Ruger SP101 3" .327

'88Scrat

New member
Saw one of these over the weekend and the thing looks gorgeous. I've been kicking around the idea of getting another revolver for while now and I really like what I saw but the .327 clambering seems a bit odd to me.

Anyone have any experience with the SP101 in .327?

The price seems reasonable so who knows what I might be persuaded into... :D
 

'88Scrat

New member
I guess my first question is what is the long term outlook like? It's not one of those fad cartridges that will be impossible to find in 5-6 years.

Also I've never owned a Ruger revolver, all mine are S&W. I've heard great things but what's your opinion? How do they compare?
 

dgludwig

New member
I've been considering getting one for my wife but I keep hearing (reading) how bad the da trigger pull is on this revolver. At this time, there are no gun stores in my area that have them in stock for my wife and I to try the trigger pull on. I'm interested but only if my wife can manage the da trigger pull effectively.
 

hammie

New member
Ammunition availability is difficult to predict. It was only 5-6 years ago that .22LR was impossible to find. While I do not think it will become as rare as Scrat's Ice Age Acorn, I do think the .327 federal is established enough that it will always be found at cabelas/bass pro, but not necessarily at Wal-Mart. And as "Reddot" said, the .327 will shoot other .32's. Be aware that the .327 is a high pressure cartridge and the muzzle flash and blast will be noticeable in the SP101, as indeed the .357 would also be in the SP101. I have a friend who has a .327 and he likes it as a defense cartridge, because he claims that if he misses, he would still be likely to set the assailant on fire. That being said, I believe the SP101 in the 32 chamberings, is one of the best woods, trail, camping, tackle box, etc. guns out there. With handloading there is even more versatility - from self defense to plinking.

I have an SP101 chambered for .32 H&R. I like it very much. No, the trigger is not even remotely as smooth as S&W, and yes, the trigger pull is hard, and not too much can be done about it. However, trigger pull is subjective and personal. It's just one of those things that you have to make your own decision about. Wilson and Wolffe make spring kits to lighten and improve the trigger. I think it is supposed to bring the trigger from 12-14, down to 10 pounds. The SP101 is easy to disassemble and installation should be within reach of the home gunsmith. So far, I have not changed the springs. I'd rather deal with the heavier trigger pull than risk reliability and ignition problems from lighter hammer springs. But, again, that's a personal call, and the trigger, as is, has not been a significant problem for me.
 

P Flados

New member
I am a reloader and a bullet caster.

I shoot my SP-101 327 a lot with small bullet low power target ammo. For me, this ammo is very low cost.

Unless you have a real need, full power 327s are not "fun". They have a lot of bark (loud) and bite (more recoil than I like). The 32 mag power level is a lot more reasonable and is probably a better choice for most.

As previously noted, ammo will not be on the shelf in every store, but I expect it to stay in production.

I did get the Wolffe spring kit. The trigger spring helped more than the hammer spring. Eventually I put the factory hammer spring back in as I was having trouble setting off the small rifle primers I use for hotter loads.
 

littlebikerider

New member
I put the Wolf hammer spring in my .327 SP-101. they ship three springs in the kit, I went with the "middle" one, it was a 10lb. I haven't had any light strikes with it so far, a couple hundred rounds in. I haven't yet tried changing the trigger spring.
I agree that handloading to 32H&R power ammo is generally the best balance of accuracy and "pleasant" shooting. I just bought a bag of starline .327 brass and a box of Rainier JFP bullets, and that has been working out quite well.
I can find 32S&W long at the Academy Sports stores, which isn't accurate at all in my gun. I have never found .327 in any big box store, I just have the local gun shop order it if I need something special.
 

gnystrom

New member
What's not to like about a revolver that will shoot a half dozen different versions of .32 ammo including 32acp.
A co-worker has one and we all are impressed with it's versatility.
 

Armybrat

New member
Mine is a very nice gun in fit & finish, but the .327 Federal ammo is hard to find around the Austin area. No shortage of .32 S&W Long though. I've bought 25 boxes of 85 & 100 grain American eagle online (don't reload).

The insert grip panels are from Altamont.

4-F7-BEB9-E-0888-4-A3-A-A3-BA-AF849-CB4-C08-D.jpg
 

Gdawgs

New member
I also have the 3" 327. I love this thing. I put 100 rounds through it last night. I also hand load and it's a great round for that.

I just recently put a Pachmaier grip on mine and I love that. Takes the felt recoil down a notch, and it feels good in my hands.

