The Mousegun that roars

A new, updated and awesome .32 load from Federal, offered in conjunction with a new Ruger SP101. It’s called the .327 Federal Magnum, and I want one. You can never, ever have too many compact carry revolvers; I figure a .32 Super-Dooper Magnum Blaster would be the perfect compliment to my 2 inch .45 ACP.

Now, what really interests me about this gun are the ballistics that Federal is claiming for this cartridge. They say it’s going to beat the terminal ballistics of a .38 Special +P from a snub nosed revolver, and the test figures from Federal would seem to back that up.

Subjected to the standard FBI protocol tests for effectiveness through barriers, the 115-grain .327 Magnum load reaches 15 inches in bare gelatin, 16 inches through heavy clothing, 16 inches through plywood, 14.5 inches through wallboard, 13 inches through auto glass, and 20 inches through single-layer vehicle body steel–all with substantial bullet upset ranging from .40 caliber (steel) to .60 caliber (auto glass).

So it expands, and appears to penetrate well. Of course, you should always take manufacturer’s statements with a bit of a grain of salt, but the numbers for the .327 Magnum are pretty promising. I just hope that Ruger doesn’t dump it to the wayside like they did with the .480 Ruger.

The other thing that I like about this new gun/cartridge combo is that it’s clearly marketing to the small person/woman concealed carry market. But instead of making a pink gun (it’s okay Taurus, I still love you) Ruger/Federal decided to take a proven platform and chamber for what appears to be an excellent self-defense package. Being a small dude myself, I don’t enjoy shooting full house .45 ACP +P loads out of my snubby very much, so I will definitely appreciate a smaller, less punchy cartridge for personal defense.