A little here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_m4M8CAe0
And here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kmRYH0jX-Y
A google search turned these up. Could have done that yourself.
Last edited:
3 months later on the 327 1.87'
- Thread starter Doc Holliday 1950
- Start date
A little here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz_m4M8CAe0
And here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kmRYH0jX-Y
A google search turned these up. Could have done that yourself.
TruthTellers
New member
Cool, but that ammo isn't standard ammo and when I compare different calibers, I'm taking the regular ammo and comparing them head to head, not the boutique Inceptor or Buffalo Bore/Doubletap stuff.
But I guess that when there's a caliber comparison, the new rule on the internet is to judge it by what the boutique ammo can do. I'll keep that in mind.
HighValleyRanch
New member
For some unknown reason, they sell that "boutique" ARX 9mm at my local hardware store here in Northern rural California! But it's 20.00 for 25 rounds. Not range ammo for sure.
TruthTellers
New member
Can get it for less online, including the unfluted bullets that cost half as much and do the same damage in gel.
But you're right, if the ARX is that fast, then there's no reason to shoot .300 BLK cuz in a 16 inch barrel that ARX is probably going faster
Doc Holliday 1950
New member
Great replies pro & con. The one major point that I forgot to say is that for the first time in years my wife found the perfect carry for her. The LCR 327 fit her hand perfectly & being recoil sensitive the 32 H&R Hornady is a excellent SD round for her. When we went to our range I fired her LCR using 32 S&WL fmj ammo & was quite impressed. I bought a box of the Hornady ammo & was more than impressed. I went out & bought one for myself. Her LCR was priced at $445
the owner of my GS told me a client ordered it but changed his mind after it came in. Mine cost $535. Our practice ammo runs in the $12/box of 50 & our SD ammo runs in the $16/box of 25. These prices are not wallet busters or boutique ammo.
This is just about my wife finally finding the right carry which just happens to be a great revolver that Ruger came out with but never really tried to market it properly.
the owner of my GS told me a client ordered it but changed his mind after it came in. Mine cost $535. Our practice ammo runs in the $12/box of 50 & our SD ammo runs in the $16/box of 25. These prices are not wallet busters or boutique ammo.
This is just about my wife finally finding the right carry which just happens to be a great revolver that Ruger came out with but never really tried to market it properly.
TruthTellers
New member
I don't think you can blame Ruger for the .327's slow start, 2008 was a very hectic year financially and politically and come 2009 we were knee deep in a very bad recession that we didn't really come out of fully until 2012 and at that time we had several high profile mass shootings that led to a panic.
People either didn't have the money to buy a new revolver or were terrified and ran out to buy semi auto's with detachable magazines. I was told by a guy who worked at Ruger that if it wasn't for the Sandy Hook shooting, he would have struggled to pay bills and food cuz he was working 20 hours a week overtime due to the demand.
Ruger had to cut production on .327, they didn't have the machines or people to dedicate to making the guns.
.327's best chance to gain traction is now and it appears it is gaining traction with women for concealed carry. What .327 and .32 Mag need right now is more companies to start making ammo for it and make the ammo affordable. $27 for American Eagle JSP is pricey and when you consider it's not using as much brass or lead as .357, there's no reason it can't be closer to $20.
Hopefully the cheaper ammo makers like Armscor, Magtech, PMC, PPU, Fiocchi start getting into manufacturing .32 Mag and .327 Mag. That's when the tide is gonna change.
Doc Holliday 1950
New member
truthTellers,
I completely forgot about 2008 when the money got really tight. You hit the nail on the button. It was my wife who found the LCR 327. Just as a side note. When she shoots at our range, she draws quite a crowd watching her shoot. It seems that they're not used to seeing a 69 year old woman shooting 5 out of 6 bulls eyes with consistency at 25 feet using both target & SD ammo. I do buy the ammo in bulk at a 1000 rounds at a time which gives me a rebate & free shipping. Every little thing helps.Thanks for the reminder.
I completely forgot about 2008 when the money got really tight. You hit the nail on the button. It was my wife who found the LCR 327. Just as a side note. When she shoots at our range, she draws quite a crowd watching her shoot. It seems that they're not used to seeing a 69 year old woman shooting 5 out of 6 bulls eyes with consistency at 25 feet using both target & SD ammo. I do buy the ammo in bulk at a 1000 rounds at a time which gives me a rebate & free shipping. Every little thing helps.Thanks for the reminder.
littlebikerider
New member
If you are a reloader, MidwayUSA has Rainier plated 100gr bullets on sale. .08/ea in lots of 500. That takes the bite out of the ammo cost considerably.
