New revolvers in .327 Magnum caliber

[Double-O-Dave]

Greetings,

Does anyone know when S&W will begin making revolvers in .327 Magnum caliber? Do you think they will be only in the K frames, or do you envision a J frame version? If they do make it in a J frame, do you think it will be a 5 shot, or 6 shot cylinder?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Greetings,

Does anyone know when S&W will begin making revolvers in .327 Magnum caliber? Do you think they will be only in the K frames, or do you envision a J frame version? If they do make it in a J frame, do you think it will be a 5 shot, or 6 shot cylinder?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Dale53]

If S&W can make a .357 "J" frame, then they sure can make one in .327 Federal. I would like to see one with a 4" barrel and adjustable sights, myself. That would make a fine kit gun on steroids!

I like.32's and have several of the .32 H&R Smiths (631 4" and a 16-4 6") as well as a Ruger
SP101 4".

However, I look at them as ideal for edible small game and mostly shoot target loads in .32 S&W L cases (and I shoot them a LOT). Given that, I probably will not opt for a new one in .327.

In a defense gun, I prefer my 642 for carry and a 4" 686 for home use.

Dale53

 

[H Richard]

A 3" J Frame, with full underlug, round butt, in 327, 6 shot, in both stainless and matt blue would be a good seller. Or, take the Mod 60 Pro series, and chamber it in the 327 with 6 shots. I'd order one now if available.

 

[powerkicker]

.327 magnum will be a commercial turd just like the 45 gap. Buy one at your own peril. It is a needless cartridge that will get a bunch of press and then fade away in a hurry.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Originally posted by H Richard:
A 3" J Frame, with full underlug, round butt, in 327, 6 shot, in both stainless and matt blue would be a good seller. Or, take the Mod 60 Pro series, and chamber it in the 327 with 6 shots. I'd order one now if available.

H Richard:

I must disagree with you...I think it would be a GREAT seller.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Originally posted by powerkicker:
.327 magnum will be a commercial turd just like the 45 gap. Buy one at your own peril. It is a needless cartridge that will get a bunch of press and then fade away in a hurry.

Powerkicker:

If I'm not mistaken, I believe a pistol chambered in .327 Magnum will also chamber and fire the .32 S&W long, as well as the .32 H&R Magnum. If this is correct, I think it would be successful and not just in a niche market. I didn't have much regard for the .32 H&R Magnum until I bought one (432 PD) with encouragement from some of this forum's members. It was one of the best handguns I've ever purchased, and I wish I could find and afford another one. A .327 Magnum in J frame would be on top of my "must have" list.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Guest]

Personally, I'd like to see the following Carbon Steel or Blackened Stainless Steel guns:

1. One based on the "K" Frame with "maybe" a 9 shot cylinder, but at least an 8 Shooter, with an 8 3/8" Full Lug Barrel. With Adjustable Sights and Factory Drilled and Tapped.

2. One based on the "K" Frame with "maybe" a 9 shot cylinder, but at least an 8 Shooter, with an 6" Full Lug Barrel. With Adjustable Sights and Factory Drilled and Tapped.

3. One based on the "K" Frame with "maybe" a 9 shot cylinder, but at least an 8 Shooter, with an 4" or 5" Half Lug Barrel. With Adjustable Sights.

4. One based on the "J" Frame with a 6 shot cylinder, 4" or 5" Full Lug Barrel. I would like to see this in both the "Centennial" and standard Hammer configuration. With Adjustable Sights and also in a Fixed Sight configuration.

5. One based on the "J" Frame "Centennial" with a 6 shot cylinder, 3" Full Lug Barrel. With Adjustable Sights and also in a Fixed Sight configuration.

If any of these were offered with the "Infernal Lock" I would not purchase them but I'd guess they would still sell well at least for a time.

 

[pps]

KKG, I like your number 1 choice, but make mine K32 style, blued, no lock since we are dreaming.

 

[Rich W]

As I have noted before a 6 shot J frame 327 Mag would have a cylinder as thin, at the locking bolt cuts, as a N frame has in 45 caliber. This is per actual measurement of my 631 32 Mag J frame compared to my 625 Mountain Gun.

