327 Federal Mag rifle, yea or na

[Tac. Gunner]

I have searched the forum and all the threads on this topic are several years old and I was just wondering if maybe there had been any new desire for one since then. I personally would love to see a lever gun, bolt gun, or even a single shot rifle chambered in this hot little round. I think it would make a great varmint and predator rig and would be at home as a farm gun. If say, Barnes, would create a varmint bullet for it, it really would be a great set up. What's everyone else's opinion on this?

 

[hogcaller]

Who makes the 327 mag in a rifle? I have never seen one.

 

[Madcap_Magician]

I'm thinking it would make an amazing lever gun. Great varminting round, like a super .32-20.

 

[thunder173]

Hmmmm,...wonder if anybody from the major manufacturers will pay attention if we collectively yell loud enough?????

 

[CraigC]

Yes!!!!!!!

 

[Gryffydd]

My first reaction is that this is an awesome idea. My second reaction is, "Why get one of these over a .357 Mag rifle?"

I'm not sure which reaction is winning in my head.

 

[hirundo82]

I don't know why Marlin hasn't done it yet, at least as a limited run. They've done runs of the 1894 in most of the older .32 caliber revolver cartridges.

 

[Tac. Gunner]

I think we should try to get enough support and email some of the manufactures about it. I mean there seems to be a lot of pontential for a rifle in this caliber. It would compliment the Ruger Blackhawk or GP100 in this caliber very nicely and the possibilties of its uses are endless once you start looking at reloading it. You can load anywhere from a 77gr LSWC at around 950fps to a 115gr at 1200fps and those are revolver velocities. Imagine what it would do to a coyote. I believe we would have the most luck getting a 327 rifle from NEF or Rossi first since they wouldn't have to take as much of a fiancial gamble as other companies.

 

[MachIVshooter]

My first reaction is that this is an awesome idea. My second reaction is, "Why get one of these over a .357 Mag rifle?"

Mine as well. In a revolver, it makes sense, as it gives you an extra round in a small frame gun. But for a rifle, that advantage is gone, and the .357 really shines in a carbine.

 

[Big Bad Bob]

My esponse would be a question to your question, but

Why not buy a .357 or .44 mag lever gun instead? more versatility, unless you just want to have another caliber to purchase

 

[20x12ga]

.327Mag.

The .327Mag. might be worth looking into but,with the .357mag. in the rifle cal.already,WHY? The .357mag is min.at best for deer size game and personally I really wouldn't use it for them.It' seems that the cal. would be too small for most and too big or expensive to shoot for small game or targets? I would like to say that the .327 in a personal def. gun is a great way to go with the power needed to get the job done and it can give an extra shot or so in the chamber over the .357mag. in a lite weight revolver.Ruger makes the smaller conceal size in that cal. and I've got one ready to purchase in the near future.As for a rifle ? I' can't see a reasonable use other than it would just be "COOL" and there is nothing wronge with that either !! Good Shoot'n

 

[chas08]

It would be a "hoot" in a Winchester '92 clone. but as others have stated, you can pretty much do the same thing with a .38/.357, and probably cheaper.

 

[CraigC]

Same reason folks buy .22Hornets and .222's instead of .22-250's and .220Swifts. Only a little different. A little more here, a little less there. To put things in perspective, the .327 will sling a bullet of comparable sectional density 300-400fps faster, sixgun or rifle (estimated). For a given sectional density (115gr .327 vs. 158gr .357), it takes a rifle-length barrel for the .357 to match .327 handgun velocity. It will sling a bullet of comparable weight slightly faster but shoot flatter and hit harder downrange.

I find it strange that it's okay to have sooooo many rifle cartridges to choose from but as soon as we start talking about handgun cartridges, we really only need three or four. Same as with handguns, the .327 will shoot faster and flatter. A better cartridge for small game and varmints. The .357 would obviously make a better deer/hog cartridge. As usual, the .357 is adequate for several things but perfect for nothing.

 

[19-3Ben]

I'm on board with CragC. Huge +1 to him.

I have a .357mag lever rifle, but i have to say, the .327mag would be very intriguing. Heck, with a 16"bbl levergun it would even make a dandy HD rifle (a role my 16" .357 rossi was bought to fill.)

 

[MachIVshooter]

Same reason folks buy .22Hornets and .222's instead of .22-250's and .220Swifts.

I disagree. I have a .220 Swift and a .22 Hornet, and there is a very good reason. My .220 is my primary rat slayer in wide open country, but it is expensive and very loud. The hornet can be handloaded for peanuts and has a very mild report for use in more settled areas. The smaller and lighter rifle also carries easier when patrolling a field rather than setting up to shoot prone from a few postions all day.

This argument is not present for the .327. It is just as loud, more expensive, less capable and less available than .357 Mag. When you take away the capacity advantage present in wheelguns, I can see no benefit.

I'll draw this analogy: Say you are deciding between a 300 HP V-8 (.357) and a 300 HP turbocharged 4 cylinder (.327) to put in your sports car (small frame revolver). In that light car, the turbo motor will accelerate just as quickly, and offers 20% better fuel economy (5 rounds vs. 6). But take those same engine options for a 6,000 pound truck (rifle). That extra weight will cause a drastic drop in the fuel efficiency of the smaller engine (no capacity advantage), and the greater low end torque of the V-8 will move the vehicle more effectively (.357 has more potential in a carbine).

Likewise, if the .22 Hornet was just as loud and expensive as the .220 Swift, and if the rifle was equally heavy, I wouldn't own it.

 

[Clark]

Madcap_Magician
I'm thinking it would make an amazing lever gun. Great varminting round, like a super .32-20.

I don't think a handloaded 327Federal in a rifle is as powerful as a handloaded 32-20 in a rifle.

