327 Fed - need help from the 32 caliber crowd

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
Because the 327 case is relatively large (compared to 32 S&W long and H&R Mag), I think the really fast powders like 231 will get "lost" in that casing if you try to download it too much. Of the listed powders, Unique would be my choice. It is a bit slower, and a bit bulkier, than the really fast powders like Bullseye and 231.

When creating 44 “Keith” loads in 44 Special casings, the load is 7.5 grains of Unique; when you use magnum casings the charge weight goes up to about 8.1 grains of Unique to compensate for the greater case volume. I think the same principle will apply when using 327 mag casing to replicate a 32 H&R Mag. Load. Pick a 32 H&R mag load with Unique, plus your bullet and see if the bullet will exit the bore with that charge weight in the bigger 327 mag casing. If you need to bump the charge weight up a little to achieve a “light magnum”, you can.

However, I also agree with Al concerning the noise from 32 caliber revolvers. They get LOUD when you push them fast. I don’t know what it is about the 32 caliber bore but they are all unpleasant when you push them hard. So, if your goal is to make a tamer cartridge utilizing your existing 327 mag casings, you may even need to get below 32 H&R Magnum velocities.

A 32 H&R magnum loaded with 100 bullet traveling in the 900-1000 fps range, may be what you’re really trying to duplicate with a 327 casing.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I might have more but grabbed a few manuals before Physical Therapy and sent them for ya, John. I Hope they help. The Lyman Cast bullet had probably all ya gonna need. (Most all I needed anyhow!!)

I have a 5.5" Bisley and a 3 3/4" Birds head S7 Ruger. The Bisley is a LASER!! The lil birds head is a dream to carry but not nearly as accurate. My top loading is a 135 Cast and Bluedot. I also have a load for the Lyman 311440 bullet also with Bluebot @ 1050 in the Bisley.


CW
 
Last edited:

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
CZ, you bring up a good point about the usefulness of full house loads I'd never considered. Around here my dog stops talking to me for a day or two when I shoot the little 327, even when I leave her in the house. The noise concussion alone will give me vision issues. Second vote for 231, but since I'm trying to use up these's jacketed slug in a comfortable way, I'm thinking of bump 231 up to 4 grains which is still 1.3 grains below one suggested minimum.

Thanks CW, is that the 50th Lyman? I don't have Western Powders, got about 16 to 18 powders on the shelf for quite a few years, so didn't branch out to newer powder horizons.

The Alliant has some good starting points, good link.

Fiver has a good point of starting up with higher end 32 H&R loads which just confirms my thoughts.

P&P I like the idea of unique, I've always had good luck with unique as long as the pressures are high enough to seal the brass, which will not be a problem with the 327. I would have purchased a 32 H&R if I would have run across one, but this SP101 was a good deal and $400 of ammo included with the gun, can't pass that up, especially in times of component ans ammo shortages. My preference is the 32 H&R, but having 350 rounds of Federal 327, I am just trying to tolerate 327 and generate some brass. I will keep at least 2 or 3 boxes of factory loads on the shelf for the what if times, or if there's someone wants to shoot a "snorter", well the 327 in the small 4" SP 101 is impressive. I've been impressed by it, but it's time to move on to more comfortable shooting. I suspect the boxes on the shelf will gather dust.

I'm going to start with both 231 and unique and see what's what. After these jackets are burned up I'm thinking the 311-316 Lyman I have with PC to bring it up to .314 will be a good one. Need to come up with something in the in the 125 to 140 grain range for the 327 brass, but at reasonable velocities of around 900 to 1000.

I really like the SP's in 357/38 and the 32 with proper loads I know will shine. I will someday come across a 22lr in the SP to keep the others company.
 

Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
It has been a long time since I played with the 32 H&R Mag and 32 S&W Long (the 327 mag hadn't been invented when I was playing with the other 32's). I always though the 32 H&R magnum was all that one needed in a 32 revolver cartridge and even that seemed a little excessive at times.
The 32 S&W Long with a solid wadcutter is a decent small game cartridge but sometimes a bit lacking in power. If you download the 32 H&R mag and use a 100 grain WC, it is a great small game cartridge. Back when I was loading that cartridge I was using commercial cast bullets ( I wasn't casting in those days). I wish I had held onto my 32 S&W/32 H&R Mag stuff but I let most of it go in trades and sales.

As for the SP101 in .22, I had one, It was one of the old short frame SP101 models that was made in .22 to use up the short frame models after Ruger extended the frame to accommodate the 357 mag. It was decent gun but far heavier than it needed to be. There was a LOT of steel in that little .22. It wasn't the most accurate revolver and it went away years ago.
 
Last edited:

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
The 327 Federal was created to give the 32 caliber revolvers the full capability of the 32 H&R Magnum that H&R's revolvers did not have the structural strength to fully harness. The 32 H&R in a Ruger or S&W revolver can be loaded close to the 327 Federal's potential, but having both a S&W Model 16-4 x 6" and the SP-101 x 4.25" provides some pressure latitude to explore in some depth.

