Picked up my Single Seven in 327

[Ben_hutcherson]

After waiting 6 months, I finally got a call last Wednesday that the Single Seven I'd requested a local shop order for me had come in.

I was able to go in and pick it up today, and also had the chance to shoot it while still at the shop.

The good news is that it was very accurate(using factory American Eagle 100gr soft points) and also shot to POA about 25 yards. The 5 1/2" barrel "feels" a lot more accurate than my 3" SP101 did, but then that's to be expected(I also found the SP101 to be an accurate gun in the time I had it).

On the bad side-this is the first new Ruger I've bought, and parts of it-in particular the hammer throw-feel a bit rough to me. I'm hoping that a little bit of polishing with some 2000 grit sandpaper will take care of that.

I also initially found it a bit "finicky" to load and unload. The charge hole needed to line up exactly with the loading gate in order to chamber a round-letting it "click" to the natural cylinder stop would not allow the round to chamber easily. I also had to deal with a range officer trying to tell me that I needed to put the gun on "half cock" while I was trying to figure this out . This all seemed to improve with shooting the gun more, or perhaps I just got a better idea of where to "catch" the cylinder as I was rotating it.

I'd also forgotten how loud the 327 is. I need to pick up a box or two of the 85gr soft points, as I remember from my last experience with this caliber that they are loaded a fair bit lighter. Fortunately, even though it is ear-splitting loud, recoil is minimal(although noticeable) in this gun-it feels about like shooting a 38 special +P through the same size/weight gun.

I'm anxious to get started on developing loads for the gun. Unfortunately, brass seems impossible to find, so I probably won't get to do much until I shoot up some more factory ammo. All said and done, at $25/box factory ammo is about the same price as buying brass($25/100)+good bullets($18/100 for XTPs)+powder($5/100 if using 296)+primers($3/100). Of course, once I get some brass built up, that cost gets cut in half.

I'll get photos later.

 

[Bruce51]

Congratulations on your new gun!

Your loading experience mirrors mine with the chambers having to be aligned just right to load and unload.

It's hard not to want to half cock a single action to load.

One of my shooting friends also tried to move the hammer back to load.

By the end of the range session it was getting easier to get it loaded.

These are fun to shoot and I'm trying many different loads to find the right combinations.

Try some .32 SWL loads and really feel as if you have a target pistol in your hands.

BLM

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had trouble loading it.

Even though I have a couple of "4 click" single action Colt clones, I also shoot a new model Blackhawk often enough that when I'm handling a Ruger I just automatically flip the loading gate open without thinking about it.

I had a little bit of an argument with the RO when he tried to tell me my problem was that I didn't have it on half cock-after I explained how newer Ruger SAs work to him, he spent a couple of minutes fumbling with it(including trying several times to half cock the hammer) before flicking the loading gate open and saying "see, that's how you unlock the cylinder"

All that aside, I had a great time shooting it.

I didn't have any 32 longs with me today, but imagine that the recoil would be non-existent with them. It certainly was with my SP101. I do have some handloads, but also usually keep a couple of boxes of Fiocchi wadcutters on hand(a local shop sells them for ~$18/50). I will be sure to take some of both along the next time I take the gun out.

I'm also glad to see that Ruger has moved their infamous writing to the bottom of the barrel-in fact I thought at first that it wasn't there. The gun is very "clean" looking-the only markings visible on casual examination are the model and caliber on one side of the frame above the trigger, and the serial number on the other in the same location.

 

[Bruce51]

They still put way to much writing on the barrel. I'm happy it is less noticeable.

This week I'll try some more loads.

I'm using AA#5, AA#7, H110 and Unique.

Bullets used are Hornady 90 grain SWC, Hornady 100 JHP, 90 grain Sierra JHP and Missouri 100 grain cast.

I need some 115 grain cast but those will have to wait.

So far the 90 grain Sierra were the least accurate.

It's to soon to tell about the other load possibilities.

BLM

 

[Fat Frank]

Reminds me of a time I was at the base range (Offutt) shooting a Colt SAA, and when the time came to check targets, the range officer proceeded to start yelling at me to open the action on my revolver. I told him it WAS open. Again, he argued. I guess he had never seen a Colt single action and was expecting the whole cylinder to swing out. Probably only ever seen M-9s and Glocks. I picked up my stuff and left. Never went back.
Sorry, rant over.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

FWIW, the spent shell casing in my gun is dated 11/7/14.

