I traded for a brand new JM 327 8 shot 357. This is a performance center gun that is two-tone 5" barrel with a titanium cylinder and barrel shroud, I think anyway. I can't find much info about it other than the guy I got it from. Its in new condition, never shot by original owner or me, with everything it came with from performance shop. Should I shoot the gun, I have several 357's now, or should I sale it? Not much on safe queens and not sure I need an expensive 357 . Not really sure even what one is worth since I cant find any info.

Thanks for any help.

This is an image I found online but its this gun exactly.

i would shoot it...

__________________
SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

It came with some moon clips? Do I have to use those to shoot it if I decide to keep it? Also are there any speed loaders available for an 8 shot, best brand?

Shoot the heck out of it. Probably the best Smith you own. The titanium cylinder makes it very light and helps in speed shooting. Doesn't do much for anything else.

You don't need the moon clips, just use regular 38s/.357s in it. There are no speed loaders for the 8-shot.

The gun is worth about $1200 to $1500. I just bout one with a bunch of accessories for $1100 including holster 40 moon clips, clip loader/unloader and all the old parts beforre the guy did a trigger job.

You can't hurt it so shoot it and then decide if you want to sell it or not.

Find a local ICORE clup. They shoot revolver only matches and it's a blast. You can get more moons from RANCH PRODUCTS or the best moons from HEARTHCO. Ranch product moons are .75 each. Hearthco are about $7.50 each. I've used both. For competiton where that little extra speed counts I use the Hearthco. For practice I use the Ranch Products. If I bend one I don't care..

Have fun. If you decide to sell it let me know. Best place to list it is on

Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

There is now a quality 8 shot speed loader; they are not inexpensive and are made very well. Clint Smith discussed these in American Handgunner, in fact, these are called the Thunder Ranch speed loader. There is also a rubber contraption/speed loader available through Midway and others called the Maxfire. A quick Google search will lead you right to them.

BTW, shoot it unless one of your other .357s is similar as a competition revolver.

I have used the S&W327JM in a number of pistol games with mild 38 Special loads - the same ones I use in my other 38/357 revolvers. Compared to my 627 the 327 comes back on target a bit faster. The barrel also cleans up much faster thanthe normal rifled barrel of a 627. I would hate to bear the brunt of the recoil using full power 357 magnum loads in the 327.

Here are less expensive 8 shot speed loaders that run about 25 USD:

.357 N-Frame Accessories

The thunder ranch 8 shot speedloaders run at about 66 USD with shipping:

Thunder Ranch® Oregon 8Shot Speed Loader

I'm curious whether there is any particular advantage or benefit to using speed-loaders instead of moon-clips?? I've been under the impression for quite a while that the clips were a better way to go. I understand that the speed-loaders would work for an 8-shot 357 that wasn't machined for the clips, but it seems that most of the current crop of 327/627 revolvers come from the factory so machined. Am I missing something?

The 8 shot moon clips are a bit flimsy, making the alignment of all 8 a bit difficult and slower then a speed loader. That is my experience...

So then, this revolver has a cast barrel shroud installed over a rifled tube? Does the tube have polygonal rifling? If so, does it shoot cast bullets? Is there any real advantage to this kind of arrangement?

The only real advantage to the titanium cylinder (other than the light weight, if you consider that an advantage) is its ability to resist notch peening when subjected to hard use. And if it's not not already cut for moonclips, machining that cylinder will not be easy. I also hear that titanium cylinders can give sticky extraction. Any problems with that at .357 Magnum pressures and eight charge holes?

Don't knock the moonclipped eight shot .357 revolvers. I used to scorn them until I went out and bought one and then had it moonclipped properly. I find I can speedload mine with .38 Special faster than I can speedload my 625s with moonclips. And I have no problems with sticky extraction. I'm amazed that the moonclips are much faster and more consistent than speedloaders. But that titanium cylinder is another variable which might have some side effects.

Dave Sinko

This is similar to my experience. While I have not done any competitive shooting with 8-shot 357s, I've shot them quite a bit. I have a 627 and also the 327PC 2" which has a Ti cylinder that came already machined for the moon clips. The 327 does have a shrouded 2-piece barrel and the rifling is polygonal but I'm not sure if the JM gun has it, would guess that it's more traditional rifling but that is purely a guess. In any case, I have found the moon clips to be pretty good and handy, and not too terribly flimsy. I don't think I'm going to be buying any expensive 8-shot speed loaders for my guns.

Dave,
The barrel of the 327PC JM is made by Walther and has what appears to be polygonal rifling. Mine shot well with lead bullets but the goop from firing made too much of a mess and I switched to using either plated or jacketed bullets to minimize the cleanup after shooting. A` fellow shooter uses the same gun with the moly coated Billy bullets.
As I mentioned previously the barrel cleans out much faster than the 627PC barrels. I do not know if the barrel shroud is cast or forged.
I have not experienced any extraction issues with the titanium cylinder on either this 327PC JM or my 646. The 327PC JM cylinder is machined for moonclips.
In both the 327PCJM and 646 I shoot mild loads for steel plate and ICORE shoots. I have never shot either gun with full power loads.
Tony

We're still waiting for a range report.

__________________
N.R.A. BENEFACTOR Member

Well I decided to shoot it but won't have a chance for a week or two but I'll post back then!