the caliber question

B

Bezoar

Moderator
we all asked why the .327 hasnt seemed to go anywhere.
lack of ammo availability and variety, as well as lack of guns has whacked it. but i realy thing that with these super specialty rounds, its more of a

"i really cant shoot anything else in it" issue.

at the moment i can get .38 special and .357 mangum. theres about 30 different offers in ammo for each currently available on midwayusa.com i dont like the prices on some of it but i can get it.

however they only have 7 total loads for .327 and i think 1 in stock... not exactly ideal. so the situation doesnt improve for reloading it. so you look at .32 magnum , 32 short, and 32 long. situation still doesnt improve.

so what are you going to do when you cant shoot it, use it as a club?
 
I have 2 Taurus M327 hammerless snubs in SS. It can shoot 32S&W, 32 S&W Long, 32 H&R Mag, 327 Fed Mag, AND - and this this its saving grace . . . 32 ACP if needed. Then you can always reload.
 
I own two revolvers chambered in .32H&R mag., seems to me it was overlooked during the recent ammo shortage as I could find it at almost all of our local shops.
 
I don't have any need for it. Lots of people feel that way. That's why it struggles. Same with 10mil it fills a purpose that just not many people need.
 
Seriously?!

I suppose I have around 1,200 pieces of brass. Those pieces :p they're re-usable. :D

I dunno... probably four thousand .312" slugs here. Got some primers, too. HEY! Got some powder here!

Keep shopping.
 
1 point of evaluation..........

Go snag a bullet chart from one of the big co's.We have a Sierra bullet poster over our reloading bench.It dosen't take long looking at their offerings,which calibres are going to be the most adaptable or versatile.

Obviously there are some other conditions...how long a bore size has been around,how many different guns are chambered for that bore size,etc.etc.But bullet choice is one pretty important metric.

So compare .357 bullet choices to .327.........and you can also look at mould offerings.Just don't see much catching the .357 bore?The .40's have made probably,the biggest gains in offerings in the shortest amt. of time?
 
Probably the greatest detraction is that its a .32! That area of its usefulness is already covered by .38 Special and .357 Magnum revolvers. There's nothing a .32 can that a .38 Spl/.357 Magnum can't do better. And there's already plenty of .32 H & R Magnums and .32-20s out there.

Bob Wright
 
The .327 has the potential to be a very versatile round. Problem is, it has to compete with loyal followings of proven calibers that have been around for most of today's shooters lifetime. Limited offerings in firearms and low availability of factory ammo has been a major problem with the caliber. Altho folks with them chime in "reload!", the majority of folks in the shooting world do not reload, nor do they want to. They want to walk into the LGS and readily find a good selection of ammo at a cost relative to other comparable calibers. I doubt the ,327 is going to go away, but whether it ever gets to be a mainstream caliber is yet to be seen. But then, many of it's fans like the idea it is a niche caliber and not owned by everyone.
 
I was excited about the round, but my last gun was bought when ammo was spotty. I went with .357 instead.

There is nothing I dislike about the .327 cartridge itself. The smaller footprint makes a more comfortable fit in the cylinder without having to drop down to .22 mag or .22 lr to fit more rounds in.
 
buck460XVR:
Altho folks with them chime in "reload!", the majority of folks in the shooting world do not reload, nor do they want to. They want to walk into the LGS and readily find a good selection of ammo at a cost relative to other comparable calibers.
Click to expand...

I see two shooting worlds: The yuppies with their hot 9mm or .40 calibers who only practice for expected gunfights, and those who shoot for pleasure of shooting. Most of the folks I know reload, and reloading is as much as part of the pleasure as shooting. I have no idea which is in the majority, but there are many, many folks in the shooting sports who are avid reloaders.

Bob Wright
 
i cant remember who brought in the performance threshold.
the 38 special does run the field the .327 was supposed to fit in and conquer, but the .327 technically has a flatter trajectory....

however, the velocities for the .327 im seeing with max bullet weights are doable with the 38+p, and the same weight bullet and velocity in a .357 case are barely into what most call "mild" pressure levels.

its like a little kid saying " i want to be different, and be the first kid on the block with the new wonder caliber, sure its smaller, and to push a bullet into typical low end 357 magnum levels, i need to hit the same chamber pressure as a good number of centerfire rifles."
 
I see two shooting worlds: The yuppies with their hot 9mm or .40 calibers who only practice for expected gunfights, and those who shoot for pleasure of shooting. Most of the folks I know reload, and reloading is as much as part of the pleasure as shooting. I have no idea which is in the majority, but there are many, many folks in the shooting sports who are avid reloaders.

Bob Wright
Click to expand...


About the only folks with .40s around here are State Troopers, and yes, the do practice for expected gunfights.

There was a thread going on here about a year or so ago about the percentage of shooters that reload and most folks answered 1-10%. Other forums I'm on are lower @ about 1-5%. That's the answer from serious gun people and a long way from any kind of majority. Most everyone I know owns guns. Very few reload metallic, a few more load shotgun. I would say less than 5%. I know cause I have a never ending supply of once fired brass in more calibers than I reload. You are correct tho, there are many, many folks that reload, but also many, many more that don't.

Stopped today at my LGS lookin for powder and asked if they were lookin to get any of the new single-7s in .327. Shrugged their shoulders and said while they had several folks like me curious, no one has made a commitment or put any money down.
 
The 327 mag is a versatile caliber that was starting to build a following at a bad time, just ahead of the ammo crunch. Where the public started buying every common cartridge that can be cranked out, why should an ammo manufacturer make anything that may sit on the shelves?

My 327 makes 1607 fps with the Federal 100 FP which equates to 574 ft/lbs of energy. If you want penetration, I cast a 153 FP that clocks 1190 (481 ft/lbs) that has a sectional density 0.225 giving it very good penetration. For comparison a 38 caliber, 158 would have a SD of 0.177 and it takes a 45 caliber of 320 grains to have a matching SD of 0.225.

To echo what others have said, if you don't handload, the 327 may not be for you.

327-153CastTgt-1_zps2a373123.jpg
Chrono100SP_zps0b444dd0.jpg
 
its like a little kid saying " i want to be different, and be the first kid on the block with the new wonder caliber, sure its smaller, and to push a bullet into typical low end 357 magnum levels, i need to hit the same chamber pressure as a good number of centerfire rifles."
Click to expand...
.327 Federal runs 5k psi more than .30 Carbine.

.327 Federal also runs a lower chamber pressure than .454 Casull, .460 and .500 Magnum handguns. And the rifles calibers that clock a lower pressure than .327 Federal are from the turn of the century.

Methinks some .327 Federal peed in your Cheerios. It's been HILARIOUS thus far, please, please continue. :p
 
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