By my math, that's about 2 1/2 weeks from the time Ruger test fired the gun to the time the shop I bought it from got it in(11/26).

When these shipped back a few months ago, I know there was some speculation about how many runs of these Ruger would make for Lipseys. At least per my gun, Ruger was in fact building them last month.

 

[galena]

My Single 7

Congratulations on a fun gun. I didn't have to wait too long for mine. I ordered in early September when I heard they were going to make a run of the 4 3/4 inchers. I expected to wait awhile, in fact I planned to wait because I needed to increase my gun fund. Low and behold, I got a call from my dealer the third week of Sep saying come get it.............. I haven't shot it much due to ankle surgery in mid-Sep that makes a good stance difficult. I couple of cylinders of .327 and a couple of .32SW. It shoots where I point it.

I too have had a little trouble loading, the holes need to be lined up perfectly.

Since pictures are required, one is attached.

 

[glenncal1]

I had a similar experience with my new 7.5" this weekend. I wonder if the loading issue is due to the gun being a seven shooter. I was using those same 100grainers and after raising the rear sight a little was getting easy 2" groups at 25 yards (about as good as my eyes can do). I am gonna put 500 rounds or so through the gun before I contemplate trigger work, mine is fairly crisp but a little heavy.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

I had a similar experience with my new 7.5" this weekend. I wonder if the loading issue is due to the gun being a seven shooter. I was using those same 100grainers and after raising the rear sight a little was getting easy 2" groups at 25 yards (about as good as my eyes can do). I am gonna put 500 rounds or so through the gun before I contemplate trigger work, mine is fairly crisp but a little heavy.

After spending some time last night dry firing, I'm beginning to wonder what the "grittiness" in the hammer that I felt was coming from.

When I was live firing, it would tend to happen toward the end of the cylinder, sometimes requiring two thumbs on the hammer to cock it.

I run into no such issues with unloaded dry fire. I'll try with some empty brass and see what happens.

I'm wondering if I'm getting bullet pull, although I wouldn't think that would be an issue with factory ammo, especially considering that most of the guns out there chambered in this caliber weigh less than the gun I was shooting.

 

[35Rem]

http://www.brownells.com/handgun-pa...-parts/ruger-sa-free-spin-pawl--prod9862.aspx

 

[samwood]

In the Q&A tab for the Single Six Pawl, Brownells states it does not work with the Single Seven in 327 Magnum.

 

[Tom K]

....
The good news is that it was very accurate(using factory American Eagle 100gr soft points) and also shot to POA about 25 yards....

Mine was pretty accurate once I got it sighted in, but I had to raise the rear sight quite a bit. I will probably lower the front sight after I've shot it some more to make sure it's consistent.

I also initially found it a bit "finicky" to load and unload. The charge hole needed to line up exactly with the loading gate in order to chamber a round-letting it "click" to the natural cylinder stop would not allow the round to chamber easily. ....This all seemed to improve with shooting the gun more, or perhaps I just got a better idea of where to "catch" the cylinder as I was rotating it.

I had the same problem a couple of weeks ago when I shot mine. After forcing a couple in with the rim dragging on the edge of the loading port, I figured out what the problem was and took more care to not let it "click" to the stop. Kind of a pain.

...I didn't have any 32 longs with me today, but imagine that the recoil would be non-existent with them.

That's a fact, jack. I shot some 32 S&W Long 100gr wadcutters and they felt and sounded like a popgun after the .327 rounds. They also shot way high of course but grouped really well, very accurate. I had wondered if the long freebore of the .32 SWL in the .327 cylinder would be a problem - apparently not.

In the Q&A tab for the Single Six Pawl, Brownells states it does not work with the Single Seven in 327 Magnum.

That's a shame as it really needs the free spin pawl. Loading and unloading is really a PITA as it now is. Hopefully Power Custom will start building one.

 

[civil1977]

I posted this in one of the other Single Seven threads. I emailed Lipseys last week and here is their response on Single Seven production numbers;

Our original order was 1000 4-5/8”, 1000 5-/2”, and 500 7-1/2” guns. Since we have just about sold out of those, we have ordered an additional 500 each of the 3 barrel lengths. If those sell well, we will make another order. So there isn’t any set total right now.

