Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Why would you want a concealed carry revolver chambered in 327 Federal Magnum when there are plenty of EDC revolvers chambered in the old standbys, 38 Special and 357 Magnum? The answer comes down to versatility, capacity, terminal performance, and availability. Did I mention less felt recoil?
Table of contents
327 Federal Magnum Versatility
Let’s talk about versatility. The 327 Fed Mag allows you to shoot a variety of loads, from 32 S&W Long and .32 H&R Magnum (remember that round?) to 327 Fed Mag. The .32 round followed the same path as other revolver calibers as power was needed. The 38 Special was created by lengthening the 38 Long Colt case and stuffing more powder into it. The 38 Special was lengthened and stuffed with even more powder to create the 357 Magnum. You see case length does matter when it comes to power. The 327 Federal Magnum followed a similar route.
32 Caliber Food Chain
The 32 S&W Long provided the starting point for the 32 H&R Magnum which was introduced in 1984 when Harrington & Richardson (H&R) partnered with Federal. They lengthened the 32 S&W Long case, stuffed more powder into it then christened it the 32 H&R Magnum. This caliber offers low recoil with energy levels similar to a 38 Special. The 32 caliber power party really didn’t start rolling until 2008 when Federal increased the case length another 1/8th of an inch and debuted the 327 Federal Magnum touting similar ballistics as the 357 Magnum.
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More Round Capacity With The 327 Federal Magnum
This is where the rubber meets the road so to speak. The 327 Fed Mag is for lightweight, compact revolvers, and due to the diameter of 32-caliber bullets, these revolvers can hold 6 rounds compared to 5 rounds in 38 Special or 357 Magnum. More capacity in the same size revolver is a good thing. So by now, you’re thinking what’s the trade-off?
How Powerful Is The 327 Fed Mag?
The 327 Fed Mag fired from short barrel revolvers offers excellent ballistics. I’ve used the load in snub-nose wheelguns and have a Ruger SP101 with a 3-inch barrel chambered in 327 Fed Mag. The SP101 series are stoutly built revolvers in 327 Fed Mag holds 6 rounds in lieu of 5 rounds in 38 Special and 357 Magnum. One of the reasons the 327 Federal Magnum can ecplice the 38 Special +p and offer similar ballistics as the 357 Magnum is the fact the 327 is loaded to a very high pressure, 45,000 psi. The 357 Magnum is loaded to 35,000 psi.
327 Fed Mag vs 38 Special +P
Take, for instance, Hornady Critical Defense 38 Special +P loaded with a 110-grain FTX bullet. This load has a velocity of about 957 fps and 224 ft-lb. of energy. Compare that to Federal American Eagle 327 Federal Magnum rounds loaded with a 100-grain SP bullet. This has a muzzle velocity of 1,435 fps and 451 ft-lb of energy. That’s 478 fps more speed and 227 ft-lb more energy. Data doesn’t lie. Terminal performance with the 327 Fed Mag approaches 357 Magnum territory, especially depending on the bullet weight coming out of the 357 Magnum.
327 Fed Mag vs 357 Magnum
Let’s compare defense load data between the 357 Magnum and the 327 Federal Magnum. Federal Personal Defense loaded with a 158-grain Hydra-Shok bullet has a velocity of 1,240 fps and 539 ft-lbs of energy in 357 Magnum. Federal’s Personal Defense 104-grain HST bullet load in 327 Federal Magnum has a muzzle speed of 1,500 fps and 520 ft-lb. That’s a bit less than the 357 Magnum but darn close. Penetration with the 327 Federal Magnum in 10-percent gelatin ranges from 14 to 16 inches and bullets like Federal Hydra-Shok JHP and Speer Gold Dot offer excellent expansion.
The 327 Federal Magnum does it with less felt recoil. If you have ever fired a S&W J-frame in 357 Magnum, you know the type of stinging recoil it produces. I’m not saying the 327 Federal Magnum is a soft shooter. It does put a lot less hurt in our hand than a 357 Magnum.
