Trouble with SP101 327 mag

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I'll get pictures today, but I was watching a utube video "
" and Buffalo was testing a 3" SP101 in 327 mag. Started out by saying that he had a problem with high pressure factory loads. Flattened primers sticky extraction.
Well l just got a 4" (with adjustable sites, which is whatI wanted) SP101 327 mag and fired it the other day, one cylinder full, and had very difficult time extracting. Two shells looked bulged. Fired a cylinder of 32 H&R mag factory loads also just to see if there was a different result. Also difficult to extract. Well I looked in the cylinders and it looked like a carbine ring was there from shorter cartridges. Cleaned it out with Ed's Red and a brush. Looked good. Problems solved.
Well then I saw the YouTube vid by Buffalo. I admit I had not checked out this revolver hardly at all. So I went up to the shop and put the mic on the cases. Mic .337 which was case max spec, but looked bulged for both the 327 (45,000 psi) & the H&R (21,000 psi). The primers on the 327's were flattened. Not quite as bad as the ones Buffalo showed, but noticeable. The 32 H&R were also flattened but not as much. I will take pictures of the cases today and post them, both of the primers and the cases that look bulged. Even though the cases mic at max spec of .337, they just don't look right. So any thoughts on this problem. I had been looking forward to this Ruger as I could shoot all the lessor 32's in it, with the 32 Long and the 32 H&R mag being my main interest. 350 rounds each of 327 and 32 H&R came with the gun in the original case, so I thought I was set.
I have not fired this gun since cleaning and only six of each loading have been fired at all.
 
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CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I saw watched same Videos.
I have three 327's. ALL SHOW fact loads appear HOT!! But remember Federal Primers are Soft!

My hand loads have been fine worked up to where manuals said I would be OK and I was.

I have found many new guns lacking in cyl polish. ONE of my 327's needed polishing. I did it with flitz and a modified case full Of lead. With a #10 screw threaded in thru primer pocket befor filling with lead.

Hope it helps ya.

CW

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Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Thanks CW
Here's a couple of pictures

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

So Federal primers are soft? Still bugs me. The extraction problems are what bothered me the most. I'll run one more cylinder full through and see if it's improved any after removing the carbon. The combination of cases swelling, flat primers, and the extraction being difficult to point of ridiculous didn't make me fell good at all.
 

Ian

Notorious member
That one case in the last pic looks like it might have cracked above the rim. No craters, but the firing pin bushing is obviously very tight and in good condition. If I had to guess I'd say those Buffalo Bore look like 50K psi loads, even the primer indent has been squished back out considerably.

Another thing that can cause a revolver to flatten primers even with normal pressure is excessive headspace.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
If I had to guess I'd say those Buffalo Bore look like 50K psi loads, even the primer indent has been squished back out considerably.
Yeah Ian these are Federal factory straight out of the box.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Ian that might be a crack. Cleaned it and run my thumb nail over it and can't feel it. I'm Thinking it's from the dirty cylinder and the extractor pressure. But could be a crack.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
Well I had a chance to shoot the 327 Saturday for the first time since I cleaned the cylinder chambers. First cylinder fired fine, ejected like you would expect, pretty normal. On inspection of the 6 cases the primers were flattened but not like before, which surprised me. Relatively flat but still able to see the rounded corners of the primers. I'm surprised that the primers would be effected. The one thing that was surprising was the carbon on the cases. With such a high pressure cartridge I would expect brass would be sealed for the most part.
Second cylinder ejected but a little troublesome. I will admit that I inspected the cylinder before the first firing and you could just make out in a couple of chambers a hint, and I mean only a hint of the carbon ring.
So my plan is to clean again and do a very, very light polish to all chambers. I have some J B bore polish and was wondering if that would be enough or to aggressive.
This is a 4" model with adjustable sites and it seems to be a shooter if I can get this problem resolved. Once I get these factory loads unloaded, that I would - could load down to H&R mag levels, so the case would fill the chamber completely. Then just sizing enough to just secure the bullet the carbon problem may go away. Maybe. The chambers seam to be oversized , but what do I know.
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Full-snort 327 Federal loads are NASTY. I have fired a few, but having 357 and 44 Magnums in the safe.......the need to extend the 327 into deer-hunting/man-stopping realms is non-existent. Most of my 327 and 32 H&R Mag shooting gets done with 100-120 grain bullets running 900-1100 FPS. To date I have not encountered any Monty Python killer rabbits while afield.

