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Today's Diversion: Mars - The red planet's name brings up many thoughts and memories of science-fiction adventures. But Arthur C. Clarke's wise observation that "the universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine" rings true. Check out this story and the astounding images from Mars.

The .327 Federal Magnum

After looking at the data, I think the .327 Magnum is the cartridge the .32 H&R Magnum should have been all along. I will acknowledge that H&R had to tone down the performance for their less robust designs. But they could have really impacted the market if they had pushed a bit harder.

The .327 Magnum does a few things that a .357 Magnum revolver won't. First, it has an excellent ratio of energy-to-recoil. That is, the low recoil belies the amount of muzzle energy it puts out. Second, it can put six rounds into the same space as five .357 rounds. This extra shot is comforting as few people have ever complained about having too much ammo in a fire-fight.

The lower recoil means that a larger number of people who would otherwise use marginal rounds like a .32 or .380 ACP can now carry something more effective. Who are these people? Most will say women, but there are men who are recoil shy too. Or people with arthritis in their hands for which recoil is painful.

Let's face it. The .357 Magnum is a great, versatile cartridge. But in its most effective loadings, it produces a ferocious blast and muzzle flash accompanied by wrist wrenching recoil, especially in concealable snubby revolvers. The .327 Magnum, though, reduces that recoil and flash considerably out of a 3-inch revolver. I suspect that the noise will be sharp and loud since the cartridge operates at pressures beyond that of the .357 or .44 Magnum.

If you look at energy figures, the .327 Magnum fits neatly between the power of a 9mm and the .357 Magnum. It just about duplicates the power range of the .40 S&W in a smaller, easier to use package. The .327 Magnum produces between 350 and almost 500 foot-pounds of energy at the muzzle. The 9mm tops out into the low 400's. The best performing .357 defense load makes about 585 ft-lbs, although full goose gonzo loads will top out around 700 ft-lbs.

Better than a 9mm and about equal to the .40 S&W. That's not bad for something you can slip into your pocket. And the comparisons even get better in short barreled guns. Most of the .357 data is published for 4-inch barrels which means you lose some velocity in a 2 or 2.5" revolver. But all of the data for the .327 Magnum is based on the 3 1/6-inch Ruger SP-101.

When it comes to versatility, the .357 Magnum is still one of the best. Especially if you include the .38 Special loadings. But if we compare all of the .32 caliber loads to the .38/.357 loads, we see the little .32 has quite a bit of versatility. The chart below shows the range of performance between the .32 and .357 caliber cartridges.

As the chart shows, the .38/.357 caliber has a large useful range. However the .32 caliber has about as much useful range, stopping short of the .357. Quite impressive for a small caliber.

If you are already heavily invested in the .38/.357 caliber, with guns, holsters, reloading equipment as well as shooting ability, the .327 Federal Magnum may not offer you much. However, a first-time gun owner or someone who doesn't want the recoil of the .357 Magnum should be well armed if they select the .327. They can practice with mild .32 S&W Long loadings or even .32 H&R Magnums. These equate with shooting .38 wadcutters and .38 +P to practice with.

Cost will certainly be a factor with any new cartridge. There is no economy of scale, which means they'll be more expensive. But a huge number of people buy a gun, shoot about 50 to 100 rounds through it and it sits in a drawer for years. So the expense for many will be minimal. For active shooters, however, reloading will cut expenses considerably. Reloading spent .327 brass to .32 H&R Magnum levels will prolong the brass life.

This little cartridge begs for a single action six-gun too. The performance is like the old .32-20 which means it'll be potent medicine for coyotes and similar vermin. With a longer barrel, at least one article says the factory ammo can hit 1600 ft/sec (in a 6 1/2-inch barrel). That drives the muzzle energy up over 600 foot-pounds. One can only speculate how well it would perform in a small lever-rifle to accompany a six-gun, but the SASS cowboy shooters would flock to it, I'm sure.

If S&W were to bring back their Model 16, perhaps with a traditional looking magnum underlug, it would look like a small-bore Model 19. If it was available in a 4-inch and 6-inch model it might sell quite well. Though my preference would be a 3-inch M&P style Scandium lightweight that would be similar to the old Model 12.