327 Federal Magnum Ammo Availability
Federal offers the 327 in a variety of personal defense loads and hunting loads. Smaller niche ammo manufacturers like Buffalo Bore offer hopped-up velocity and heavier bullets like a 130-grain Hard Cast Keith style bullet that’s loaded for bear. Underwood loads a 95-grain Lehigh Xtreme Defense bullet that rockets out of the barrel at 1,500 fps. The 100-grain Gold Dot from Speer screams out of the barrel at 1,600 fps.
The 327 Federal Magnum also makes a nice option for deer-sized game. Federal loads a 127-grain bonded hollow point bullet that generated 1,650 fps out of a 20-inch barrel. It is a straight-wall cartridge so is legal in in Ohio, Indiana, southern Michigan, and other areas with similar hunting regulations.
Guns Chambered In 327 Federal Magnum
Small, compact lightweight revolvers like the Ruger LCR and LCRx are a near-perfect paring with the 327 caliber offering a lightweight, easy-to-conceal weapon with a 6-round capacity. The heavier SP101 by Ruger is also an excellent choice in 327 Fed Mag. Ruger also chambered their larger frame GP100 and stuff 7 rounds into the cylinder. Ruger’s single-action Single Seven series is also offered in the caliber. Taurus also offers the caliber in 2-inch barrel Model 327. The newer Taurus 327 Defender TORO features a Holosun red dot optic to make the 327 round even more surgical.
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There is only one rifle manufacturer currently making long guns in 327 Federal Magnum and it is a good one. Henry offers their Big Boy lever action rifles in the caliber. It is never a bad idea to have a revolver and rifle share the same ammo.
Why The 327 Federal Magnum?
The popularity of the 38 Special and 357 Magnum will always overshadow the 327 Federal Magnum, and that’s ok. The 327 Federal Magnum fills a space in defense and hunting calibers where serious velocity and energy is balanced with less recoil and the versatility to fire a lot of other 32-caliber cartridges.
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When I bought my SP101 in 327 Fed, the gun-shop owner tried to talk me out of it. Over the years he and I did a lot of business, so he’d become a friend. He stated, “There’s nothing the .327 Fed can do that a .38 cal can’t. ” But I’d been hooked on the .32 years before, in both revolver and rifle applications. I told him I didn’t need it for a defense gun, but that I’d be very comfortable relying on it for that application. However, Henry Rifles had just come out with a Big Boy in .327 Fed. Which, depending on loads will work for cottontails, using .32 longs (which feels like shooting rim-fire,) or whitetails, using full .327 loads, without causing a lot of meat loss at harvest time. But most of all, it’s so easy shooting, and versatile, from .32 S&W Long, H&R .32 mag, and .327 Fed. The only downside is that it is not all that popular a caliber so ammo and even just components tend to be hard to come by. At any rate I love my .327 rifle/wheel-gun combo and won’t be letting go any time soon.
We need 327 pistols as well! They could replace the 9 mm with more power and # of bullets in the pistol!
There is no Caliper that is as Versatle. In a Good wheel gun its the perfect woods gun.You can run the power from a 22 to 38 +p in a revolver.As i get older ,I realize a magnum is not required for everything. I have a Henry lever action,Big Boy,I am going to try deer hunting with.With the proper bullet and placement ,it should work good. The old 32-20 at one time was used for everything. This cartridge is way more Versatle,with all the ammo it can shoot.
To the OP… Case length isn’t just to hold more powder. When the .357mag was made (for hunting) they actually used case length to limit what gun the higher pressure bullet would chamber in for safety reasons as .38’s weren’t up to the task.
Differences in powder shape and burn rates can make up for case size. I.e. one load of star shaped h110 fills a .357mag case and burns slow enough to require a rifle barrel for good results but oh boy! 2000fps 900+ftlbs me w/125gr xtp in an 1894c without pressure issues, where as the same round using faster burning Unique(flake) to reach the same pressure in a shorter barrel but leaves lots of room. –I ink the bases to keep them sorted. The muzzle flash when firing the rifle round in a ported Taurus 627 tracker at sunset is glorious! –but I digress.
