The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: The Revolver Forum

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 2, 2012, 12:08 PM   #1
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
In defense of unique (oddball) calibers.

I sadly learned of the demise of Ruger's SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum. That's not to say that the .327 is gone, but to say that it will be mainstream anytime soon would be mistaken. Look, I understand the numbers. That's just the way it is.

I carry that gun. I love the caliber. I have to admit, I often enviously look at the guys with three ring binders of reloading data for ONE caliber. They can buy ammo at Walmart.

Not me. It's reload or shop hard. And that's fine with me.

But I WILL defend the .327 as a viable, if not occasionally superior caliber for defense and hunting. Just because it's a back burner caliber doesn't reduce it's effectiveness.

Who want's to defend theirs? (I have to admit to being tempted by the 10 MM lately!)

Last edited by farmboy; December 2, 2012 at 01:05 PM.
farmboy is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 06:32 PM   #2
3kgt2nv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 7, 2012
Location: hudson valley NY
Posts: 517
most of my local gun stores have .327 on the shelf. not to rare or uncommon here. now .32 s&w long wad cutter ammo. now thats a oddball and i love it in my hammerli p240
3kgt2nv is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 09:41 PM   #3
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
That's what eventually drew me to the .327 in the first place, via the .32 Magnum.

Another I'm intrigued with is the .38 Super. I've understood it to be the .357 of the auto world.

Another is the .41 Magnum, but that, like the .357 is a compromise.
farmboy is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 10:11 PM   #4
Colorado Redneck
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 6, 2008
Location: Northeast Colorado
Posts: 1,993
I also have an SP101 in 327 Fed. Mag. It would seem that the caliber could be utilized in various applications that would enhance demand. Since ammo can be difficult to buy, hand loading is the way and the light. Would really like to see production runs of Speer 115 gr Gold Dots for hand loading.
Colorado Redneck is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 10:29 PM   #5
Webleymkv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 20, 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 10,435
Quote:
I sadly learned of the demise of Ruger's SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum.
Where did you hear this? The SP101 in .327 Federal is still listed on Ruger's website as are the so-chambered GP100 and Blackhawk.
Webleymkv is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 10:37 PM   #6
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
http://rugerforum.net/ammo-dump/6323...y-regrets.html

Maybe there will be a few quality manufacturers that hold on, like Glock held on to the 10MM for example. I'm just not sure how any company can justify keeping them in the product line up if the sales aren't there.

I know I'll never sell my SP101. That little .327 ROCKS.

What the heck, maybe I should go find the Glock before they're gone, too.
farmboy is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 10:49 PM   #7
Webleymkv
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 20, 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 10,435
Hmm, it seems very odd that they'd discontinue the revolver that comes closest to what the .327 was originally marketed as (a lower recoil alternative to the .357 Magnum in small guns). Perhaps Ruger has finally seen the light and, as I've suggested for years, is working on a .327 LCR
Webleymkv is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 11:03 PM   #8
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
I'm not sure the LCR could handle the pressures of the .327....
farmboy is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 11:24 PM   #9
Bob Wright
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 10, 2012
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Posts: 2,986
At my rather late stage in life, I've no intention of setting up a new set of dies and brass.

But if I were, I'd go for a good Colt size single action in .32-20, or maybe a Ruger New Model Flat Top.

And a good Colt New Frontier in .38-40 would make a dandy woods gun. I've suddenly developed a fondness for the mid-size (Colt SA or so) single action guns.

Bob Wright
Bob Wright is offline  
Old December 2, 2012, 11:51 PM   #10
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
Sounds like you're half way there, Bob! If you can tickle the trigger, you can pump the handle....
farmboy is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 10:29 AM   #11
Magnum Wheel Man
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 26, 2006
Location: Southern Minnesota
Posts: 9,333
I'm a caliber whore.... I like reloading & shooting odd balls just because... ( I don't have a 327, though I have nothing against the cartridge, & already own a Smith Air Weight 6 shot in 32 H&R Magnum... a little odd in it's self )

I have many custom guns that fill a nitch... one that comes to mind, is my custom Marlin lever gun, started life as a 44 Magnum, been converted to 50 A.E. which turned the nice little carbine into a beast, that holds 12 rounds... now it's a great dangerous game gun, that holds twice as many rounds as my guide gun, & weighs about the same... also have a Blackhawk converted to shoot 50 A.E.... even though it's an auto cartridge, I really love it in the rifle...

Got an Automag 4 in 10 mm magnum, love the cartridge, but don't like shooting it & chance loosing the hard to get cases, but I also have S&W 610 that was chambered for the 10 Mag, & with moon clips, it's a powerful, fun, speedster to shoot
__________________
In life you either make dust or eat dust...
Magnum Wheel Man is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 10:56 AM   #12
Jayhawkhuntclub
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 13, 2007
Posts: 581
Quote:
I'm not sure the LCR could handle the pressures of the .327....
I think (I really don't know) it would be fine. You would end up having quite a bit thicker walls going from 357 to 327 chambers.

I think the 327 Federal is a versatile and worthy cartride.
Jayhawkhuntclub is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 11:01 AM   #13
DealHunter
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2012
Posts: 225
I like the 5.7 and the 10mm, just for fun, never use it for carry, there are better rounds (I don't hand load) and they're expensive. But, they're fun to shoot

Also like .357 Sig since it has more oomph than 9 and I shoot it better than .40 (I know people love to hate on that cartridge).

Not sure those count as "oddball" calibers but they're unusual for me.

