The .32 caliber revolver has seen a bit of a revival in 2024. Taurus already catalogs the 327, a small frame revolver chambered in the .327 Federal Magnum with a two-inch barrel. This year, the line up was enhanced by adding a “Defender” variant with a three-inch barrel. The longer barrel alone was a worthy upgrade, and the new model is also optics ready!

The 327 Defender T.O.R.O. is a limited-edition gun with some well-thought-out features that add to its usefulness.

Action

In addition to its ability to backpack an optic, it has a concealed hammer and chamfered charge holes. Taurus revolvers with concealed hammers are double action only, there’s no cocking notch on the hammer for single action fire. That eliminates the “hitch” felt in the trigger as it’s being pressed, resulting in a smoother trigger pull. The chamfer cut at the rear of each chamber makes reloading the cylinder easier and faster--especially under stress.  

Frame & Sights

The gun is made of stainless steel frame, a wise choice considering the .327 Federal Magnum’s pressure ceiling of 45,000 PSI. Empty and without the optic plate, the gun weighs a little over 24 ounces. That’s a good minimum weight if you plan on shooting quantities of spicy .327 ammo. It comes with the Defenders’ standard Ameriglo tritium front sight. The trigger, thumb piece, and long ejector rod set the standard for ergonomics in small revolvers. The entirety of the gun is finished in a matte Black Nitride coating.

Performance & Accuracy

Using the iron sights, the 327 sent 95-100 grain bullets to the point of aim at 15 yards. That was a good compromise for sight regulation based on the bullet weights typically found in the .32’s. Lighter bullets tended to impact slightly low, 115-120 grain projectiles hit just above the sights. This trend was consistent regardless of caliber (.327 Fed Mag, .32 H&R, .32 S&W Long) and velocity. Lighter weight 32 H&R jacketed bullets like the Federal 85 gr JHP and Hornady’s 80 gr Critical Defense were within 1-1 ½ inches of point of aim at 15 yards. Close enough to aim “dead on” without worry if either were used as a defensive load. The weight of the 327 did its job and kept .327 Mag recoil and blast from being punishing.

Optics Mounting

Mounting a Shield SMS2 optic was straight forward and painless. The optic plate mounts to the gun securely with two screws and accepts optics with the Shield RMSc or Holosun K footprint. The plate and optic added just over an ounce to the gun’s empty weight. The Shield’s 3 MOA red dot facilitated shooting smaller groups than the iron sights, and a zero for 100 grain .327 JHP’s was established with just a few adjustments.

Putting optics on small revolvers unlocks their potential and allows them to shoot like bigger guns. The optic removes the handicap of small, course, fixed sights and permits an exact zero with a chosen carry load. Shooting in the poor light of an indoor range recently highlighted the advantage the optic brings. Comparing the 327 to a small revolver with high visibility tritium sights was like… Night and day. The red dot was a huge help in delivering good hits rapidly.

The 327 T.O.R.O. is too big for most pockets and ankles, but small and light enough to provide all day comfort and effective concealment in a holster around the waistline for personal defense. The HKS 32-K speedloader works like it was made for the 327. Tuff Products QuickStrips lay flat in a pocket and are easy to carry. A “2X6” pouch from Simply Rugged Holsters gives another great option for a low profile reload.  

Ammo

The .327 chambering brings versatility to a small revolver because of the caliber choices it allows. The .327 Magnum generates significantly more energy than .38+P can muster. It does so while maintaining a six-round capacity. A .357 Magnum small frame will top it, but you sacrifice a round and inherit a tremendous amount of recoil. The .32 H&R Magnum gives adequate terminal performance with minimal recoil- a good recipe for superior shot placement and quick recovery (many revolver gurus choose the .32 H&R for that reason). The .32 S&W Long cartridge is as pleasant to fire as a .22 but gives more reliable ignition than a rimfire. It provides a great tool for helping new (or recoil sensitive) shooters to gain proficiency and it’s just plain fun to shoot!    

The 327 T.O.R.O.’s size and weight, barrel length, user friendly features, and .327 chambering combine to make an outstanding modern carry revolver. The fact that you can easily mount a red dot on it makes it that much better.