I’ve got a 2in bbl Taurus snubby in .357Mag.
Yes, it is a bit, umm, spritely in the hand when fired. And also yes, the fireball is magnificent.
So now Federal has come out with a .327Mag cartridge to kind of fill in the gap between .38Special +P and .357Mag in compact revolvers. I didn’t know there actually was a gap, myself.
Either way, take a read at the numbers and see what you think.
The new .327 Federal Magnum offers muzzle energy twice that of .38 Special +P loads, and velocities comparable to a 125-grain .357 Magnum, with 20 percent less recoil in its hottest version. Designed specifically for use in lightweight small-frame revolvers, the .327 Federal Magnum allows a six-round cylinder compared to five-round capacity for similar-sized .38 Special and .357 Magnum guns, with the added benefit of chambering .32 S&W, .32 Special, and .32 H&R Magnum loads as well.
Based on a higher-pressure loading in a 1/8-inch longer .32 H&R case, the .327 Federal Magnum will initially be available in three versions: a Federal Premium 85-grain Hydra-Shok Low Recoil Personal Defense loading, an American Eagle 100-grain Jacketed Soft Point, and a Speer 115-grain Gold Dot.
From a 3 1/16-inch revolver, the 100-grain Soft Point .327 Magnum load develops 100 fps more velocity than a 125-grain .357 Magnum from a four-inch revolver, and delivers only 35 ft/lbs less energy. The recoil of the .327 Magnum 85-grain Personal Defense load is less than half the recoil of a 125-grain .357 Magnum.
Subjected to the standard FBI protocol tests for effectiveness through barriers, the 115-grain .327 Magnum load reaches 15 inches in bare gelatin, 16 inches through heavy clothing, 16 inches through plywood, 14.5 inches through wallboard, 13 inches through auto glass, and 20 inches through single-layer vehicle body steel–all with substantial bullet upset ranging from .40 caliber (steel) to .60 caliber (auto glass).
Ruger will be offering the initial pistol in a SP101 model. Here is a pic
So, what thinketh you?
Hmmmm….Doesn’t turn me on, bro. This is car marketing applied to guns. It’s a “FPS” race, similar to a horsepower race.
The .38 Special can be tuned for stopping power AND recoil management, and if you do it in .357 hulls, you have HUGE versatility (can use a 250-grain bullet). If you want screaming FPS, get some Cor-Bon 110-gr JHP +P+ screamers
If you want to go the small-bullet route, get a Russian TT-33 for about half the money…
I have an NAA Guardian in .32NAA, a wildcat bottlenose round made by necking a .380 down to .32. It’s plenty hot, and I get 7 rounds in the little Guardian. Can’t hit shit with it, it’s a belly gun only, but it spits out the .32 pills at damn near 1300 FPS and 200 #/’ of muzzle energy.
They’re making hotter loads for the .32 H&R Mag now, too, and there are plenty of guns in circulation already for that load, including a Ruger SP101.
Minus side for all these .32-shooters: no companion leverguns made, except a very few for the .32 maggy, and they are hard to find.
Too soon to jump, bro. Experiment with some reduced loadings for the .357, but snubbies are for defense anyway, so why do you care if they bite for 5 or 6 rounds?
Sell your XYL on the idea of a snubby by letting her shoot wadcutters at the range to get familiar, then have her practice just a few rounds with some +P and carry that for defense.
The best defense load I ever saw for the .357 was a double-wadcutter loading. TWO wadcutters per hull, and at about 850 FPS, print within 3″ of each other at 25 feet. If you’re worried about over-denim clad gangbangers, load some hotter +P stuff with 130-grain FMJ ball, which will also get the job done through a car door. Standard military M41 ball is not a bad round, and it’s usually on sale as Win White Box. It was designed for the S&W Model 10 snubby, and will perform well in any short-barreled revolver chambered for .38 Special.
If you stick with .38 and .357, you have the choice of all those fine lever carbines that shoot the round, also.
Seems like they created a gap so they could fill it themselves.
Methinketh it’s pretty nifty. I would make an excellent nightstand piece.
Something new in the revolver department doesn’t come along very often, and recently, it’s been a “bigger and better” mantra being touted.
This is definitely going in the opposite direction, methinks. Not that it’s a bad thing, but revolver guys tend to do that “go big or go home” sort of thing.
Nice idea for carry and I’m sure the clothing-on-body tests will prove interesting, nonetheless.
Riverdog makes some excellent points as far as reloaders and aficionados are concerned, but I think there might be a market for this in the general “I only want a gun for self-defense” public.
True enough that, for self defense, one should be able to endure the heavy recoil of a .357 snubby for 5 or 6 rounds, but in my experience, people who don’t shoot all that much…just enough to maintain proficiency…flinching is a huge concern when working with a firearm with lots of recoil or muzzle flip. You may only have the opportunity to put 5 or 6 rounds downrange in a self-defense situation if you can’t hit a damn thing with it…you may not be alive long enough for a reload.
I don’t think I’d be interested in it as a primary self defense weapon, but as a BUG, it sounds interesting…and I think there may be a market out there for people who want a revolver, would like something hotter than .38+p but can’t handle .357 mag in a snubby. In other words, I don’t think it will take the shooting world by storm, but it wouldn’t surprise me if there’s a sustainable market for it out there.
I want three.
I expect it will turn out like the 9mm Federal – ballistically interesting, but not marketable.
Merle
I thought I was reading a typo at first – a 327 cartridge?
The biggest advantage will be the +1 holes in the cylinder vs a 38SPL.
The biggest problem will be getting local sporting good stores and gun stores to stock the ammo. Already hard to find many obsolete cartridges around here – like 303 Brit or 7.62×54 – and even standard calibers are in short supply with a premium price. So will this have better ammo supply than say, 17HMR? Doubt it.
Will the 327 cartridge fit in a 357 hole snug enough to fire? Could be a problem.
The great thing about the 327 is the ability to shoot
32, 32 longs 32 hr,and 327 with some horsepower.It can be great for someone who doesnt reload.It would make an excellant companion on a trapline. every 32
that ive owned have been very accurate.From walther
32acp to 32 hr S$W.If you reload the lead bullet
can be amazing and very economical.