The .327 Federal Magnum~?

[Ala Dan]

Greeting's Folks-

I was sitting here wondering, just what advantages the new cartridge
[the .327 Federal Magnum] offers over the time tested and proven .357
Remington Magnum? Does the 3" barrel Ruger SP-101 recoil less with
the new cartridge; than say a 3" barrel SP-101 in .357 magnum? I
think if I wanted less recoil than a .357 magnum cartridge offers; I
would simply shoot the milder .38 Special loaded with +P's for any
self defense scenario's. Why buy a new gun (either the SP-101 from
Ruger, or the new 632 from Smith & Wesson); chambered for a
new cartridge thats ammo is still scarce~! It just doesn't make sense;
and I am not even mentioning the fact that the odd ball .327 Federal
Magnum would be a new cartridge for handloader's to have to load
for. No sir, I'm not sold on the fact that this is a "needed cartridge".
What's your opinion~?

 

[General Geoff]

The main advantage is you can fit 6 shots in small frame revolver that would normally only carry 5 shots of .357 Mag.

 

[22-rimfire]

Everytime I visit my favorite gunshop, I inquire if they have a Ruger SP101 in 327 Mag. So far they have not seen one, nor have I.

If the gun is not available, it certainly can't become popular regardless of how many ads are run on the Outdoor Channel.

 

[rcmodel]

I have yet to see either a gun or any ammo anywhere.

The new Natchez Shooting Supply catalog I got yesterday doesn't even list it.

Seems guns & ammo should be on the shelves by now if they are really serious about selling any.

All the hub-bub & huffing & puffing was already over with in the gun press months ago.

Anyway, if I want my eardrums broken, I will just shoot my old 32-20 WCF!

 

[Prepster]

As others have said, the .327 magnum is "a solution looking for a problem." I see no point to it. I did however see one box of .327 at a mom and pop place a couple of weeks ago.

 

[jaholder1971]

The main advantage is you can fit 6 shots in small frame revolver that would normally only carry 5 shots of .357 Mag.

If you can't do it with 5 rounds of .357 Magnum it isn't gonna get done with 6 rounds of .327.

 

[MJRW]

If you didn't get it done with 5 rounds of .357, I bet you'd wish you had a 6th round of anything instead of an obscure philosophy about sufficiency of 5 rounds.

 

[Ala Dan]

Just for the record, I did actually remove, price, and tag a brand new in
the box Ruger SP-101 chambered for the all new .327 Federal magnum
on Saturday, Nov. 15th. Priced kind'a like the Ruger SP-101 in .357
magnum, at $429.88 NIB. We received a total of 4 last Friday; but
no ammunition is availaable, at least that I know of~!

 

[22-rimfire]

That means Ruger is finally shipping them to the distributors now. I always had half an interest in the 32 HR Mag but I never wanted an H&R in the gun. It was low priority.

 

[earlthegoat2]

reinventing the wheel

the gun shops dont have it because they dont know if its going to sell or not, the firearms manager where I work asked me if he should get one and I said not without a 50% deposit down.

 

[Waldo Pepper]

A friend had this to say about one he shot last week:

Easy to reload, low recoil and ballistics is comparable to the .357 Mag. Light recoil and quick second shot.

he says he is going to buy one for his wife.

What is funny is I have seen the Ammo couple of times, but never the gun.

He also stated that he was told S&W is tooling up for one in a J-frame Airweight for spring sales.

 

[batmann]

Until S&W chambers a J frame or Ruger makes it in a Single Six sized frame is DOA.

 

[jaydubya]

Batman said: Until S&W chambers a J frame or Ruger makes it in a Single Six sized frame is DOA.

This must be true. I have never seen a single .327 Federal Magnum weapon, or cartridge, at the gunshop/range I visit weekly. If S&W comes out with a revolver for that cartridge, all bets are off.

Cordially, Jack

 

[Nero_Atrum]

I have only seen one SP-101 in .327. I have yet to see ammo though.

 

[22-rimfire]

Until S&W chambers a J frame or Ruger makes it in a Single Six sized frame is DOA.

