.327 Federal--Too much penetration?

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Scotticus

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Let me start by saying I don't plan on getting one. I don't have anything against them, but I don't feel I am missing out on anything by having a 3" SP101 in .357, since I can feed it anything from light .38 wadcutters to 180 gr. .357 and everything inbetween (especially .38 special +p 158 gr Buffalo Bores for SD).

BUT, just for the sake of discussion, the ballistics I am seeing seem to have all the disadvantages (??over-penetration?? and significant muzzle blast) and none of the advantages (eg. hole-size).

Any thoughts?

I would like to limit this discussion to the cartridge only, please. I can see the advantage of less recoil as well as the sixth round in the SP101, but I am far more interested in "Shot No. 1" than I am the "Shot No. 5" vs "Shot No. 6" debate for civilian SD.
 
The velocity and sectional density values seem to relate pretty similarly to the .357 magnum, so I would think you could expect similar penetration to proportional loads (based on sectional density) in .357.
 
In This Day and Age...

...manufacturers of hollowpoint bullets can tune them fairly well for the desired degree of penetration. This is particularly easy for Speer to do with their Gold Dot bullets as they need only change the shape of the punch that forms the hollow cavity to alter the rate of expansion.

As to non-hollowpoint bullets, penetration is determined by the combination of velocity and sectional density. Sectional density is the weight of the bullet in pounds (grains divided by 7,000) multiplied by the square of the diameter in inches.
 
I don't plan on getting one
I don't have anything against them
I don't feel I am missing out
(??over-penetration??
significant muzzle blast
none of the advantages

Any thoughts?
Sure. Have you shot it yet? Sounds like you've made up your mind already. I can wait until I have shot it and seen it before I feel the need to judge it.
 
I plan on getting one!
It sounds like the "perfect" self defense round. Definitely superior to the .38 special in every aspect. Anybody care to argue that point?
I would be missing out...if I did not include this in my collection.
Muzzle blast...who gives a rat's ass?
Seems to have all the advantages.
S&W ... think about chambering your light weight 642 in that caliber. Ruger...now's your chance to compete with the air weights. Taurus...are you listening?

Bottom Line:

The new .327 Federal Magnum offers muzzle energy twice that of .38 Special +P loads, and velocities comparable to a 125-grain .357 Magnum, with 20 percent less recoil in its hottest version. Designed specifically for use in lightweight small-frame revolvers, the .327 Federal Magnum allows a six-round cylinder compared to five-round capacity for similar-sized .38 Special and .357 Magnum guns, with the added benefit of chambering .32 S&W, .32 Special, and .32 H&R Magnum loads as well.
 
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Federal Premium 85 grain Hydra-Shot JHP - MV 1330 fps, ME 334 ft. lbs.
American Eagle 100 grain SP - MV 1400 fps, ME 435 ft. lbs.
Speer 115 grain Gold Dot JHP - MV 1300 fps, ME 431 ft. lbs.

The above is from the Chuck Hawks review.
The listing below is from the Buffalo Bore site regarding their 158 gr. L.S.W.C.H.P Heavy .38 Special +P

Ruger SP101, 3 inch—1143 fps (458 ft. lbs.)

I don't see where Ruger/Federal gets off saying that the energy of the .327 is twice that of the .38+P.

I'm not trying to argue against owning a .327. If somebody WANTS a .327, I think that's great. My point is that when I look at these ballistics (admittedly without ever having shot one), it doesn't make ME feel I am lacking anything in a SD cartridge if I don't have one.
 
Too much penetration for what? For those of us who spend more time in the boonies than in town, more penetration is arguably better.

That said, I doubt I would buy one. Its too heavy of a gun for me to throw in my pocket. If S&W made an airweight 6-shot j-frame, I would be really interested. Of course I'd like it in the bodyguard style too, which will probably never happen, but I'd be interested so long as it was da/sa.

I could see it being a good woods gun. Penetration could be sufficient for a reasonable sized black bear, etc, without the recoil of a .357. Even with the same energy as buffalo bore (who will of course come out with amazing stuff for the .327 too one day), the narrower round will penetrate better than .38 spl +p. It would penetrate car doors better too, we have a surprising number of murders around here committed with a vehicle.
 
I would like to see a large framed revolver made for it for home defense use. Light rail and all.

If you could pack 9 0r 10 rounds into a large gun I would be very interested in it. Since they pack 8 .357's into some frames it should be doable.
 
I like my 642 and .38 +P but am very interested in this round. As other said I don't know about some of the stopping power claims but myself would be willing to sacrifice a bit of it for the 20% increase in firepower. Also curious what the muzzle blast, recoil, and general shot recovery characteristics would be compared to average .38 +p loadings.
 
I seem to remember reading an FBI analysis concluding that "over penetration" shouldn't be a consideration in a handgun defense load. The point was that most shots in a gunfight miss their target anyway, so why worry about the few that find the mark? Makes a certain sense.
 
The .327 Federal appears to perform ideally in a role that most people would use their .38s for. Some people are still interested in 9mm revolvers/snubbies for self defense. If they wanted 9mm ballistics out of small framed revolvers it looks like they can have their wish with the current factory loads, and petition or handload for a wider selection.

If people only wanted packable 9mm-esque revolvers for the cost of 9mm then I suppose they're out of luck. The 6th round is useful and the power-to-weight ratio of these guns could be more balanced than the standard .357 revolver firing .38s.
 
I agree with tinygnat...

I really wanted the .327 magnum sp101 until I saw the cost of the ammo. It is outrageously priced. I will not buy this gun unless that ammo comes down to a more reasonable price.
 
Guess that will give one a good reason to reload...eh? I do realize, having said that, that there is minimal information on reloading for .327 mag...but I think that that info will be forthcoming shortly.
 
I really wanted the .327 magnum sp101 until I saw the cost of the ammo. It is outrageously priced. I will not buy this gun unless that ammo comes down to a more reasonable price.
Click to expand...

What do you expect for a new cartridge? Anything new is going to be insanely expensive until it becomes massed produced.
 
IF it someday is mass produced then it could be even cheaper than .38s. Not alot goes into a .32.:)
 
It might turn ICORE on it's head. Imagine now a 9 shot N frame in 327 magnum.. able to hit the 120 power factor and 9 shots instead of 8. :) Might be a new revolver arms race.. cheap to shoot too, 32 cal bullets are cheaper than 38 cal bullets, in lead anyway. Though it would be pretty much a one sport comp gun.. min caliber in USPSA is still 9mm.
 
Will they chamber in a russian nagant revolver? I certainly would not fire one in the nagant. Perhaps the longer .327 case could be used for reloading the nagant.
 
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