Will Marlin ever offer an 1894 in .327 Federal?

[Jason_W]

I sure hope so. Seems like it would make a neat carbine round.

 

[NCsmitty]

You could email them with the suggestion. It might be a good little round for the Marlin.



NCsmitty

 

[Jason_W]

I might. But I imagine that many others have done the same by now. Maybe I'll wait until after this year's SHOT show

 

[hirundo82]

I thought they would when .327 Federal first came out a couple of years ago. It would make a neat small game gun.

However, the round hasn't taken off the way they hoped. I think it is destined to become a niche round like .41 mag, pretty much limited to those who reload and not a more widely used self-defense round like they tried to make it. Of course, Marlin made a limited run of the 1894 for .41 mag a while back, so I wouldn't be surprised to see them do the same for .327. I would be surprised to see it become a permanent item in their catalog.

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

Could a 1894 be converted/rebarreled to .327 mag?

 

[hirundo82]

Marlin made (makes?) 1894's in .32 H&R mag; I suspect those could be rechambered to .327.

Those load from the front of the mag tube instead of having a loading gate though; I'm not sure what is up with that.

 

[Dr.Rob]

They made them in .32-20 as well.

 

[JEB]

i am a little surprised that the .327 hasent taken off more than it has. 6 shot snubbies with more power than the .38spl seem like they would really be a contender in the ccw market. then again i have never seen more than one or two companies supplying .327 ammo and as we all know, the cart aint no good without the horse.

as for a .327 carbine? untill ammo supply becomes common i doubt it will ever go into production and if it does, i doubt it will stay in long. depending on what the ballistics look like out of a rifle, i may be very interested in one. if marlin were to make a 16" barreled .327 lever action, i would buy one in a heartbeat for the truck! really would make an excellent carbine round IMHO!

 

[451 Detonics]

6 shot snubbies with more power than the .38spl seem like they would really be a contender in the ccw market.

The .327 is roughly the equivalent of the old 32/20 round or the 30 Carbine, it has about the same stopping potential as a 9mm loaded with the same weight bullets. However it is not the equal of the 9mm or 38 Spec loaded with heavier bullets like the 125 gr, 147 gr, or the 158 gr. And the 9mm or 38 in +p are much more potent.

The 327 is basically the same case as the 32 H&R, just 1/8 inch longer. However it is thicker brass able to handle higher pressures and in fact the 327 operate at pressures over double that of the 32 H&R. This mean simply converting a 32 HR gun by lenghtening the chamber probably isn't advisable.

 

[oldfool]

the 327 is an "interesting" round, but pretty much a solution looking for a problem
given the wide array of commonly available 38/357s out there
only selling point I can really see in 'em is 6 round vs 5 round snubbies
but a lot snubbie fans just ain't all that worried about "hi capacity"

 

[earlthegoat2]

However, the round hasn't taken off the way they hoped. I think it is destined to become a niche round like .41 mag

It will be eve more niche than the 41 mag.

Manufacturers will soon learn that there is no money to be made developing new calibers unless you can make that new ammo for less than than 9mm or 38 Special.

 

[CraigC]

I'd love to see a .327 levergun. And no, there would be no problem at all converting an 1894 to .327. A .32H&R version would be easiest as all it would require is a rechamber and some action tuning. These guns can handle 40,000psi in the .45Colt so 45,000psi in the little .327 with all its extra meat in the chamber would be no problem.

...unless you can make that new ammo for less than than 9mm or 38 Special.

Well that's never gonna happen. It it were true, then there would NEVER be any more new cartridges introduced.


Fact is, the .327 fills the considerable performance gap between the .22Mag and .357Mag. It was never meant to replace either. It is what the .32H&R should've been. IMHO, where they screwed up is marketing it as a self defense cartridge. It is better suited as a sporting cartridge, where it fits into the tidy Single Six package with nothing more than a longer cylinder. It shoots flatter and hits harder than the .357 with comparable bullet weights and makes for a superior small game and varmint cartridge. Like the .30-06, the .357 is just too in-between. Folks who arbitrarily dismiss it because they already have a .357 are really missing out on a wonderful cartridge.

 

[earlthegoat2]

What sporting purpose could it serve that a 223 cannot already do in rifle guise?

Who is going to hunt with a 327 single six when there are 17 HMRs and 22 mags already available with cheaper ammo?

I understand there is a significant void where the 327 falls but maybe that void was there for so long for a reason.

 

[jmr40]

If there is enough demand they will build what ever makes money for the company. I doubt if there are more than a dozen or so who would actually put up the money to buy one though.

 

[CraigC]

What sporting purpose could it serve that a 223 cannot already do in rifle guise?

They make traditional leverguns in .223 now? So tell me why exactly we should only be shooting .223's when there are lots of useful and interesting chamberings available?

Who is going to hunt with a 327 single six when there are 17 HMRs and 22 mags already available with cheaper ammo?

Uh, me? You mean to tell me that you see little difference between a 115gr Gold Dot or 130gr LBT at 1600fps and a 40gr at 1400fps???

I understand there is a significant void where the 327 falls but maybe that void was there for so long for a reason.

So if it doesn't already exist, then it couldn't possibly ever have a legitimate use? Do you really understand what you're saying?

 

[W.E.G.]

Anybody who would say "levergun" and ".223" in the same sentence just doesn't understand the concept.

 

[hirundo82]

What sporting purpose could it serve that a 223 cannot already do in rifle guise?

But then you don't get the awesomeness of a levergun.

I understand there is a significant void where the 327 falls but maybe that void was there for so long for a reason.

As .451 Detonics said, it is very similar to the .32-20 Winchester, which was a very popular small game cartridge for a long time.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

45,000 psi is too much for the Marlin...but the 327 would make a fine little lever gun round if the rifle could handle it.

 

[earlthegoat2]

OK, I see.

You want a lever gun.

Obviously 223 chamberings in lever guns are pretty limited.

 

[black_powder_Rob]

what about a 336 in 327 Fed then? I am sure it can handle the pressure.

 

[hirundo82]

Another possibility would be Rossi chambering their Winchester 1892 repro in .327. The 1892 is the only pistol-caliber lever rifle action strong enough to handle .454 Casull, so the .327 Fed Mag wouldn't be a problem.

 

[CraigC]

45,000 psi is too much for the Marlin...but the 327 would make a fine little lever gun round if the rifle could handle it.

The Marlin would have no trouble with the .327.

 

[Jason_W]

Upon reading many threads here, it seems like a lot of people think the .223 is the be all and end all of rifle cartridges for almost all purposes.

The .223 is great if you want to evaporate things you hit and have no interest in casting your own bullets, and have no interest in being able to load more than 2000 rounds on a single pound of powder.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I dont think it is the end all be all but I was merely trying to get a grip on the fascination of a lever gun in 327. People have been talking about it since before it was released. I fail to see what kind of game it could take that a 223 could not at longer ranges as well.

A 327 in a rifle would be good for vermin control and maybe taking a close range jack rabbit. Im not from out west so maybe I could be enlightened on anything else.

 

[Dr.Rob]

That's exactly what .32-20 was made for.