Cosmodragoon
New member
The SP101 feels solid and looks great. My problem is that the stock trigger isn't very good in my experience. Even after a professional trigger job, it's still lackluster. It could just be me getting older but it feels like newer SP101s have a worse trigger than older ones. The most recent two I've handled had a lot of side-to-side play in the trigger and hammer.
Another factor is that I think the very good stock trigger on the LCR hurts my opinion of the SP101. Sure, the LCR is a lighter gun and does get moved a little more by recoil. Somewhere between the better trigger, cushy grips, and possibly better hand/finger alignment with the geometry; the LCR is actually a better shooting experience for me (with reasonable loads). That's part of why I'm very excited to see if they release a 3" LCRX in .327 Federal.
The really hot loads in .327 and most commercial loads in .357 can be unpleasant to shoot in the LCR. The issue for me is that those .357 loads aren't exactly comfortable in the SP101 either. The place where the SP101 still shines for me is with those hot loads in .327 Federal. The SP101 is just enough heavier to balance them out. Especially with the 4" SP101, none of the .327 Federal loads I've tried have been obnoxious.
TruthTellers
New member
For me the issue with the SP101 is the grip; with factory rubber/wood the grip is too small and downright uncomfortable. The trigger isn't the dumpsterfire everyone makes it out to be, I've felt worse triggers, but that doesn't mean it's a good trigger either. The hammer is extremely heavy and difficult to cock for a single action and that may have to do more with the small grip and terrible ergos of the SP101 than the hammer's weight.
Having only shot a few rounds of .327 100gr American Eagle in it, I feel given more practice I will be able to handle that hot loaded ammo, but switch that to a 3 inch LCRx in a gun that weighs 10oz less... I don't think so. If most of what you'd be shooting is 85 grain .327 or .32 H&R Mag/S&W Long ammo, then it should be just fine.
All in all I'm really not impressed with the SP101. I know given its smaller frame it's going to have limitations with the trigger and ergonomics, but I've got a 4 inch Charter Arms .357 from the 80s that is lighter than the SP101, but has a fantastic trigger and with .357 I'm able to hit better with it over the .327 SP101.
I've bought my first and last SP101 and Ruger would be smart to keep adding to the LCRx line because they are superior to the SP101 in every way except decades long longevity due to the polymer.
Cosmodragoon
New member
TruthTellers, .327 is peculiar in being "just right" with the right load in the right gun. Those 85-grain loads in .327 feel "just right" with their balance of power and recoil in the LCR. The extra pressure or weight of the more powerful loads in .327 push it out of that balance for the LCR but not the SP101. I know that's subjective. That's part of why I like reading about the experiences of other members with this round.
TruthTellers
New member
My intention for the SP101 was a kit gun and the heaviest bullet I intended to shoot was 100 grain JHP's, maybe the 115 grain JHP's if Speer starts making them again. The LCR is meant for conceal carry so an 85 grain bullet is just fine for that use.
I will say for as negative as I've been on the .327 in revolvers lately, in regards to the "just right" concept, when it comes to the small frame LCR and SP101 sized revolvers, the .327 feels more right than any .357 ever can.
IMO, the resistance to .327 mainly comes from .357 fanboys and it has less to do with performance or shootability or perceived noise, it mainly stems from them just not wanting to bother with another caliber, let alone one that is smaller. To them there's an answer to every .32 Mag or .327 load in .38 Special or .357 Magnum.
Cosmodragoon
New member
The absolute best grip I've found for the SP101 is the Hogue Hardwood. It has the same general shape as their rubber grip but is just a little bit fatter. That little bit goes a long way. Even with the transition to a harder grip material, having that grip fill my hand better makes for a much nicer shooting experience.
Having 20% more ammunition onboard when the gun is intended for self-defense is a big enough advantage for me to choose a 6-shot LCR chambered in .327 Magnum over the same 5-shot revolver chambered in .38 Special/.357 Magnum. Although there are 6-shot .38/.357 Magnum smaller frame revolvers available today, none of them are as small and/or as light in weight as the little Ruger is.
The original 6-shot Colt Cobra/Agent snub-nose revolvers, chambered in .38 Special, weighing the same as a 5-shot, Smith & Wesson J-frame Airweight, .38 Special revolver, and having a cylinder only 1/10th of an inch wider, were probably the best configurations of all for being a compact, lightweight revolver for concealed carry duties, imo.
Cosmodragoon
New member
I don't have personal experience with that gun but a key issue is that it's "only .38 special". Don't get me wrong. It's not like .38 special is terrible and it has been trusted for decades upon decades for defensive purposes. Especially with a very short barrel though, some people consider it "marginal". I spent several years carrying .38 special and beyond the capacity advantage, I do feel more confident in the performance of .327 Federal.
Check into Pachmayr Guardian grips. I have them on a 9mm LCRX. Usually not readily available and take a little getting used to, but fit in a pocket well.