Is .327 Federal Mag Still Viable?

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Mr. D

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I've been a little out of the loop for a while and just discovered that there is such an animal as the .327 Federal Magnum! This cartridge sounds like a great idea to me and I absolutely love the idea of the Ruger Single Seven. I'm pretty sure that will be my next handgun purchase. I also really REALLY like the idea of the six-shot SP101 and am really bummed that they are not being produced any more! Fortunately, it seems the SP is still to be found every once in a while on the used market so hopefully I'll be able to get one of those some time...

as long as I'll be able to get ammo for it for a long time to come. What do y'all think: is the .327 going away? If Ruger discontinues the Single Seven, will .327 ammo still be available? I know I can shoot other .32 ammo in it, such as the .32 H&R Mag which is why I will probably get the Single Seven anyway, but what I really like about the SP101 in .327 is the combination of that extra round and the capabilities of the .327 Mag, especially with somewhat lower recoil than .357.

~D
 
Very very very very limited in current production guns to limited edition special runs that occasionally happen as distributor exclusives. Ammo isn't terribly hard to find.
 
Great cartridge but hardly any more new production guns available. Used pieces are fetching top dollar due to rarity. It is a shame, too. Would have made a great rifle cartridge. The neat thing about revolvers chambered for 327 mag is this . . .

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Yup 5 cartridges from 1 gun.
 
Yes.

It is about the most viable revolver cartridge of the last 70 years IMHO. No greater enhancement in revolver ammo has been made since the .357 magnum which was back in 1935.

You get virtually the same real world power as any .357 but in a package much smaller while still being able to hold six rounds... all with less recoil, flash and blast than .357 magnum and in many cases significantly improved terminal ballistics and stopping power due to advances in ammunition that the .327 Federal magnum has used since it's birth.

It takes time for good things to catch on, and some fear change. I think the various manufacturers out there are doing a severe discredit to this superb cartridge by not making more handguns AND rifles chambered in .327 Federal magnum. Also more ammo companies should jump on the .327 Federal magnum band wagon to keep costs down as much as possible. If they just did this you would see a resurgence in the popularity of this incredible round.

In the mean time, there are thousands of .327 Federal magnum enthusiasts out there who know a good thing when they see it. They bought the guns when they were available, and have the reloading supplies to make all the .327 Federal magnum they need. It's not there fault that some don't care for this round, they (and I) could care less what they think. The world might not have been ready for the .327 Federal magnum.

But the .327 Federal magnum was ready for the world.
 
Right now, it has only Lipsey's support, and some credit goes to Ruger for accepting the limited edition order. I know that Lipsey's is considering a follow up with a 4" SP101 in 327 Federal Magnum, taking advantage of the development of the 4" 357 Magnum in the regular line.

My guess is that gaining support for that SP101 will require waiting to assess whether the Single Seven was a winner and that demand remains for the caliber. Of course, if they are going to exploit the 4" SP101 platform, it would be a no brainer to also include the old 3+ inch gun. I wish them luck with a good decision on the grips, hopefully more than just another insert. That gun will need palm swell, finger grooves, and protection from the trigger guard. My Hogues work like a charm on my 3 inch gun, but to each his own.
 
Is there a list anywhere of the various 327fed guns that were produced? When the round hit the real world I know a few companies jumped on board but faded out.
 
Ruger, Charter, Taurus and S&W made 327s that I know of. Thompson/Center made a 32 H&R, did they make a .327 mag? Looks to me like Ruger has been most committed to the caliber, making it in several platforms.
 
There are a lot of people who act like they are insulted that the 327 was ever invented. A common phrase is the answer to the question nobody asked. Blah, blah, blah.

Just do your best to ignore those !@#$%^^ and understand that the 327 is indeed a powerful cartridge not only good enough for self defense, but for deer hunting. Yes, I said DEER HUNTING. I know of a few deer killed by that cartridge out of a GP100 and they went down within sight.

Now, some know-it-all is probably gonna chime in and say not to try to kill a deer with it because blah, blah, blah. Some people think you can't kill a deer unless it's a belted magnum rifle cartridge. They will say there are better choices. But you can say that about anything in life. You are asking about the 327, and yes, despite the naysayers, it will kill deer.

As far as ammo, I rarely fail to locate it. AE 100 grain stuff is pretty potent (as in kills deer) and runs around $30 per box of 50. Federal Low Recoil Defense loads are 85 grains and run around $25 per box of 20.

If you get into the 327, you really will benefit from reloading. If you go that way, you will find it is not hard at all to get components. There is some reloading data out there, but I have it nailed down with a few different powders/bullets combos through trial and error.

I own two GP100s in this caliber. Usually every month or so, one will show up on Gun Broker and often sell north of $1000. Despite this, I just can't bring myself to part with one. Maybe when my nephew is old enough for me to gift it to him, but I want to keep these guns in the family in case Ruger never brings them back.

When I go to the range, and just want to shoot one gun so I'm not cleaning several later, I always choose the one GP100 as the other (maybe soon to be my nephew's) is mint.

Bottom line, if you are lazy about guns and ammo.....forget about it. If you are willing to use the internet and search and get into reloading, I think you'll find this is one heck of a great and fun cartridge despite the know-it-all naysayers who have nothing better to do with their time than to bitch about something that many, many, many others shooters are very passionate about.
 
I think it had hope but sadly didn't get enough guns made in it. That said, if you're a reloader I think it's a great option.