Thanks,

Jason Cloessner
Product Development Manager
LIPSEY'S | AIM HIGHER

 

[.455_Hunter]

How are the cylinder gaps on your Single-Sevens?

The one's I saw at the LGS were well over 0.010".

 

[Ethang]

Mine stumbled a bit out of the gate but Ruger made it right. Cold weather and lack of $$ I only have 45 rounds of 327 downrange. This was the first rounds ever at 25.



I have no problem with the loading, mine is like yours. My 32 Mag does the same thing. Others have posted the same problems and Ruger corrected the index, so it could be a tolerance stacking issue. Shoot it some and see about the trigger.

This round is a screamer. It puts a grin on my face every time I light one off. This will make a dandy woods pistol. Cheap to shoot with 32 mag reloads, and capable of full on Magnums for anything that might need a full on magnum.

 

[Bruce51]

I had mine at the range again today.

I'll tell you that 12 grains of H110 with 100 grain Hornady XTP bullet goes screaming out of the gun with a healthy dose of muzzle flash.

The same bullet with 6 grains of AA #5 shoots nice little groups.

This gun also likes lead swagged or cast. A fun gun to shoot 100 grain cast bullets with Unique.

I'm going to remove a tiny bit of metal from the gate window where the cylinder indexes.

Loading tends to get harder with more rounds fired. The frame gate opening is too small right at the point the cylinder stops.

Loading is done before lock up or not at all. This seems to be a common problem.

Once the smithing is done I expect loading to be much easier.

BLM

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

I loaded up a few test rounds last night. Data is a bit scarce-the only book I have that lists load data is the Hornady manual, and only for 85 and 100gr XTPs.

Hodgdon's website has quite a bit more load data, including some cast data.

As I had XTPs on hand, however, that's what I used. I started off with 100grs, but will try some 85s later(I use both bullets occasionally for 32-20, so have plenty of them).

In any case, my initial experiments are with 800x, 296, and 4227 in Federal cases using Federal SP magnums(the exact primers Hodgdon specifies) I actually used 13gr 296(under the max on the Hodgdon site) so I'll be interested to see what type of fireball it makes if 12gr makes an impressive one

I know the Speer data actually specifies a CCI small rifle primer. I was getting flattened primers with factory ammo-I wonder if switching to a rifle primer would fix this.

A good little while back, Rburg(Dick) sold me 200 of the Remington 115gr soft points. These were used for a while in Remington factory 32-20 ammo, but it seems to me as though they would be a great 327 magnum bullet. Since(as far as I know) they are no longer made, I doubt any load data will be forthcoming. If I can find some 115gr Gold Dots, I'll measure to see how they compare in OAL and maybe use the Gold Dot data as at least a starting point.

I also still have several more powders on hand that I want to experiment with. Hodgdon reports some impressive velocity with 85gr XTPs and CFE Pistol. Using fast(and dense) powders at high pressure in a big case like this tends to make me nervous, so I'll probably avoid using Titegroup and 231 at least for the time being.

I really wish I could find some Alliant data, too-I'd think that 2400, Blue Dot, Herco, and Unique would all do decent(and I have all of those on hand), but I don't want to venture into using them at least without any data that I can find for the components I have.

 

[Jessie]

That looks like a nice gun. I like my single six and the number of cartridges that single seven will shoot is great.
It looks like a good do all field gun.

 

[Bruce51]

data

There is .327 data in the Accurate reloading guide edition 3.5

I received a copy from Western powders with an order.

I did not try the top loads just below minimum and above minimum.

Unique works great with the lead bullets. Try four to five grains with the ones you have.

I also tried five grains of Unique with the 90 grain Sierra. It was much milder than expected.

I am getting lots of pierced primers at all load levels. I hope that you do not have this issue.

BLM
.

 

[Ben_hutcherson]

Thanks for the further info. I have some Missouri 100gr and 73gr bullets that I will try out also.

I have a couple hundred pieces of new Starline 32 H&R brass that I picked up really cheap about a year ago, knowing that I would likely one day own another 327. I think I paid about $25 for the H&R brass. I need to dig it out and put together some loads in it. There's a fair bit more load date out there for 32 H&R than for 327 Mag, so I should be able to put together plenty of ammo for this gun. I'm amazed at the fact that factory 327 Mag-at current prices-seems to be less expensive than equivalent 32 H&R.