Charter Arms Patriot .327 Federal Four-Inch Revolver

The .327 Federal cartridge has really taken off. The feedback that I have received since the cartridge’s introduction a year ago has mostly been positive, and shooters have been scrambling to find both guns and ammunition for the new cartridge. The only negative feedback that I have received is from “shooters” who have never fired a gun chambered for the .327 Federal cartridge, yet they feel qualified to pass judgment upon the gun and the ammunition. Some people are hard to understand. Anyway, the .327 Federal is a success, and Federal is finally catching up their production with the amazing demand that the cartridge has generated, and are planning on releasing both empty cases and component bullets for the .327 Federal in 2009.

As for the guns, Ruger is still cranking out the SP101, Freedom Arms has the Model 97, and there are a couple of custom gunsmiths producing converted Rugers on the Single Six platform. I hear that Taurus has a .327 in the works, but I have yet to see one, nor have I seen the new Smith &Wesson .327 Federal revolver. However, I have been shooting the new Charter Arms Patriot shown here, and Charter also has a short-barreled (2.2 inch) revolver with a fixed rear sight for pocket carry. The Charter Patriot shown here wears a full-underlug four inch barrel with an adjustable rear sight, making it more suitable for target and hunting chores. The Patriot is built on Charter’s Bulldog frame, and has a six-shot cylinder. Like any .327 Federal revolver, it can also fire .32 S&W Short and Long ammo, .32 H&R Magnum, and .327 Federal cartridges. The cylinder on the Patriot measures 1.584 inches in length, and the cartridge rims are not countersunk, so the Patriot cylinder can handle any .327 factory loads, and is plenty long enough to fire long, heavy-bullet handloads as well. The barrel/cylinder gap on the sample Patriot measures an even four one-thousandths (.004) of an inch. Velocities were very good when chronographed at a distance of twelve feet from the muzzle. I had three factory loads on hand, and all were pretty close to factory advertised specs. The 100 grain American Eagle soft point registered an average of 1399 feet-per-second (fps), the Federal 85 grain Hydra-Shock registered 1384 fps, and the Speer 115 Gold Dot Hollowpoint clocked 1291 fps. All chronograph data was obtained on an overcast day with an air temperature of 39 degrees Fahrenheit at an elevation of approximately 550 feet above sea level. Accuracy of the Charter Patriot was about on par with that of the Ruger using factory loads. I tried no handloads in the Charter Patriot, as I had plenty of factory ammo on hand. The American Eagle load, which is my favorite, grouped into two and one-half inches at twenty-five yards, and the adjustable rear sight was able to bring the point of impact right where I needed it to be. The four inch barrel balanced very well, giving a bit of heft to this compact revolver, and is just about the perfect size and weight for a field gun in this caliber, weighing in at 25.4 ounces, unloaded. The entire revolver, except for the rear sight, grips, and firing pin, are made of stainless steel, and wears a matte finish. The hand-filling grips are made of synthetic rubber, and are textured for a good hold, even in bad weather. Functioning was perfect during all tests, with no failures to fire or extract. The trigger pull was good and smooth in double action mode, measuring just over ten pounds at the rear, just before the hammer falls. The single action pull measured three and three-quarters pounds and was pretty crisp, but a slight hitch could be felt just before the hammer fall.

Charter Arms has made for itself a niche in the gun market, offering affordable handguns that work. Nothing fancy or exotic about the Patriot, but it is a good solid revolver that is reliable and accurate enough for social work and small animal control at reasonable ranges. Charter firearms are built in the USA and come with a lifetime warranty.

For the location of a Charter Arms dealer near you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.

25-yard groups show the Patriot is reasonably accurate.

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