Wouldn't mind a .327 I'm just worried it would go away and I don't reload yet. That and I think to get the performance you need the 3 inch barrel and I just like the shorter SP 101 versions...
DealHunter is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 11:03 AM   #14
crazy charlie
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 29, 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 229
While we're on the subject of not so common calibers(?)
The PA State Police all carry the .45 GAP. I've seen as many as two boxes of these at my LGS.
crazy charlie is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 11:40 AM   #15
efield
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 7, 2009
Location: Peoples Republik of Kalifornia
Posts: 125
For the sake of mentioning oddball calibers, I will say that a couple of my friends are staunch and unwavering in support of their .41 Magnums. I have patiently sat through their diatribes but I don't have any hands on knowledge and only their "say-so" of what a wonderful round it is.
__________________
A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition.
-Rudyard Kipling-
efield is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 12:12 PM   #16
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
One of the unique calibers I have a hard time defending is the .41.

Many of the others at least offer a distict advantage in something.

The .41?
farmboy is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 12:23 PM   #17
garbler
Member
 
Join Date: November 25, 2012
Posts: 20
Keep Loading and shooting them

I am one of those odd ball cartridge loaders and shooters and can tell you if the buying public doesn't buy enough dies, bullets, or brass the manufacturers who poll these things will drop em. Eventually if nobody builds a gun chambered for whatever the ammo goes away. I personally get tired of nothing but 9mm and 223 when there are so many great cartridges out there that never got a military contract under them.

I too love the 41 mag and though I shoot the 44 and 454 I love loading and shooting little big sister. 32 cal is still thought highly of in Europe with bullseye shooters and has been on the verge of going away now for 20 years or more. As a rule the 32 cal revolvers are accurate, easy to handle and can still deliver enough performance at the other end to be interesting and useful.

Of course you have to load your own but that is half the fun.
garbler is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 12:34 PM   #18
Tom Matiska
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2000
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Posts: 1,029
It was much easier to get my oddballs back after I was robbed in June. Search GunBroker and local shops for a Win 307 and Win 30-30. One sticks out like a sore thumb and the other is needle in a hay stack.
Tom Matiska is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 01:05 PM   #19
Tom Servo
Staff
 
Join Date: September 27, 2008
Location: Foothills of the Appalachians
Posts: 13,057
Quote:
I'm not sure the LCR could handle the pressures of the .327.
There's one in .357, so I don't see an issue. The .327 would be a neat match for that gun.

Quote:
One of the unique calibers I have a hard time defending is the .41.
I don't. Out of a S&W N-Frame, it's got a healthy but manageable amount of recoil, and it's not as loud as .44 Magnum. Most factory loads are very accurate, and handloaders can do some neat things with it.

It's very rare for cartridges to just die. I still have folks asking for .38 S&W and .32 S&W Long enough to keep those loads in stock. As long as there are guns, there will be demand for the ammunition.
__________________
Sometimes it’s nice not to destroy the world for a change.
--Randall Munroe
Tom Servo is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 01:12 PM   #20
Pointshoot
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 23, 2004
Posts: 236
I'm not quite sure what is considered 'oddball' since I hang out at shooting & hunting forums where guys often handload whatever they like. Is the test, what they stock at the local Wally world ? Maybe.

That said, I have a number of guns chambered in less common found cartridges: 44 Special, 10mm, 41 Mag, 9.3x62mm . . . for example
Pointshoot is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 02:00 PM   #21
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
"It's very rare for cartridges to just die. I still have folks asking for .38 S&W and .32 S&W Long enough to keep those loads in stock. As long as there are guns, there will be demand for the ammunition."

I will throw a big "AMEN!" to that one. Just browse the available brass at Midwayusa or Starline. I venture to guess that if it was a commercially produced cartridge in the 20th century, it's probably available.
farmboy is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 03:46 PM   #22
robhof
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 16, 2007
Posts: 712
robhof

I've got a DW in 357Max, that started me into reloading. It was too good a deal to pass up. The round can be loaded down to 38 specs or up to the max's potential. It's a very flat shooting round out to 100yds and can be easily manage to 200yds as it was very popular in ram shooting til frame cutting and forcing cone premature wear forced it into obscurity. With heavy cast bullets 180 to 200gr, the problems aren't any worse than any magnum revolver. Mine's had many hundreds of rounds through it and just last year I sent it in for a tune up and it's like new, ready for a few hundred more rounds. I bought it in 1992 so I feel I've got my money's worth out of it.
robhof is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 03:54 PM   #23
Magnum Wheel Man
Senior Member
 
Join Date: July 26, 2006
Location: Southern Minnesota
Posts: 9,333
Got my "Max" from my FIL... about the same vintage as yours... likely about the same round count... mines got a 4X Luepold on it... FIL got a deer in WI ( 15 years ago or so ) at about 150 yards... dropped very quickly...

I'm not good enough with a handgun to shoot deer at 150 yards... hmmm... maybe some year ???
__________________
In life you either make dust or eat dust...
Magnum Wheel Man is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 06:20 PM   #24
farmboy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 4, 2001
Location: Iowa
Posts: 261
I really think that "flame cutting" business was made into a bigger deal than it really was.
farmboy is offline  
Old December 3, 2012, 06:34 PM   #25
Dan-O
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 3, 2011
Location: Northern Colorado
Posts: 969
Bummer. I already have the Charter Arms Patriot....really like the caliber and reload for it. Never got around to getting the Ruger SP101 version of it. Guess I'll start saving up for one.

Happy that Starline finally started selling brass in this cartridge.
Dan-O is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09828 seconds with 10 queries