# .327 vs .357



## Plainswalker (Sep 24, 2009)

I have been saving up to buy a new revolver. Originally I wanted to get a .357, but after reading about the .327 it seems like that might be a better option due to its lower recoil and larger clip size. The downsides I see are that ammo might be harder to find and more expensive and it will be harder to find a used .327. Any thoughts on this? Does anyone own a .327?


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

I have owned and used most every 32 that came along. I like them for small game and plugging trapped animals, even finished off a few deer and antelope with them. I was excited when the 327 came out, but lost some interest when they put it in a 357 frame size. I was hoping for a small frame with brisk recoil. I think I would choose 357 due to ammo choice and long term supply. I have a few 32 H&R Mags, and reload old brass. I don't know if they even sell ammo any more, it sure isn't common.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

You can't got wrong with a* 357*


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## gunseller (Feb 20, 2010)

The 327 is supposed to be every thing the 32 mag was supposed to be. Ammo is in short supply but I think it will get better. In a 327 you can shoot 327ammo, 32 mag ammo, 32 long ammo, 32 short ammo and( I am not telling you to do this) 32 ACP ammo. That is a lot of trys to find something to shoot in it but non are as common as 357 or 38 special and the 32 cal. ammo cost as much as 357 so cheap practice is not there. That said you never said what your usage of the revolver will be. If you reload the ammo cost is about the same. Your money so buy what you want but for me for now I would go for a good 38 or 357 depending on what I am going to do with the revolver.
Steve


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## Murray in ME (May 10, 2002)

I like most everything I've read about the .327. But, if I were in the market for a new revolver, I'd get a .357. You can get all the versatility you mentioned for the .327 with a .357 revolver. You can get light .38 special loads if your're looking for low recoil. You can get 7 and 8 round .357 revolvers. One thing you can get with the .357 are heavier loads suitable for hunting. If I were shopping for a new .357 I'd look hard at S&W's 7 round 686or the 386 NightGuard or the large frame, 8 round S&W 627.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

The one thing that soured me was a recent article I read that said the 327 about equals a 30 Carbine fired from a revolver. The 30 Carbine Blackhawks I have dealt with were the most offensive, shrill revolvers made. Maybe the 357 SuperMags Dan Wesson used to put out would match them for loud report. And the 30 Carbine round was never held in high regard as a killer of much of anything, men or beasts. Put it in a handgun and lose some velocity and it really becomes ho hum.


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## PopPop (Nov 12, 2010)

I think it would be hard to beat the .357 in a mid bore revolver and the days of trying the new calibers is over for me. I think a limited selection with a large inventory probably will serve better.


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## MichaelK! (Oct 22, 2010)

HI PW
Go to your local sporting goods store and just count the number of choices you have in either .32mag/.327 or 38spl/.357mag. I'd bet you box of ammo that 38/357 wins before you even finishing counting. Let that be what guides your choice.

You can buy target .38 specials that just go pop, or hunting .357 loads that will kill a deer. More likely than not, you'll find .357's with the same number of chambers per cylinder (six) as the .327.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

I was looking at the 327 it could be a cool cal but it has to come from behind 38 -.357 have a hundred years of everyone using it , basicaly if you want to make a cal popular you just need to get 90% of police departments or the military to use it for a decade or 2 fairly unlikely for 327 to acomplish that.

.40 cal has been out 20 years aproximatly it has been hugly popular with police departments so it is now a common cal. 

327 could be a very cool round to reload for , but as talked about on reloading forums manufacturers don't normaly set out to make a gun with reloaders in mind 

manufacturers make gap guns and common cal guns for the most part 

gap guns and rounds fill some gap that someone saw between to sizes or between power ranges so 327 makes a 32 go 357 speeds as some one on a reloading forum pointed out it's like a 32-20 for a pistol , and they thought it would be grand to have a 32-20 rifle pistol combo but many mave never even hear of 32-20.

357 sig was a gap gun , gets a 9mm projectile to 357 volicities and one asks why at the time mid 80's they didn't have a 9mm hollow point bullet technology to take the higher speeds why reinvent the cartrige to a bottle neck, why not make 9x19 9x20 9x21 or just use a hotter faster powder of smaller volume they are very available part of that answer is in safty the industry doesn't want a cartrige that will fit in a gun that will be way over preasure or a round like 9x18 /9mm luger to drop in and obstruct yes it still happens but they try some any how 

so why do we see 327 revolvers in 357 frames the answer is very easy the aready had the blanks for the 357s and all most all cilinders are CNC machined now and the star on the back of the cilinder is also cut that way so with very minimal changes to machining adding a 7th round is no problem with smaller size holes .

much the same way custom shops take 6 round ruger 480 revolvers and make 50 cal 5 round guns from them in some of the classic 1/2 bore dangerouse game cartiges for people who want that type of thing.


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## zant (Dec 1, 2005)

Just IMO-Col.Cooper said it best and it applies to the .327--An answer to a question that was'nt asked....Buy a .357 and be happy...you probably know this but revolvers don't take clips-clips feed magazines(except for Garand).The .357 can be loaded hot,mellow or anyplace in between.


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## Sandspider (Feb 12, 2008)

I agree with zant and Mr. Jeff Cooper. The .357 is just too versitile. Most of the times the new and improved is not better than the proven.


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## Va. goatman (May 12, 2006)

Sandspider said:


> I agree with zant and Mr. Jeff Cooper. The .357 is just too versitile. Most of the times the new and improved is not better than the proven.


I agree also every time something new comes out they compare it to the 357 so why not just get a 357


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## Usingmyrights (Jan 10, 2011)

I'd go with the .357. Cheaper and easier to find. Plus you can use the even cheaper and easier to find .38. If you have the money to really stock up on ammo, then the .327 may be ok. I haven't shot one and don't recall the stats offhand, so I can't say how it'd be comparisonwise. By stocking up, I mean atleast 500rounds, preferably 1k or better. With the .357 I'd feel ok with just a few hundred rounds since its much more readily available.


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