Ruger SP-101....327 Federal or 357 mag?

[XD-40 Shooter]

This is the question. I'm leaning toward taking the plunge on the 327 Federal. It pushes a 115 grain gold dot at 1310 fps from a 3" barrel. This should prove to be pretty effective on 2 legged predators, it comes within 50 ft lbs of the 125 grain 357 mag. The 327 Federal eats the 38 spl in penetration, 15 inches+ compared to 12 inches for the 38 spl. With the 327, there would be a lot less blast, flash, and recoil, plus you get 6 shots instead of 5. There is also a 100 grain soft point at 1400 fps. I would probably even field carry this revolver, as animal attacks are extremely rare, the 327 should be sufficient. What say you?

I am really hoping the reloading manufacturers get in on the 327, as factory ammo prices are outrageous.

 

[Corner Pocket]

I love my SP-101 .357 so much that it eventually became my primary carry. If I were trying to decide between the two calibers, I'd still go with the .357. "Why is that?", you say. You've already pointed it out. Ammo for the .327 is very expensive and may be hard to find, whereas you can find a box of .38 Special or .357 Magnums sitting on every corner... Well, not literally.

Corner Pocket

 

[ronto]

5 rounds are more than enough for any civilian SD situation. Expensive ammo means I wouldn't practice much, and that's not a good thing. The flash-bang of the 357 won't be noticeable in a high stress scenario anyway...I'm sticking with my 357 DAO SP101 for daily carry.

 

[Master Blaster]

Just curious but does anyone know if the .327 can shoot .32 h&R mag.

 

[DMK]

327 looks like an interesting round, but I think I'll wait for it to mature a year before I get involved with it.

I don't like buying into version 1.0 of anything.

Just curious but does anyone know if the .327 can shoot .32 h&R mag.

Yes it can.

 

[MrBorland]

The .327mag seems to me to have a lot going for it, and the versatility of the round seems terrific, but has anyone shot one yet? I'm going out on a limb here, but based on the info the OP supplied, it's gotta be a very high pressure round, making it a very snappy round: Since pressure goes up a lot (as the square) as cross-sectional area (i.e. caliber) goes down and/or velocity goes up, a 100 grain .327mag with a muzzle velocity of 1400fps ought to be a very high pressure round - nearly 30% higher than a .357mag - even when corrected for the smaller mass of the bullet (100gr vs 125gr .357). Has anyone seen data on this?

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

The 327 operates at 45,000 psi, per the article sheriff Jim Wilson wrote in shooting times, Febuary 2008. The 357 operates around 35,000 psi, I believe.

 

[Fishman777]

Download the 2008 Ruger catalog...

The catalog lists the calculated recoil for all of the .327 loads shot out of an SP101 and compares them to .32 magnum, .38 +p, and .357 magnum.

The 85 grain .327 round has the same recoil as the .38+p: 3.0 ft/lbs
The 100 and the 115 grain .327 loads have recoils of about 5.5 ft/lbs
The 125 grain .357 has recoils at about 7 or 8 ft/lbs

I'm thinking of getting one of these as well. I'm pretty much sold on the cartridge. I'm just not thrilled with the adjustable rear sites on the SP101. In pictures, they look very cheap and flimsy. If these guns had the normal fixed rear sites, I would have already bought one of these a few days ago.

 

[pitchnit]

DMK

Saw a Guns and Ammo mag this month featuring the 327. I believe it said in would handle any .32 cal ammo.

 

[Smith & Wesson Man]

I would go with the 357 mag

 

[Virginian]

I am not a proponent of smaller and faster. You can go all the way back to the 1800s when the U.S. Army was hauling Colt 45s out of storage, because the troops were getting mauled in the Phillipines by Moros hopped up on drugs that were proving to be near bulletproof against 38s. In this day and age you are about as likely to encounter some idiot hopped up on something far worse that what those poor tribesmen had, so I'd want as big an ashtray as I can get to hit them with. It is not just about lethality, it's about how quick you can disable/stop an assailant. The 357 is a proven performer. I would not want to be a data collector for version 1.0 of anything as someone else already noted.

 

[nelson133]

I shoot all my guns and the ammunition costs on the 327 would vastly exceed the .38/.357. If recoil is a problem, use the P+.38s. The .32 H&R Magnum was supposed to solve the same problems and it is very much a niche cartridge now. If you just have to have the "new" thing, okay, but it isn't real practical.

