The Charter Arms Patriot was a short-lived line of revolvers chambered for the .327 Federal Magnum. In all, three Patriot models were manufactured between 2008 and 2011. The three models were the standard model, the Target Patriot and the Crimson Patriot.
Let’s dig into this line of handguns.
Standard Charter Arms Patriot
The standard model Patriot was a 2.2″ barreled revolver with a cylinder that held six shots. It had a fixed ramp front sight and a foxed notch rear sight.
Due to the relatively short barrel, it appears the gun was designed for concealed carry. Unlike the company’s Off Duty revolver, the Patriot had an exposed hammer, allowing the shooter to work the gun in double-action or single-action modes.
The standard Patriot revolver weighed 21 ounces while unloaded. Rubber grips were standard on the gun. Charter Arms only offered this gun with a satin stainless steel finish.
MSRP on the gun was $536.00.
The Target Patriot
This version of the Charter Arms Patriot features a longer barrel (4″ vs. 2.2″) and has an adjustable rear, target-type sight.
The barrel has a full length underlug, which is likely to help tame the recoil of the little magnum cartridge. The Target Patriot carries a $593.00 MSRP.
The Crimson Patriot
The Crimson Patriot was also chambered in .327 Federal Magnum and had a 2.2″ barrel. The gun shipped from the factory with the Crimson Trace LG-325 Lasergrips.
The Crimson Patriot shares many of the features of the standard Patriot revolver. The Crimson Patriot is a six-shot, exposed hammer revolver made of stainless steel that weighs 21 ounces unloaded. It has fixed sights, using a ramp front and notch rear. The big difference is the addition of the rubber overmold Lasergrips.
The suggested retail on the Charter Arms Crimson Patriot was $768.00. Considering the standard Patriot retailed for $536.00 and the Crimson Trace LG-325 Lasergrips retailed at $299.00, the Crimson Patriot retail price represents a significant savings as compared to adding the grips yourself ($768 vs. $835).
| Patriot | Target Patriot | Crimson Patriot | |
| Caliber | .327 Magnum | .327 Magnum | .327 Magnum |
| Capacity | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Barrel Length | 2.2″ | 4.0″ | 2.2″ |
| Weight (unloaded) | 21 oz | 23 oz | 21 oz |
| Sights | fixed | adjustable rear | fixed with Lasergrips |
| Finish | satin stainless | satin stainless | satin stainless |
| Grips | rubber | rubber | Crimson Trace |
| MSRP | $536 | $593 | $768 |
Charter Arms Discontinues the Patriot Line
The Patriot revolvers were discontinued by fall of 2011. Charter Arms did not make any announcement regarding why the handguns were pulled from production. I can only assume that the line was canceled due to sales.
If the company was selling a boatload of them, I would expect that Charter Arms would have continued the production. It looks like the total time these revolvers were made is about three years.
Alternative to the Patriot
The .327 Magnum is an interesting cartridge and a number of manufacturers launched guns to support the caliber. Some of those gun have also been discontinued.
Here’s the best information I have as of the most recent update:
Taurus 327 – Taurus offers two revolvers chambered for the .327 Magnum. One has a matte black finish while the second has a stainless finish. Both sport exposed hammers, a 2″ barrel and 6-round cylinders.
These Taurus handguns are affordable with MSRPs being less than $400 for each of them.
Ruger LCR – Ruger remains the strongest supporter of the .327 Federal Magnum and offers a wide range of wheelguns chambered for the cartridge. For self-defense, it is tough to beat the LCR series of revolvers.
Currently, Ruger offers the original “hammerless” LCR design and the exposed hammer LCRx models in .327. Both models have 6 round capacities and barrels of 1.87″ long.
Unlike the Taurus revolvers, the LCR uses pinned front sights so you can easily upgrade them. Pricing is more than double the Taurus, however.
Ruger SP101 – Ruger also offers its classic SP101 in .327 Magnum. Compared to the Charter Arms Patriot, the SP101 is much nicer. But, you are also paying for the upgrade.
The 3″ SP101 will set you back $889. For the 4.2″ barrel, the MSRP is $949. The longer barrel also comes with target sights.
