Federal’s .327 Magnum

The .327 Federal Magnum is an overlooked and underappreciated cartridge…and here’s why

by Richard Mann

I graduated high school in 1983, and that same year Federal shocked the shooting world with the introduction of the .32 H&R Magnum cartridge. It was nothing more than a .32 Long with a longer case and loaded to a higher pressure — 21,000 psi as compared to 12,000 psi. This boosted velocity by about 300 fps. To make it even more appealing, Ruger offered this new cartridge in their Single Six, single-action revolver. I bought a Single Six in .32 H&R Magnum with my graduation money and put thousands of rounds through it up until 2008, when Federal shocked everyone again with the .327 Federal Magnum.

The .327 Federal Magnum is a lengthened .32 H&R Magnum loaded to a staggering 45,000 psi. To provide some perspective, the .44 Magnum operates at only 36,000 psi. Out of a four-inch barrel, the .327 Federal Magnum can push a 100-grain bullet to about 1450 fps. And longer barrels mean even faster velocities. With the most recently engineered bullets, the .327 Federal Magnum can provide impressive terminal performance, too. Speer’s 100-grain Gold Dot load will penetrate about 17 inches in 10% ordnance gelatin. The bullet will upset to a diameter of around 0.45-inch. Federal’s new 104-grain HST load performs similarly with an impressive 550 foot-pounds of muzzle energy. By comparison, Federal’s 230-grain HST load for the .45 Auto only generates around 400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy.

Federal’s .327 Magnum — How many revolvers do you know of that can chamber and fire four different revolver cartridges? (Left to right: .327 Federal Magnum, .32 H&R Magnum, .32 Long, and .32 Short.)

Despite the .327 Federal Magnum’s impressive and near .357 Magnum ballistics, it never earned widespread appeal. Shooters seemed to overlook the fact that .327 Federal Magnum revolvers were smaller and lighter than .357 Magnum wheel guns, and that they could also chamber and fire .32 Short, .32 Long, .32 ACP, and .32 H&R Magnum ammunition. I found all those attributes very appealing. I also appreciated the fact that, in compact revolvers, you could stuff in six rounds as opposed to five — or six as opposed to seven — when compared to the .357 Magnum.

Revolvers and Loads

Since 2008, there have been several interesting .327 Federal Magnum revolvers, and Ruger has updated their six-shot Single Six to a seven-shot Single Seven. They also offer SP101 and LCR revolvers in .327 Federal Magnum.

My current .327 revolver is one that I worked with Lipsey’s to design. We had Ruger build this revolver on their lightweight Single Six frame with a 4.62-inch barrel, XS sights, and black Micarta grips. It’s the gun I most often have with me when I’m out on the ranch. I rarely hunt without it on my side.

I’ve also taken a good bit of game, including javelina and deer, with that revolver. The Gold Dot, HST, and Federal’s latest 127-grain HammerDown load will all work great for hunting. Yet as with most handguns, I prefer hardcast bullets for anything but small game. Buffalo Bore’s 130-grain hardcast load will break 1300 fps from the Single Seven’s 4.6-inch barrel and is death on whitetail deer.

With the .327’s ability to fire .32 H&R Magnum, .32 Long, .32 Short, and .32 ACP ammunition, it is extremely versatile. Fill the cylinder with .32 Shorts or Longs if you want to go plinking with a low recoil load. For hunting small game, use .32 H&R Magnums. If you want to hunt deer or defend yourself, go with one of several great .327 Federal Magnum loads. Additionally, Old West cowboys, lawmen, and bandits appreciated the ability for their revolvers and rifles to share ammunition. And as evidenced by so many lever guns chambered in .357 and .44 Magnum, many shooters still appreciate this sharing option today.

.327 Rifles

In 2018, Henry began offering their Big Boy Steel lever gun in .327 Federal Magnum. It is available with a 16.5- or 20-inch barrel. I picked up one of the carbines as soon as I could find one. It proved to be a fine rifle. The magazine holds 10, 9, and 8 rounds of .32 Long, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal Magnum ammunition. respectively. The rifle will reliably cycle, chamber, and fire all three. The factory sights are the traditional brass bead front and semi-buckhorn, ladder rear. However, the XS Sights’ aperture and white post front sights for a Marlin 336 fit the Big Boy, which Henry also drills and taps for scope mounting.

I’ve always, though, had an affinity for Marlin lever guns. But Marlin never has, and likely never will, offer one in .327. Fortunately, I had one of the rare Marlin 1894 rifles chambered for the .32 H&R Magnum. It was a tack driver but was the Cowboy Model with the long barrel. I sent it to Jim Brockman. He shortened the barrel and opened the chamber up to accept the .327 Federal Magnum. This gave me a companion to my Single Seven and the rifle’s 16-inch barrel substantially increased the cartridge’s ballistics. Velocities with the 127-, 104-, and 100-grain loads range from around 1800 to 2000 fps, with muzzle energies exceeding 800 foot-pounds. My oldest daughter took her first deer with that rifle, and it rests — loaded — in the corner of my office.

But…the .357!

I firmly believe the .357 Magnum is the best general purpose revolver cartridge. It will work marvelously for self-defense in social settings. With the right ammo, it is sufficient to deal with any dangerous critter in North America. There also exists an extensive selection of .357 Magnum revolvers and lever guns to choose from. Ruger even offers three versions of the bolt-action 77 rifle in .357 Magnum. I own several .357 Magnums. Dependable as that cartridge is, you’ll find a .327 in my holster or hands more often.

I guess there’s a part of me that just likes to be a bit different than everyone else. Of course, there’s also a nostalgic connection to that first Single Six in .32 H&R Magnum I purchased right out of high school. But I’m also attracted to the power a compact revolver in .327 Federal Magnum can deliver with less recoil than the .357 Magnum. The capacity for a .327 Federal Magnum revolver to work with four other cartridges based on my needs is attractive as well. After working with a .22 Long Rifle revolver, the next step for all my kids has been with progressively more powerful 0.32-caliber cartridges in one of my .327 revolvers.

Another facet of a .327 revolver you might find unexpected is ammunition availability. From time to time. we see ammunition shortages — most recently during the COVID years. For a while, .38 Special or .357 Magnum ammo was harder to find than unicorn poop. I could, though, always find .32 H&R Magnum or .327 Federal Magnum ammunition. In fact, the only handgun ammunition on the shelf at a local dealer during COVID was .327 Federal Magnum. Sometimes, there are advantages to being a little different.

I’m not suggesting you sell off your .357 Magnum revolver or rifle, or that the .327 Federal Magnum is a better option. But after nearly two decades working with the .327 Federal Magnum, and more than twice that long using the .32 H&R Magnum, I can tell you those two cartridges have superbly managed every task I’ve given them. Most shooters would have looked to a .38 Special or .357 Magnum to fulfill those tasks. With the .327 Federal Magnum comes a wide variety of options.

Like a wise old gun guy once told me, variety is the spice of life.

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Richard Mann

Richard Mann is a veteran, former police officer and special agent, and a firearms instructor. He has hunted from the Montana mountains to the green hills of Africa. During the last quarter-century he has published thousands of articles and several books about guns and hunting. Richard lives on his private shooting range in West Virginia with his wife and a pack of dogs.