SP rounds for Model 632 .327 Fed. Magnum

[natsamjosh]

Hello all,

I've been trying to figure out what revolver I should get for my first gun. After talking to several friends who are experienced gun owners, I've pretty much narrowed it down to a .38 or a .357 Magnum. However, I'm still intrigued by Model 632 (.32 Fed. magnum), and even saw one at a local gun show today. Problem is that the .327 Fed. magnum hollow point rounds are prohibitively expensive for me (about $1/round), and I can't even find the soft points at all, even doing internet searches.
Anyone know if this is a temporary shortage, or should I stop wasting my time thinking about the Model 632 option?

Thanks!
Ed

 

[Dump1567]

For a first gun. This:

or should I stop wasting my time thinking about the Model 632 option?

Get a nice used .357. Plenty of .38 spl. loads out there to practice with. Use .357 mag when you need to.

.327 mag is still fairly new. Your ammo selection will be limited for awhile. You can shoot .32 S&W and .32 H&R out of it, but still not as popular and plentiful as .38 spl.

 

[peyton]

As much as I love the 32's ( I have ten of them) for a first gun I would say 357 offers a lot better choices of ammo. You could buy low power 38's to high speed 357's!

 

[Lobo_79]

Hello all,

I've been trying to figure out what revolver I should get for my first gun....

Thanks!
Ed

Picking a revolver for your first gun is smart. The ballistics on the .327 Mag are impressive and there is certainly a lot of flexibility in the different ammo you can shoot in a gun chambered for this new caliber. The trouble is, as others have already commented, most .32 caliber ammo (beyond .32 ACP) is still in short supply - read: expensive.

There are a lot of good deals available on used .357/.38 revolvers. They are versatile in terms of power/recoil trade offs, and ammo is plentiful. If you are primarily interested in target practice and home defense I'd recommend the S&W model 686 series with a 4-6 inch barrel or the Ruger GP100. For carry purposes your options are almost too numerous to mention. Personally I like all stainless steel revolvers that are heavy enough to make them easy to shoot.

Don't be surprised if after buying your first revolver you wind up buying another and then...

 

[natsamjosh]

Thanks for the replies. I'm leaning toward a .38 since I'm not sure I need to spend the extra money right now for a .357. However, the reason I like the idea of the M632 is that I'm kind of a "try the new technology" person. I'm just wondering if people think the .327 Federal magnum will catch on eventually. I know it's a risk to get the 632, but if people don't buy a new gun since the ammo's not popular yet, how will the ammo become popular? Not trying to be sarcastic, just curious how this works. I sent S & W an email stating that I probably won't be buying the 632 because of the lack of ammo choices. Not sure if that will help or if the e-mail will even be read, but maybe such feedback will help????

Thanks again,
Ed

 

[thomasinaz]

If you want a gun you can shoot a lot, right away, don't get anything in 327 yet. I cancelled an order for a Ruger 327, after trying to find ammo and reloading components for this caliber. There isn't any brass available and the only ammo I found was very expensive, even on the internet. I too would like to give new tech a try, but not if I can't use it because of a lack of ammo. If this is your first gun you're going to need practice. That means ammo....lots of ammo. Unfortunately this leaves the 327 Fed way behind a good 38 or 357.

 

[S&W-SL]

You're seeing a general consensus here and I have to go along too. The .327 would be a good second gun.

I've been shooting the .327 mag a lot but I handload for it. I've also had extensive experience with the S&W in .32 mag and favor the .327 over it in all ways. But you can cut your teeth easier and less expensively by shooting .38's out of the .357 and gradually move up to the .357 mag. And they are much more readily available.

 

[natsamjosh]

You're seeing a general consensus here and I have to go along too. The .327 would be a good second gun.

I've been shooting the .327 mag a lot but I handload for it. I've also had extensive experience with the S&W in .32 mag and favor the .327 over it in all ways. But you can cut your teeth easier and less expensively by shooting .38's out of the .357 and gradually move up to the .357 mag. And they are much more readily available.

Thanks. I don't disagree at all with the consensus. I'm just trying to get opinions on how long it will take for .327 magnum to become more readily available, if ever. And is there any way for we the consumers to increase its availability besides buying an expensive gun that we can't shoot?

Thanks,
Ed

 

[thomasinaz]

I'd give it at least 6 months, or maybe more. The ammo companies had huge demand over the last couple of years, and are still trying to catch up. I don't think there's anything we can do to speed up availability of 327 ammo. I'm sure they would love to sell all the calibers they could make. The problem is they have to catch up with all the higher volume stuff, before they can even begin to provide the smaller volume calibers like the 327. Unfortunately all the emails and phone calls we can make can't bring us any more 327s, until the demand is met for the others.

 

[natsamjosh]

I'd give it at least 6 months, or maybe more. The ammo companies had huge demand over the last couple of years, and are still trying to catch up. I don't think there's anything we can do to speed up availability of 327 ammo. I'm sure they would love to sell all the calibers they could make. The problem is they have to catch up with all the higher volume stuff, before they can even begin to provide the smaller volume calibers like the 327. Unfortunately all the emails and phone calls we can make can't bring us any more 327s, until the demand is met for the others.

