Question about 327 Federal Magnum

[KDS]

I am fascinated by this caliber and keep thinking about picking up a revolver or two. The main reason I hold back is the utter lack of plinking ammo. The only ammo I see anywhere is Federal Hydrashok. I am certainly not going to plink with that. I know the standard response is load your own but here is my question. If Federal spent all that time developing this round, why in the heck don't they flood the market with American Eagle or Champion FMJs? People like me on the fence are more likely to by the gun and the ammo if we see it widely available. What am I missing? Why would anyone spend that much to develop a round and then never market it?

 

[Pigoutultra]

Well, it seems to me that the .327 Fed Mag performs EXACTLY like the .30 Carbine only with a rim.

 

[cuervo]

American Eagle has two softpoints out there. Maybe not plinking ammo, but as close as you'll probably find for now.
http://www.ableammo.com/catalog/adv...eral&categories_id=14658&x=7&y=9&inc_subcat=1

 

[CoRoMo]

Why don't they flood the market with a product that they have no idea whether or not it will sell? Lack of demand.

 

[KDS]

I understand lack of demand but sometimes you have to create demand. There will never be demand if no one buys the gun. Very few will buy the gun if ammo isn't plentiful. Why bother developing the round if you aren't willing to chalk up some of the production to the marketing cost?

 

[rcmodel]

The plinking ammo is called .32 H&R Magnum, or .32 S&W Long, or .32 S&W Short.

http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/index.php/cName/pistol-ammo-32-hr-mag
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/index.php/cName/32-sw-long-wadcutter
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/index.php/cName/pistol-ammo-32-sw-short

Just like shooting .38 Special in a .357 Magnum, or .22 Shorts in a .22 Long Rifle.

rc

 

[Naybor]

Yeah, RC beat me to it.

.32 S&W Long works good. Getting hard to find .32 S&W short. (Also, .32 short more expensive)

 

[KDS]

Pretty expensive plinkers there RC. The cheapest of the bunch is 32 S&W long @15.95 a box of 50. But I do get your point and it is one of the reasons the gun interests me. But there is plinking ammo for 357 mag, why no plinking ammo for 327?

 

[MMCSRET]

It is somewhat less a performer than 30 Carbine. Some will make the comparison, bullet weights and case size are comparable but performance is at least 20% different in Ruger NMBH revolvers, at least in my experience. I like 32 caliber revolvers and have too many of them, probably, but comparing 327 Federal Magnum to 30 Carbine is doing both a disservice.

 

[dnovo]

Well, the 32S&W at $15 for 50 does make for a cheap centerfire plinker and you can shoot the full house 327s when you want the extra 'oomph'. I enjoy my 327s quite a bit. Dave

 

[W.E.G.]

The .327 is a niche hobbyist's gun for anybody who is shooting lots of rounds.

You have to reload if you want cheap .327 ammo.
That's all there is to it.

Otherwise, stick with 9mm.

 

[gunnysmith]

Look at these possibilities.
.327 shoots all these + the .32 S&W

 

[MMCSRET]

I shoot 327 and 32 Magnum in my 327 revolver. I own several revolvers chambered for 32 Long and 32 S&W, but the 327 revolvers will handle, easily, all 4 rounds and some say the 32 Auto can be fired in the revolvers as well, I don't know about the auto round, I have a very nice Walther PP to shoot it in.
The 327 was marketed as an alternative for the 357 in small guns; better than 38+P and less recoil than 357. I suppose so; but I bought mine simply because I like 32 caliber handguns. I cast bullets and hand load all of them.

 

[MMCSRET]

deleted; duplication!!!!!!!!!!

 

[dnovo]

It will shoot the 32ACP but not reliably or consistently. Like any rimless round in a revolver, the case may be a bit too far forward in the chamber or move forward against the strike. You would need moon clips to have reliable function and, of course, extraction. Plus, I've never seen 32ACP moon clips nor am I sure if a revolver would function with them unless set up at the factory to do so or modified by a gunsmith. Dave

 

[dashootist]

Only one out of four gunstores within 50 mile radius of me has 327 in stock. That one store wants $30 per 50 for their "plicking 327" rounds. That's just price gouging. The other three stores all said they keep ordering some from distributor but rarely get them in. There's no shortage of demand. There's only a shortage of supply. I don't care. I reload.

 

[mnrivrat]

32 acp shoots reliably in my 32 H&R mag. The acp is a semi-rimmed cartridge

and typicaly reliable for firing - slipping past the extractor might be more common than the round not going off.

Demand is low for this catridge (327 Magnum) and so the supply of variety in the ammo will also be a problem , and will continue - it is what it is.

 

[weregunner]

I have not seen a problem with getting .327 Federal magnum ammo.

I own a Taurus 327, Ruger SP-101, and the Ruger GP-100 in .327 Federal.

www.ammoseek.com , www.ammoengine.com , www.georgia-arms.com ,and a few other places make finding ammo easier.

I shoot .32 H&R magnum and .32 S&W Long ammo through them as well.

There are also the 110 grain and 115gr. Speer Gold Dot rounds out there as well.

I may have to start reloading down the road though.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If I were of a mind to shoot the .327 as a plinker, I'd get a set of dies and a good mould. The Lee TL 314-90 SWC would be my choice.

 

[MMCSRET]

I have tried my cast 32 caliber bullets in the 327. I cast 85, 93, and 2 115 gr. bullets. I find that my revolver (327) likes the heavier bullets. The old Lyman 311316 gas checked and sized .313 is the best. I tried a few commercially cast bullets but they didn't work as well as the 311316. The Ideal 3118 works but the gas check seems to be a little more forgiving.

 

[Mr.Revolverguy]

I would love to have a 327 but I also love reloading so my problem is the components or more specific brass. I know some have said they were able to get brass from Freedom Arms but when I called they said only if you were in their customer database having purchased one of their firearms, or if I wanted to purchase one.

 

[MachIVshooter]

It will shoot the 32ACP but not reliably or consistently. Like any rimless round in a revolver, the case may be a bit too far forward in the chamber or move forward against the strike

As mnrivrat already mentioned, the .32 ACP is semi-rimmed. The'll chamber and fire just fine. However, the revolver needs to be inverted for ejection, as the stubby, slightly smaller diameter cases with minimal rim will cant a little and slip past the ejector part way out and fall back into the chamber.

In a heavier gun like the SP-101, .32 ACP feels like a .22. I've used 71 FMJ with good results on small game (bunnies) where I don't wanna splatter them with a .32 H&R firing a 90 gr. HP at 1,200 FPS.

 

[W.E.G.]

If yer belly-achin' about not getting .32 brass (all types H&R mag, 327 Federal, etc.) you gotta understand that the manufacturers do a run of it no more than once a year - sometimes even longer. Same with bullets.

You gotta put in your order and wait, wait, wait.

If you have any notion that you're just gonna call up Midway and get all your reloading stuff for anything .32, you're gonna be in for a disappointment. If you don't mind waiting, its all good.

I've had my best luck ordering .32 brass from Starline. Still gotta wait, but they DO eventually send as much as you want to order. I got a lifetime supply of .32 H&R mag brass from them after waiting some number of months.

For the bullets, you can ALWAYS get cast bullets from the companies that sell such things. If you want fancy, expensive jacketed bullets to build screamer loads, its the same deal with the big manufacturers. Seasonal item. I recommend that you place smallish orders with three or four major vendors, then sit back and wait for it to start showing up. I ordered some .32 jacketed bullets from Midway that took the better part of a year.

Not like I don't have other guns to shoot in the meantime.