327 Federal?

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Old Savage
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327 Federal?

Post by Old Savage »

Who's got 'em, who likes 'em? What do you think fellows?
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JerryB
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by JerryB »

How does it compare to the 32wcf?
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gak
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by gak »

I do not have but it's on my short list. The SP101 and .327 would appear to be the perfect pairing in a compact DA--"what the SP would seem to be designed for" (and it appears the reverse is literally true as well), and I've thought the same for the Single Six...that I keep hoping Ruger will build, making customization of one of my .32 H&R Mags unnecessary.. A midframe Ruger SA (Blackhawk-flattop and New Vaquero) .32-20/.327 convertible would be just dandy as well, as would be a Rossi and Marlin(esque) lever.

Since my first Single Six .32 the year they debuted in 1984, I've been a big fan of the .327's baby H&R brother, a real popper even in mild factory loadings, so I've figured the .327 to just be more of a good thing. At double the pressure of the H&R and honing in on or spanning the better .38+P and lower .357 range, I imagine it is! As I understand it, basically a warmer (than factory) straight cased ".32-20" without the case/reloading issues occasionally found reloading the ol' bottleneck (and taking up less case space allowing a full six in small revolvers).

Naysayers point out that the .38+P and .357 will do virtually the same thing cheaper and with greater off-the-shelf availability (especially regarding the latter point, no Wallyworld .327 sightings yet and spotty-at-best component distribution to date). Perhaps true enough, but it's also hard to argue with six shots out of a modern, potent carry revolver --or seven or eight as in the current larger Rugers--versus five .38/.357 out of a J-type or six with a K-frame size, in something with less sturm und drang than most .357s. (Still is said to be no pipsqueak in the decibel department).

All I really know is I sure like the idea and plan on having one (or two or three...). Gotta keep the .32s going!
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by BenT »

I'm a 32 caliber shooter. I have the Ruger single six in 32 H&R and various other pistols in 32 S&W. I picked up a used Ruger blackhawk 8 shot in 327 used last summer and It's a hoot to shoot. But the 327 is a very loud abnoxious round. In the heavier Blackhawk frame max H&R loads are pleasant to shoot. I've been working on using my 327 brass just for heavy 32 caliber bullets in the 1100 fps range. I have 123 gr and 115 gr bullets for that. The factory 100gr Federal loads chronied at 1650 fps which were fun , but you can only shoot so many and it gets unpleasant. But I'm bias I like 32's . If I had my way I would like a Ruger meduim flat top frame with 327 fed and 32-20 cylinders or a SP101 327 with 4.5 in barrel and don't forget a Marlin 94 iin 327 to go with it.
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AJMD429
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by AJMD429 »

Don't have one, but always thought having a .32 levergun/revolver combo would be nice, so eventually wound up with a pair in.32-20, 'fragile necks' and all. Now after doing that, I'm not as excited about the .327 Fed (because you CAN hot-rod the .32-20 in modern guns if so inclined), and don't see any particular need for the .32 H&R since I have .32-20's. IF they made a pocket-size 5-shot DA revolver like the SP-101 in .32-20, I think that cartridge would cover all the bases, but the shorter/hotter .327 Fed probably IS better suited for that niche.

I have been thinking about a Contender barrel in ".32"-something (.308 actual diameter on them), set up as sort of a ".300 Whisper" without the "Shout" potential, and suppressed. When 'researching' for that pipe-dream, I realized the old .32-20 case is significantly higher in capacity than the others, and for the odd-ball project of loading 150-200 grain bullets, would likely work far better.

Bottom line for me therefore - they sound fun, and if I didn't already have a couple .32-20's, I'd definitely be interested. Unfortunately, if you have .327 Fed's, you do get CCW-guns, and some SA revolvers, but no leverguns yet. With the .32-20 you get several levergun choices, single and double action revolvers, but no small CCW-guns. Since I'm more interested in .32's for hunting and target shooting than CCW, the .32-20 fills the bill.
Last edited by AJMD429 on Tue Apr 10, 2012 9:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mescalero
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

I have a .32 long that will astound you, stronger case, stronger gun....................
I could go somewhere with this.
1894c

Re: 327 Federal?

Post by 1894c »

liked reading the posts and input...but for me i never totally understood the point of the .327 Federal...don't get me wrong i think "choice" and "option" is always a good thing, especially when it comes to cartridges...i might be missing something, then maybe not...really like all of the options and the availability of components for the .38 spl. and the .357 Mag...just my lousy opinion-- :)
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by jackruff »

Mescalero wrote:I have a .32 long that will astound you, stronger case, stronger gun....................
I could go somewhere with this.
Please do. I also have a .32 S&W long. I'd like to hear what you have to say.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

If it is a modern gun, try the Hornady 85 grain XTP and 700X.
Expansion and penetration are astounding.
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6pt-sika
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by 6pt-sika »

I got one of the Ruger SP-101's in 327 Federal when they first came out . Little gun was easy to carry in a Bianchi Black Widow holster and actually fairly fun to shoot and relatively accurate . Although I can't say I like what Ruger call's an adjustable sight on the back of the SP-101 .

