For self defense, a revolver has a lot going for it. But the classic .357 Magnum is not a good choice if you want to carry a short barreled revolver. Its older brother, the .38 Special, is not so special when it comes to velocity and consistent good terminal performance. It would be great if there was a revolver cartridge that could perform like the .357, but be kinder to shoot like the .38
Firing a snub nosed .357 Magnum revolver is an experience one will not ever forget. While some may or may not be bothered by the recoil, there is no doubt where the jury would come in when it comes to muzzle blast and flash. The most effective self defense round is the 125 grain jacketed hollow point loaded over a large charge of a very slow burning ball powder. From a short 3” barrel, this results in a near atomic blast and muzzle flash. While recoil does not bother me so much, I do not enjoy firing a short barreled .357 at all. In fact ,the last time I did was over 30 years ago. So for defense, many turn to semi-auto pistols instead.
For seasoned shooters, safeties, magazine, and slide releases do not confuse, but less experienced shooters typically find greater personal comfort in the simplicity of a revolver. If you want it to fire, pull the trigger. If you do not want it to go off, then do not pull the trigger. It also is much easier to tell whether or not the gun is loaded and to clear it and make safe. So for a lot of people who just want a gun for personal defense, a revolver is the way to go.
What caliber to choose? For reasons already covered, the classic .357 is out, which leaves you with the .38 Special. Long ago, we found that velocity is King when it comes to stopping power. While the .38 is easy to shoot, it falls very short in the velocity department. If only shooters could get both low recoil and high speed in a revolver, they would have a winning combination. Enter the new .327 Federal Magnum.
Chapter 1: Federal’s First Handgun Cartridge
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Larry Head, the product development manager for Federal, was long intrigued by the .32 H&R cartridge, but he realized it sadly lacked in velocity to make it a serious defensive round. In part, it was handicapped by a very low operating pressure of only 23,000...
psi, far below what the .357 is loaded to; it is not an apples-to-apples comparison of performance. Just as the .38 Special was lengthened to make the .357, Federal increased the H&R case with the .327 to prevent chambering in the lesser cartridge guns. Walls were also thickened in the new case, and maximum pressure was set at 45,000 psi. Ruger was then approached to see if they would be interested in chambering for it. The neat little 3” barreled SP101 is the result.
Though carrying a .327 designation, the actual bullet diameter is the same as other .32 caliber handgun cartridges, that being .312”. Bullet technology has come a long way in the past decade, and expansion tests with all three factory loads proves Federal had done its homework. Starting with the 85 grain low-recoil personal defense load, it achieved 1,437 fps, good for 390 ft. lb. Expansion was picture-perfect to 0.55”, with 98% retained weight. Note that the Federal Premium factory 129 grain .38 Special +P round only produces 950 fps for 258 ft. lb.; their 9mm 124 grain load is good for 1,120 fps and 345 ft. lb.
The next up in their American Eagle line is a 100 grain soft point bullet offering. Though not stated as such, from expansion testing, it appears to be of Gold Dot construction- it is NOT just a traditional soft point bullet at all. It registered 1,466 fps and 477 ft. lb. from the short 3” barrel of the SP101. Retained weight was 91% with a
recovered diameter of 0.53”. As a test, I fired this round into the knuckle end of a leg bone from a 1,000 lb. bison. I was quite impressed when I found it blasted completely through the rounded end, measuring over 3” in diameter! Lastly, I found that the 115 grain Gold Dot offering produced 467 ft. lb. from a speed of 1,352 fps. It opened up beautifully to almost 0.62” and held onto 99% of its original weight. I would view this as outstanding performance from factory ammunition.
How do these performances compare to the classic .357 Magnum? Federal’s own promotional material gives their 125 grain load 1,300 fps from a 3” barrel, good for 469 ft. lb. So the .327 virtually meets or beats it from a more compact cartridge with...
another bonus in that the Ruger SP101 handily carries six of the potent .327 cartridges; not the usual 5 of a same -sized .38 or .357. One more round in the gun is much better than a round in your pocket or at home in a drawer. I chose to install a pair of Crimson Trace laser grips to allow for more accurate testing of the gun. All three factory loads produced 6 shot groups of around 1-3/8 to 1-3/4” at 15 yards. I doubt I could have achieved that with open sights
Chapter 2: Handloads Give Good Performance
Could I duplicate factory performance with some handloads? I assembled just a few bullets to see if the impressive velocities could be duplicated by the reloader. Going lighter, I tried Speer and Hornady 60 grain projectiles meant for the very underpowered .32 ACP. QuickLOAD pointed to Hodgdon Universal as a likely candidate. When the chronograph read 1,683 fps, I had to do a double take. Producing just over 377 ft. lb., I had my doubts how these ACP bullets would react. The Speer, with a HUGE hollow cavity, fragmented and retained 36% of its weight- the .32 ACP was never capable of speeds like this. The Hornady version did better, expanding to 0.51”, and holding onto 90% of the original 60 grains. I still would not use such a light, fast bullet for self protection, but I would expect exciting results on pests in the field.
The Ruger SP101 is not too big, not too light either- it’s very accurate, and a lot of fun to shoot
The 85 grain Hornady XTP was almost capable of matching factory speeds using HS-6 powder, while retaining 94%, and expanding to 0.48”. This bullet would also be useful for small game hunting with the Ruger. Stepping up to the 100 grain XTP, two different loads proved worthwhile. Accurate No. 7 produced 1,427 fps and 452 ft. lb. Expansion was around 0.49” with very good weight retention of 95%. A faster burning Universal load of about half the charge weight still gave 1,184 fps with almost identical bullet performance. Very soft shooting, this round would also be great for practice or small game hunting.
A final...
test was made with a 116 grain cast flat point bullet. Only 5 grains of Universal pushed it to the speed of a .22 LR but at almost three times the bullet weight. With minimal expansion, it also has the makings of an edible game round, which would be great too for plinking or target practice.
Summary
For many shooters considering a personal defense firearm, a revolver has a lot going for it, simplicity ranking high on the list. The traditional .38 Special is not so special when it comes to speed and bullet performance. While the .357 exhibits expansion to the nth degree, it is not for the casual or even experienced shooter in a compact 3” gun, let alone the effects of its blast is a force to be reckoned with. I enjoyed shooting the new .327 Federal a lot. The recoil, though quick, is very light to the hand. It does not have the atomic flash and blast that its bigger brother does. With modern bullet design and construction, on target performance leaves little to be desired.
I believe it will offer a lot of shooters a viable choice when it comes to selecting a gun for self defense. In the field, I can see it being more than just a gun for small game. Considering how it blew through a bison leg bone, it could be an excellent field carry handgun for dispatching big game. The first gun offered in the .327 is a perfect match for the cartridge and its purpose. The Ruger SP101 is not too big, not too light either- it’s very accurate, and a lot of fun to shoot. I also really appreciate the fact that I do not have to get down in the grass, and look for the brass after emptying the gun!