327 federal Magnum

[Tyrod]

The firearms industry is an oddity in the realm of manufacturing. Typically, guns are so well made that factory's can't depend on planned obsolecence much. So to increase sales from time to time they dream up new models, finishes, dodads and cartridges to create a demand for a perceived need. Naturally, who don't want a new gun to play with. I as have most here have gone far beyond what we actually need, just because we like 'em. Profits will dictate the success or failure of anything.

It only stands to reason the manufacturers will strike out once in a while.

 

[gunfan]

If I could afford to have Hamilton Bowen build me a "K" frame .327 Fed. Mag. in a 4 and 7 1/2" barrel, I'd be willing to pay up to $2000.00 each to have them "smoothed out" a slick as you please.

Yes sir, the cartridge really isn't a bad one. You can do some serious hunting with 115-120 grain bullets. In the longer barreled specimens, it's a true performer. (Look into BBTI - Ballistics by the Inch :: Home to understand what I mean.)

the old rubric of "Americans want bigger bullets" holds true for a lot of old dinosaurs that seem to have forgotten that the .327 has superseded both the .30 Carbine and the .32-20. The .30 Carbine only works in the single action Ruger and the .32-20 suffers from pressure limitations and short-lived brass when consistently loaded to their pressure limits!

The .327 was the "logical" progression for the .32 S&W, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum. If S&W were to make a full-lug 6.5", 7.5" or 8 3/8" barrel, there would be sufficient buyers to keep the run going.

Scott

 

[Green Frog]

gunfan, you've seen my reports on "Project 616 - the gun S&W should have built but didn't." The brass problem is no more since StarLine made their production run of that very caliber, and of course bullet moulds abound. The only problem with reloading the 327 FM now is the one shared by all other pistols and revolvers, namely finding powder and primers.

To those who speculated on how one could get a mid-sized steel frame double action revolver in this caliber, yes Virginia there is a stainless K-frame! Like Billy Joel sang, "all it takes is looks and a whole lot of money..." Really, my looks aren't that great and it wasn't that expensive. You start with the Model 66 of your choice and buy a 617 cylinder (look for the older, round profile extractor) and the 617 barrel in the length of your choice. Then, the longest portion of the project will be your wait to have the barrel rebored (unless being in WA, gunfan you can get preferential treatment @ Clearwater? ) Once your barrel is back, take the whole package to a very dependable gunsmith with directions as to what you want, then step back and let him work. At the end of it all, you should be a happy camper... I know I certainly am!

Froggie

 

[peyton]

Green frog, I have a model 66, plus a 16-4 cylinder assembly, how do I tell if it will work? I realize I need the barrel but two out of three ain't bad! I already converted two of my 4 inch 16-4's to 327 but I want a stainless revolver now. What barrel length did you go with?

 

[S&WIowegan]

I bought the Ruger SP101 in .327 right away. There's nothing wrong with it if you like a blast in the eyes every time you fire. I solved the problem by ordering a reamer from Dave Manson sized to lengthen .32 H&R cylinders to .327 Mag dimensions.

I now have a 6" bbl. S&W Model 16-4 and a 6 1/2" Ruger Blackhawk chambered for .327 Mag. These two revolvers give the cartridge an opportunity to perform. Where there's a will there's a way!

 

[williamlayton]

.32 has killed a lot of folks---so don't sell it short on self-protection.
It is also a fun shooter from a reamed larger H&R-----matter of fact----I love it.
Blessings

 

[Nalapombu]

I was just contemplating swapping out the 638 that's on my next to buy list for a 632 with the fluted barrel for use as a primary ccw weapon. Now I hear this. I guess I am way too late to the party.

Then again it seems like the 327mag is not a round that you are going to go and shoot a couple hundred every other week. More like shooting a couple cylinders every month or so to maintain your skills with your carry weapon.

I don't know the ballistics or the performance of the round and how it compares to the 38 special, 9mm or the +P loadings in either, but if it's close then having 6 rounds to 5 is certainly enough of an advantage to keep it as a ccw weapon. Is it not?

I'd still like to have one for my j frame go-anywhere at anytime gun, but I don't think I'd pay $800 for one of the fluted barrel models or the PRO, which is what they go for. That could buy me an M&P revolver or a Scandium 357 which I would carry 38+P in. An 11 ounce revolver with +P ammo trumps a 25 oz, 6 shot revolver chambered in 327 federal magnum. My thinking anyway.

