New Ruger .327 Magnum SP101

[Confederate]

Just read the review of this caliber and the new Ruger SP101 and wondered if they've entered the market yet and if anyone's tried them. Seems like a brilliant idea and a shot in the arm to the revolver industry.

I wish ammunition manufacturers would take it easy about inserting their names into the caliber. Everyone calls the .44 Remington Magnum just a .44 mag. Now everyone's calling this the .327 Federal Magnum. I hope when they stamp the barrels, they don't add the word "Federal." Ruger's putting it on the SP101 and I hope they drop it.

Dirty Harry: "...but seein' this is a .44 Remington Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and can blow your head clean off...." Nah, just doesn't work.

 

[rcmodel]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=349510&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=349567&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=349796&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=345209&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=342984&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=341703&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=335412&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=321064&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=328902&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=330626&highlight=.327+federal+magnum

rcmodel

 

[Confederate]

Lots of good posts there.

After reading the various concerns raised by forum members, I'm afraid of the same thing that happened to the .44 and .357 magnums. And that is, once introduced, it will be cranked down in power (usually because some gun makers will want to make smaller versions that can't take full house loads).

I wouldn't pay a huge premium for this round over the .357. I'd also want to see actual performance. For some reason, the 125-gr JHP .357 works. Any lighter and the bullet fragments before it can penetrate adequately. Any heavier and penetration becomes excessive. No one knows how this new caliber will work until it begins to be used for defense.

The good thing about the United States is that many people own handguns. The bad thing is that many of those people only have maybe a box or so of ammunition. In any real social emergency, there would be many more guns than ammunition. (My father, for example, has a Ruger Mini-14 stainless rifle. But he only has 20 rounds of ammo for it, and when I recently asked him if he wanted more, he said no. In a situation of serious social unrest, after 20 rounds, he'd have a very expensive club.)

Ammunition has become exceedingly expensive, and states like Maryland have found that if they can't control (read "ban") guns, they can either tax or restrict ammunition to the point that it will have the same effects as banning the gun.

If the .327 mag can be sold for the same $$$ amounts that .357/.38 is, it may just succeed. If not, you can trade it for a used .357 maximum.

 

[rcmodel]

If it's anywhere near as loud as a 32-20 or .30 Carbine out of a longer barreled handgun, I think there will be a lot of new owners looking to unload them shortly after the first few shots.

And I can think of no reason they won't be as loud if they are running 45,000 PSI out of a 3" barrel. (Well, magic powder we can't get maybe.)

I guess time will tell!

rcmodel

 

[Confederate]

I think one of the reasons the .357s are so popular is because it stands astride two popular uses. Indoor home defense makes the .38 Spc loads very attractive. Outdoors, the .357 can punch through vehicles and stop even the most determined foes. On the other side of that, hunters and outdoorsmen find the heavier magnum loadings excellent for game and even a defense against cougars and black bear.

The .327 mag has but one purpose. It hopes to match the .357 in defense against two-legged predators, but we still don't know if it can successfully do so. Hiking or camping, I'd still opt for the .357.