Ruger fans: 357 blackhawk or 327 single 7?

If money is a large concern, get the 32 NOW as they are only getting more pricey, the 357 will still be atainable in a year or 5.

Will the 32??

Classic .357 Blackhawk here as well!

Tough call, especially since you reload and so could feed either cheaply. I really like them both which makes it hard. Used to be I would have said .357 every time almost no matter the competition but that was when .38 ammo was silly cheap.

I think I would get the .327 in this case though. Can always fine a .357 later if you like and tons of them used out there at fair prices. Less so the .327, with a couple bags of brass you'll be set for life feeding it from mild 32 to wild .327. Plus, you get an extra round in the .327 for when the zombie rabbits come

I'd go with the 327, they are available right now. You load so once you aquire brass and a set of dies you are in for some fun shooting.
Any thing bigger you want to shoot you have your 44 magums.
38/357 will always be around to buy any time you want one.
I don't have that problem of what to buy, i have two 44mag redhawks & a Rossi 44spl, around twenty-five or so 38s & 357s, and four 327 revolvers.
For me it's a matter of what I want to take out shooting.
Most everyone I know who enjoys shooting thr revolvers enjoy the 327 over the 38/357 when they have the option.

adcoch1 said:

for a versatile belt gun, for small game hunting, camping, and range use, which would you prefer?

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I think you just described Blackhawks in .38/.357

I would think if you already enjoy reloading the .38, it would be a no-brainer......but Henry makes a .327 carbine so the .327 has combo potential.
Is .327 and both .357 legal for deer in your state? That would weigh on my decision.

adcoch1 said:

So, for a versatile belt gun, for small game hunting, camping, and range use, which would you prefer?

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Oh, I'd go with the 357 just because I think everybody should have at least one.
Seriously, I would choose the 357 for the very reason you listed first - "versatile." Especially seeing as how you're a handloader.
That said, I'm a handloader too, and I wear a little 32 H&R behind my right hip almost every day while I'm working outside, particularly on the back part of our property. Yet as soon as I run across a small 357, or even a 38 Special that I figure will be as easy to pack and dependable (and doesn't cost very much) as my old Taurus 32 H&R, I'm buying it. I figure that 32 H&R would probably be adequate for self-defense if it's loaded hot enough with 98 or 100 grain hollowpoints, but if it came to that, I'd rather have medium loaded (about 900fps) 170 to 180 grain SWCs in a 357 Magnum.
I also think a 38 Special or 357 Magnum would work better than a 327 with snake-shot too. I don't use snake-shot myself, but it seems like a 35 caliber would hold more of it than a 32 caliber.

Hondo 60 said:

I have both ...
GP100 is a blue 3" from the 70s
And a recent vintage 3.75" Single Seven

I like both

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The GP-100 came out in 1985 there Hondo.

If you ever want to shoot cowboy action (and you should), the Blackhawk is legal whereas the seven shot Single Seven is not.

I personally don’t care for the standard .357 Blackhawk. Same cylinder frame as the Super Blackhawk makes it seem oversized. I’d look for one of the New Model Flattops.

silvermane_1 said:

The GP-100 came out in 1985 there Hondo.

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Hmmm - I thought it was older than what it is.
Oh well, doesn't matter to me.
I like it.

Called Ruger Mfg date = 2002

Hondo 60 said:

Hmmm - I thought it was older than what it is.
Oh well, doesn't matter to me.
I like it.

Called Ruger Mfg date = 2002

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Cool a 2002 GP-100, now i was almost going to post: "are you sure you are't confusing a Sec./Spd./Pol.-Six with a GP-100", because a member on another forum posted that they had a '76 "Liberty" GP-100.

adcoch1 said:

Good point, the super blackhawk is a tank, I have one in 44 mag. I was thinking more along the lines of the flattop 357...

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Ruger made a 50th Anniversary .357 Blackhawk that is a nice revolver. I’ve seen nice used models in the $400 range. All of those are blued with the 4.6” barrel. Now there is a distributor exclusive .357 Flattop with more choices of finish and tube length. The ones I have seen were all .357/9mm convertibles.

Everyone should own at least one .357 revolver. If you don’t have one already, get that base covered before branching out.

I'm a fan of .327, but not Ruger making them. I'm led to believe they make all their .327 cylinder throats big, .314 inches, so any moderate to hot loaded lead bullets will lead the bore, meaning if you cast or like cheap lead bullets, you're stuck with .32 S&W Long power levels when shooting them.

I do think single action is the best platform for the .327 in something larger/heavier than an LCR and there's the possibility that maybe in the Single Seven the throats are properly sized for lead bullets given it's more for wilderness work than self defense, which means jacketed hollow points aren't the go to bullet. IDK for sure, I just believe Ruger runs all their .327's to .314 throat diameter.

If you do get the .357 Blackhawk, don't bother with the 9mm combo cylinder. If you really want a .357/9mm convertible revolver, go with the DA/SA Taurus 692 that holds 7 rds and costs under $500. Like others, I think the .357 in the Blackhawk is a bit silly, .45 Colt is perfect in that gun.

I guess if all you plan to shoot is jacketed bullets, then I'd go with the Single Seven. Can still shoot low power lead bullets, but they're not gonna be as accurate as they would be out of an older .32 Mag revolver or a S&W or Colt .32 Long revolver from many decades ago, but personally I can't justify the price on those older .32 S&W Long revolvers as they're low power and are stuck with fixed sights of the period that are just not as good as modern sights are.

All in all, the .32 is a fine cartridge, but it's just woefully unsupported by both ammo and bullet manufacturers and firearm manufacturers.

newfalguy101 said:

If money is a large concern, get the 32 NOW as they are only getting more pricey, the 357 will still be atainable in a year or 5.

Will the 32??

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If Charter keeps making more .32 Mag revolvers and either S&W or Taurus jump in and start making .32's, yes. I think the current problem is no competition for Ruger, they're the king of .32/.327 mag right now in the revolver market. Charter's new 7 shot "Professional" may make a big splash in the market given the price and low weight for a 7 shot revolver.

Since OP is clearly interested in SA's and Ruger is the only one making a SA .32 revolver, it's not a bad idea to grab one. I can't guarantee they'll keep making the Single Seven in the future. The LCR and SP101? Yeah, the .327 is safe in those.

I would go with 357 because of variety of ammo.

357 all day long due to ease of reloading and plentiful brass.