Nalajr

 

[gunfan]

I was just contemplating swapping out the 638 that's on my next to buy list for a 632 with the fluted barrel for use as a primary ccw weapon. Now I hear this. I guess I am way too late to the party.

Then again it seems like the 327mag is not a round that you are going to go and shoot a couple hundred every other week. More like shooting a couple cylinders every month or so to maintain your skills with your carry weapon.

I don't know the ballistics or the performance of the round and how it compares to the 38 special, 9mm or the +P loadings in either, but if it's close then having 6 rounds to 5 is certainly enough of an advantage to keep it as a ccw weapon. Is it not?

I'd still like to have one for my j frame go-anywhere at anytime gun, but I don't think I'd pay $800 for one of the fluted barrel models or the PRO, which is what they go for. That could buy me an M&P revolver or a Scandium 357 which I would carry 38+P in. An 11 ounce revolver with +P ammo trumps a 25 oz, 6 shot revolver chambered in 327 federal magnum. My thinking anyway.

Nalajr

Look up Ballistics By the Inch and how well the .327 Federal performs from the shorter barrels. It isn't a .357 Magnum (we already have that.) The .327 ends to be a bit more "blasty" than the 9mm or .38 Special, but it doesn't have the recoil of either. From what I can see in videos and read in personal reviews, is that it 'snappier' than the standard .38 Special/9mm bunch.

From what I understand, I think that you would like it. I, for one, believe that the .327 will penetrate more deeply then the .35 caliber rounds due to sheer velocity and bullet weight. A .312" 100 grain RNFP bullet screaming along at 1515 fps will "keep on truckin'" where the other rounds with greater frontal area tend to shed their velocity. With the smaller bore rounds, penetration is your friend!

Scott

 

[mag318]

I bought my 632 on impulse since a dealer was blowing them out for $480. It has since become my favorite J frame. This is such a versatile chambering I don't believe it will die. I fortunately have no problem finding ammunition for my 632, and just acquired some 75 grn Corbon DPX loads I'm looking forward to trying. For plinking I bought a case of Federal 32 S&W Long wadcutters that are super accurate with no recoil.
Like Stainz I added S&Ws' excellent Model 60 Pre Series grips.

 

[VARMONTER]

Funny this thread started almost 2 years ago and had our .327 dead and deceased.Here it is 2 years later and not only is the thread still alive the cartridge is as well.

Read that Taurus and Charter Arms had discontinued building revolvers chambered in 327. I emailed CA this morning and received confirmation that the chambering has been dropped. Taurus has removed 327 revolvers from their web site. Rumor has it that S&W is halting production. Federal supposedly has dropped the operating pressure of 327 ammunition to 36000 from the original 46000.
Anyone have any info????

Its a cool little cartridge.

I've kept thinking I should get one.

Then I look at my .357 mag, and .41 mag Blackhawks, and then at my .32 S&W break-top, and my .32 Long hand-ejector, and my .32-20 hand-ejector, and my .32 H&R Single-Six.

...and I ask myself, do I REALLY want a .327 Federal bad enough?

I'm thinking this one may go the way of the .357 Maximum.

I've never really regretted not getting a .357 Max.
__________________

 

[Jebus35745]

Froggie and I went to Andy Horvath and had our .32's made. My gun started as a 17-3 and came back as a 32 long with a 5" bbl. It could have easily been chambered in .327 As Froggie's was. I had the extra expense of cutting the bbl and adding a Weigand interchangeable front site base. Added a set of Keith Brown Roper style grips to it to complete the package. Larry

 

[Macinaw]

I have a 632 Pro that I'm glad I bought and will not sell.

A J-frame 6 shot with a 3 inch barrel. I did buy new dies to reload for .32 H&R Mag. So I can use it as a fun range gun.

After shooting a bunch of the H&Rs and then shooting some .327 Fed. you are reminded that it is a Magnum revolver with power. Fun Fun Fun

 

[Green Frog]

Funny this thread started almost 2 years ago and had our .327 dead and deceased.Here it is 2 years later and not only is the thread still alive the cartridge is as well.

Yeah, I guess this whole 327 Fed Mag thing is dead. I guess we ought to go on and get rid of all that stuff and go back to our 38 Specials and 44 Mags and such, or better yet get a 9 mm plastic gun and be "modern."

