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.
Check out the Patriot and other revolvers online
at www.charterfirearms.com.
For the location of a Charter Arms dealer near
you, click on the DEALER FINDER at www.lipseys.com.
To order the Patriot online, go to www.galleryofguns.com.
Jeff
Quinn
| For a list of dealers where you can
buy this gun, go to: |
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To buy this gun online, go to: |
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25-yard groups show the Patriot is reasonably
accurate.
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