Thank you, this is the type of insight I'm looking for!

 

[HeyJoe]

im also holding off on buying a 327 for the same reason , lack of ammo.
i have two smith and wesson 32 H&r's and 1 smith and wesson hand ejector 32 long.

There has been a shortage of 32 ammo including at one point 32 acp for years now.

 

[natsamjosh]

Well, I ended up getting a Ruger SP101... yes, .327 Fed. Mag, since I was able to get a pretty good stash of .327 ammo. And I like the idea that it can shoot the weaker .32 S&W Long so my kids can shoot the gun also. (The .327 packs too much of a punch for them.) I shot it for the first time last night, was a blast. I sucked pretty bad, since it was the first time I ever fired a gun, but I did at least hit paper with most of the shots.

I would have liked to get the S&W M632, but just couldn't justify the extra $200 for it, given the risk of the .327 not catching on in the future

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[thomasinaz]

I just ordered a .327 SP101 on Gunbroker. (So much for holding out.) I found 327 ammo at Cabelas, but still expensive. I was only able to find 32 H&R brass for now, so I may have to pony up the big $ for a box or two of the factory stuff. I'm doing my part to increase demand.

 

[natsamjosh]

I just ordered a .327 SP101 on Gunbroker. (So much for holding out.) I found 327 ammo at Cabelas, but still expensive. I was only able to find 32 H&R brass for now, so I may have to pony up the big $ for a box or two of the factory stuff. I'm doing my part to increase demand.

Congrats on the purchase, please let me know how you like it. I replaced the grip with a Hogue, gonna try it out in the next few days. Let's make sure we spread the word, so the price of the ammo comes down!! And maybe S&W will make their gun more affordable!

 

[Stainz]

I sold my Rugers - a 4" SP-101 and 4.6" SS BHG SSM - both in .32 H&RM - 2.5 yr ago - along with my reloading dies, supplies, etc. The reasons were several. The Rugers were barely in spec, chamber-wise - spent cases were .337+" - and sized to commercial standard .334". That's working the brass too much, resulting in a couple of reloads max. Not only that, but reloading supplies were hard to find in that size - and expensive. .38's are cheaper to reload - the cases last forever - and they drop steel plates with authority - .22LR's aggravate them as much as many .32's do! The cheesy windage-only adjustable rear sight of the SP-101 wasn't anything to write home about.

So, the .327 Magnum didn't impress me... the 632 did - go figure. Did I mention I found 1k+ of my .32 S&WL reloads in a box under my bench? The comp is downright silly, in my opinion. Of course, the .32's are cute...

Stainz

PS Get a .38 - or .357M - and shoot .38's. You want great personal protection? 158gr LHPSWC .38 Spcl +P.

 

[natsamjosh]

I sold my Rugers - a 4" SP-101 and 4.6" SS BHG SSM - both in .32 H&RM - 2.5 yr ago - along with my reloading dies, supplies, etc. The reasons were several. The Rugers were barely in spec, chamber-wise - spent cases were .337+" - and sized to commercial standard .334". That's working the brass too much, resulting in a couple of reloads max. Not only that, but reloading supplies were hard to find in that size - and expensive. .38's are cheaper to reload - the cases last forever - and they drop steel plates with authority - .22LR's aggravate them as much as many .32's do! The cheesy windage-only adjustable rear sight of the SP-101 wasn't anything to write home about.

So, the .327 Magnum didn't impress me... the 632 did - go figure. Did I mention I found 1k+ of my .32 S&WL reloads in a box under my bench? The comp is downright silly, in my opinion. Of course, the .32's are cute...

Stainz

PS Get a .38 - or .357M - and shoot .38's. You want great personal protection? 158gr LHPSWC .38 Spcl +P.

Hey, to each his own. A couple things:

1) Your reasons for getting rid of your Rugers are not relevant to me. They may be relevant to you,
but I am not you. Having said that, I do appreciate the information.

2) I mentioned that I wanted to get the S&W 632, but the price, imo, is outrageous. If you would like
to send me a check for the price difference ($250) I will be happy to sell my Ruger and get the 632.

3) Regarding home defense, I wouldn't use .32, I would use .327 Federal Magnum. From what I've read, and judging
from my limited experience shooting both, I don't see how an intruder would be less effected getting hit by
a .327 Federal Magnum than a .38 sp +p.

The New .327 Federal Magnum in Ruger's SP101 Compact Six-Shot Revolver

4) I went to the range with my son and a good friend (who is a pretty serious gun hobbyist) last night, and we had
a great time, despite my crappy SP101, which allowed my son to shoot a mild load (.32 S&W) and me to shoot both the .32
and the .327. Having fun is what it's all about, at least for me.

Thanks,
Ed

 

[Nightowl]

I am glad you bought what you wanted. You probably would not have been happy with the .357 even with .38's, at least until you were able to compare them. However, the 327 will not, at least in my lifetime gain the popularity or the numbers that the .38 special has in the last 100 plus years. The current ammo situation and production capacity of the firearms makers will not be able to catch up to the numbers of the .357's and .38 specials already in use today. I hope you have many happy years with your new gun.