NOT!!

The 327 Federal Mag is alive and well and still picking up momentum. In spite of poor timing, corporate miscalculations and missteps and just about everything else that could have been done wrong, it's the "little cartridge that could." Aren't you glad you have one? I know I am!

Froggie

 

[shawn mccarver]

Read that Taurus and Charter Arms had discontinued building revolvers chambered in 327. I emailed CA this morning and received confirmation that the chambering has been dropped. Taurus has removed 327 revolvers from their web site. Rumor has it that S&W is halting production. Federal supposedly has dropped the operating pressure of 327 ammunition to 36000 from the original 46000.
Anyone have any info????

I cannot see any good use for the 327. It does nothing that cannot be done in a 9mm pistol, which can be made to hold more cartridges in a smaller package.

The .32 S&W Long should be enjoyed in period guns for what it is now: a nostalgic look back into the past and to happier times when criminals had the good sense not to inject Drano into their veins and to give up respectably when confronted. Here's to happier times!

 

[Macinaw]

Firearm Enthusiast

Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 379

.327 Fed Magnum compared to .357 Magnum compared to 9MM
.327 Fed Magnum compared to .357 Magnum compared to 9MM

.327 Mag........ 115 GDJHP.......1300 fps.....431 ft-lbs of energy
.327 Mag.........100 JSP...........1400 fps.....435 ft-lbs of energy
.357 Mag.........110 JHP...........1300 fps.....410 ft-lbs of energy
9MM Luger.......115+p+ JHP......1300 fps.....431 ft-lbs of energy

Looks like all deliver around the same energy, but, as I understand it, the recoil of the .327 Mag is significantly more manageable.

 

[papajohn428]

I don't put too much stock in ME figures, they don't translate to much of anything in the real world. Sad fact is they are based on velocity squared times weight. A BB at 4,000 fps may have more "muzzle energy" than a 45/230 at 750 fps, but that doesn't make it a better round unless you're shooting mosquitoes. Enjoy your boullettes........but I'll stick with what works for me.

 

[Leftofcentre67]

Let me start by saying the .327 Magnum and the .41 Magnum are both under-appreciated calibres. I wouldn't go as far as saying either one is a popular cartridge. Considering S&W and Ruger both only make one revolver in .327 Magnum is hardly a sign of strong support. Both cartridges aren't dead, but I wouldn't say they're going strong either.

 

[nsl]

Let me start by saying the .327 Magnum and the .41 Magnum are both under-appreciated calibres. I wouldn't go as far as saying either one is a popular cartridge. Considering S&W and Ruger both only make one revolver in .327 Magnum is hardly a sign of strong support. Both cartridges aren't dead, but I wouldn't say they're going strong either.

S&W no longer makes a 327 Fed. Found this out a week ago when I sent my 632-1 in for warranty.

A rep called me and said they couldn't fix it, and no longer made a gun in the caliber. They let me pick a 640 Pro as replacement.

 

[jaymoore]

I don't put too much stock in ME figures, they don't translate to much of anything in the real world. Sad fact is they are based on velocity squared times weight. A BB at 4,000 fps may have more "muzzle energy" than a 45/230 at 750 fps, but that doesn't make it a better round unless you're shooting mosquitoes. Enjoy your boullettes........but I'll stick with what works for me.

Have you ever seen what a small 4,000fps projectile will do???

Mind you, the 4,000fps BB will shed velocity quick, but anything over 3,000fps does horrifying damage to tissue.

Personally, I like the .327 chambering more for it's versatility than it's raw numbers. The .327 is a perfectly adequate defensive round. But , the smaller .32s that can also be utilized make it the complete package. Low recoil small game getter. Cheap to reload target round. Good introductory firearm if the power is progressed a bit at a time; i.e., 32S&W and S&WL, .32 H&R Magnum, then, finally, .327.

And unlike the .38 Spl/.357, the case isn't derived (lengthened) from a competitor's design. The .32 S&W is all "Smith".

 

[Gunhacker]

I cannot see any good use for the 327. It does nothing that cannot be done in a 9mm pistol...

Yes, it does.... you don't have to chase your brass all over the place in order to reload it!

It's also ironic with this ammo shortage going on, .327 Federal is one the few factory loaded rounds that aren't on perpetual back order everywhere and pretty much still the same price (albeit pricey to begin with) as it was a year ago.