Tempted by a Ruger LCR .327 Federal Magnum Revolver

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il.bill

il.bill

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I am looking at small frame lightweight revolvers for concealed carry. The S&W 642, the S&W Bodyguard 38, and the Ruger LCR series all appear to be very suitable choices, either with or without a Laser, so it looks like it would be hard to go 'wrong' with any of them.

The one I keep coming back to is the LCR chambered in .327 Fed. Mag. It is actually the priciest of the bunch, but a revolver that size with six shots is sure attractive, especially when I can run loads from .32 S&W, through .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R Magnum, up to the relatively hot .327 Fed. Mag. While NOT easy to find, I have looked and found ammo in all four calibers available to me. It would mean a new set (or two?) of reloading dies and components, but that would not be the first time I had to expand that end of the hobby.

Those options seem to point to both some easy shooting practice rounds and some suitable snub nose defensive loads. Does anyone have an LCR .327 and how do you like it? Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
 

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I have an LCR in .327. It replaced the Sig P938 and several .380s as my primary carry gun. The big knock against .327 is ammo price/availability, but I tend to buy 500+ rounds at a time online so a) I don't usually have to deal with LGS prices/limited ammo selection and b) I can wait for good prices to pop up. If you reload, so much the better!

I love the versatility of the .32 round. .32 S&W is very mild all the way up to 115 grn Speer and 130 Buffalo Bore which are very stout. I carry the 85grn Federal Low Recoil. Big fan of the gun.
 
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il.bill

Don't have on but did have a couple of Ruger Single Sixes in .32 H&R Magnum some time back. Fun little guns that were perfect for the occasional hike through the backwoods. Wouldn't mind having an LCR in .327 Federal Magnum, it would make for a great Kit Gun.
 
I have the LCR in 327, and I love it. It has replaced my Kahr and Kel-tec subcompacts. It does not kick as much as these small 9mm, and it has great ballistics.

It's my only small revolver, and I still cannot shoot it as well as I would like, but I shoot it at least as well as the keltec pf9 in terms of accuracy.

You might need to reload to get the best ballistics for this short barrel version. It's the gun I now shoot the most at the range. For some reason, it's just more fun than the semi-autos.
 
I don't have an lcr but i have both an SP101 and a single seven in .327fed. I would kinda like to add the lcr to my heap but at about $500 I just haven't pulled the trigger.

I like the cartridge though.
 
Having owned the LCR in 22LR and 22WMR, I was long tempted; put one on layaway in June and picked it up a few weeks ago.
Like the OP, I was also intrigued by the multiple chamberings.
Been using 32 S&W for practice/fun at the range and 32 H&R mag for self defense.
Like kharii indicated, I also buy online/bulk and did not/do not anticipate any issue acquiring ammo for it.
And like bitmonty I replaced a semi-auto with the 327LCR.
In addition, it is outfitted with Crimson Trace Laser Grips (CLG).
Could not be happier with the purchase of the 327 w/CLG for my EDC
 
Is the attraction just the increased capacity, or is there something ballisticly attractive about a .30 projectile?

Looking at the numbers, it should produce similar recoil to other rounds that use a 115 gr bullet at up to 1000fps, like 9mm or .38.
 
It's a good thing that Ruger no longer makes the SP101 in .327 with the 3" barrel. If they did, I'd have to buy one. :rolleyes:
 
QUOTE: "Is the attraction just the increased capacity, or is there something ballisticly attractive about a .30 projectile?"

20% more ammunition (over a 5-shot) in a light-weight, compact, concealed-hammer revolver intended for concealed carry, having a smooth da pull is the main attraction for me. And, while the .327 Federal Magnum is no .357 Magnum, it ranks right up there with +P .38 Special loads. I'll be relegating the Colt Cobra and Smith Model 12 revolvers I currently carry to the front of my safe once I get ahold of the little Ruger.
 
I have the 38 version because i got a good deal, but I would prefer a 327.

I like 32 revolvers very much. I own a half dozen or so. My favorite is my 32 magnum single six.

The "mild to wild" multiple cartridge thing is excellent. That being said, some 32 revolvers will shoot 32acp and some won't.

I will buy a 327 lcr as soon as I run across a good enough deal.
 
Tallball said:
I have the 38 version because i got a good deal, but I would prefer a 327.

...

I will buy a 327 lcr as soon as I run across a good enough deal.
Click to expand...

The RUGER .327 Fed. Mag. LCR is definitely a bit more 'spendy' than a .38 caliber model. I can get a 5-shot .38 Special LCR with a Fiber Optic front sight for right at $400 plus tax; the much harder to find 6-shot .327 Federal Magnum LCR is close to $515 plus tax. That comes to a little over $120 difference Out the Door price.

But ... I see some similarity between guns and love - the heart knows what it wants.
 
RX-79G said:
Is the attraction just the increased capacity, or is there something ballisticly attractive about a .30 projectile?

Looking at the numbers, it should produce similar recoil to other rounds that use a 115 gr bullet at up to 1000fps, like 9mm or .38.
Click to expand...
Increased capacity was a big plus, not the primary thing......
I have recoil sensitivity because of hand surgeries.

That being said, although the .38 and 32H&R mag are comparable, the 32 S&W Long are much softer than either and make it more fun to shoot at the range.

So like Tallball stated "the mild to wild multiple cartridge thing" is something that really appealed to me.
 
In case you get tempted to locate a S&W in .327 Federal, I tried one with the Power Port; no thanks. That thing spit propellant like no tomorrow. Shooting it without safety glasses was high risk.

I'd like to try the LCR though.
 
AlfonsDeWolf, "up there" is a pretty ambiguous phrase. There are other factors than velocity to consider, including bullet diameter and weight.
 
I've got the 4.2" SP101 in .327, and it's my woods bumming gun. Such a fun family of cartridges.

I would seriously consider the LCR in .327 if I didn't enjoy my 9mm LCR so much. If .327 ammo starts to swing back into vogue, I may have to give one a try;)
 
If you reload your ammunition, this would be a great cartridge. In its Annual Manual, Hodgdon powders has quite a few loads for .32 caliber and 327 magnum from mild to stout.

I've had two .38 special Ruger LCRs, a 1 and 7/8th inch with a Crimson Trace and a 3" LCR-X. I've never warmed to either one and found them more difficult to shoot than a good J-frame.

However, you might alsoe be able to find some Smith and Wesson revolvers in 327 mag.
 
I am fortunate enough to have several carry guns. The one that I keep coming back to is the LCR 327. It just feels right. The extra round is a plus. I did change out the grips for a set of rosewood grips from Eagle Grips. I requested a dark stain and Eagle did not disappoint.

By the way, a whole bunch of these are available right now on Gun Genie. Best out the door price in my area is $507.
 
Swampwolf, .312 vs .357=.045". Can't say what that really means to me, but around 300+ fps diff I would say is very significant. About bullet weights...as long as the mass and speed can push a deformed bullet 'x' inches I'm good with anything. Guessing both would do that, but the .38 speed doesn't seem to "guarantee" expansion as well. At least the .327 jsp at 1300 ft/s seems to always guarantee it. Something to say about sheer velocity on this one. Btw, I don't have any .327, only .38/.357.
 
I reload for the 327 LCR. And with 100 gr XTPs, I can get consistent 1300 fps with several powders, including 3n37, HS-7, and True Blue. That combination makes 375 foot pounds, well beyond the 38 special. It should kick as much as the small 9mm semi-autos, but the grip is larger, softer, and absorbs recoil. Loaded with 6 xtps, my LCR weighs just over 20 oz. This is a powerful combination.
 
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