U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Taurus is known for their budget-priced handguns, both autoloading and revolving. As someone more interested in Smith & Wesson wheelguns, I never gave Taurus options much of a look. Despite this, I recently got hands-on time with the new Taurus 327 revolver, courtesy of the folks over at Primary & Secondary. How did the Taurus 327 handle a day and half on the range?
Ergonomics and Design of the Taurus 327
The Taurus 327 is precisely what I’d expect when handed a Taurus revolver. The finish is a bit rough and flat, this one being matte black, though stainless options are available. The trigger, ejector rod, and cylinder release are gritty and a little heavy. Lockup was loose, with some rotational play exhibited, which was a bit worrisome for me but never materialized in a negative way. Somewhat surprisingly, even after an extended range session, the ejector rod never stuck, and the cylinder continued to rotate without any undue force required. I checked the strength of the sear and found it to be solid, with no inkling of any problems.
The Taurus 327 is a small-frame, six-shot revolver with a focus on conceal carry. The gun is a mix of alloy and carbon steel, bringing the weight to 22 ounces when empty. While I exclusively fired the gun in double action, there is an exposed hammer spur if you want to try your best John Wayne, and thumb cock the Brazilian Beast. If the name didn’t give it away, this revolver is chambered for Federal’s 327 Magnum. This means the Taurus 327 is also capable of loading and firing H&R’s 32 Magnum, 32 Smith & Wesson Long, and 32 Short. While it’s not my recommendation, 32ACP is also compatible with the 327, though we won’t get into details of the potential problems of that pairing here.
Sights
Sights are extremely simple on the Taurus 327. The rear notch is a simply fixed trench in the top strap of the gun, much like an old Model 10 or similar. The front sight is a serrated black blade, swappable with a roll pin. Throwing a bit of paint on the front sight would do wonders to improve the sight picture on a budget while maintaining the simplicity of the 327.
Range Time with the Taurus 327
The little Taurus 327 took a beating over a day and a half. We fired 200 rounds of .327 Magnum Speer Gold Dot 100gr JHP through the gun in under an hour as a sort of accelerated wear test to see how it’d hold up. After the first 80 rounds of the Gold Dot, a small spring and pin worked their way out of the gun, but with a little work, the Taurus 327 managed to function throughout the remainder of the day. This was paired with a few hundred combined rounds of Buffalo Bore 32H&R Magnum SWC, Magtech 32 Long wadcutters, and a handful of 32 Short and 32ACP. We had no problems with the ejection of the lighter rounds but had the occasional stuck case with 32H&R Magnum and a significant issue ejecting 327 Magnum cases after firing.
Being fairly heavy for a snubbie, at 22 ounces empty, the 327 does a good job absorbing recoil from 32 Long. That being said, 32 H&R Magnum was unpleasant, and 327 Federal Magnum was punishing for most shooters. I don’t think the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to 327 Federal, and suggest shooters stick with 32 Long or H&R Magnum at most. The rubber grips on the Taurus 327 do a modest job at cushioning the hand from recoil, sitting somewhere between the Hogue Tamers on a Ruger LCR, and the standard boot grips on a Smith & Wesson J-Frame. I imagine a swap of grips would do a lot to help improve comfort when shooting here. No hotspots or rough edges showed up during shooting, which was a bit of a surprise considering the overall fit and finish of the gun.
Initial Impressions of the Taurus 327
Overall I’m not a huge fan of the Taurus 327. Part of the allure of a revolver for me is the build quality, and the poor fit and finish of the Taurus 327 doesn’t really do anything for me. That being said, I am impressed that this snub nose survived our little torture test and kept on trucking. I seriously doubt that the vast majority of Taurus owners will ever subject their guns to the amount of punishment we did to our example, especially in such a compressed timeline. Even with a minor parts breakage, the 327 continued to function effectively, which makes me wonder how it’d stack up with a more realistic diet of primarily 32 Long and the occasional 32 H&R Magnum. This, along with support from at least one solid holster maker helps make the 327 a palatable, if not ideal, option.
While it wouldn’t be my first choice, I wouldn’t feel bad with a Taurus 327 in my pocket if they all perform like this one. With an MSRP of $371, and street prices often under three bills, this seems to be a decent choice for those strapped for cash.
About Dan Reedy
Dan is an Air Force veteran, avid shooter, and dog dad. With a passion for teaching, he holds instructor certifications from Rangemaster, Agile Training & Consulting, and the NRA. He has trained with Darryl Bolke, Mike Pannone, Craig Douglas, among several other instructors, amassing over 400 hours of professional instruction thus far. In his spare time you’ll find him teaching handgun, shotgun, and less lethal classes.
Dan’s work has been published by Primer Peak, and The Kommando Blog, and he has been featured as a guest on Primary & Secondary.