I’ve got a birdhead grip Ruger single six in 32hrm I’m rather fond of. It’s the only one in my collection my wife likes so it’s “her” gun. Last time I loaded bullets for it I calculated a box cost about 4-5$ using hand cast lead and primers from a large stock bought before they got hard to find(about 3$ a hundred back then). As for defensive “power”, sure as heck wouldn’t want to be in front of it, even with 32longs which shoot like .22lr and are super fun plinkers but hot 32hrm’s pack plenty of kick. Sure it won’t break cap blocks like the larger magnums, or spray noisy death all over the place like a big semi-auto but the idea that it’s useless for defense is just silly. The Italian police used much less for decades(bella beretta!) and they had the freakin mob to deal with!
I do agree that the 327fm was pretty much machismo sell for carry though. Not enough rounds for a war, too heavy for stealth or comfort.
Remember kids… The first job of any firearm should be to keep the peace.
The idea of the 327 mag is interesting. Even up to the 1950’s – 1960’s, many felt that the 32 ACP was sufficient as a self-defensive round (i.e. – James Bond’s PPK). Now, with modern bullet tech. terminal performance is greatly improved. As a “senior shooter”, the thought of a 3″ “J” frame in 327 mag is appealing. The 3″ model 60 in 357 is too much gun recoil wise, so mostly I use 38 spl +P loads. Likewise, for senior shooters. the “air weight” “J” frame revolvers are hard to handle, even in 38 spl. Is the 327 mag a viable option? IF there were revolvers/ammo designed for CCW, similar to the 3″ S&W model 60, I would say yes. Note that the RUGER 327 mag handguns are as widespread as unicorns! As to a truck/farm rifle, a modern lever action carbine has possibilities. It has been less than 100 years ago that the 32/20 was a popular rifle/handgun combo, for varmint control. (Now the 32 H&R also helps fill that role.)
Frank, the whole idea is to get 1 more round in the same size gun as your 38 (more powerful rounds than 38 plus P, too). You get six instead of five. And to the gentleman that wants it in a semi-auto pistol: Somebody did almost that. The new 30 Super Carry caliber is very similar to the 327. Again, the idea is to get more rounds into the same size gun, and in this case, more powerful than the 9mm it would replace. The 30 Super Carry is a rimless cartridge with the same diameter bullet (.312″) as the 327 with similar bullet weights. More rounds, more power. That’s why.
Stay safe. j
‘mostly’ positive comments regarding the cartridge and the revolvers chambered for it. I happen to have the SP101 and it is a ‘mild’ shooter especially compared to a similar sized revolver in .357. For those who were less than positive, have ya ever shot the cartridge?
BTW, ‘rumor’ has it that once upon a time Mossberg also offered a lever gun in .327 but I have had the same results in finding one of them as finding the Henry. As per the Henry contact info they only do a single run of them every year and those get gobbled up real fast. If anyone has one laying around collecting dust perhaps we can make a deal.
Great article. I purchased the Taurus snubby several years ago. I picked up some ammo, brass, bullets and reloading dies, too. I love that caliber. I got discouraged, though, because that all-steel model is significantly heavier than my Ruger LCR or my Smith Airweight in .38spl and .357 respectively. After reading this article, I decided to “save up” some coin and purchase a LCR in .327FM. A side note: I know, in theory, that a heavier gun has less perceived recoil. However, it has been my experience with polymer framed pistols and revolvers, that the “flex” of that polymer frame greatly reduces the sting of recoil. Don’t be afraid of a lightweight revolver if it has a polymer frame. Stay safe. j
This is just nonsense, at no point do you ever explain WHY? Oh, sure there’s lots of excellent technical information about the How, but there is Never a simple WHY! What’s the purpose, are we dealing with civilian usage, or actual combat situation? Why is this needed, for what purpose? I get the technical aspects, I just don’t see how it makes sense without understanding the purpose, the actual Why?