With about double the pressure of the 45 ACP +P round I do not see S&W doing a 6 shot J frame 327 Magnum. Cylinder walls would I suspect be too thin with too little safety margin for the SAAMI pressure limit of the 327 Mag.

Hope that I am wrong about this but to me the best to be hoped for in the J frame is a 5 shot 327 Mag. That would probably decrease its appeal to those who want it for a defense gun. Be fine with me as I want it with a 4" or 5" barrel and adjustable sights as a light weight field carry gun.

 

[44wheelman]

Originally posted by powerkicker:
.327 magnum will be a commercial turd just like the 45 gap.

Not even the same scenario. Is the 32mag a failure too, since these guns will shoot both. Prices on the 631/16-4 would indicate not. I would expect 3" &,5" J 5 shot to be coming soon, to keep up with Ruger.

Local fun shop has an SP101 in 327, but they don't have any ammo yet....kinda silly.

 

[carguychris]

Originally posted by Double-O-Dave:

Originally posted by powerkicker:
.327 magnum will be a commercial turd just like the 45 gap. Buy one at your own peril. It is a needless cartridge that will get a bunch of press and then fade away in a hurry.

If I'm not mistaken, I believe a pistol chambered in .327 Magnum will also chamber and fire the .32 S&W long, as well as the .32 H&R Magnum. If this is correct, I think it would be successful and not just in a niche market.

+1. The problem with the .45 GAP is that it doesn't do anything the .45 ACP won't do, it just only does it in a Glock.

OTOH the .327Mag fills an unexploited niche IMHO. You get the flat-shooting ballistics of a .32-20Win and then some, but without the problems inherent with firing bottleneck cartridges in a revolver, AND you get ammo interchangeability with the .32 H&R Mag and .32 Long.

I don't care if it's a commercial turd, if S&W brings out a K frame in .327Mag, I'm going to buy one and handload.

 

[44wheelman]

if S&W brings out a K frame in .327Mag, I'm going to buy one

me two

 

[H Richard]

KKG you don't want much do you!!

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by pps:
KKG, I like your number 1 choice, but make mine K32 style, blued, no lock since we are dreaming.

I had a Model 16-4 and loved it and let mine go because I really could not imagine the Factory dropping such a "Dandy" gun!!! I didn't know they were gone until too late and now they are bringing an Arm and a Leg and a First Born for a really nice one. I'd likely buy one with the Short Lug but ONLY if the Full Lug was available and then the Short Lug one would have to come Second!!!

 

[casingpoint]

.327 magnum will be a commercial turd just like the 45 gap

With one additional round chambered and test results like those below, this is one turd that doesn't stink:

327 Magnum 115 grain Speer Gold Dot FBI protocol test with a 3-inch barrel for effectiveness through barriers:

15 inches in bare gelatin
16 inches through heavy clothing
16 inches through plywood
14.5 inches through wallboard
13 inches through auto glass
20 inches through single-layer vehicle body steel
(source: http://www.shootingtimes.com/ammunition/st327_110707/index.html)

That compares to 11,11,12,12,10 &11 inches for 135 grain Speer .38 Special. short barrel Gold Dots from a two inch barrel.

Even if the results between the 327 MAG and the 38 somehow were equal, the tactical significance of one or more extra rounds available in a revolver is too advantageous to ignore.

The 327 is a modernization in self defense revolver cartridges long overdue. Unfortunately, it isn't exactly taking the market by storm. But I wouldn't flush it yet.

 

[Red Tex]

I would agree that a j-frame 6-shooter with a 3" barrel would be a good item. Square or round - doesn't matter to me. A compact 6-shooter with some punch should sell pretty well as a carry weapon, I'd think. S&W sells a lot of 642s for that purpose. Seems to me that this would offer another shot, a better sighting radius, and still be pocketable.

 

[Frankie2blue]

I love the idea of a .327 that would shoot .32's, especially in a Stainless RB 3" version with no internal lock. I would crawl on my hands and knees over broken glass to get one.

Well maybe not that far, but I would be one of the first on the list for sure.