The single action comment is one of the most typical comments made on these forums. Why? What makes single actions so good for the 327?

I do think S&W needs to chamber a J-frame in 327 mag. Nobody really knows how they will do in the marketplace.

Smith did not chamber a revolver in 480 Ruger. I always felt that was a mistake.

 

[JFrame]

I'm all for technical innovation, but I like to see a little critical mass before I even consider making a purchase -- that applies to Betamax, HD, and video discs, as well as new calibers/loadings.

For now, given the risk of the .327 even catching on, I personally would not chance making a purchase when any of my .38's or .357's can effectively satisfy my needs.

I can certainly see the "upside" to the .327 (a revolver and lever-gun combo would be especially appealing). But if I'm going to subject my hearing to the drum-cracking percussion of this round, I might as well do it with the .357...

 

[esq_stu]

I like the fact that it is a 6-shooter. I like the idea of a high energy/lower recoil round due to a lighter bullet. I like the fact that you can put 32 H&R Mag. and .32 S&W Long in it. And I love my SP101 .357.

If the ammo becomes more widely available, I may well buy one. If it does not, I will not.

I've watched .357 SIG the same way - I like the round and would love a weapon in that caliber, but until I see both ball ammo and personal defense ammo in that caliber at Walmart, I'll stick with 9mm and .38/.357.

 

[krs]

I want it in an N frame S&W with two rows of chambers - 12 around the outer rim and 8 more inside of those for a 20 shot revolver like they made in the old days. No wait - I want that N size cylinder squeezed into a K frame. I've got a spare set of Hogue wood K frame round butt grips.

20 rounds of .327 Magnum -it'd sell like hotcakes!

 

[GEM]

That's an assault revolver -

 

[MK11]

FYI, Wal-Marts near me carry both ball and hollowpoints in .357 Sig (Winchester white box)

 

[Sarvisian]

What I see is a whole lot of folks that are falling all over themselves to say it's no good and there's no reason for it. I went out of my way to have one, I've shot it, I love it, and I'll buy anything that comes chambered in it. The ammo is readily available from where I'm looking, I've gotten it from Midway as well as locally here in California. By the way, you can't even buy the guns in California yet but the ammo is here.

How many of you here aren't reloaders anyway? I can't imagine shooting only factory ammo at the prices today. To me, the only reason to buy factory ammo is to get cases to reload.

The .327 really isn't all that new anyhow, it's simply an improvement over the .32H&R Magnum which is already a great round to those who have given it a chance. I'll bet you there was a whole bunch of folks that couldn't for the life of themselves understand the need for the .357 Mag either. I can hear it now, "All I ever need to do can get done just fine with a .38 Special or a .38-44", If I want to bust an eardrum I'll shoot a rifle", "Who needs that kind of recoil anyhow".

Maybe you guys should give it a chance and maybe you'll find out it's really a great round instead of just dying to condemn it so you can say "I told you it wouldn't last".

 

[jaholder1971]

If you didn't get it done with 5 rounds of .357, I bet you'd wish you had a 6th round of anything instead of an obscure philosophy about sufficiency of 5 rounds.

Actually, after the third round of pistol it's time to start wondering where your left the rifle.

 

[Ben Shepherd]

Cabelas had ammo for it last time I was in there.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I dont doubt it is a fine cartridge, but it is reinventing the wheel. It is added to a list of fine cartridges that is becoming bigger and bigger every day. It is filled with so called improvements and great paper tests. In the end there will be a small following just like with the 10mm and 38 super and 357 Sig. And before you start flaming me I know the 10mm was developed before the 40 and that the 38 super has been around since the 20s. I do know that the 327 Federal is not going to displace any cartridge except for the 32 HR mag and that has all but drifted into obscurity as well.

I immediately rank the 327 up into the ranks of all the piss poor short magnums of late. They do get the job done but what is the point?

 

[22-rimfire]

Let's see? I have been known to buy the odd ball calibers. You just never know about this one. And I have seen the ammunition in a store. Might be an excuse to finally buy a Ruger SP101. eh?