Sell me on the 327 Federal Magnum

[Soundguy]

Just found out today that Ruger makes a 3" SP 101, fixed sight in 327..... Also found out it fits surprising well in the center console of my Ford.

It's a great gun.. I have one. After you get this..then look at 30 super carry...

[history@mts.net]

I'm looking at the same cartridge, but in a rifle platform. Think modern Rook rifle. And before anyone says, why not build a .32-20, I already have a Westley Richards Rook Rifle Cadet-frame Martini in .298 Minex, which is a .32-20 case using a 0.300" 140 grain bullet at 1,400 fps.

I have a spare Ruger #1 action & stock that is in need of a new barrel [as I have absolutely no need for a .264 Winchester Magum] if I want to use factory ammo [although I haven't in 40 years] or I can chamber the cartridge in an older action & simply load to the action's design limitations, sort of like duplicating the old .32 Extra Long cartridge in a modern platform.

Being a student of ballistics, however, I keep running up against the fact that the cartridge will not do anything that either my Ruger #1 in .357 Magnum with its 26" barrel or the Westley Richards will not do better.

[shooting on a shoestring]

History…..
There’s no justification for your proposed Ruger #1 in 327 other than want.
Yes it’ll work and be a dandy and very fun gun. That’s all the justification you need for this hobby. Do it!

But….the 2 big selling points for 327 are best realized in revolvers. That’s the really high chamber pressure (high for a handgun) that gives super hard acceleration for the first couple of inches of boolit travel, and the smaller than 357 diameter that gets 1 more shot in the cylinder of a 357 sized revolver.

Neither of those two factors matter in a Ruger #1 with a 20-something inch barrel. Expansion ratio could easily outrun the 45k psi chamber pressure like almost any 30 caliber rifle cartridge could do. However you might have fun playing with light charges in the 327 case, stay sub-sonic and have a fairly quiet small game harvester that could be a deer getter too with a full charge 327 load. But you can do that in 357 too….

So maybe trade that heavy duty 264 for a 327 revolver and join the party?

[history@mts.net]

shooting on a shoestring:

The only fly in that ointment is that even before the total ban on handgun transfers was instituted last year here in Canada, for 20+ years before that, .32 & .25 calibre handguns were banned [under the so-called Saturday Night Special provision].

[P Flados]

shooting on a shoestring:

The only fly in that ointment is that even before the total ban on handgun transfers was instituted last year here in Canada, for 20+ years before that, .32 & .25 calibre handguns were banned [under the so-called Saturday Night Special provision].

May I offer my condolences.

For a break open handgun such as the TC, I would be tempted to make myself a 264 or 280 straight wall using 327 brass out of spite (I make 32 mediums from 9mm, so I "have the technology"). And actually, converting something like a Dan Wesson Model 15 would not be super difficult.

But then again, you said that they have now banned even going out and getting a used version of either of the above.

[Gus Youmans]

jdgabbard,

I have accumulated six .327 Federal Magnums and one .32 H&R Magnum and have enjoyed shooting them over the years. The .327 Federal is legal for deer hunting in Georgia and will probably do the job and the cartridge is also a viable self-defense cartridge. However, in my case, the .32s stay in the safe when it comes time to pull something out for deer hunting and self defense. I have handguns chambered in more powerful catridges for deer hunting and prefer small autoloaders for concealed carry. The one niche that my 4" SP101 fills better than any of my other pistols is carrying around the property and casual woods walking.

Gus Youmans

[jdgabbard]

jdgabbard,

I have accumulated six .327 Federal Magnums and one .32 H&R Magnum and have enjoyed shooting them over the years. The .327 Federal is legal for deer hunting in Georgia and will probably do the job and the cartridge is also a viable self-defense cartridge. However, in my case, the .32s stay in the safe when it comes time to pull something out for deer hunting and self defense. I have handguns chambered in more powerful catridges for deer hunting and prefer small autoloaders for concealed carry. The one niche that my 4" SP101 fills better than any of my other pistols is carrying around the property and casual woods walking.

Gus Youmans

Thanks for the reply, Gus.

I actually do carry a small wheel gun more than anything else, defensive wise. Though I do own small semi-autos. The small wheel gun just serves my needs better.

[Kosh75287]

Nah, I don't see much potential. It's a rimmed .30 Carbine, with all the limitations that shorter and vented barrels inflict. It is ballistically a 9mmP/.38 Super, without the bore area (wound-channel creation potential). In revolvers originally meant for .38 Special or .357, it holds one more round. IF you believe that one more round of a smaller-bore round will save your life, then this round's for you.
Stuffed into a lever-action rifle, it is the .30 U.S. Carbine, re-invented. Marginal for defense, inferior for game weighing in excess of 100 pounds. Yee-haw.

[Abert Rim]

Ask the Germans what they thought about getting stitched by a GI with an M-1 Carbine.

[Soundguy]

Marginal for defense, inferior for game weighing in excess of 100 pounds. Yee-haw.

Would you say a 357 mag is marginal for defense? You can load 327 into 357 ranges.. meaning you think 357 is marginal for defense. Same with game.. If you don't think 357 can take a small to medium deer.. then I think you are just heavily biased and not really looking at the facts... IMHO...

[Green Frog]

Five pages later, it’s still “like tryin’ to tell a stranger ‘bout Rock-n- Roll”!
Froggie over and out.

[jdgabbard]

Would you say a 357 mag is marginal for defense? You can load 327 into 357 ranges.. meaning you think 357 is marginal for defense. Same with game.. If you don't think 357 can take a small to medium deer.. then I think you are just heavily biased and not really looking at the facts... IMHO...

I agree with you. After having researched this quite a bit, it does seem to do what it claims to do. And I think those in opposition to it based on it's capability are extremely biased. But whether or not it makes sense to switch from the 357 is another story that is much more depending on your specific needs / wants.

Five pages later, it’s still “like tryin’ to tell a stranger ‘bout Rock-n- Roll”!
Froggie over and out.

You're never going to convince everyone. But, it's like wildcat rounds. There are a whole lot of them out there that don't do anything special compared to commercially available alternatives....