[Jay1958]

I picked up my new Taurus M327 3-inch 327 Federal revolver tonight. I haven't had a chance to take it to the range yet, that will have to wait for this weekend. But I did get some first impressions:

Right away the first thing that struck me about the Taurus M327 was that this is a nice looking little revolver - but that didn't surprise me. The finish is matte stainless. It had pink grips out of the box, but a black set are also included from the factory. I put the black ones on it right away, after snapping a few photos with the pink grips. I can't say for sure, but I suspect CDNN pulled the black set out of the box on the "pink grip" M327s they sold, and then offered the black grips separately, to lower the price point on them. CDNN was sold out of the M327 3-inch stainless, and I got mine elsewhere. Saved me from having to purchase another set of grips!

What surprised me was the trigger. I'd heard horror stories about how heavy the DA pull is on these. I was really surprised when I tried it out the first time, dry firing - expecting the worst. I looked over at my FFL - a friend who received the shipment for me. "This thing has a better trigger than our S&W 642's!" (He and I purchased identical S&W 642s at the same time). Now I know that may not be saying much, S&W j-frames aren't known for great triggers! but this one was pretty smooth, and not too heavy.

I have three Ruger SP101's, so I'll be doing a head-to-head comparison and test of all four small frame revolvers. I pulled them all out of the safe when I got home with the Taurus. Only one of the SP101s had a lighter, smoother trigger than the Taurus! One was close enough to being the same that I couldn't tell for sure which was better, and one was just slightly heavier. Length of pull on the Rugers is just slightly longer.

All four have excellent single action triggers, although the Ruger SP101 327 is slightly heavier than the other three. Not enough to make much, if any, real world difference.

I can't wait to get these out to the range! Here is a list of the revolvers that I will be testing/reviewing:

Ruger SP101 38 Special 3-inch 5-shot
Ruger SP101 38 Special 2-inch 5-shot (bobbed hammer)
Ruger SP101 327 Federal 3-inch 6-shot
Taurus M327 327 Federal 3-inch 6-shot (ported barrel)

One last note: Out of the box, the Taurus had some kind of sticky gunk in places where I expected to find oil or grease... not sure why they use something sticky instead of normal gun oil or even packing grease? Needless to say, when I pulled off the grips I thoroughly cleaned it out.

 

[MilProGuy]

Congrats on your new M327...it's a real beauty!

 

[mahead]

I have the 2" 327 and love it. I want to get a 3" as well but CDNN won't ship handguns to MD. I put the lighter hammer and trigger springs in and it has an amazingly smooth pull and no miss fires.

 

[Qwiks draw]

Great pics.
I own 2-327s and both are the 2" barrel ones and a SP-101, but in .327 Federal. Love them all.

 

[RimfireRat]

Ck Buds Guns , they are cheaper after the free shipping than CDNN. as to shipping to MD .If I recall MD has to approve any guns that are sold in the state.This means they can drag their feet as long as they want. ( the original intent was to elimnate any unsafe Sat nite spls ..sic ) My guess the 327 mag won't even get a review from Md. ~~~RR~~

 

[jonrjen]

Well, Hurry up and go shoot. I would really like to read a report on the 3" Taurus 327 with the ported barrel. I could even live with the pink grips for the right report.

 

[mahead]

the 327 is good to go here in MD. already on the approved list. CDNN just wont ship handguns to MD.

 

[Jay1958]

I checked Buds before I bought mine, but I wanted the 3-inch and Bud's only had the snubbies.

I plan on taking mine to the range Saturday, so I'll try to post a review over the weekend.

Ck Buds Guns , they are cheaper after the free shipping than CDNN. as to shipping to MD .If I recall MD has to approve any guns that are sold in the state.This means they can drag their feet as long as they want. ( the original intent was to elimnate any unsafe Sat nite spls ..sic ) My guess the 327 mag won't even get a review from Md. ~~~RR~~

 

[Qwiks draw]

Well, Hurry up and go shoot. I would really like to read a report on the 3" Taurus 327 with the ported barrel. I could even live with the pink grips for the right report.

Yes! Off to the range with my good man! We want all of the juicy details!

