.327 Federal Magnum

The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge introduced by Sturm, Ruger and Federal Cartridge, intended to provide the power of a .357 Magnum in six shot, compact revolvers, whose cylinders only hold 5 rounds of the larger .357 Magnum cartridge. The .327 Federal Magnum is actually a super magnum having replaced the .32 H&R Magnum as the pinnacle of the cartridge diameter.

In the April 2008 issue of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine, Field Editor Bryce Towsley summed up his review of the cartridge as follows: "The .327 offers more 'real-world' energy than the .357 Mag., (at least in my test), better penetration and one more shot per gun load. It does all this with substantially less recoil and noticeably less muzzle blast than the .357 Mag." The cartridge ultimately won the NRA Publications's prestigious Golden Bullseye Award for "Ammo of the Year" (2009).

Development
The .327 Federal Magnum is an attempt to improve on the .32 H&R Magnum, introduced in 1984, a round which failed to attract shooters or manufacturers. This is the third updated version of the original .32 S&W cartridge, which dates back to 1878. The original was a black powder cartridge with a case length of 0.61 in. (15 mm), which developed a velocity of around 700 ft/s (215 m/s). The first improvement of the round came in 1896 with the introduction of the .32 S&W Long, which had a case length of 0.920 in (23.4 mm) and generated slightly higher velocities. The introduction of the .32 H&R Magnum nearly a century later increased the case length to 1.075 in (27.3 mm) and pushed the pressure up from the very low 15,000 psi to 21,000 psi CUP, which is similar to .38 Special +P. This gave velocities of over 1200 ft/s, a respectable increase, but was not enough to garner any great interest in the cartridge.

Based on the .32 H&R Magnum, stretched and loaded to a higher pressure of 45,000 psi (note that standard pressure .44 Magnum is 36,000psi), the .327 (actual bullet diameter .312 in, or 7.92 mm) achieves velocities up to 1400 ft/s with 100 gr bullets (420 m/s and 6.5 g), and up to 1300 ft/s with 115 gr bullets (390 m/s and 7.5 g), from the 3 1/16" (78 mm) barreled Ruger SP-101 revolver. The small framed Ruger SP-101 chambered in the .327 Federal Magnum was released in January 2008.  Currently, most of the factory loads on the market are designed for self-defense in short barrels, but with a load pressure of a 45,000 psi, velocities can be expected to increase with heavier, hotter loads designed for hunting.

While the .32 H&R Magnum is a near equivalent to the .38 Special +P, the .327 Federal Magnum reaches the velocity levels of the .357 Magnum, if not the same power, with velocities of up to 1400 ft/s (420 m/s) from the short-barreled Ruger SP-101. The case is 1/8" (3 mm) longer than the .32 H&R, and the pressure, at 45000 psi, exceeds that of the .357 Magnum. Since the .327 still shares all case dimensions, excluding length, with the other .32 caliber cartridges going back to the .32 S&W, revolvers chambered for it can safely chamber and fire the other three cartridges for lower cost and lower recoil practice.

Recoil is substantially more than the .32 H&R mag, but less than the .357 mag., in a snub-nosed revolver. Comparing the two calibers, Chuck Hawks says, "There is no doubt that, for most shooters, the .357 Mag. produces uncomfortable recoil and muzzle blast. ATK recoil figures for the .327 Mag. show free recoil energies of 3.08 ft·lbf. for the 85 grain JHP factory load, 5.62 ft·lbf for the 115 grain JHP load and 5.58 ft·lbf for the 100 grain SP load. For comparison, ATK figures are 1.46 ft·lbf for the 85 grain .32 H&R Mag. load and 7.22 ft·lbf for the 125 grain .357 Mag. load."

Firearms chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum
Ruger, and Smith & Wesson are the major gun manufacturers producing small frame six-shot .327 revolvers. Charter Arms, Taurus and Freedom Arms offered revolvers chambered in .327 Federal Magnum until 2012. Freedom Arms made a single action as did U.S. Fire Arms with the 8-shot Sparrowhawk. In addition, Ruger offers a 7-shot version of their GP100, but has discontinued an 8-shot New Model Blackhawk, each in .327 FM. Ruger claims the 100 gr. American Eagle load develops 1,525 fps from the 4.20" barreled GP100 and 1,655 fps muzzle velocity from the 5½" barreled Blackhawk.The velocities go up dramatically with longer barrel lengths. Using 14gr of AA#9 with a 113gr cast performance lead flat nose bullets will generate 1,617 fps and 656 foot lbs at muzzle through a 4.25 inch freedom arms model 97. Firearms author Chuck Hawks suggests that lever action carbines in .327 mag. would make "excellent, fun to shoot centerfire rifles for hunting javelina, jackrabbit and coyote" and that revolvers with 6" to 8" barrels and adjustable sights "would be excellent hunting handguns for varmints and small predators, as well as offering flat shooting protection from two-legged predators in the field."

Similar cartridges
The .327 Federal provides performance similar to the high velocity rifle loadings of the old .32-20 Winchester, though in much shorter barrel. Similar to the +P cartridges of today, the rifle loadings of these old cartridges were loaded to higher pressures than standard; they were discontinued because they could destroy .32-20 revolvers if fired in them. The .32-20, while long considered obsolete, has lived on in the sport of handgun metallic silhouette shooting, with handloaded rounds from single shot pistols like the Thompson Center Arms Contender far exceeding standard ballistics, and with the growing popularity of Cowboy action shooting, .32-20 lever action rifles are again being made. If chambered in a suitably modified .32-20 rifle, the .327 Federal should provide a significant boost over the .32-20.

Another close comparison is the .30 Carbine, which has been offered in Ruger's single action Blackhawk revolver line since 1968. The .30 Carbine was essentially the same ballistically as the .32 Winchester Self Loading, which was itself basically a rimless .32-20. The .327 Federal works at even higher pressure than the .30 Carbine (45,000 vs. 40,000 psi). The long, 7½ inch (19 cm) barrel of the .30 Carbine Blackhawk, with suitable loads for a handgun, offers performance levels with similar bullet weights in excess of the factory loaded .327 Federal, along with excellent accuracy. Those who favor the .30 Carbine in a revolver do so due to the excellent accuracy, flat trajectory, and low recoil, all of which the .327 Federal also provides. Revolvers chambered for the .327 Federal can also safely fire .32S&W, .32S&W Long, .32H&R Magnum and the semi-rimmed .32ACP. Both custom gunsmiths working with Ruger small frame single action Single Six and commercial maker Freedom Arms began offering conversions to convert .32 H&R revolvers to .327 Federal by early 2008. Test results from the long barreled guns showed even higher velocities than the .30 Carbine, along with excellent accuracy. It is quite possible the .327 Federal will be offered in a lever action carbine, though no specific models have been publicly announced.

Media reviews
In April 2008, Guns & Ammo magazine's Patrick Sweeney reviewed the Ruger SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum and had this to say:

Sweeney continues:

Shooting Times magazine's Dick Metcalf had this to say about the .327 Mag. in the Ruger SP101 revolver (weight: 28 oz):

In the Jan-Feb 2009 issue of American Handgunner magazine, John Taffin reviewed the .327 Federal Magnum in a Charter Arms Patriot revolver (6-shot, 2.2" barrel):