Brother really likes the .32mag for small game which the .327 will do fine at if loaded right and more if loaded hotter.

I really wish someone would make a large frame gun in it with a 9 or 10rd capacity and a light rail on it. I think it would make a great home defense platform set up that way. Yes, a bit out of the norm but in states with a 10rd limit I think it would do great. Plus, I prefer revolvers and would like more rounds at hand.
 
I know I've definitely been impressed with how the .327 looks on paper. I guess my main concern with buying one is that, if the cartridge goes away, the ammo might be hard to find ten years later. I'm not concerned about availability of factory ammo since I reload, but I as far as I know it is not a good idea (or even possible?) to load .32 H&R brass to .327 specs so if no .327 brass is available, we'll run out of ammo sometime.

I realize, of course, that is a lot of "if's". I tend to over think things...

Good to hear other opinions on the cartridge, though!

~D
 
I simply did not see any need for the cartridge in my collection. As such I have no doubt it not viable for me. Seems a lot of people agree with me. I think it will be more of a niche cartridge such as the .41 Magnum.
 
I spotted a Ruger Security Seven on Monday at a LGS, said it was chambered for 327.

I bought a S&W revolver chambered in the round some time back, it was a ported. Horrible gun, spit propellant back at the shooter on every trigger pull. I sold it.

The Ruger looked nice.
 
I was thinking about a higher capacity 327 earlier and came up with the idea that's not so much novel but is pretty awesome...AND it is spelled C.O.O.N.A.N.
 
Fantastic cartridge based on modern scientific knowledge of ballistics.

The public got it wrong on this round.

Edwards: Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.

Kay: A person is smart. People are dumb
Click to expand...
 
I feel like if S&W had just made a "normal" 2-3" J frame instead of their goofy ported fluted shenanigans, and not charged 800 bucks for a schmancy version, they would have had enough sales to keep it in production...
 
If the porting is such a problem then thread the port and put in a setscrew....not rocket science. If anybody has a ported 327 they can't stand send it my way and I will punish myself with it.
 
I was thinking about a higher capacity 327 earlier and came up with the idea that's not so much novel but is pretty awesome...AND it is spelled C.O.O.N.A.N.
Click to expand...

I've had the same thought! Maybe a 327 conversion kit for us Coonan owners?
 
I wish I had grabbed one of the SP101s when they were around.
A lever gun from Henry to go with the wheelgun of your choice in this cartridge would be awesome.
 
I know I've definitely been impressed with how the .327 looks on paper. I guess my main concern with buying one is that, if the cartridge goes away, the ammo might be hard to find ten years later. I'm not concerned about availability of factory ammo since I reload, but I as far as I know it is not a good idea (or even possible?) to load .32 H&R brass to .327 specs so if no .327 brass is available, we'll run out of ammo sometime.

I realize, of course, that is a lot of "if's". I tend to over think things...

Good to hear other opinions on the cartridge, though!
Click to expand...

That's how hoarding starts. I know I have more brass than I will probably use, but before this Lipsey's gun, I feared the system would purge itself of all things 327 except maybe reloading, and then only in occasional runs and supply treasure hunts.

We need to see clear commitments to the caliber from the entire supply chain. Something like a Ruger/Hornady alliance would work, but I do like my Starline and all the bullet options for dealing with 327 velocities.
 
RealGun said:
... snip ...
We need to see clear commitments to the caliber from the entire supply chain. Something like a Ruger/Hornady alliance would work, but I do like my Starline and all the bullet options for dealing with 327 velocities.
Click to expand...

I do not see it happening. It is a ".32". Logic about the true ballistics of the round with its many benefits cannot get by the majority of gun owners who see a ".32". It is a revolver round...revolvers to most people are simply archaic. I disagree with that opinion but it is the majority opinion.

A new .32 revolver is starting from a deep hole already dug at the bottom of a mountain and has a LOOOOOOOOOONG way to go to get to the top. I sold off my last .32 before the .327 came out. I have do desire for another.

Perception is reality for most and those who see beyond the short sighted majority will have a fine cartridge to play with but I do not ever see it being anything more than a Baby .41 magnum.
 
I wouldn't worry about whether brass will be available. Heck, you can order .45 Schofield, 45-90, 414 super mag, 40-65, 38-55, 38 S&W, 30 Mauser, etc., from Starline brass today (well, a couple are out of stock, but in regular production rotation). https://www.starlinebrass.com/order-online/all-cases.cfm I would say that all those cartridges are pretty niche and/or obsolete, yet brass is still being made new.

And since we're talking about brass for a wheelgun, buy 500 or 1,000 cases and shoot them until they split. Should last you approximately forever.

As for what happened to it, light-and-fast is out of fashion in handguns today. The market is very focused on personal defense, and the dominant thinking is that handguns only incapacitate by virtue of permanent/direct crush. This model of terminal ballistics says that, once you've got enough penetration to reach and punch through vitals, more speed gains you nothing, while more diameter increases effectiveness. So the .327 came along at a bad time.
 
The OP asked if the cartridge was still viable.

Too me, it is beyond that. It reaches a level of ballistic efficiency for it's size/weight ratio that it pretty much blows away all competetion for compact revolver usage. The same hitting power as .357 magnum but with more firepower with the same diameter cylinder... it's a no brainer.

"Real" revolver people get the .327 Federal Magnum. Those that don't are either not REAL wheelgunners or they simply have no understanding of modern, efficient ballistics.
 
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