 

[Bob D]

I would like a 3" J-frame with a half lugged barrel, and I don't care if it has a lock or not.

 

[powerkicker]

I respect the opinions of you guys who think it will be a great seller. Still, ask yourselves how great a seller the 32 H&R magnum, 32 S&W, 32/20 etc really are in DA revolvers.

They are not very popular because the .38 spl already fills any niche they may have found in a revolver for the vast majority of buyers as history has shown. I stand by my original assertion. Still, if you want one go buy it!

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Originally posted by Rich W:
As I have noted before a 6 shot J frame 327 Mag would have a cylinder as thin, at the locking bolt cuts, as a N frame has in 45 caliber. This is per actual measurement of my 631 32 Mag J frame compared to my 625 Mountain Gun.

You are assuming that the cuts cannot be repositioned and the hand timing adjusted to match.

You seriously understimate good engineers.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

A six shot, 3" barreled J frame with nearly the same power as a .357 Magnum would be the cat's ass and would quickly become my favorite carry gun.

 

[Gunhacker]

One of the "knocks" the .32 H&R Mag had was it didn't go far enough in improving the old .32 S&W, the improvement only served to bring the cartridge into the performane range where it served to create a great debate about whether or not it was equal to or surpassing the .38 Spl.

The .327 Federal balistically is what the .32 H&R Mag should have been in the first place... there is no disputing that the .327 Federal can/will hold it's own as a SD round.

Sadly though, the sales of guns chambered in this offering is of course, what will determine it's success, and judging by the reluctance/refusal of people to buy a new S&W only by virture of it having the internal lock and/or MIM parts... then the cartridge could very well be short lived if Ruger sales aren't lively.

The .32 H&R mag was once on the brink of obscurity if it wasn't for the Cowboy Action Shooting crowd becoming enamored with it... hopefully that will also be the case with the .327 Federal.

I would love to see it also offered in a Marlin lever action rifle or a T/C Contender.

 

[Wyatt Earp]

Originally posted by Gunhacker:
judging by the reluctance/refusal of people to buy a new S&W only by virture of it having the internal lock and/or MIM parts... then the cartridge could very well be short lived if Ruger sales aren't lively.

The vocal minority against locks/MIM here are of little consequence in the overall scheme of S&W sales.

 

[David Kachel]

Originally posted by powerkicker:
I respect the opinions of you guys who think it will be a great seller. Still, ask yourselves how great a seller the 32 H&R magnum, 32 S&W, 32/20 etc really are in DA revolvers.

The .32 S&Ws were VERY popular in their day. I believe the 32-20 was no slouch either. I think I would probably buy a 6" K frame blued .327, except for the lock. I will buy nothing, no matter how much I want it, with that damn lock on it.

In response to the guy who commented there are not enough of us opposed to the lock to make a difference, you may be right, but I don't think so. In fact, I did a poll on here not too long ago that shows you are definitely wrong. And you have not taken into consideration that I, and I presume everyone else opposed to the lock, counsel all the new gun buyers we run across (if the S&W subject comes up) NOT to buy them new or used with a lock.

There is one question I have never asked that really ought to be asked. Why would ANYONE support that stupid lock or S&Ws insistence on keeping it??? Maybe I'll start a new thread.

 

[MajorDude]

A 4" (or better yet, 6") .327 Federal S&W K-frame would be my first post-lock S&W.

 

[Guest]

Originally posted by 44wheelman: ...Prices on the 631/16-4 would indicate not...

A large part of the price increase is due to all of us who purchased one of the Model 16-4s - let them go - and were 'caught with our pants down' when the Factory dropped them.

 

[Dale53]

I don't know about other members. I do know, however, that I still have my 631 AND 16-4 (6") and intend to own them (and shoot them, by the way) until I can no longer hold a gun.

Dale53

 

[nn]

The .327 has a stout recoil with stock grips.
I would think a K or L frame would be the lightest S&W revolver to be a canidate for the round.

 

[Bullseye Smith]

They will make a "J" frame to compete agaist the Ruger. I hope they will also make a six shot "K" frame with a six inch barrel.