The selection of a handgun requires serious considerations. A buyer needs to first decide what the dominant use of that firearm will be. There are models specifically designed for self defense, while others are made for target shooting and still others have hunting applications.
There are also considerations of how this pistol will be carried. A shooter needs to determine if it will be holstered on the belt, slung onto a shoulder harness, packed in a purse, or just kept in the headboard of a bedroom suit.
Typically it’s hard to find an overall fit. However, a new offering from Ruger may narrow that gap just a big. The new Ruger 327 is the latest from this historic gun maker that bridge’s the gap between the .38 and .357. It’s a combination of powerful knockdown force and manageable recoil.
Ken Jorgenson of Ruger says that was the medium designers were trying to achieve.
"The version we have it in right now would really be a self-defense gun. It’s in the SP101 Frame. It’s a three-inch barrel. I think it would have some applications down the road as a small hunting revolver," Jorgenson told me during a shooting event in
However, to become a hunting firearm, the chambering will have to be beef up some. Currently, the highest grade ammo is a round made by Federal specific to the Ruger 327. It’s called the 327 Federal Magnum.
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Lightweight with a low kick are the hallmark features of the Ruger .327 |
"It’s a new round," said Jorgenson. "Kind of an extended version of the old .32 H&H Magnum. Thirty-two’s have always been a marginal round for people, but Federal has done a great job. It has almost the ballistic performance of a .357 magnum, it’s twice the energy of a .38 plus P, but it has a lot less recoil than a .357."
The 327 is also a six shot as opposed to the larger counterparts which feature a five-shot cylinder.
I had an opportunity to use the gun on the range. He’s correct about the recoil and despite the low kick, it’s not that heavy. As handguns go, I’m no expert, but the Ruger 327 may be the perfect fit for those looking for an intermediary between the .38 and .357 for a backup sidearm on hunting trips, or a field gun to pack along while fishing.