.327 Federal Magnum...RIP?

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Shivahasagun

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2021
Messages
916
"That cartridge is dead" is an over-used phrase.

But when you can't find it using a search engine, and nobody even seems to make BRASS for it, isn't it time to say it's effectively "dead"?

My wife & I enjoy our Ruger LCR's in .327. I've loaded both .32 Long and .32 magnum for them and will continue to do so. But it seems to me .327 Fed is about as dead as can be.

We can buy new .300 Savage ammo and brass, but not .327 Fed. I think we can call it "dead".
 
These days I would not use brass availability as an indicator of much. Quick glance at Starline shows 327 and about 15% of what they make not open for backorder now. Took me almost a year to get some 357Max from them, but I got it.

327 isn't setting sales records but I don't see it going away. Sure wont for me with the brass I have on hand, likely covered for the rest of my life.
 
Shivahasagun said:
"That cartridge is dead" is an over-used phrase.

But when you can't find it using a search engine, and nobody even seems to make BRASS for it, isn't it time to say it's effectively "dead"?

My wife & I enjoy our Ruger LCR's in .327. I've loaded both .32 Long and .32 magnum for them and will continue to do so. But it seems to me .327 Fed is about as dead as can be.

We can buy new .300 Savage ammo and brass, but not .327 Fed. I think we can call it "dead".
Click to expand...
Starline has the brass. The ammo is in the same boat as lots of straightwall revolver stuff. I love the round myself, and a gun in that caliber lets you shoot 4 different cailbers. It's a scary dam tack driver in a repeater too. The biggest indicator that it ain't dead is that guns in that caliber blow out the door as fast as they come into stock. I've been trying to buy a SP101 in it for 2 years now. I love the hammer LCR's too, and they aren't easy to find.

300 Savage is only available because there are only 4 people left in the world shooting it, so it sits on the shelf for a long time when everything else dries up;-)
 
Last edited:
Skgreen said:
The 30 Super Carry didn't quite catch on,,,
Click to expand...
I'm not sure how much of that is: They chose the worst possible time in history to introduce a new round, combined with a terrible selection of guns chambered in it, compared to the real performance of factory ammo compared to the hyped expectations. It may very well still have a chance...but unless it shows up in a 6 or 7 round single stack in the same weight and dimension of a Keltec 380 or .32, it does absolutely nothing for me.
 
Skgreen said:
The 30 Super Carry didn't quite catch on,,,
Click to expand...
But if it makes a cameo in the next Wick movie, blasting baddies into the multiverse, it will take off like a rocket named Raccoon … or something.
Besides, carrying 6 rounds of .327 FM will save you from a rampaging hoard of drugged up biker Ninjas while carrying 5 rounds of .38 Spl in the same gun if you have to face down an angry granny is practically suicidal.
 
If it’s not dead it certainly appears to be on life support. Nothing in stock to include manufactured ammo, if you want a firearm chambered in it you’ll be headed to Gunbroker and your going to pay for the limited selection.
I have never shot or owned one but it is a shame, there seemed to be a bit of a revival in the round especially with Ruger jumping in and adding many .327 offerings to their line up
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
Ruger and countless others still sell every one they make.

The .327 Federal isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s a successful and popular cartridge.
Click to expand...

I don't think most people shoot them much at all and the ones that do are mostly using .32 Long & Magnum because .327 just isn't available. All of them are expensive, too.

All reloaders' calibers.

"Successful & popular"? Disagree. Do a search for .25 acp. It's everywhere because it's produced in quantity and sells. .327 is nowhere.

I'm a fan of a mildish .327 Fed load. But .357 sig, .44 special, .25 acp, .32 acp,. 32 Long, .32 mag, with their small followings / users, are all doing far better than .327 Fed.
 
Skgreen said:
The 30 Super Carry didn't quite catch on,,,
Click to expand...
GeoDudeFlorida said:
Is that what it is? Here I was thinking it was a rimless .32 magnum. :neener:
Click to expand...
And all this time I thought it was a stretched .32 ACP!

But seriously folks...
I do not think the .327 is dead. After all the flutter and hype, it has calmed down. I think it will be popular with some folk who find it easier to shoot than 'bigger' calibers and yet with 'enough' uumpf to serve in a defensive mode. Perhaps in a somewhat updated concept of the old .32 WCF round, but with a sturdier case.

Not really a world beater, but a niche round. Sort of like the .458 Winchester Magnum is a niche round.
 
Last edited:
Granted it is hard to find. It was dead, then came back for a while then trickled out but they are still selling guns chambered in.
Many wanted to see it in a carbine or lever action but don't think that happened,

When it first came out and bought a SW and had to search high and low for brass and ammo

It isn't a high priority cartridge to sell these days
 
Some ammo company will run a batch of it from time to time.

Its a niche cartridge, far better-suited for handloaders.

Selection of "premium" bullets for handloading will always be very thin.

If you are SERIOUS about that cartridge for self-defense, stock up on enough premium ammo when it appears, that you won't have to worry about buying again.

I stocked up on premium 9mm ammo. I've got about 10 boxes of top-shelf stuff. If I shoot even two boxes of the spendy stuff over the course of the rest of my lifetime, I'll be surprised. On testing, my Glock and my Beretta cycle the spendy stuff just dandy. Don't need to waste any more of it with further testing. I've got a case of CCI Blazer inbound for general noisemaking and social gatherings. Even a vanilla FMJ that does an in-and-out through the thoracic cavity of any animal is fatal in almost every instance. Premium bullet in the butt, not so much.
 
I think that sufficiently answers the question. The cartridge is not dead. I don't know how one can declare any cartridge dead during a pandemic/panic induced shortage.


Shivahasagun said:
I don't think most people shoot them much at all and the ones that do are mostly using .32 Long & Magnum because .327 just isn't available. All of them are expensive, too.

All reloaders' calibers.

"Successful & popular"? Disagree. Do a search for .25 acp. It's everywhere because it's produced in quantity and sells. .327 is nowhere.

I'm a fan of a mildish .327 Fed load. But .357 sig, .44 special, .25 acp, .32 acp,. 32 Long, .32 mag, with their small followings / users, are all doing far better than .327 Fed.
Click to expand...
No offense but aren't you the one who said it was dead and nobody made brass for it??? I think your measuring stick is broke. Starline, Hornady and Federal make brass for it. Henry, Ruger and Freedom Arms make guns for it. If we went by current availability of brass, you could say half the cartridges commonly available were "dead".
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

hAkron
  • Locked
327 Federal Magnum
2
Replies
25
Views
2K
Rule3
Rule3
H
  • Locked
Ruger LCR Preferred Loads
Replies
1
Views
499
Jesse Heywood
Jesse Heywood
S
  • Locked
.327 Federal Magnum loads?
Replies
21
Views
10K
A Pause for the Coz
A
Scallywag85
  • Locked
7.62×38R And .327 Federal Magnum
Replies
9
Views
761
entropy
entropy
jski
  • Locked
S&W and Federal 327 Magnum
Replies
20
Views
2K
TTv2
TTv2
Back
Top