Opinions on .327 mag.

[ZappBranigan]

Originally Posted by chalk316
Few tidbits on the .327 vs the .357 all from Wikipedia

The cartridge (.327) ultimately won the NRA Publication's prestigious Golden Bullseye Award for "Ammo of the Year" (2009).

.327 115 gr 1300 ftps 431 ft lbs
.357 125 gr 1600 ftps 710 ft lbs

BIGGEST thing to keep in mind with the .327 fed mag vs the .357 mag is avalibility of ammo. I am at work right now and just got done looking at our ammo aisle we have 1 ONE brand of .327 fed mag on the shelves and have only ever had that one brand. Where as for .357 mag we have about 15 brands in stock at all times. The .327 is a fine caliber
but it just doenst have the volume of ammo for me to want to pick one up right now.





.357 Magnum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As i stated that info was from Wikipedia. I know that Wikipedia is NOT 100% accurate but if one were to look @ the above link one would notice on the right hand side below the pictures and velocity info it states "Test barrel length: 4 in (102 mm) (vented) Source(s): Federal,[3] DoubleTap Ammunition"
So it is POSSIBLE to get 1600 fps out of a 4'' barrel. Will you always get that performance no. Is the .327 Federal Mag tailored more towards short barrels? YES it is.

Also BUFFALO-BARNES LEAD-FREE 357 Mag Low Flash-Short Barrel Pistol & Handgun Ammunition

1 2145 fps - Marlin mod 1894, 18 inch barrel
2 1583 fps - S&W mod 27, 5 inch barrel
3 1591 fps - S&W Mt. Gun, 4 inch barrel
4 1507 fps - S&W mod 66, 3 inch barrel
5 1448 fps - S&W mod 66, 2.5 inch barrel

Again 125gr .357 Mag @ 1600 fps out of a 4" barrel (ok so its 1591 FPS close enough)

I'm sorry, but you are very naive to believe everything you see you see claimed.
From a 4" barrel, 1400 fps is the best you can expect on a good day, a lot of factory loads barely break 1300.
I don't give a hoot for the fantastic claims of Buffalo Bore Ammo.
I've been reloading for the .357 for almost 40 years, telling me 1600 fps from a 4" barrel is feasible is nonsense.

Here are some REALISTIC figures, not pipe dreams from someone trying to sell you their ammo:

http://www.leverguns.com/articles/ballisticians.htm

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[chalk316]

I thank you sir for calling me naive. While my numbers MAY be skewed pipe dreams in your opinion, I have done nothing to warrant any such name calling. While I do fully appreciate your nearly 40+ years of reloading the .357 Mag and do feel that the
information that you bring to this forum is VERY valid and viable I was mearly posting numbers that do substantiate what I had said earlier. Weather these numbers are accurate or not I don't know. What I do know is that Miles Fortis & A K Church of Gunblast.com had this to say on the Buffalo Bore 125gr JHP "We lost our chronograph readouts, but all were in the eyebrow-raising low to mid 1400s - with a 2-1/2" barrel, & that is stepping lively. Hot ammo, usually running within standard pressures, is a hallmark of Buffalo Bore. This approaches advertised velocity for longer barrels." SOURCE
Buffalo Bore's 125-Grain .357 Magnum Self Defense Ammo

NOW to back up EXACTLLY what you have said from the same site

Lipsey’s Exclusive 357 Magnum Smith & Wesson Model 686 Mountain Gun

We can see there that the Cor Bon 125gr .357 Mag out of a 4.12" barreled 686 S&W Mountain Gun yielded 1378-1393 FPS while the Buffalo Bore 125 gr .357 Mag yielded 1541 fps.

I am not above admitting that I am wrong and it would see that in this case when it comes to 99% of the loads out there that I am just that WRONG. But there is evidence to support 1600 fps out of a 4" barrel is possible. Again sir I apologize for being naive.

[TerriLi]

Back to the .327mag.

I honestly had high hopes for the round initially when it came out, but sadly no one has really jumped on it. Most ammo makers ignored it, and firearms makers haven't really done anything with it. I know its likely to die, but I want one anyways.
If I do get one I will start reloading, because it will be the only way I'll ever see what it can do.

[ZappBranigan]

OK a lot of smoke about Buffalo Bore Ammo being great and claiming what it does is somehow the standard for the .357 Mag, etc.

Buffalo makes .380 ammo that comes close to the 9mm. They make 9mm ammo that approximates the .357.
And they make .45 ACP ammo that falls a little short of the .44 mag.
Unless they have Magic Boolit powder or have broken the laws of physics, I won't use it.

And they say they do it without breaking SAAMI pressure limits. Their ammo does what nobody else can make, factory or handload.
I won't use it.

[azchevy]

OK a lot of smoke about Buffalo Bore Ammo being great and claiming what it does is somehow the standard for the .357 Mag, etc.

Buffalo makes .380 ammo that comes close to the 9mm. They make 9mm ammo that approximates the .357.
And they make .45 ACP ammo that falls a little short of the .44 mag.
Unless they have Magic Boolit powder or have broken the laws of physics, I won't use it.

And they say they do it without breaking SAAMI pressure limits. Their ammo does what nobody else can make, factory or handload.
I won't use it.

I have 100's of BB rounds downrange in 10mm, .357, and , .380 flavor and I will keep using it.

[Alarm Guy]

This was just added recently to the BB site.

HEAVY 327 FEDERAL

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php...t_detail&p=270

[pangloss9]

I hope the cartridge catches on. Ruger is chambering several pistols in. Take your pick of 6, 7, or 8-shot revolvers. I think the 8-shot Blackhawk would be a fun gun to own and shoot (but not good for concealed carry). I keep hoping that Ruger will make a 6-shot LCR in 327, but I'm not sure they could safely do it with such a high pressure round. Also keep in mind that you can shoot 32 H&R mag and 32 S&W long ammo out of a gun chambered for 327.

[CountShotula]

My take on the .327 is a matter of nostalgia.
The .32 revolver has been around American history for a loooong time...ever since the introduction of cartridge handguns.
The .327 Fed was meant to replace the .32 H&R Magnum which was meant to replace the .32 S&W Long and .32 Long Colt cartridges which replaced the original .32 S&W Short and .32 Short Colt. The S&W 38 Special pretty much ruined the running of .32 caliber revolvers/cartridges after it was introduced.
Correct me if I am wrong, I do not know the exact years each cartridge was introduced.

[SatCong]

Not for me, but is it about the same as a 32 mag?

[357and40]

327 mag? So a .32 on roids...

If I wanted to see anemia in action I would just stick with a 380 & be done with it...

[bmcgilvray]

For myself, I'd choose a .327 Magnum revolver over any weenie .380 pistol with any load if I only had to pick between the two to stop a threat.

[nightsonge]

This was just added recently to the BB site.

HEAVY 327 FEDERAL

HEAVY 32 H&R MAG. +P

Your link takes us to the heavy .32 H&R Magnum page. This would be the equivalent of shooting .38's out of a .357.

sorry, didn't click the right link. Both would work out of the .327 magnum pistols though. 1800 FPS for a 4 inch muzzle velocity Woah.

[Chevyguy85]

I've shot .327s from a sp101 after an ICORE match once. The guy that brought it out was nice enough to let me try it. The rounds handled well enough and they did a lovely job of making the steel popper target jump up and down and then fall. Having said that I'll probably never own one, then again I just don't get the whole 5 shot revolver "craze" either. My security six isn't significantly bigger to me than a sp101 other than barrel length for me to go out and purchase a sp101 and I get 6 shots vs 5. Again having said that I own a LCR so what do I know about what I want or need? lol