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The .327 Federal Magnum is one of the newest cartridges, created by Ruger. Unlike many of the cartridges purely created for commercial hype sales, this one actually has a few things going for it since the idea of hot rodding what is basically a 32. H&R Mangum with a longer case has been around for a long time. It started with the old .32 S&W, then .32 S&W Long, then .32 H&R Magnum and the .327 Federal Magnum is the last one in line of .32s that added a few mm of case during each stage of evolution. You can fire all the previously mentioned calibers in a .327 Federal Magnum revolver, since its basically the same thing but with shorter cases.
Ruger SP101.327 Magnum
Power? While not quite a real 357 Magnum, it is considered a bit more powerful than a 38 Special +P or 9mm, so we’re talking about some nice stopping power. The interesting thing for me is that it delivers good stopping power, and does so with half the recoil of a 357 Magnum, in a small frame revolver. This also means that you get one more round in small frames, 6 shots vs. 5 shots of 38 special which is also less powerful per shot.
This revolver fills the niche for either young adults or other people that are sensitive to recoil or that lack the training to use an auto under stress and would benefit from the mechanical simplicity of a revolver.
Many of us have wives that hardly visit the range a couple times a year. For them the 327 Federal Magnum revolver is an interesting alternative.
11 comments:
One issue to consider is the amount of muzzle flash produce from any cartridge, and especially the .357 mag and probably from this .32 mag that can blind the shooter. Night sights are usually bright, but where is the target? Here the .38 Special might be the needed compromise. Of course, there could be a low flash powder in one of the offerings, after all Stopping Power is only useful if you can hit with it. Hornady TAP has a low flash power in their 9mm. In a small frame it would be more of an issue.
Ferfal, I thought you might find this interesting. You said you are moving to Texas.
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- President Felipe Calderon said Wednesday that Mexico's cartels in many cases have moved beyond drugs as their main money-earner and are even trying to supplant the government in parts of the country.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/08/04/world/AP-LT-Drug-War-Mexico.html?_r=1
I bet a Colt Det.Spl. in .32NP could be rechambered for that little pill. That could be fun; just a matter of boring the cylinder a little longer.
" Anonymous said...
I bet a Colt Det.Spl. in .32NP could be rechambered for that little pill. That could be fun; just a matter of boring the cylinder a little longer.
August 8, 2010 7:03 PM"
You might as well just shoot yourself in the head. Less painful. This round generates more pressure than a 357 MAGNUM! Old revolvers that are for 32 long can't take it. Dont EVER try that.
FerFAL
I love this concept. The .327 Magnum has a lot to offer shooters. I thing a J-Frame .327 would be an awesome pocket gun as well as an excellent BUG. I can't believe Taurus doesn't offer one of their hammerless 650 or 850 guns in this caliber. Ideal for non-dedicated female shooters, the elderly or just the physically weak, this round has a lot to offer.
I bought one for my wife last year and she has no problems hitting what she aims at. She has difficulty racking the slides on the semi autos but the simple point and shoot taurus 327 is great. I have fired 32acp 32 longs 32 wadcutters 32 magnum and of course the 327 magnum the 85 grain hydra shock hollow points are more than enough to take down anything short of a bear. Very low recoil
Interesting. I've owned .32 H&R Magnums for years, they make for a handy sized ranch carry gun. I'll stick to what I have already, but this does sound like progress. A real shame these .32 high steppers don't get more attention - they work well with not as much recoil as the .357 calibered, especially in shorter barrels.
"This also means that you get one more round in small frames, 6 shots vs. 5 shots of 38 special which is also less powerful per shot."
That's about the best reason, yet all the other factors will make this one a looser. The long line of .32 mags that have come and gone point to that. This is yet another cartridge to help the industry stay in business and that is not all bad.
To say that it is significantly more powerful than a .38 +P, one could debate that. Muzzle Energy is a poor indicatory of superior stopping power. Sectional Density, bullet construction, and the larger in diameter bullet often make the winning difference. There is no good substitute, especially in the handgun dept., for a larger hole. The slower the lead moves, the more lead there should be, and the bigger it should be. If one has a bullet of time tested or known performance in a .38, I'd grab that.
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This round looks like fun to shoot. For self defense it comes down to two things: being able to shoot it well enough to hit your target and penetrating deep enough to hit something important. Everything else is secondary.
If it doesn't become popular, I wouldn't consider it. You don't want to be stuck hunting around for ammo in a little-used caliber.
Steve
"You don't want to be stuck hunting around for ammo in a little-used caliber."
On the one hand that's a good point, but on the other hand, better to have a gun that does not hurt to use, especially for those who are sensitive to recoil. Those types of people can practice with it now, use it for self-defense now, and later if they run out of ammo or can't find any, they can easily switch to a more painful caliber and already be reasonably trained to do so.
One is none, two is one.
In cases like with the recent ammo rush, not having a popular caliber might be a very big plus.
My gun dealer said it was the popular ammo types that he ran out of, he had plenty of the not-so popular calibers on hand.
Looking down rather than up, I'm guessing this is a better choice than a .22 pistol?
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