Even a newbie that has to follow handloading recipes will find the 4 levels of 32-20 loads.

 

[CraigC]

I disagree on the engine analogy. It really depends on your usage. The .327 makes a far better varmint cartridge. As I said, it shoots significantly faster and much flatter. The .357 would make a better deer cartridge but it's marginal in that role and limited to 75-100yds. So you can have a .357 that does several things fairly well or a .327 that excels at varmint control and a .44Mag that can take anything that walks or crawls.

Why are folks so worried about the .327 replacing their beloved .357? It's as if one should only have a .357 in a handgun and a .30-06 in a rifle. None others are necessary. No sir, variety is the spice of life and this is a game of incremental improvements. Open your mind, there is a place for the .327 in this world. Just as there is a place for its grandpa, the .32-20.

One advantage of the .327 that has not been mentioned, is that it fits tidily into the Single Six platform. Whereas the .357 doesn't. Unlike the .357, recoil will be neglible.

I don't think a handloaded 327Federal in a rifle is as powerful as a handloaded 32-20 in a rifle.

I think they will prove to be very, very close and the .327's cases will last a lot longer. The .327 already beats what we've been able to accomplish in a .32-20 sixgun.

 

[R.W.Dale]

I don't think a handloaded 327Federal in a rifle is as powerful as a handloaded 32-20 in a rifle.

Even a newbie that has to follow handloading recipes will find the 4 levels of 32-20 loads.

actually it's a great deal more powerful and is closer to 30 carbine than the old 32/20

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/327mag.html

remchester are both selling 32/20 that tops out under 1300 fps, 327 fed with the same bullet weight is breaking 2100fps in a 18" tube. I've not seen any PUBLISHED 32/20 loads come anywhere close to that

 

[Tac. Gunner]

I agree with CraigC all the way. In a rifle platform the 327 would be great for varmint and predator control while you can use the 357 or 44 mag for larger game. There is room for everything if people open their minds. Grant you I have no first hand experince with a 327 as I am still saving for a Ruger Blackhawk in it but from what I have read and the ballistics I have seen it is a great catridge. Not sure if I'm correct but the 327 would also have less recoil than a 357 while still coming real close to its ballistics. It just seems to be a winner all the way around IMHO

Just found this link showing the velocities of the 327 out of barrel lengths from 2" to 18"
http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/327mag.html

Kinda of impressive to me

 

[Gryffydd]

To put things in perspective, the .327 will sling a bullet of comparable sectional density 300-400fps faster, sixgun or rifle (estimated). For a given sectional density (115gr .327 vs. 158gr .357), it takes a rifle-length barrel for the .357 to match .327 handgun velocity. It will sling a bullet of comparable weight slightly faster but shoot flatter and hit harder downrange.

I'd be interested to see some of these loads you're talking about. I'm not really seeing any 115gr .327 handgun loads that will do over 2,000fps like the 158gr .357 rifle loads. I'm also not seeing any comparable weight loads where the 327 keeps up with the 357. I'm not saying they're not out there, but I'm not finding them.
Edit to add: Some 115gr 327 factory loads out perform some 158gr 357 factory loads, but they definitely don't outperform 158gr 357 handloads.

Why are folks so worried about the .327 replacing their beloved .357?

I'm not worried about anything. I'm just not sure how excited I am about the idea. I do like the idea, I'm just not sure exactly how much.

The .357 would make a better deer cartridge but it's marginal in that role and limited to 75-100yds.

What kind of deer you got in your neck of the woods? All pistol caliber carbines are a bit limited on range, but I wouldn't call the .357--from a rifle no less--marginal on deer within typical iron-sight hunting ranges.

 

[Gryffydd]

There is room for everything if people open their minds.

But there's not room for everything in my wallet and discussing the pros and cons of a platform is an important part of deciding what to buy next. It's not about having a closed mind, it's about prioritization.

 

[Clark]

R.W.Dale

actually it's a great deal more powerful and is closer to 30 carbine than the old 32/20

http://www.ballisticsbytheinch.com/327mag.html

remchester are both selling 32/20 that tops out under 1300 fps, 327 fed with the same bullet weight is breaking 2100fps in a 18" tube. I've not seen any PUBLISHED 32/20 loads come anywhere close to that

Both the 327 and 32-20 case heads are good for 90kpsi and fail gracefully.
The 30 carbine case head is good for about half that and make an expensive mess when they fail.

The 327 is 1.45" long, and the 32-20 is 1.57" long.

For advanced reloaders, that's all they need to know.

 

[W.E.G.]

Marlin could do a run of 500 guns, and they would be sold out in a month.

Same guns would be selling for premium prices two years later.

What is "collectible" and what is "practical" are two different things.

I own a Marlin 32-20 lever gun.
Why?
Because I had the urge - that's why.

 

[W.E.G.]

According to Quickload, 13 grains Alliant 2400 in a 32-20 pushes an 85-grain bullet out of an 18" barrel at 2145 fps at a well-within-SAAMI 28407 psi.

I'm sure the Marlin can easily take heavier bullets, and (much) higher pressures.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Why are folks so worried about the .327 replacing their beloved .357?

Not hardly. Like I said, it definitely has a place, and I still plan to ream out my .32 H&R SP-101 to accept it.

I just don't see it as having any real advantage over .357 in a rifle platform. Maybe it does for someone, but not for me. On that note, I don't have a .357 Rifle either, because I feel my Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag is more capable and, again, with the same capacity. The .357 rifles do have an advantage over the .44 in terms of cost for plinking, though, because .38 spl. is still far cheaper than .44 spl. But low cost plinking ammo for .327 rifles? Only for the handloader. .32 H&R and .32 S&W are still quite expensive compared to .38.