1894 in 327 magnum? Yes 327?

[6.5BR]

The new Ruger or Hornady round, will we see it?  What do you think about it?

[Mikey]

6.5BR - realizing full well that I am simply a curmudgeon with this stuff I believe we will eventually see the Ruger's new 327 Chevy Magnum and will most likely see it in a lever gun to compliment the revolver. 

What do I think about it - I think the ballistics duplicate some existing cartridges and I wonder how long it will thrive, and of course I always wonder why we wouldneed it.  Ruger could not possibly have chambered its revolver for the 32-20 as that cartrdige is soooooooo old and obsolete that the brass would turn to dust in the cylinder and the bullet would just simply roll out the barrel.  And of course, any autoloading pistol round with similar capabilities is probably so far beyond the mindset of Ruger engineers they couldn't possibly deal with applying the concept, so they squoze down a tree-fiddy-seben to the size of a chevy small block and called it something new.

Well, you did ask what I thought about it.................. Mikey.

[Swampman]

It seem like something the CAS crowd would like.  After all they've gotten so far away from authenticity, what difference would it make?

[6.5BR]

Hi Mikey,

I am no CAS, and always wanting in the past for a 41, now that they are/were back in production recently, skipped over in favor of the 357 due to the ballistics in a rifle, I was impressed.

My 1894 does 2030-2050 fps with 158's/Lil Gun so I am happy.  Personally I was looking in past out of curiosity at some Marlin in 32 magnum, don't know if the 32/20 equalled it, but none the less the 327 sounds neat.......but whether it would replace or warrant owning having a 357.....doubt it.

If I were never intending to shoot a deer, and wanted a fun small game/coyote, and even less recoil it might warrant a look.  I'd imagine a good lung shot would drop a deer fine with a 327, but just like the 350 vs 327, the larger has more torque, so it is with a heavier 35 bullet, mo better.....one might say, if you were to go after deer.

If bulk 32 bullets and 327 brass had a cost savings over 357 loads, that might be a savings, but I am not sure that will be the case.  I do think it will offer nice performance, accuracy and energy for very mild recoil, deadly through coyotes to say 150 yds or so, light on deer, but would work if you had a 'chance opportunity' but all this thought is just that.....my thoughts.  I do think it would be a fun plinking and hunting rifle/round for within it's capabilities, likely equalling or close to it, the trajectory of a 357, but less recoil, something perhaps already to be had if one put 125's in a 357, but I have only used 158's, perhaps a few 140s cannot recall.....all loaded up.

[Mikey]

Swampman - I think you're right.  There is a lot of appeal to matching caliber handgun, rifle or carbine and that caliber may well develop its own following.

6.5BR:  I agree with you a lot.  I noticed, when it was first introduced in the magazines, that it was compared to the 357.  I'm a fan of the 357 and have often thought about a 357 lever rifle.  Lots of guys swear by them and the ballistics are pretty impressive. 

I also like the 44 Magnum but have enough short barreled lever guns in 444 to satisfy that need, or want, er whatever........

You mentioned the 158 and 140 gn slugs, and the 125s as well.  Does your 94 shoot cast bullets well??  Sometimes a heavier, slower moving slug might help reduce the recoil without losing too much of the ballistic capabilities of a magnum load.  Mikey.

[6.5BR]

Honestly never have tried any cast to date, may have to do so.  Thanks.  Any recommendation let me know, as the only lead I poured was for slingshot ammo when younger.......

[canon6]

I have 357 leverguns(Rossi 92) and I am going to have the first 327 Ruger I can lay my hands on.If it comes out in a lever gun I will have one of them.I have  32H&R mag(Ruger SP101) and it is a trip, it has become my wifes favorite revolver. just my2c   Doug

[crash87]

I echo Mikey's sentiment, Why a 327, what ever happened to the 32 H&R and yes, the good ol' 32/20. It seems these new (old) cartirdges are being brought out and the only thing that's different is the headstamp. Personally though if Ruger were to chamber it in a single action I'd consider it, as I was to late to get a 32 H&R in the S.Six. Marlin, I believe, does not chamber there '94 in 32 H&R anymore, there still out there but sure didnt last long in the lineup. With that, would they even consider it in a 327? I'm not a fan of the dual rifle/handgun when the handgun is a double action. If its being compared to a 357, then why not a 357, in this case the difference is small but tends to favor the 357. I have a work in progress right now getting a Marlin 1894/Ruger B.H., 357 mag ready for a Texas Javelina hunt. Cast 180 gr LBT LFN in each. With that set up I think a 327 would be slightly redundant. To someone in the market for there 1st dual gun/same cartridge set up it might be worth while to consider it. To a company like Hornady, a smaller ammo maker et.al., as opposed to say, Remington, where profit has to be huge and now before they would even consider a new cartridge, I apllaude them, not only for there continuieing line, but for also coming out with, not only new, but some of the old (not obselete anymore) favorites. CRASH87

[Mikey]

6.5 - I would start with 158 gn cast, either round nose or semi-wads, just to see how they shoot.  Some lever rifles need to be bore lapped - that is, have some controlled wear imparted to the bore to assure concentricity and remove roughness that causes inaccuracy with cast bullets - but this is a fun process..... Some shoot fine, others need help.  I think Sierra or Speer makes a 200 gn jacketed silhouette bullet but depending on the bore diameter of your rifle, some of the slugs for the 35 caliber rifles may work for you. 

