Dan,
I will just address your question here. I started a thread a while back in the revolver thread and got absolutely no response*
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=685658
My take on the Patriot is that it is a decent revolver. The quality and finish leaves a little to be desired. There are some rough tooling marks on it but it isn’t a deal breaker. It is however accurate and seems like a strong build. It is built on the Bulldog frame which seems to have a small following. I’ve found some people really like Charter, and it seems some don’t. This is my first and considering the deal I got on this one, if I came across another for a comparable deal I wouldn’t hesitate to add another one. I feel like I should say that I am more of a semi auto type guy. I own few revolvers.
The cartridge has become one of my favorites lately. I have a Taurus snub and now this Charter in this caliber and am still on the lookout for a 327 Blackhawk locally. I also have played with the idea of doing a single shot rifle in 327 FM. It really benefits from the longer barrel as 357 and other Magnums do. I have been reloading for the cartridge along with the others that these revolvers shoot. 32 short, 32 long, 32 H&R and 327 FedMag. It’s a caliber that cast lead loads work well in, especially the lighter side of the 327 and the 32 Long/H&R loads.* I would definitely say hand loaders benefit from this cartridge more than non-loaders. Factory ammo isn’t exactly common. I even had a hard time finding virgin brass for a while and had to reload once fired stuff from the Federal factory ammo I had purchased.
Back to the revolver… The rear adjustable sights on the 4” target model are nice to have. Mine shot slightly left out of the box with multiple shooters, adjustable sights made that an easy fix. I prefer shooting this revolver in double action mode over single action. When cocked for single action, the pull is (to me) almost as heavy as double action. There’s no travel, but it still seems like it takes about 6-7 lbs of pressure to release. I haven’t ran any super hot 327s through this. The closest I have come is right under max according to data I’ve used. I would say that the factory Fed Am. Eagle 115 soft points may be the hottest thing that has been in mine. I experienced sticky extraction with these. After reading a few reviews online, it seems I wasn’t the only one. If you can find one of these revolvers and it feels good to you and the price is right, I’d say go for it. I enjoy it more than the short barreled variety I own.
Appreciate the interest Dan. And I think I’ve found the holster i'm going to go with, thanks to Drail for the push in the right direction.
