.32 ACP in a .327 magnum

[warren209]

     I saw someone on YouTube shooting .32 ACP ammo in a .327 magnum revolver without any problems except for one dead round.  He didn't get into how accurate the round was.  I have a Ruger GP 100, .327 magnum which I've never fired.  The recommended ammo for it is expensive.  That would be .32 S&W, .32 H&R magnum and of course; .327 magnum.  The .32 ACP is much cheaper to shoot and I would therefore prefer to shoot the cheaper ammo.  I would appreciate any input from someone with any experience or expertise in this area.

[David Hineline]

It works because the 32 auto is semi rimmed so it is just enough rim to catch the ejectors

The 327 ammo is no more expensive than any other quality ammunition.

[David Hineline]

http://wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=100000678&dir=18|829|1380

[warren209]

UPDATE!  I shot 175 rounds of .32ACP through my Ruger GP100 .327 magnum.  Every round fired without a problem.  Ejecting the empty cases was a different story.  I shot bulk ammo which could have been part of the problem.  The ammo seemed rather dirty to me.  I also wonder if the short casing of that caliber led to extra fouling in the cylinder.  All but about the first five empty casings had to be popped out by pushing a screw driver through the front face of the cylinder.  It seems to me that Ruger was right not to recommend .32ACP for their .327 magnum.  While it will fire, it's not the most enjoyable day at the range.

[warren209]

WARNING!!!  I returned the Ruger GP100 .327 to Ruger to find out why the empty casings were so difficult to eject.  They said they need to rebuild the gun by replacing the barrel to the tune of $360.  The problem:  using improper ammunition.  I fired about 150 rounds of .32 ACP through it, which was about $35 cheaper than 150 rounds of .327 magnum ammo and it cost me $360.  I can only hope that this warning will serve to protect others from using ammunition in a gun that was not recommended by the manufacturer.  Just because it's not dangerous to the user does not mean that it's not dangerous to the gun.

[warren209]

FINAL RESULT:  Ruger was able to repair and clean the gun without charging me anything.  They returned the gun with the following paragraph that I wished I had known sooner.

  RUGER:  "Caliber specific firearms that allow the user to shoot different calibers will require the cylinder get a good scrub with a brush.  The chambers could be fouled down near the bottom due to the shorter case length.  When shooting shorter cartridges in larger caliber specific handguns, a ring of carbon will build up significantly and severely affect extraction of spent cases.  It may also prevent the larger caliber from seating in the chamber properly."

[David Hineline]

Wow, you did not know you have to clean the cylinder of a revolver after shooting to promote smooth ejection, Wow

[warren209]

Please remove post.

[greg58]

Wow, you did not know you have to clean the cylinder of a revolver after shooting to promote smooth ejection, Wow

Is it really nessisary to insult the OP with this post??
I try to remember what Thumpers mother told Thumper in the movie Bambi.

Greg58

[farmerbob]

I've heard that to a certain percent, the same thing can happen from shooting 38s in a 357 magnum. I personally never noticed it but I give my guns a good cleaning after shooting.

[SemperFiGuy]

the same thing can happen from shooting 38s in a 357 magnum.

Yewbetcha it does.

Especially w/lead wadcutters.   My S&W Model 19 gets more buildup from LWC lead deposits than it does from powder residue, smoke, dirt, grit, etc.

After shooting .38SPCLs in the Mod19, .357Mags won't load properly until the cylinder holes get a good cleaning with a bronze brush.

sfg