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gunfan
04-04-2013, 01:02 AM
MAY 2008, .327 FEDERAL
MAGNUM CARTRIDGE
Those of us who are serious small-bore, small-game revolver enthusiasts have clamored for years for the moral equivalent of the great old .32-20 but in a more modern, tougher, available package. The cartridge fairies have been listening and have come through in grand style. The .327 Federal Magnum will perform every bit as well as hand-loaded high-pressure, high-performance .32-20 loadings. Better still, the .327 is nothing more than a stretched .32 H&R Magnum which means it is quite small in diameter and can be built in 6-shot guns on relatively small frames, places the longer, larger .32-20 just wouldn’t fit easily (or cheaply).

For reasons known only to the fine folks at Sturm, Ruger & Company, the .327 has ended up in their small double-action SP-101 rather than in the Single-Six. While the SP-101 is a hardy little double-action gun, many of us really, really wanted to see the gun in a small single action. The .327 will work fine in a slightly longer cylinder body section with virtually no other modifications. The walls and webs of the factory .32 H&R cylinder are thicker than many .357 Magnums so there is no reason to go to a more costly and complicated 5-shot part.

Bowen Classic Arms is adding the chambering to our line-up and will offer Single-Six and medium-frame Blackhawk and Flat Top single-action revolvers in this great little cartridge. We’ll have a semi drop-in cylinder available under the RS06 catalog number for the .32 H&R Single-Six model that will utilize the original barrel suitably modified for the long-body cylinder. The receiver will be properly marked as to caliber and then re-blued. We’ll also offer a more sophisticated version similar to our ‘Long Hunter’ package per catalog number RS07 which will feature a line-bored cylinder, custom barrel and the usual trimmings. We’ll also note the availability of 6-shot line-bored conversions with factory-style cylinders in conventional calibers in all of the New Model size receivers.

We’re hoping to have our initial run of cylinder blanks available this summer. As an aside, these same blanks will enable us to offer tight-chamber .22 rim fires. .22 and .25 caliber wildcats based on the .327 are contemplated, as well. We’ve done a few Smith & Wesson K-frame guns in .327 which have proven wonderful shooters. Unfortunately, the better cylinders for re-chambering are the scarce older K22 parts. As the supply is fading fast, we’re working to produce a long-body K-frame S&W cylinder which we can utilize not only for the .327 but also the .32-20, .218 Bee, .25-20 and .256. For M53 enthusiasts, we will be able to fashion an auxiliary .22 LR cylinder. As long as we can get our paws on K22 barrels, which should be in S&W part bins for a while now, we’ll be able to produce the lovely K-frame M14s and M15 in a variety of great small-game and plinking rounds, including the .327 It is not often that we have a new revolver cartridge to get fired up about but the .327 Magnum is the most important mainstream cartridge offering since the .44 Magnum for serious revolver nuts.

historicfirearms
04-04-2013, 08:02 PM
I took one of the NRA summer gun smithing courses a few years back and it was taught by Hamilton Bowen. He was a great instructor and a true gentleman.
I'm not sure what you wanted to discuss with this posting, but I can add that Bowen makes some fine revolvers.

gunfan
04-04-2013, 08:52 PM
I simply wanted everyone to know that Bowen has arranged to make the "K" frame S&W .327 Federal Magnum with a 6" barrel (or longer) a reality.

This is wonderful news for those of us that want to see this cartridge reach it's true potential.

Scott

Green Frog
04-04-2013, 08:56 PM
Bowen is building 327s now when parts are available. When cylinders are in production, the only limiting factor will be barrels, which can be turned up from blanks for single actions but which require something more for S&Ws... the preferred method is to rebore Model 17 or 617 (etc) barrels from their original 22 to the 32. There have been a couple of write-ups in gun mags about building them, with Bowen's name (rightfully) figuring prominently in them. He has done some ground breaking work on these guns in this caliber, but I went to another, less well known but very respected custom 'smith named Andy Horvath to have my 327 FM K-frame built. I used an original 617 barrel and cylinder for mine and the result is awesome. I wish S&W would take a hint and build them, but I doubt they ever will, so I was willing to go the custom route. For me, at least, it was well worth it!

Froggie

gunfan
04-05-2013, 04:08 AM
Bowen is building 327s now when parts are available. When cylinders are in production, the only limiting factor will be barrels, which can be turned up from blanks for single actions but which require something more for S&Ws... the preferred method is to rebore Model 17 or 617 (etc) barrels from their original 22 to the 32. There have been a couple of write-ups in gun mags about building them, with Bowen's name (rightfully) figuring prominently in them. He has done some ground breaking work on these guns in this caliber, but I went to another, less well known but very respected custom 'smith named Andy Horvath to have my 327 FM K-frame built. I used an original 617 barrel and cylinder for mine and the result is awesome. I wish S&W would take a hint and build them, but I doubt they ever will, so I was willing to go the custom route. For me, at least, it was well worth it!

Froggie

I spoke with S&W and dropped the same hint. This was the revolver they should have begun building in 1984 (the genesis of the .32 H&R Magnum.) Had they called it the .32 Federal Special and the .327 Federal Magnum, the system would have been complete.

Scott