2200+ ft/sec for a 150 gr projectile.... 100 gr @ 1400 f/sec is not going to knock anybody down that does not expect to be knocked down.

In a carry sized gun, it's a small frame equivalent of a .357 magnum, giving 6 instead of 5.

In a 5+ inch gun, muzzle energy nearly doubles, and it really comes into it's own realm....

I'd love to see a levergun w/ a 16" barrel chambered for this ..... who am I kidding? I'd love to see a Mare's Leg SBR with, say... a 10" tube.....

 

[jimbob86]

You can set up with a Lee hand press, dies, and powder scoops for under $100, and it will all fit in a shoe box.

It's easy to do, it makes it cheap to shoot, and it broadens your horizon in the field of firearms and shooting.

The same can be said of ANY cartridge.

Handload........ Or do you have enough money to shoot as much as you want?

 

[Madcap_Magician]

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag considered a good concealed carry self-defense weapon?

Yes.

And if so how does it compare to any 9mm since we are talking small caliber here.

Slightly inferior in expansion, slightly superior in penetration. .4" expansion would be a norm, I think, for .327 Federal Magnum premium loads. 9mm will usually hit .5" or so. .327 Magnum will easily penetrate 14-15" in the 4LD FBI test, 9mm loads will do more like 12-13".

Does the .327 Federal Magnum have any knock down power?

No. No small arms caliber has the ability to knock a standing man down from the impact force. But in all likelihood, most anyone shot with a .327 Magnum will be thoroughly dissuaded from doing whatever made you shoot him, and this may include falling down.

Is the Ruger SP101 .327 Fed Mag the future of Concealed Carry Self-Defense?

Not even Ruger is putting out propaganda like that. The .327 is still something of a cult cartridge, but among revolver aficionados, it gets respect for putting six reasonably powerful rounds into a gun the size of a J-frame. The general consensus is that recoil is not that much lighter than a .357 magnum. And it's still a revolver, and while I have nothing against revolvers and carry a Ruger revolver on occasion, I think it would be hard to argue that any revolver represents the "future of Concealed Carry Self Defense."