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 So what do you think about the new 327 Federal Magnum? 
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 Post subject: So what do you think about the new 327 Federal Magnum?
PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:02 pm 
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Ballistics and accuracy are very good, and the smaller size means more rounds in a revolver. Ruger has a SP101 chambered for this round. Federal makes the ammo (you can see the ballistics specs on their website).

You can also shoot any of the smaller 32 cartridges in weapons that chamber this (32 short, 32 long, 32 H&R Mag)

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:36 pm 
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While I'm not going to run out and buy one, the numbers look good and it definitely has potential. It'll be interesting to see if it takes off.


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PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:38 am 
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Unless it really takes off, it will become another orphan cartridge. That means expensive, hard to find and eventually dropped.

You'll always be able to find .38/357, 9mm, .45ACP and .44 Magnum. It also looks like .40 S&W may be around for awhile since many police use it now. The .45GAP is another I wouldn't get.

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PostPosted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:29 pm 
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I like the .32's particularly as a survival/SHTF/backpacking gun.

I can load it from very mild to very strong. As I have said elsewhere I have had 3 down to one, and I really really like playing with it. IF S&W were to come out with a .32 Jframe kit gun, say with a 3 or 4 inch barrel in a very light profile but in stainless rather than scandium, I would buy more in a hurry.

I can load single or double ball loads with a couple grains of powder for a very nice small game load at spitting distance. I can load a single ball over just a mag primer and use that as a in the house "parlor load" jump to an 85 grainer hbwc over 2.5 grains of bullseye and you have a very very accurate plinker, training load. step up to the 115 grain JHP and a moderately ok self defense load. (way better than a .380 and close to a good .38 spl load)

Marlin had made a very few tube feed bolts in the ,32 H&HR format, but trying to find one is impossible, I am guessing that less than a hundred left the factory. but with a 115 jsp from a rifle barrel you could >>almost<< declare it a fit cartridge for deer,(only in a survival context) along the lines of a rifle borne 32-20, getting a 115 grainer at close to 2000 fps from a 18 inch barrel. My grandfather killed a few hundred deer with a 32 20 When they lived in the woods during the depression.

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PostPosted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 8:42 am 
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Before saying anything else, I'd best say that I work at Federal. I've been involved in converting the .327 from the product development department's work to building production that goes out the door. So, I've got a personal and emotional investment in it. Just wanting to have my cards on the table and not be open to accusations of trying to sneak around pushing people to run out and buy something under false pretenses, okay?


That having been said, I ordered a SP101 in .327 through the purchase program at work fairly early in the process. While I was waiting for it to come in, I also went ahead and had the .32 magnum cylinder for my .32 mag/.32-20 Blackhawk convertible (from a limited run made for Buckeye distributors) rechambered for the longer round. I've run a few hundred rounds through both now and I can say that it's a fun little cartridge. I've only chronoed the 85gr Hydra Shok loading and the 100gr. American Eagle soft point and got higher velocities from the SP101 than those given in the American Rifleman article. The longer barrel of the Blackhawk gives a gain of about 200 FPS on both loadings over the SP101.

About the loads: the 85gr Hydra Shok is the one with the least recoil and blast. Just on my own personal scale, I'd say it's about like shooting +p .38s. The 100gr American Eagle seems to me about like a younger brother to the 125 gr. .357; not as much recoil or blast, but it's getting up there. Haven't shot the 115gr. loading yet, although I've got a few boxes waiting to be taken to the range. My guess is that it's going to be virtually indistinguishable from the 125gr. .357. Of course, all of that's subjective and YMMV, etc, etc and I'll leave drawing any conclusions to y'all. Ditto for guesses on the efficacy of this cartridge in actual shootings.

As for whether or not it's going to take off or fall flat on its' face, I dunno. I just figure that I already had more than one .32 mag and even if this gets orphaned, I can still shoot any of the "lesser" .32s out of a .327. Shucks, for that matter, I'm attracted to wierd stuff that often has to be handloaded for if it's gonna be used so what's one more oddball? Not a big deal. No worse than messing with .357 Maximum, much less work than the Herrett cartridges and I wouldn't be spending all my range time hunting down my empties like with .45 Win mag or .50 AE.
And besides, with being actually involved, I don't think I couldn't not get one.

Image
(please forgive the date stamp; didn't bother reprogramming the camera after a battery change) The groups are slow and deliberate DA at about 7 yds.

One thing that I'm really curious about is how the 100gr. soft point bullet is going to perform out in the real world. Conventional wisdom is that soft points aren't much use out of handguns because of the low velocities, but this is a pretty fast handgun bullet AND I've found by experience that this particular soft point has stealth nose cuts extending about 1/16"down into the jacket (squash the nose a little and it separates for all the world like a neatly sliced pie, but just to look at it, you'd never dream...).

This is the first SP101 that I've owned. I've shot exactly one before this, a .357 belonging to a coworker. So I've been comparing this SP101 to my .357 Model 60-10. Which would be a stretch J-frame, right? The Ruger trigger has a longer DA stroke, along with a long reset and the pull is somewhat lighter and "spongey" rather than the crisp feel of the S&W's DA stroke. Interestingly enough, my wife can pull through the DA stroke on the Ruger, but not the S&W's, and I've since replaced the Ruger's trigger and hammer springs with a reduced effort set from Wolff, which made things better still in that regard. The two are practically indistiguishable in heft. As for dimensions:
Image
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:35 pm 
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Molasses, good post! Thanks for the insider info. It will be interesting to see what happens to the .327 round down the road.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:51 am 
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As a big fan of the SP101, I'm also looking forward with interest to how the .327 goes. The promise of good stopping power combined with an extra shot has a great deal of appeal to me. Just waiting to see if it's going to be around, or an orphan in a couple of years.

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:47 am 
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Molasses,

With S&W dropping in just the last couple months the 32 H&R mag, are you hearing any rumblings about S&W deciding to co opt in and chamber a J frame for the 327 mag?

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:24 pm 
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Or perhaps a Taurus 85 or Rossi in 327M? It sure makes more sense in these lightweights than the 357...

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:23 pm 
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Charter Arms announced and showed their planned offering at the SHOT Show, IIRC. I've heard something about their efforts at work and based on that and their current incarnation's reputation on the various boards, I'd wait and see about it coming to fruition AND see what people that get them have to say before running out and buying one.

As for S&W...I've been told a story more than once that I wouldn't care to repeat publicly. Based on what I was told, I don't think S&W is likely to jump on the .327 bandwagon until/unless it takes off sufficiently and/or there's enough demand to really make it worth their while. Sorry to leave y'all hanging, but I don't feel comfortable about keeping my job if I repeat the story in a public forum.

Haven't heard about anyone else throwing their hats into the ring, but who knows? I think I'm safe divulging that Ruger's been the only one buying proof loads from us, but that doesn't seem to stop a lot of companies from making and selling guns in a given chambering, so it means naught. :roll:


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PostPosted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:51 pm 
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Thanks Molasses,

I think they got in to the .32 H&R game late, and weak, and then bailed early, but then last fall, I saw two national ads for S&W pushing 6 shot snubbie lady smiths in .32 H&R. One was a picture of a young woman near her car, and the other was an older woman reaching into her nightstand. The 617's and 517's as well as the 631 kit gun have become as rare as hen's teeth and priced out of sight, ($1200 on up for a good one)

This might be a case where Lew Hortons or Hicks or , will have to step up to the plate and place a bulk order to get Smith started.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:20 am 
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Gunblast liked it.

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger-SP101-327.htm

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