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Cartridge Versatility Is Only Part Of The
Reason Why Ruger’s Single-Seven .327
Federal Magnum Is The Ultimate Trail Gun.

Introduced in 1953, the Ruger Single-Six is one of the most successful and useful revolvers ever produced. As an outdoorsman I wanted one but also wanted something with a little more oomph than the .22LR or .22 Magnum offered. But, I didn’t want to carry a heavy gun. Ruger’s Blackhawk in .38 Special/.357 Magnum weighs 31 percent (10 oz.) more than their Single-Six. In 1984 Ruger offered the Single-Six in .32 H&R Magnum and it could fire four different cartridges including the .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 S&W Long and the .32 H&R Magnum.

For 30 years now I’ve owned one or more .32 H&R handguns. They’ve accompanied me on many a walk and adventure. But in 2008 something else — something magical — happened. Federal partnered with Ruger and introduced the .327 Federal
Magnum (FM).

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Even though the .327 Federal is larger in diameter than the .22 LR or .22 Magnum, by
leaving the flutes off the cylinder, Ruger was able to squeeze in seven chambers.

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A fully adjustable rear sight is necessary on a revolver that can shoot five different
cartridges. The Ruger Single-Seven’s sight is adjustable for windage and elevation.

The Cartridge

The .327 FM is a longer version of the .32 H&R. The .32 H&R case is 1.075″ and the .327 FM case is 1.20″. This length variation is not a tremendous difference. The real distinction is in pressure. The 30-year-old .32 H&R is loaded to only 21,000 psi and the .327 FM is loaded to an astoundingly high 45,000 psi. That’s more than twice the pressure of the .32 H&R and 9,000 more psi than the .44 Magnum! The only handgun cartridge loaded to a higher pressure than the .327 FM is the .454 Casull.

How does all this pressure translate into ballistics that matter? Out of a 4.5″ barrel the .327 FM will push a 100-grain bullet at speeds exceeding 1,500 fps. That’s 25 percent faster than most .32 H&R Magnum loads. It even approaches .357 Magnum velocity levels. However, in the same size cylinder you can get at least one more .327 FM cartridge than you would with a .357.

The .327’s ballistics didn’t take the handgunning world by a storm. The .38 Special and the .357 Magnum were both such trusted cartridges, shooters were not ready to get on the .32-caliber wagon, even if .327 FM revolvers held an extra round. To add to the problem, other manufacturers didn’t support the cartridge with ammunition or guns. The only ammunition manufactures (other than Federal and Speer) to offer .327 FM loads were a few boutique ammo builders like Buffalo Bore and DoubleTap.

For a short time Smith & Wesson offered a few double-action revolvers in .327 but they’ve dropped them from the lineup. Ruger followed suit and discontinued their 8-shot Blackhawk, their 7-shot GP100, and even the 6-shot SP101, which was introduced with the cartridge. At one time I owned all three but a new revolver caused me to sell my SP101 and GP100.

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The Single-Seven comes with the ramped front sight that is a standard
feature on the Single-Six.

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Though most single-action revolvers have moderately good triggers,
the trigger on Richard’s Single-Seven was exceptional.

The Gun

Those who appreciated the cartridge for its power and the fact a revolver so chambered could fire ammunition for five cartridges, turned to custom builders like Bowen Classic Arms who were converting Ruger Single-Sixes to handle the powerhouse .327 FM. Wisely, Ruger took note. During mid-year 2014 they produced what might be the ultimate utility revolver in a limited edition run for Lipsey’s Distributing. With the rapidity at which they’ve been selling, I’d be surprised if it doesn’t become a standard catalog item.

I was spending my last night in a South African bed and breakfast, after a tour of the Rorke’s Drift battlefield in Natal, when I ran across the introduction announcement on the Internet and emailed my order immediately for a 4 5/8″ version. I figured it would be the perfect gun to replace the .32 H&R Single-Six I carry almost every day—a trail gun if you will.

The difference between the Ruger Single-Seven in .327 FM and Single-Six in .32 H&R (these have been discontinued for some time) is twofold. The unfluted cylinder on the Single-Seven is 0.05″ longer and holds seven instead of six cartridges. Additionally, the Single-Seven — offered with either a 4 5/8, 5.5 or 7.5″ barrel — only comes in stainless. The stainless steel and unfluted cylinder add a bit of weight; my Single-Seven in .327 FM weighs 4.4 oz. more than my Single-Six in .32 H&R.

The Single-Sevens, regardless of barrel length, come with a fully adjustable rear sight and a high-profile, ramped front. They’re fitted with reddish–orange laminated wood grips featuring a Ruger medallion. Fit and finish is what you would expect from Ruger. And the trigger on mine has an infinitesimal amount of take-up but breaks crisp and clean — like a teenage girl’s heart — at 3.5 lbs.

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At first glance the Ruger Single-Seven looks like any other Single-Six,
but notice the lack of flutes on the 7-shot cylinder.

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Favorite Loads

The first thing I wanted to do with my new gun was to run all available loads through it to establish accuracy and point of impact variation. I placed a target at 15 yards and from a solid, sandbag rest, fired three, 5-shot groups with 22 different loads. The test included .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 S&W Long, .32 H&R Magnum and .327 FM ammunition. The average group size for all 66 groups was an impressive 1.37″.