.
WHY?
Because there are good reasons to carry a revolver chambered in .357 as well as the downsides to consider.
Very few calibers in which revolvers are chambered are capable of stopping a two-legged threat with one shot. The problem is that fewer are people capable of shooting them accurately because of the recoil they produce. The .357 Magnum and higher calibers like the .44 Special and .44 Magnums are some of those rounds. The .327 Magnum is another one. The other downside of revolvers chambered in these rounds that are small enough to carry are limited to a maximum of 5 rounds.
WHY carry a .327 Magnum revolver?
Because it addresses both issues: six rounds can be carried in a .327 Magnum revolver that is the same size or smaller than a .357 Magnum revolver. Plus, their terminal ballistics are similar to the .357 Magnum but with less felt recoil. A .327 Magnum revolver can also shoot lower power cartridges like .32 H&R Magnum, the .32 S&W Long and the .32S&W which are perfect for target practice and a lot easier on your hand and wallet.
You obviously didn’t read the article. On several occasions the author emphasized the “why”. The 327 Fed Mag gives you one more round than a 38 spc or 357 mag in a similar sized gun, with ballistics almost nearly as powerful as the 357 mag. That one extra and very powerful bullet might just save your life.
Another obscure cartridge that has limited availability and limited customer base. Once in the last five years did I have a customer come in asking for .327 federal ammo, I tried not to laugh, seeing his frustration I attempted to find some online for him. At the time there was none available anywhere. I sold him into a 9mm subcombact, and he’s been back to visit, seems much happier.
I don’t know why fudd lore persist in 2024. Handgun stopping power has long been proven a myth, subsequently cartridges other than 9mm are dying in popularity. Being a long standing .40sw/10mm guy it was hard for me to accept, but there really is such limit purpose for any other handgun cartridge than 9mm. Other than maybe shooting game animals with dense tissue where penetration can be an issue.
Revolvers in general, other than states where prohibited, they are a novelty to carry. The myth of their superior reliability… After a couple years of running wheel gun in uspsa and idpa… its a joke when someone still thinks that. I get it though, I love a wheel gun too!
The truth is the truth, no matter how many articles, or anecdotal experiences are presented. Tissue is elastic, and ballistic gel does not represent it by any comparison. The difference in wound cavity between any handgun, 9mm, 10mm, 45acp, 357mag, of any velocity, and any hot loaded output, in tissue, is irrelevant to its actual effect. Shot placement and capacity are significantly more important to probability of surviving a gun fight by stopping a threat, than bullet diameter and energy. It takes a substantial increase beyond what a handgun can produce to go beyond the elastic threashold of tissue. That requires a rifle, and thats a completely different type of wound.
Concluding, the .327federal, along with the 32sw and sw long, etc, are cartridges which should fade into obscurity and serve no real practical purpose.
Your welcome for your free lesson in terminal ballistics from an organic source, not a bot….
-Gunsmithlee
I wish someone would make a semi-auto in this cartridge, as well as a lever action rifle.
And don’t say it’s not worth making a semi-auto. They make me try for the .380. And a lever action in the .327 magnum would be a fun little gun to shoot!
The .327 magnum is a rimmed cartridge like the .357 mag, .45 Colt, .44 mag, etc so it’s really difficult to get them to work reliably in a semi auto. The .380acp works in semi autos because it’s a rimless cartridge.
It’s possible to build semi autos that fire rimmed cartridges but reliability would always be an issue and the cost would likely be much higher than most people would want to pay.
Ahh, that’s right. I forgot it’s rimmed. But to be honest, when I first thought and said what I did, I was thinking, was like and was gonna say, they made a semi-auto using the .38super. But then I remembered that is semi-rimmed? And that should have reminded be the .327 was rimmed. But it didn’t. Doh!