Armybrat,- those are sweet looking inserts!

Scrat - You should get it! :)
 

libiglou

New member
I just got a sp101 in 357 mag. Havent gotten a chance to shoot it yet but the 327 mag in a gp100 has my interest peaked. So many guns so little money...
 

Cosmodragoon

New member
I carry an LCR 327 more than any other gun. It's small, light, and easy to carry. It holds six reasonably powerful rounds that don't hurt my hand like .357 does in a comparable gun.

The SP101 is a good, sturdy, and attractive gun in my opinion. My only complaint is the trigger but that seems to vary. See if the shop will let you do some dry firing before you buy it. If you like it, go for it.

As far as ammo goes, all new cartridges face an uphill battle. The .327 Federal had an especially hard time because it's a revolver cartridge that was released well into the semi-auto age, with especially poor timing, and very poor promotion in my opinion. Even naming it .327 Federal invited unfavorable comparisons to .357 magnum and distracted from the little super-magnum's incredible diversity. When first released, I'm not sure they had longer-barreled options and it took years for a rifle to hit the market. It would have helped to have that coordinated from the start.

Even so, I think it's been a decade now. My local gun stores usually have at least two or three brands on the shelf. You can order online or load your own if need be. Commercially, American Eagle is the most affordable and covers the range from mild 85-grain loads to surprisingly hot 100-grain loads.
 

Crankylove

New member
I put the Wolf hammer spring in my .327 SP-101. they ship three springs in the kit, I went with the "middle" one, it was a 10lb. I haven't had any light strikes with it so far,

I did the same.

I’ve got a early production 3” that I carry daily loaded with .327 Fed. Most range trips it gets a couple cylinders of .327, but 80-90% of what I shoot out of it is .32 H&R and .32 S&W long. It’s a good fit for the wife and kids hands, and with the .32 S&W, recoil is negligible.

I e also recently acquired a 4” GP100 in .327, but haven’t had the chance to take it out yet.

As far as ammo availability, I seen .327 in some form in all my local stores. Not that it matters a whole lot. I only buy a couple boxes a year for carry ammo, everything else is my reloads.
 

TruthTellers

New member
I guess my first question is what is the long term outlook like? It's not one of those fad cartridges that will be impossible to find in 5-6 years.

Also I've never owned a Ruger revolver, all mine are S&W. I've heard great things but what's your opinion? How do they compare?
You're basically asking if this is going to die like .40 has (although it hasn't) and want to know if it's worth getting.

The industry doesn't really care much about the .32 revolver and I don't see that changing for a long time, but I hardly see the industry abandoning the cartridge. If anything, as more men, but more importantly women, discover the advantages of a .32 revolver, you'll probably see Winchester and Remington start to make ammo for .32 revolvers and I'm not talking just .327, but S&W Long and H&R Magnum as well.

And worst case if you have to reload it, .32 bullets are really cheap.

To answer your question on the SP101, I think the Sp101 is the worst revolver Ruger makes. It's not a small/light revolver compared to a J frame or LCR, it's not an easy revolver to shoot like a 686 or GP100, so it tries to be in that Goldilocks zone and it fails... hard.

I have the 4 inch in .327, the double action pull is heavy, but acceptable; I'll never brag about it, but compared to the single action trigger it is better.

I would suggest looking at the LCR or LCRx in .327 instead.
 

Armybrat

New member
Agreed with most of your take about the .327 cartridge, but not about the SP being the “worst” revolver that Ruger makes.
I think it is a nice compromise between the GP & the LCR, especially chambered in .327. In fact I like it better than my old S&W model 13, as it is 4 ounces lighter in the 3” configuration. Not to mention being more robust.

But yeah, the plastic LCR revolvers are easier to tote around. However, each model Ruger makes has its own separate niche in the market.
 

HighValleyRanch

New member
I like the look of those blue models SP101's. Kinda like a smaller version of the Speed six series, and a little lighter but only five shots.
 

libiglou

New member
I just got one in 357(see my other post) and could not disagree with you more. It falls between a j and K frame smith so it does have a lot of possibilities. Shooting 357 is more pleasant than many of the other lightweight j frames. Yes trigger(in my case it was pretty good),finish and a few other things make it a bit less attractive than a smith but its price point was less and locally I could not find any used ones in contrast to tons of used J frame smiths,especially the airweights. However everyone is entitled to an opinion and while I love broccoli many people hate it.
 
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