For me the true appeal of the .327 FM is its ability to digest a wide variety of loads from five different cartridges. This not only makes it versatile but, given this power range, also allows the Single-Seven .327 to fill a number of practical needs. During this experiment I identified several standout loads I could use to sort out any problem — from plinking to personal protection.

Plinking

The .32 H&R has found some limited appeal with cowboy action shooters due to its mild recoil. In support, Black Hills offers a 90-grain lead, flat-point load. It leaves the 4 5/8″ Single-Seven barrel at a modest 711 fps, generates minimal recoil, and is plenty accurate for plinking and target practice.

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Let there be no doubt how much power you have in your hand. Ruger’s new
limited-edition Single-Seven is chambered for the powerhouse .327 Federal
Magnum. But it also accepts four other cartridges.

Small-Game Hunting

For small game you don’t need lots of power. What you do need is flat-shooting precision. One of the most accurate loads tested in the Ruger Single-Seven was DoubleTap’s 60-grain Barnes TAC-XP load. Not only will it put bullets into sub-inch groups at 15 yards, it screams out the barrel at almost 1,400 fps for a very flat trajectory. DoubleTap’s 75-grain TAC-XP load for the .327 FM is just as accurate.

Big-Game Hunting

Those who think the .32 H&R or .327 FM can’t be use for deer have either never tried them or can’t shoot well enough to place a bullet in the killing spot. I’ve taken several deer with both — most recently a Texas whitetail that dressed out at 98 lbs. with DoubleTap’s 1,038 fps .32 H&R 115-grain WFN Hardcast load. The bullet punched through both lungs and out the other side. The whitetail ran about 60 yards and fell over. DoubleTap also offers the same load for the .327 FM. It will do almost 1,200 fps from a 4 5/8″ barrel.

Personal Protection

Admittedly, even though they have put many a bad and good guy in the ground, a single-action revolver might not be the best personal-protection handgun. But the primary axiom when it comes to defending yourself with a gun is to have one. With 16″ of penetration and expansion in excess of a half-inch in 10-percent ordnance gelatin, Speer’s 115-grain God Dot load for the .327 FM delivers terminal performance on par with any defensive handgun load.
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With the ability to fire five different cartridges of five different power
levels, Ruger’s Single-Seven is unmatched when it comes to versatility.

General Utility

A general-purpose revolver load needs to be affordable and capable of manufacturer at home. Sadly, no manufacturer offers Sierra’s 90-grain JHC bullet in loaded ammunition for the .32 H&R or .327 FM. It expands better than the Hornady 85- or 100-grain XTP’s and is very accurate. I’ve been loading it for years ahead of 11.0 grains of Lil’Gun powder (I use Lil’ Gun because it fills the case and this prevents double charges when I have my kids working the press.) At 1,200 fps you might call this a .32 H&R +P load, but it’s safe in any .327 FM or Ruger .32 H&R revolver.

Trail Gun Perfection

One evening, fellow gun loony Rob Lancellotti and I were sitting by the bay in the small tourist town of Sabastian, Fla. We were discussing beer, gin ’n’ tonic, women… and guns. I remember telling Rob, who works for Swarovski Optic, I thought the term “trail gun” was most often used to describe a handgun for which there was no real practical use, but that you simply had to have because it was so cool. Laughing, Rob begrudgingly agreed saying, “There are several trail guns I’d really like to have.”
Upon reflection, I might have been wrong. Ruger’s Single-Seven might just be the perfect trail gun. It’s light in the holster, accurate, can handle a wide range of loads and will work equally well for potting small game or deer. In a pinch it’d for personal protection. The defensive handgun ninjas and big-bore fanatics may never warm to the .32 H&R, .327 FM, or the Ruger Single-Seven. That’s fine. It means there will be more to go around for those of us with a pragmatic approach to handguns and who know what a trail gun really is. 


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Barranti Leather’s Summer Classic IWB holster is a great way to carry a
single-action revolver concealed.

Single-Seven Leather

For everyday wear, I’m not a fan of the wide-belt, low riding, cowboy rigs popular for carrying single-action revolvers. After years of frustration looking for an everyday carry and a concealment rig for the Single-Six, I contacted Mike Barranti with Barranti Leather and explained my dilemma.

Mike said, “I’ve got just what you need,” and he sent me one of his Bruce Nelson holsters for trail wear and one of his Summer Classics for concealed carry. Mike is a leather craftsman of the highest order and, more importantly, he’s a single-action enthusiast. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better general use or concealed-carry holster option for a Single-Six, a Single-Seven or, in truth, any single action.
Barranti Leather, www.barrantileather.com, (412) 860-4804 
By Richard Mann

Contact Information:

Black Hills Ammunition
www.black-hills.com

Buffalo Bore Ammunition
www.buffalobore.com

Doubletap Ammunition
www.doubletapammo.com

Federal Ammunition
www.federalpremium.com

Lipsey’s
www.lipseys.com

Ruger Firearms
www.ruger.com

Sierra Bullets
www.sierrabullets.com

Speer Ammunition
www.speerammo.com

Winchester Ammunition
www.winchester.com

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