.327 Fed Magnum

[BluesBear]

No conspiracy, just standard business practices in play.

Federal makes more money on loaded ammo than they do on brass. So 100% of thewir brass production went towards loaded ammunition.

Now, let's take Starline for example, I feel sure that they will eventually offer .327 Mag brass, but right now, today, their production schedule is filled until the latter part of May 2011.
So for the sake of discussion let's use the similar sized .32 H&R case which is produced by Starline (which is currently Backordered with expected availability: 03/25/2011) and also for the sake of discussion lets say that instead of being scheduled for March 2011 that it had a status of "Backordered expected availability: NEXT ORDER WHEN SUFFICIENT BACKORDER ACHIEVED".
If you wanted them to make some for you, you'd have to order at least 50,000 (yes, FIFTY thousand) cases. (50,000 is their minimum industrial order.) But you also have to order them in Drum Quantities and since the Drum Quanity of the .32 H&R is 20,000, so you'd have to actually order 60,000 just to be CONSIDERED to be put into the production schedule. I say considered because Starline won't divulge just what number they consider a "sufficient backorder" to be.

That's a rather large investment for a cartridge that is just now finding its sealegs.
Now don't get me wrong, I really like the .327. I think it has a real future. I wish I could order several hundred bright, shiney, new cases for it right now.
But I can't. For now I'll have to keep reloading the fired cases from factory loads.
But I figure that once the supply side of the industry catches up with the demand side there will be brass aplenty for all of us.

The only conspiracy out there is amongst the politicians. But that is a discussion for elsewhere.

[FrankenMauser]

What do you think?

I think Federal (and most of ATK) are a bunch of greedy bastards, that would rather make a couple more dollars on loaded ammo; rather than help the future of the cartridge out by getting some brass to reloaders.

That's the simple answer.

[full case load]

About a month ago I called up Freedom Arms and ordered 500 new, empty, primed 327 Fed. Mag. brass cases (stamped Fed.). Quick turn around (three days, WY to CA shipped USPS). Gal I talked to said she was having a hard time getting them and might have to place limits on future orders. Could be worth a try, if you are still looking.

[triumph666]

midsouthshooterssupply.com

They carry Hornady xtp's and also lead for 327 fed mag loading and are one of the cheapest/best places to order

mike at mastercastbullets.com has lead 100g RNFP's that work good too at $40 per 1000...if you load lead in 327 try to keep bullets down around 1100fps so you dont have to clean the heck out of the barrel....I loaded 1300fps loads with lead for giggles and after 100 round i could not see one spot of bare metal in barrel lol

[FrankenMauser]

Just an update on a .32 S&W Long load I previously shared:

.32 S&W Long (MagTech brass). 94 gr Meister LFP.
HP-38. 1.237" OAL. Redding profile crimp (didn't record a measurement).
Tested safe (in my pistol) from 1.8-2.4 grains.
2.0 grains has no recoil, a quieter report than .22 LR, and was very accurate inside 30 yards (less than 1", 4-shot groups, off-hand).
580 fps for the 2.0 gr load!

I got tired of the "pucker factor" this load gave me. It really feels and sounds like a squib, when it goes off. So, increased the powder charge to 2.2 grains. It nullified the pucker factor, but killed accuracy, too.

I'm getting 3" rested groups at 7 yards in the Blackhawk, and 4" rested groups at 7 yards in the GP100.

So... deal with the pucker factor, or don't load it at all.