Henry makes lever actions for this cartridge;
I own one;
The 30 Super Carry is a semi-auto – newer cartridge, but also has very high pressure, 50,000 PSI;
327 Federal Magnum is 45,000 PSI;
Both are same caliber, but different cartridges;
I think the 327FM has more powder and more energy; Slightly heavier bullets;
How about a nice wood stocked bolt gun & L or K frame S&W at a reasonable price? It is inexpensive to load & fun to shoot in Ruger gp100 single seven & Taurus 327. Taurus is a pain getting the trigger useable & who wants to pay the price of a smaller Ruger when I already overpaid for a gp100. This round will be great for the varmints of the corn in Nebraska home of the plus size welfare single moms of low morals.
I can get six rounds of .357 in an S&W. Why on earth would I want to use a .32 caliber round instead?
This is some marketing ploy put out to lure the witless. Again.
One of the most worthless calibers ever invented. Good for nothing.
Well at least BD likes the .45 ACP.
To each their own, suits me perfectly, big fan.
DON’T try using this in OHIO for deer hunting! Page 9 of the 2024-2025 OHIO Hunting and Trapping Regulations is VERY specific that the straight wall cartridges that are legal MUST BE minimum .357 in diameter or greater. Only exception listed is .350 Legend.
I have a Ruger LCRX in .327 magnum, it replaced my SP101 in the same caliber. The SP was a beast to shoot with full power loads, but the LCRX, because of the grip design, is a gem, NO PAIN!
Most people have long forgotten the .32 S&W short, but as a reloader, that round is also an option for the .327 chamber as a plinking and small game load (if you reload). For reloaders and the cost of powder now, the .32’s make a lot of sense, using much less powder for the same performance.
My biggest gripe is finding firearms chambered for the round. You go into a gun store and ask about it and usually all you get is a blank look or “do you mean 357?”.
BTW, I’ve also fired 32acp out of my LCRX with no problems extracting that semi rimmed round, however, a friend with an LCR can’t. The 32acp rattles around in the chamber and the extractor won’t engage the rim.
Also .32 S&W and .32 ACP and maybe the Colts too, although the short Colt (or Webley) may not have enough rim….and both Colt cases will possibly expand considerably……or perhaps split….and the ACP loses quite a bit of velocity based on my experience, but anyway the bottom line is at a minimum, every 327 Federal revolver is good for at least those five calibers. Which is pretty cool on it’s own. Finally the Blackhawk (single action though), has an eight round cylinder, but they were not mass produced, and they are quite spendy these days. Cool article, I am totally a .32 fan boy.
Good article. Good review. I agree that the 327 Federal is often overlooked – and it shouldn’t be because it has so much to offer. Personally, I think that most ladies and all newcomers to shooting should start with the 327 federal. It can use the 32 S&W short (pipsqueak learning to shoot round), it can use the 32 S&W long (great for developing accuracy), it can use the 32 H&R mag (decent EDC in its own right), and when ready, it can use the 327 Federal which closely approaches the 357 mag performance levels and it does this with less subjective recoil and muzzle rise.
Yes, ammo can be hard to find, and it’s expensive, but as with all things commercial the more people who buy it the better availability and price becomes. What’s not to like?
I’ve been carrying the Ruger LCR in .327 Federal Magnum for several years now and have been very pleased with the round. Double Tap makes a great 120 grain hard cast lead round in .32 H&R Magnum that hits pretty decent and doesn’t have nearly as much muzzle blast as the .327 Federal round. Thanks Robert, for an excellent article.
The Kimber K6s .357 revolver series is about the same size and weight as the SP-101, with the same capacity. However, the LCR drops easily into a pocket without all the weight.
Ballistics do not lie I agree. It is an exact science. However comparisons of ballistics can be very misleading if there are any variables. Variables such as barrel length. You didn’t refer to the barrel length of each handgun in your comparison. I would be interesting to have had that information. No overly critical of this report which I found to be excellent.
I assumed the comparison to be of equal barrel lengths.
I like the round but unless you’re a handloader, the .327 is economically challenging. The ammo is difficult to find on store shelves and compared to 9mm and 38 +P, it’s very expensive per round.