I shot 200 rounds of the cheal Fedral American Eagle ammo in the revolver and it did well . After that I scrubbed the p..s outta the bore and shot quite a bit of the Lyman 311419 in it and that did nicely also with a good bit less muzzle blast . Also tried the Lyman 311316 and it did pretty well also . Note all these were fired at 10-15 yards .

I think the better platform for the 327 to really show itself is in the Ruger Blackhawk that they saw fit to chamber the cartridge in a year or so ago .

I no longer have the little SP-101 anylonger but it wasn't a matter of me not liking it or being dissatisfied but rather me wanting funds for another project .
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by piller »

PillHer has an SP101 in .327 and she loves it. It is more controllable than a 9mm for her due to the fit and size of the grips. I reload it for her with Universal, and it is a lot of fun, even with all the smoke that universal produces. It uses the same lead bullets as a .32-20, and the straight wall case is easy to load. It holds very little powder, and it is cheap to reload. PillHer would love a levergun in the same caliber.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by AJMD429 »

An interesting custom project would be (if the cylinder is long enough) to bore out an SP-101 to .32-20; if you had to step up to a GP-100 size gun to do it, I think I'd just go with a .357.
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olyinaz
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by olyinaz »

BenT wrote: If I had my way I would like a Ruger meduim flat top frame with 327 fed and 32-20 cylinders...
Bingo!

Speaking of .32-20, drool: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =280561539

:mrgreen:

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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by L_Kilkenny »

I'm a big .32H&R fan but not really feeling any love for the .327F. It has a very small market base. Namely revolver shooters that want more rounds than they can get using .38/357s. Yes it has slightly less recoil and shoots flatter than it's bigger brothers so more capacity isn't it's only advantage and it's not all bad. Personally I find the .32H&R a great combination of power, blast, recoil for a wide variety of jobs and never asked anymore outta a .32. That's not to say that I think it's bad or ill conceived or a dead/dying cartridge but if I want more power I go to a .357 and if I want more power AND capacity I'll go to a semi.

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JerryB
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by JerryB »

Mescalero, I have been loading that 85 grain XTP in my old 32wcf for a few years and it is a big dog killing round. Very accurate and really hits hard for that little round.
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Mescalero
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

You bet,
I have 6 of them I fired through both Phx phone books ( wet ) all expanded to .64 caliber!
CBinNH
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by CBinNH »

I like the round. I am on my third 327. I started with a SP101, went to a GP100, & now have a S&W 632. Barks some in my J-frame Smith, but not uncontrolable. I also shoot 32 H&R, 32 longs, shorts, & 32 auto as it is semi-rimmed in it. Pretty versatile.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by jcw »

For me, the .327 is an answer in search of a question. I'll stick with the .38's and .357's.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

I wound up with about 12 small Rossie J frame type guns 10 .38 special 5 shot and 2 .32 long 6 shot guns.
I rebuilt and my friend sold 7 of the .38's
Got 1 .32 left and 4 .38's left.
Put adjustable sights on one of the .38's left
All of the ones my friend sold had adjustables put on by me.
It was fun.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Old Savage »

Look at Jeff Quinn's article on Gunblast.com - impressive performance with the 100 gr bullet on the pork shoulder. Fills an emotional niche for me. First handgun I handled and shot was a break top 32 S&W that dwelled in my Dad's roll top with five rounds that I eventually shot down in the vineyard into a post. This one seems like it in a way in the SP 101 3". Didn't really make this association until I picked it up and made the decision.
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Mescalero
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

OS,
I like the bore size, we both know placement is everything.
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bsaride
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by bsaride »

bought mom a SP101 cuz she couldn't handle the 38, lets her shoot 32 Auto, 32 S&W, 32S&W Long, 32 H&R and 327 Federal
depending on how her body can handle it. Bro has the 32 H&R Single Six and I have the Smith J frame. Really want a lever to
match but just got laid off. Might build a 327 single shot later this year. Will start loading this summer as well.
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by jackruff »

The .32 S&W Long can be a much better round than the anemic loads available commercially. If you have a modern firearm, rather than an old one that might be a bit weak, it is perfectly safe to handload the .32 S&W considerably stouter than the commercial loads, of couse staying within published loading information. A .32 caliber is not that much less than the .38 special, which is really just .357. There is enough case capacity to provide the caliber much greater potential than its reputation would suggest.
Last edited by jackruff on Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mescalero
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Re: 327 Federal?

Post by Mescalero »

Yes, that is correct.
I found my load info in the green plastic box we all have for our reloads.
Hornady 85 gr. XTP, 700X, am reluctant to give the amount; but I did get it from a modern reloading manual.
Just remember to not do it with any of the break tops.
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