The 100 grain bullets are the RCBS 32-98-SWC. GREAT BULLET. I also have a Lyman #313631, a 100 grain SWC/GC. That one shoots better as you increase its velocity. It gets the call for the 1300-1550 FPS stuff in the 32s and the 30 Carbine BH.

The 120 grainer is my MMSFT--Mountain Molds Short Fat Thirty. It looks like a Lyman #311440 that got shortened on both ends, and it is SUPERB on small game and varmints.
 
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CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I use a 311440 it drops at just over 150g and 313+ It seats and crimps to the crimp groove. I have worked up to 1075 ish with room For more but that was enough for me.


I found the 135 WFN and now am focused on that.

CW
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
John, have you tried numbering your individual chambers and looked at the fired cases by cylinder to check for patterns? I think I'm seeing one or more chambers that have off-center firing pin dents. This raises some concerns about you possibly having a mismachined cylinder. I can't tell from the pics if its a real issue, or an optical illusion. You'll want to mark the cases with the chamber number as well when you do this of course. I don't have a 327, but I have friends who do and they complain a lot about factory ammo being too hot. Most of them have gone to heavier weight bullets with slower burning powders.

I have seen issues with machining on Ruger cylinders before. My first Redhawk had miscut chambers, and it really showed up in the firing pin dents in fired cases, the dents were all over the place. They should be pretty well centered in the primer. I ended up sending it back to Ruger and they replaced my cylinder. The also replaced my hammer, springs, and trigger for being out of spec. The only thing wrong with the fire control parts was the fact that I had done a really nice trigger job on it, and Ruger put stock production parts back in. I've always kind of hoped that one of the guys in Ruger service snagged my trigger parts and took them home for his own use. It was really nice... for an early Redhawk.
 

Glaciers

Alaska Land of the Midnight Sun
I had the friends, brothers and in laws over so I had to pay attention to my guests and felt lucky to run 2 cylinders at that time, but, yes numbering the chambers and correspondingly the cartridges that go in a chamber. That is next up. I'll check the primers. I see what you mean about possibly off center pin strikes, but the cartridges are laying in the cylinders a couple thousands small so the off centering could be from that. It seems like there is a lot of room for expansion. I'll have to load some up and see if the once fired reloads "fill" the chamber. Never run across this before, so I'll have to keep working to an answer. I would rather not have to return it.
My plan all along is to do as CW is doing and go heavy on the bullet and stay away from top loads. I have a Lee 309-113 that drops about .3115 and weights 117 checked. Then a Lyman 311-316 that comes out .312 and 114 checked. powder coating should add couple of thousandths, might have to 2 coat them.
Thanks 358156 hp and CW
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you know federal brass can be some hard at times.
I would bet they got a little carried away with the zinc, the cases are some on the small side to make sure they chamber, and the loads are pushing the envelope.
kind of a win if they get chronographed by someone,,,, lose if the cylinders are a titch big and rough.
 

358156 hp

At large, whereabouts unknown.
John, be sure to mark the cases on the side that faces downward to help you keep track of that critical position. When I do this for others, I start with clean chambers, and only load and fire one chamber at a time. You make an excellent point, undersized cases could cause this situation. Carbide sizing dies are de debil for undersizing cases and causing weird results.
 

trapper9260

Active Member
I did not shoot any factory loads in my .I did in my BH . For how my Sp101 shoots with my reloads I have no problem . If I shoot many shorter 32 S&W Longs and then back to the 327 Mag then I will have some will stick due to the carbon build up and just clean the cylinder then no more problems.