I like heavy for the bore slugs.  200 gn swc slugs are my favorites for my shorter barreled revolvers and I'm thinking they would/should shoot well in a lever.  Carry a lot of 'oomph'.  However, loaded down they are easy to shoot and still carry a lot of 'oomph'. Mikey

[6.5BR]

Thanks Mikey, doing some 'fire lapping' now........with jacketed bullets!  No not using any grit....just plane boolits....

How fast can you shoot the cast in these 1894's 'assuming your bore is broken in' w/o leading and do you need a gas check?

Paper ballistics may not impress much, but when I see what a 158@2000 does on milk jugs filled with water, and 2ltr coke bottles, I am impressed.  That said I heard the 357/Marlin did in a few black bears with 140 or 140 class bullets, not sure if jacketed or cast, but Imagine the 180-200 cast would take game far greater in size than one might imagine.  Seriously would believe an elk lung shot or similar to 100 yds would not feel well if hit by one!

[Mikey]

6.5BR:  I believe you should stay around 1500 - 1700 with plain based cast slugs but the literature available at Beartooth may help with that.  Anything cast I want to shoot faster - say to jacketed velocities, wear a gascheck.

I like your style of bore lapping.............

I doubt anything lung shot with a 200 gn 357 would feel very good but on a critter the size of a Elk it would probably be a long number of miles before the animal felt bad enough to lay down and die, if it even felt that bad at all..............  None the less, the velocities one can attain with the 357 mag and heavy slugs make it pretty impressive from a rifle.   

I would also opine that the lighter weight hps might expand a bit too quickly in a rifle, but solids, cast or softpoints may work pretty well.  HTH.  Mikey.

[6.5BR]

Mikey, shooting 158 RP jsp's.  Also, read awhile back on revolvers say Redhawks, the bores polished over if you put a few hundred jacketed bullets in them first, then used cast, had less fouling.....appreciate the info.

I would have thought a good hard cast flat nose of good weight would put a big hurt on even an elk.  Seems you don't think it would deliver a very clean kill......but my gut would tell me a good 180-200gr driven fast would go darn near through on a chest shot say w/in 100 yds or so?  I don't know, but if that was what were in my hands, and legal, I'd not pass an opportunity like that.....remember a guy wrote an article for a colt handgunner mag years ago, dropped his elk with a New Frontier in 44 special, hard cast 250gr or so, at 1100 give or take, granted a different bulllet, but it seems a hard cast 180-200gr 35 would dig pretty deep?  Seems on deer anyway, many say once you get the lungs, regardless of what with, animal going down often in short order.  Elk, maybe different 'animal' for lack of better word.

[WILD_WEASEL]

Hum...  How about a Blackhawk Convertable with 327mag and 32/20 cylinders?  Along with an H&R Handi/Carbine Combo with 327mag and 32/20 barrels.  Both would be great fun for those of us limited to indoor ranges most f the time.

[Greeenriver]

Having a pair of the Ruger Single Six's and a Marlin all in 32 H&R Mag., I sincerely hope that both Ruger and Marlin do chamber guns in the new .327 Mag.  I would hope that they would chamber it in the Single Six line, and in the Marlin CB line.

I like to have versatility in a firearm, the ability to shoot heavy loads or lite loads depending on what I'm using it for that day. It never hurts to have more power available than what you are using at the time.

Also, I just like to have more guns, and probably would have to buy a pair of the Rugers and another Marlin if they do come out in .327 Mag.  That in it's self is a good reason to wish for another caliber. LOL!!!!!

I try to buy me guns in sets, two revolvers and a rifle in each caliber. I currently have sets in 45 Colt, 44 Mag, 32 H&R Mag, and 32-20.  I like them all.

I have no desire to own double action revolvers, they just don't do anything for me at all. So the new Ruger DA in 327 is not an option for me yet, but it might replace my 5 shot 38 for a Carry gun, as it will hold 6 instead of 5 and, from reading the article in Shooting Times, provide a little more stopping power than a 38+p round.  Only time will tell about that.

The article mention the Velosity figures from an 18 in barrel carbine, wonder what kind it was???

Do we need another magnum caliber?? No.  Will they sell many of them?  Only time will tell. Do I want a set??? Yes.

With my 44 Mag revolvers, I can shoot 44 Rus., 44 Spec., or 44 Mag.
With my 45 Colt revolvers, I can shoot 45 Cowboy Specials, or 45 Colts.
With the 327 Mag revolvers, I could shoot 32 S&W, 32 S&W Longs, 23 H&R Mags, or 327 Mags.

Sounds good to me.

Greeenriver