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Thread: Best barrel length for 327?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master wonderwolf's Avatar
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    Best barrel length for 327?

    My father's 65 birthday is coming up I'm wanting to get him a contender barrel for his current favorite revolver round the 327...he will be shooting other 32's in it as well. It will be a mgm barrel, probably stainless. For the size I'm thinking I'll go bull barrel?

    I'm thinking 16" or 18" would be good? No point in going longer since faster powders are typically used with this caliber correct?
    My firearms project blog

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    I have a 24" tapered 38 Special barrel. Even 148gr wadcutter loads with red dit and bullseye shoot great. HS7 gives 1600fps with a 125gr GS without any trouble. all this to say, I've thought about your choice, i would get a 20" tapered barrel for the 327, or its original rimless version, the .30 carbine! Either way you cant go wrong with your length of choice, YMMV todd/3leg

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy Ajohns's Avatar
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    There's no doubt with it's case capacity and slower burning powders, you could get some pretty good speeds with that round. IF, that's what he would want. Or fast powder and light loads with boolits would be very quiet. I'm sure anywhere from 16-20" would be a fine shooter no matter what. Lead or jacketed.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Rifle stocked or pistol configuration? What does he presently like in barrel lengths? What has he expressed interest in? Personally speaking the feel and balance of the gun determine my choice of barrel length, not the case capacity.
    “You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy


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    I find that longer barrels work better when shooting offhand.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Longer barrels are also much quieter! Especially when shot with "Cat Sneeze" type loads.

    Fiocchi .32 S&W Long factory wadcutter, fired in my relined and rechambered English rook rifle having a 25-inch barrel is no louder than an air rifle.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master


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    There might be reason to go longer for balance, appearance, more sight radius. As for outright velocity 16.5" gets you all the velocity you will get out of the cartridge according to Ballistics by the Inch.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master trapper9260's Avatar
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    I single shot gun I had made for a 327 mag ,the barrel I had done was 21" at 50 yards with 115gr SWC in a 3/4" group on a rest, It is off a H&R Handi Rifle
    Life Member of NRA,NTA,DAV ,ITA. Also member of FTA,CBA

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outpost75 View Post
    Longer barrels are also much quieter! Especially when shot with "Cat Sneeze" type loads.

    Fiocchi .32 S&W Long factory wadcutter, fired in my relined and rechambered English rook rifle having a 25-inch barrel is no louder than an air rifle.
    What he said.
    I have never heard one.

    I think one could have a lot of fun with a gun like that.

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master


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    I can verify that the 16.5" barrel rifle I have is extremely quiet with powder puff loads. I wouldn't call it air gun quiet, but about like a 22 long rifle.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    My ruger 77/357 magnum is 22lr quiet or a little less with 38 special light loads.
    I will be following this thread as I'm getting the henry big boy steel 327 fed mag in a couple months.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master

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    I would go with a 21-24" tapered barrel.
    For no other reason than to get the muzzle blast further from my ears.
    But, that's just me.
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  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Scope or open sights? Pistol or rifle configuration? Open sights go as long as you reasonably can, for scope it doesn't matter. If originally a pistol configuration is there some legal problem with the long barrel? or just balance issues.
    Wayne the Shrink

    There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!

  14. #14
    Boolit Master wonderwolf's Avatar
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    It is a rifle configuration I'm putting together for him

    I went with a stainless 18" medium taper with sight holes drilled mid and front just for back up sights. I have a bunch of spare iron sights we can put on it so we're good there.

    Lots of great reasoning for different lengths guys thanks for the help, most of my straightwall barrels are bull 16.25" and for him I wanted a little batter balance and ease as he'll use this to pop ground hogs and such.

    He is a great shot but has been focusing on pistol more lately so this will be a nice change of pace and he can load develop for it.

    I thought about having it threaded but for what MGM wanted to charge to thread I can do it in the shop

    Quote Originally Posted by psweigle View Post
    My ruger 77/357 magnum is 22lr quiet or a little less with 38 special light loads.
    I will be following this thread as I'm getting the henry big boy steel 327 fed mag in a couple months.
    psweigle that is hands down my all time favorite rifle, I've been hoping ruger would come out with a 327 version by now but no go.

    I've done so much load development and experimenting with the 77/357 its borderline obsessiveness. Had my barrel sent out and threaded with the sight pushed back in anticipation of suppressing it (waiting on acknowledgment of that freedom from the gov. now). The 77 is VERY versatile, I extended the sight radius considerably on mine by mounting a williams sight on the rear of the receiver which helps a lot if you are a fan of irons.
    My firearms project blog

  15. #15
    Moderator Emeritus


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    As far as a walking around gun, I am really impressed with the 16"-18" bbl lengths.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master
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    The Contender action is so compact that the 18" barrel will still appear pretty short. With the common loadings for the 327 and its siblings, this is still more than long enough, but you could go to 20" just for balance if you like... I don't think I would go any longer than that though. JMHO, it's your project.

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by wonderwolf View Post
    It is a rifle configuration I'm putting together for him

    I went with a stainless 18" medium taper with sight holes drilled mid and front just for back up sights. I have a bunch of spare iron sights we can put on it so we're good there.

    Lots of great reasoning for different lengths guys thanks for the help, most of my straightwall barrels are bull 16.25" and for him I wanted a little batter balance and ease as he'll use this to pop ground hogs and such.

    He is a great shot but has been focusing on pistol more lately so this will be a nice change of pace and he can load develop for it.

    I thought about having it threaded but for what MGM wanted to charge to thread I can do it in the shop



    psweigle that is hands down my all time favorite rifle, I've been hoping ruger would come out with a 327 version by now but no go.

    I've done so much load development and experimenting with the 77/357 its borderline obsessiveness. Had my barrel sent out and threaded with the sight pushed back in anticipation of suppressing it (waiting on acknowledgment of that freedom from the gov. now). The 77 is VERY versatile, I extended the sight radius considerably on mine by mounting a williams sight on the rear of the receiver which helps a lot if you are a fan of irons.
    I wish ruger would make it in 327 as well.

  18. #18
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by Hickory View Post
    I would go with a 21-24" tapered barrel.
    For no other reason than to get the muzzle blast further from my ears.
    But, that's just me.

    What he said....preferably the 24".
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master
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    In my little froggie dreams I can see a re-introduced Ruger #3 in 327 Fed Mag. That, along with my 8 shot Blackhawk in the same caliber would be a great pair to use on a walkabout!

    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Would be neat in a baby sharps as well, 327, that is! I have a 24 inch bull in 256win for my Contender, wish I had gotten the tapered barrel in that length, it’s too nose heavy.
    “You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos

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