 

[marine-mp]

I've got the Taurus .327 with the 3' ported barrell from CDNN for $249.00 Came w/the pink grips and I changed them out for the Altamont Wood-Checkered boot grips. This piece is a real shooter with, as stated by Jay1958, the sweetest D/A trigger of all my D/A's. It shoots dead-nuts with sights and POA. I get my ammo from Reed's Ammo and Research and he loads a potent cartridge. I like the fact that it shoots the .327 Mag, H&R Mag, and all the .32's. Kinda like a family gun!!! I still can't understand why Taurus discontinued producing this piece when S&W and Ruger can't keep them on the shelves??? Anybody??? Semper-fi Mike

 

[Sunset_Va]

I just ordered a stainless 3" bbl, Model 85 Taurus from CDNN, I had really wanted that same gun in 327 Magnum, but did not want the ported barrel. Wish those 3" model 327's weren't ported.....most magnums with ports I have shot had terrible muzzle flash, more than an unported bbl..but I still envy you!

 

[jonrjen]

I only have one pistol with a ported barrel, that is my Springfield Arm V-10 Ultra Compact .45. And I love the flash when it fires. But then thats just me, always a little different from the norm.

 

[Jay1958]

I just got back from the range, the first time shooting my Taurus 327 3-inch stainless and.... I love it!

The Good News:
The Taurus M327 3-inch shoots exactly to point of aim and is extremely accurate. A typical group today was 1-1/2 to 2 inches at 21 feet, with one flyer that was another inch out - centered over the bullseye! On most of my 6-shot groups I had only four holes - because I usually put 3 of the six rounds thru one jagged hole! I got better accuracy - both POI and group size - today from the Taurus 327 than I did from the Ruger SP101 38 Special or the Ruger SP101 327 Magnum - both also with 3-inch barrels. I didn't shoot my 2-inch Ruger SP101 today, because I decided to sell it. I had been a little concerned because the Taurus has a groove rear sight that is not adjustable, but it shoots exactly to POA. The Ruger SP101 327 also shoots to POA (rear sight is windage adjustable), but the Ruger SP101 38 Special shoots about 1-inch to the right and two inches low at 7yds. I can't adjust it right-to-left, but I think that lowering the front sight a bit will bring up the POI, which I intend to do. There was no noticeable difference in point of impact between the 327 Federal rounds and the 32 H&R Magnum rounds at 7 yds. If anything, the POI with the 32 H&R Magnum might have been just slightly higher - 1/2 inch to an inch?

Trigger was good - smooth and not too heavy. It was basically on a par with both SP101s, with the exception that the Ruger's length of pull is just slightly longer - not enough to matter much, but just enough to be able to tell the difference. (Just as a point of reference, the trigger on the Ruger 2-inch SP101 that I am selling is better than on any of the 3-inch revolvers in today's test, and the best trigger I have personally experienced on a small-frame revolver).

Recoil is noticeably more significant with the Taurus 327, when shooting American Eagle 100gr 327 Magnum, than with the Ruger SP101 38 Special 3-inch, even when shooting 38 Special +P. HOWEVER when shooting 32 H&R Magnum out of the Taurus, it's about the same as the SP101 shooting 38 Special +P, maybe even less! My youngest (adult) daughter LOVED shooting the Taurus today with the 32 H&R Magnum rounds.

Recoil on the Taurus 327 using the American Eagle 100 gr 327 Magnum is less than using the same rounds out of the Ruger SP101 327 3-inch, apparently due to the ported barrel. The Ruger 327 recoil was noticeably snappier and felt 'faster' - the Taurus was still somewhat stout, but it felt more like a slightly slower 'push', with less muzzle flip. The 38 Special SP101 has less recoil than either one, unless you step down to 32 H&R Magnum in the 327s.

I like the factory grips on the Taurus, better than the factory Ruger grips - probably because I have medium/small hands for a man, and I can get all my fingers on the Taurus grip, while half of my pinky finger sits below the bottom of the Ruger factory grip.

The Bad News:
The Taurus 327 had tight lockup out of the box, but after 40 rounds of American Eagle 327 Magnum 100 gr and 40 rounds of 32 H&R Magnum, lockup was noticeably looser, both side-to-side and front-to-back. The Ruger SP101 327 Magnum also has slightly loose lockup, similar to the how the Taurus is now (after the range trip). The Ruger SP101 38 Special still locks up tight as a drum - NO side-to-side or front-to-back play in lockup. This potentially raises the issue of durability/longevity in the Taurus. Only time will tell.