YES--I am a mid-caliber handgun addict. I load the 32 S&W Long to its 1900 pressure levels (RCBS #32-98-SWC @ 700 FPS) for my NICE little Colt New Pocket x 6" (nickel) birthed in 1901, and that same bullet gets sent at 900-1000 FPS in the S&W and the Ruger courtesy of enough WW-231 to prompt same. Both calibers produce single-digit SDs at those velocities, so I don't think WW-231 loses it way when guided by CCI or W-W SP primers. :)

The true added value of the 327 Federal comes in the venue meant for the 32 H&R Mag--as a viable 32 caliber self-defense number. The H&R ballistics in their wheelguns (85 grain JHP at an optimistic 1100 FPS) aren't quite up to the task of stopping predators on racing fuel. I did have one homicide victim late in my career that fell to a 32 H&R Magnum, though. (The collections process for overdue drug debts is rather abrupt and often final). I digress, as usual. The 327 Federal runs a 115 grain bullet at 1400+ FPS--THAT is a horse of a different color. THAT is decisive goblin repellent. And, as John pointed out above, there are the added advantages of blinding the assailant with the muzzle flash and deafening him with the report. Ball powders are AWESOME, for so many reasons.
 
Last edited:

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
The 327 Federal gets these intrepid ballistics via some pretty intrepid pressure levels--on the order of 46K PSI. Hopefully, SAAMI will LEAVE WELL-ENOUGH ALONE and not neuter the 327 like it did c. 1990 with the 357/41/44 Magnums. 42K-45K PSI in K-frame 357 S&Ws probably aren't a good thing, and with the gunmakers rolling out J-FRAME 357 MAGNUMS and repro Win '73s in 44 Magnum, some pressure moderation was probably indicated. More's the pity.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you know those jacketed bullets are snappy wimpy in a decent 31 cal rifle.
the old black and white box XTP's are pretty amazing varmint bullets zipped out at a whopping 1600 fps.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
No doubt. 9mm Makarov bullets running at 3K FPS from the 9.3 x 62 are right nasty as well.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
The 327 Federal was created to give the 32 caliber revolvers the full capability of the 32 H&R Magnum that H&R's revolvers did not have the structural strength to fully harness. The 32 H&R in a Ruger or S&W revolver can be loaded close to the 327 Federal's potential, but having both a S&W Model 16-4 x 6" and the SP-101 x 4.25" provides some pressure latitude to explore in some depth.
All true. Since we have that in the open, I recall there being +P loadings for the 32 H&R, for use in solid frame revolvers like Rugers. A few seconds later I found this article. There appears to be plenty of relevant 32 H&R +P data here, and it's from a reliable source: https://www.handloadermagazine.com/32-h-r-magnum-pet-loads
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Good article 358156HP
Lots of starting points with 7 powders that I have now. Heavy cast loads as well. Looks like fun!
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
I was having a conversation yesterday with a newer reloader who was complaining because he couldn't find any Bullseye locally. Only Red Dot. I only hope he was listening carefully to what I was telling him.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I bought a 311440 GB mould some years back with the specific intention of using it in the 32-20 Savage rifle. I haven't got around to that yet, but it's a real peach in a 308.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I was having a conversation yesterday with a newer reloader who was complaining because he couldn't find any Bullseye locally. Only Red Dot. I only hope he was listening carefully to what I was telling him.
something like if you ddon't I will and i'll get all of it???
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Well the 327 has continued to be a pain in the back side. First off I pulled 200 100 grain Federal bullets dumped the powder, ran the cases onto a NOE expander of .315 X 311 to uniform the necks. Next I started out with unique and 231 powders just to see what's what. First thing I noticed was when seating bullets some felt "easier " to seat. Put a mic to them and found some were .313 and some were just a touch over .312. Obviously different lots, and it seems I have 100 of each. The smaller is a flat base and the .313 bullet has a slight base cup, so they were easy to sort.

So starting with Unique at 3.9 grains average 700 fps, thru 5.3 grains 970 fps. Just about every cylinder full I would get a squib. Velocity and report would drop noticeably. Next I switched to 231. Started at 3.8 at average of 773 fps and continued thru 5.3 grains for average of 1100 fps. Same thing. Not every cylinder, but a squib in most levels. Squibs occurred with the heavier powder loads which I was thinking wouldn't happen with the higher volume of powder.

I was thinking that the big case of the 327 and the smaller 32 H&R volumes of powder might be showing up as position sensitive, even though these two powders aren't supposed to be sensitive.

Being a little frustrated I thought I'd fill the case with Trail Boss so I tried 3.0 and 3.5 grains which pretty much takes up the volume with the bullets used. 3.5 grains TB with a 91 grain Lee casting sized to .313. 3 grains with the Lyman 311 316 at 113 grains and also sized to .313. These bullets were powder coated. Squibs with these loadings as well.

These cases were all Federal with the factory primers in them, all I did was pull bullets and recycle the primed case.

I also have a NOE 311 137 RF mold, which should be here today which will be the heavy for this gun. But... Is this a gun problem? Or what. Any ideas?

I'm at a loss, so I stopped to give it a think. Also to move on to something fun. .452, 304 grain NOE in a 22-4 S&W revolver. One word "sweet".