Patriot Resources
Here are a few videos of the Charter Arms Patriot being shot:
Updated: March 31, 2022
44 replies on “Charter Arms Patriot Revolvers in .327 Federal Magnum”
.327 Federal ? I own a few handguns and have been reloading,but never knew about a .327 Federal. It is not listed in Hornady, Lyman,Lee or in any informaion from the powder companies. Do you mean .35 7? Let me in on this secret or this typo. thank you, john e mann.
The .327 Federal Magnum was introduced earlier this year. More powerful than a .32 Mag, less recoil than a .357, and you can squeeze six cartridges into a cylinder than would only hold five .38/.357.
See more on the .327 Federal Magnum here.
Roars like a Lion and kicks like a mule. You will need different grips and a strong hand. Gloves will help the heavy gas blow back. Full power loads hurt.
I am giving serious consideration to buying a .327 Mag. revolver. Why? I will save money on ammo–it is so hard to find I will not be doing much shooting.
i just bought a 2.2 patriot pistol in 327 caliber, shoots great, but wont eject shell casings, shell expands and charter does a lousy job of boring out the cylinders, had to do it myself with my good old Dremel tool, youd think they would take a little time to do that themselves, still makes me mad, never again will i buy charter
James,
Did you contact Charter Arms about the issue and give them a chance to make it right?
All gun makers send imperfect firearms out the door from time-to-time. I’d like to think that Charter would stand behind their products.
Does anyone have any idea where to purchase ammo???
I cannot find any in the Portland, Oregon area.
ableammo.com is where I buy ammo that I can’t seem to find anywhere else, especially locally. They currently carry the Federal .327 Magnums in the American Eagle, Premium, and Speer lines.
OK I lied, I bought another charter arms pistol and have had no problems and will probably buy another one , and my 327 patriot is shootin great!
James,
Glad to hear it! Thanks for checking back and giving us an update.
Got a Charter Arms Patriot for Xmas, son just got the Ruger 101, shot them both,very loud, and very manageable recoil for relatively small pistols. The 357 has more recoil by far, but the 327 really sounds like a 44.
Xmas present to myself was the Patriot 327. I own a 357 Ruger and wanted to try another manufacturer.Without firing the Patriot, I’d say Chater Arms does some sloppy machining. The cylinder doesn’t move smoothly in double action neither does the trigger in single. Won’t be buying a Charter Arms gun any time soon.
Evaluations from knowledgeable Patriot owners:
Is this the same kind of junk as other Charter Arms revolvers?
Hey Wyo: Sounds like you know more about Charter Arms than myself. My gun dealer spoke well of them but would rather hear the truth from gun owners like yourself. I’ve got the dealer looking for a Ruger 101 to replace the junk he sold me.
I purchased an SP101 in 327. Case extraction problem. Shipped it to Ruger. No word for 3 weeks. Sent an email requesting status. Got a response by phone today. They cannot fix the revolver. 3 choices, money back, another sp101 in a different caliber or wait with no time line on a fix. Love Ruger, but do not buy one of these now.
I thought about buying a Charter Arms .327 as Ruger has yet to produce a 6 inch revolver for target and small game.
I don’t have experience with Charter, just heard that the company has lower-class guns. Is the new .327 from Charter worth buying?
I just purchased a Taurus 327 federal, and I love it great for concealed carry, shooting it was excellent, love it.
My Charter Arms 327 also was bored incorrectly. Have not yet gotten it back from the factory fixed–going on 3 weeks. I saw a post that the Ruger has the same problem!
I just chronographed the American Eagle 100 gr. JSP out of the 4″ Charter .327 Magnum and got an average 1581 FPS…with the Federal 115 gr. Hydra-Shok I got 1478 FPS and 1421 FPS with Speer 115 gr. Gold dot. Not too shabby and fairly accurate to boot. Some case sticking and cratered primers.
Thanks for posting your chrony results Bill. At almost 1600 fps, that JSP might make for a pretty good small game round. And the 1400+ fps from both the Hydra Shok and the Gold Dot clearly make a good self defense round. The .327 Mag is definitely a hot round. I hope this one makes it, but only time will tell.
I bought a Taurus 327 and also have extraction problems but only with the federal eagle ammo. No problems with hydra shok.
