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?
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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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