 

[MCgunner]

.357 I don't need no stinkin' .32! If I want less recoil, I can load .38 or low end .357. There's plenty of ammo choice for the .357 gun. I see no real need for the .327. It cannot match the .357 for power or versatility and it offers little over the .38 IMHO for light recoil and effectiveness. I have never liked .32, though, a little prejudice I guess. BTW, SP101 can and does put up 662 ft lbs from a 2.3" barrel with the right load, involves a 180 grain XTP. Top THAT with your .327. My carry load makes 550 ft lbs, a 140 grain load.

I maybe could see a .327 chambered in a Ruger SSM. That'd be a fun toy for outdoor carry, shoot flat compared to a .38 for small game. I see the .327 more as competition to the .38 than .357. .357 kicks its butt all over the place, six ways to Sunday. You don't wanna think about taking on a black bear with a .327, but a 180 grain .357 pushing 1306 fps from my SP101 would be enough. It's quite accurate, too, 2" at 25 yard groups. Imagine, a hiking gun for bear country the size of a 2.3" SP101.

 

[tinygnat219]

Put the hotrod .32 away. I wouldn't waste money on this cartridge just yet for a few reasons: It's new, only Ruger is making a Revolver for it, ammo is expensive (since there is no cheap plinking fodder) and will be hard to find for the forseeable future. Finally, it's unproven.

Stick with the .357 Magnum. For one thing, look at ammo availability and how many different kinds of loads are out there. Second, any gun-related store you go to will have a .357 load or at the very least a .38 SPL load available. It's proven.

Not many stores I know stock .327 Magnum (I have yet to even see it), or really .32 H&R (which has been a dying cartridge for years now).

I am adopting a "wait and see" attitude toward this cartridge, but really see no reason for it.

 

[akodo]

taurus is making a 327

 

[Mike OTDP]

You can use .32 S&W Long for practice.

 

[tinygnat219]

Akodo:

taurus is making a 327

This alone is reason not to bank on it. I predict half of the Taurus 327 revolvers sold will end up waiting to be fixed back at the factory.

 

[461]

It's amazing how the .327 brings the snobs out of the woodwork.

 

[GunNut]

I'll stick with the .357mag for now, but will not pass judgment on the .327Federal just yet.

In the stainless SP101 .357 mag is not very hard to control, now if S&W were to make the 340PD in .327 Federal we may have a winner.

 

[XD-40 Shooter]

I priced a 3" SP-101 357 at my local dealer today, $455. I'm gonna go with that.

 

[Rey B]

Although it looks like a fun and interesting round I want to get a SP101 in .357 first. Maybe after that I might try the .327. Since Indiana just allows pistol caliber rifles I want a matched pair.

 

[sm]

.357

The SP-101 is a proven firearm with history in .22 lr , .38spl only and in .357.

These rounds have been around a long time, and also have a proven history.

.357 allows one a whole bunch of options, from using really light .38spl loads to teach and introduce new shooters to heavier .357 loads.

Speer Plastic Training Bullets in .38spl , allow one to shoot indoors if one chooses to.
Shot shell loading are available in .38spl as well.

The old rules still apply:

-Never get the first model of a new offering.

-Everything we need was done so by 1955 with the introduction of the .44 mag that year.


Economy, metal prices, ammunition costs and availability come to mind as well....

 

[ice monkey]

Everyone who is replying to you saying to get the .357, seems to already have a .357 – and if they do … it’s kind of hard to spend money on something that isn’t “really” needed.

So if you don't have a .357 - or you have lots oh cash - go for it! Take the Plunge.

I personally enjoy plinking and though a .38 is great: a fast .32, “I think” would be even more fun! It seems to me like a calibre that’s versatile enough to have a good time with.

To be fair, I will say I prefer less kick when shooting for long periods of time + I also reload. Even if the calibre didn’t take off, Fed would offer up the brass for years and years. They are good that way. Besides that, the revolver would be a bedside gun for me and not a carry, so ammo at every corner isn’t that a big an issue.

I think it would be great – take the plunge! (but if it is $1.10 a round – I hope you reload too.)

 

[HOME DEPOT GEORGE]

I considered the 327 just to add another ruger to the collection until I saw the price of ammo.$$$$$$$$$

 

[Bezoar]

The basis of the 327 seems to be mainly two things. A highspeed lightweight bullet to make massive temporary cavities with limited blow through. As well as an overpowered target gun for coyote type stuff at short range.
With that in mind, has anyone compared the offereing in .327 federal against the super lighteight 80-96 grain jhp loads in 357?