The Conclusion:
The Taurus is fantastic! If it holds up well with use, it will probably turn out to be one of my favorite handguns! I had already decided to sell my 2-inch Ruger SP101, because my pocket carry is a S&W642 38 Special, so I can't really afford to keep another short snubby, and the SP101 is too heavy for pocket carry - at least for me. When I carry a revolver on my belt, it will be either the Taurus 327 3-inch, which I lean toward because of the extra round - or the Ruger SP101 38 Special. I've decided to sell the Ruger SP101 327 3-inch. I don't need two 327 Magnum 3-inch revolvers, and I prefer the Taurus. My only concern is durability/longevity, which is why I am keeping the Ruger SP101 38 Special. I figure that one will probably last forever!

All told today, I put about 150 rounds of 327 Federal, 32 H&R Magnum and 38 Special +P thru these three 3-inch small frame revolver, and all rounds went into a five-inch circle, with most inside a three-inch circle - and I am a good shot, but not a great one. That says a lot about how accurate these three revolvers are, and easy to shoot well with. All shots were at 21 feet.

I will try to do a more complete review when I have time. Until then, Happy Shooting!

 

[Sunset_Va]

Now I regret ordering the M85 3" Stainless 38spl..........Have you ever decided on something, then changed your mind....then wish you had stuck with your first choice?

Thanks for that report, I was just concerned over the porting....

And I still envy you.

 

[GetTheHorns]

How does the .327 compare to a .38 or .357? I have been interested in this round. I plan on getting my wife a wheel gun and love Taurus's. I was thinking about getting her something similar like what you had in the pic and get the pink grips for her.

 

[Jay1958]

I'm very fortunate in that, right now, I have the Taurus M327 3-inch, a Ruger SP101 327 3-inch and a Ruger SP101 38 Special 3-inch!

The 327 has more recoil and is less comfortable to shoot, out of both the Taurus M327 and the Ruger SP101 327, than the Ruger SP101 using 38 Special +P. The Taurus M327 has slightly less recoil and is a little more comfortable to shoot (in my hands) than the Ruger SP101 327, I'm assuming because of the ported barrel on the Taurus, and the fact that the Taurus grips fit my hand a little better.

I don't own a Ruger SP101 in 357 Magnum, but I have fired 357 Magnum rounds out of someone else's at the range, and it was a REAL HANDFUL! Both the Taurus M327 and the Ruger SP101 327 have less recoil and are more comfortable to shoot than 357 Magnum in a Ruger SP101. The 32 H&R Magnum recoil out of the 327 is comparable, and perhaps even slightly less, than 38 Special +P.

Personally of the three, my favorite is the Taurus M327! My only concern is long term durability, but that, only time will tell.

Still, the cost and availability of 327 Federal ammo, and the lesser variety available, is a concern. But having 6 rounds instead of 5 in a handgun that I may someday have to use in a self-defense situation is very appealing to me. That is the biggest advantage to me, for the 327 Federal round - having an extra round with no increase in size or weight.

Anybody want to buy a Ruger SP101 3-inch stainless in 327 Federal Magnum? I'm keeping the Ruger SP101 3-inch in 38 Special, and the Taurus M327.

How does the .327 compare to a .38 or .357? I have been interested in this round. I plan on getting my wife a wheel gun and love Taurus's. I was thinking about getting her something similar like what you had in the pic and get the pink grips for her.

 

[MOONDAWG]

To me this model is just re-make of the .30 carbine with an ever so slight increase i muzzlle diameter.

 

[Qwiks draw]

The full bore powered .327 Federal in it's 100gr.-115gr. bullet weight guise is in the +P+ 9x19 ballpark in power. That's from a 3 inch barreled Ruger SP-101.

I can see why in days past why the .32 calibers were popular in snub revolver,fun gun, and as a field gun.

In snub revolver guise the .32 H&R is better than any pistol cartridge from the .32 ACP down. It makes a great field gun as well for most situations. This is a user friendly cartridge.

The .32 S&W Long gave someone a cartridge that is there now and anyone should be able to handle. Rule 1 is have any gun. For practice,teaching a new shooter, and for fun it's hard to find a better cartridge that is a centerfire. It's user friendly.

I like the .32s for having something that is more powerful than the .22lrf yet just about anyone can handle them. These are very useful.

 

[GetTheHorns]

I know my wife liked my S&W .357, but I would like to get her something for self-defense that is in a snub and she can handle. She didn't like my Millineum or 24-7 because they spit shells out and a few hit her. One down the shirt was the one that killed it for her lol.

 

[Sunset_Va]

Jay1958 wrote

Anybody want to buy a Ruger SP101 3-inch stainless in 327 Federal Magnum? I'm keeping the Ruger SP101 3-inch in 38 Special, and the Taurus M327.

$$$$$ ? or are you interested in a 9mm Taurus Slim in trade?