I have several Charter Arms revolvers and actually love them all. the cyl lockup is perfect even after ~2500 rounds in my 6″ Bulldog in .44spl.
The .327 is smooth as glass and yep, had extraction problems but only with the AM Eagle rounds. AMMO problem? Yep. Speer went through just fine as fast as I could empty and fire again.
I don’t own any of these revolvers in 327 mag, but suspect some of the problems discussed are like when Bill Gates comes out with a new version of Windows, then has to do updates and service packs for the next five years to get it right.
I think Smith has a revolver in 327 mag. Anyone have any experience with this?
I bought a Target Patriot, fired 1 bx of FC 100 gr. and reloaded using Rainier 100 gr. plated FP and AA#9. This revolver is the first new gun I’ve had in 20 years. I am impressed by the fit, finish and function of this little revolver, purchased CA walnut target grips and CA holster, made it even better. I’ve put 350 rds of 327 thru it and 200 rds of 32 Mag. Great gun, good cartridge, and worth my time and money.
I recommend it, highly.
Dave and Russ,
Thanks for the feedback on these Charter Arms guns!
Richard
Today is 1/7/10.I have my 327 sence late November 09.
Shot over 600 rounds,,so far,,and no troubles with mine.
Pulling the hammer or squeising the trigger,works ever time.
Ejection is not a problem with my revolver,by the way it is
a Rugar SP101,,I found the moveable rear sight,to be a blessing
because of the way I held the weapon.
I have been thinking about an SP101 in .32 H&R for some time. Then decided I need a .357. I keep waffling on the new .327 as a compromise.
I want stainless and more UMP than my .22 mag. With either I would hand load.
Jerry
Hi Jerry,
A SP1010 in .327 Fed Mag might be a good choice for you as it will shoot the .32 H&R in addition to the .327 Fed Mag (like .38 SPL in .357 Mag). The .327 is less harsh to shoot that a .357, but if it is still too harsh, you can still shoot the .32 H&R.
–Richard
I decided to forget about buying a .327 magnum revolver. Instead, I am sticking with my 357/38 special–wide choice of available loads.
The NEW 327 Magnum Ultra-Shock JHP has been as scarce as hen’s teeth. However. The Ruger SP101 was the first on the market and low demand for the ammo caused mution makers to put it on back burner which meant extremely limited production of rounds. Now that Ruger has added a 6″ revolver to it’s line and with both Taurus and Charter adding 3 more models to the mix, it’s a good bet to say that Federal/Amer. Eagle (same company) will determine that the market is big enough, now, that more ammo production will be forthcoming. There’s truth to the adage “follow the money”.
Incidentally, The Ruger’s are very nice pieces… and the missus is buying a Ruger 101(4″) 6 shot with bull barrel for protection of her and horse from COUGAR attack here in Michigan. A horse and rider attacked in February southwest of Jackson. Girl thrown off… scared horse and cougar ran in different directions. Horse and girl are O.K. Locals out gunning for cat. One more of many such incidents.
Thank god the biggest thing we have bothering horses is the neighbor’s stupid dog! I guess the .327 will kill a cougar. The only one I have ever seen were behind bars.
Moe, Is that a 4″ or 3″ The wife is buying? That’s what got me looking at the Pug. The extra inch of barrel and adjustable sights.
Jerry
I have just found two great ways to save a lot of money.
1. buy the cheapest .327 magnum handgun I can find
2. wait to buy ammo for that handgun
How will that save money? Buy cheap gun because I will not be shooting it often, maybe very seldom. Ammo is scarce and I can’t find any loads except those selling for about $1 a round, so I will not be buying .327 magnum ammo.
After listening to some of the comments and the research I have done and my department armors have done.the 327 is a very good weapon and the rounds can be fairly cheap plus you can use 32h&r mag., 32 long.
Just my oppinion.
My wife can not handle the 38Spl and hates
autos. So am looking for something ;’twween a 22LR and the 38.
She a 22 and loves it but not much for defense. Beter than a rock most of the time. Looking at the 327 with 32 S&W for practice
and 327 for the real deal. What say folks? HELP!!
Chuck,
The .327 Magnum will have more recoil than a .38 Special, so I don’t know if that’s the way she wants to go. One thing to consider is to stay in .38, but change guns. I don’t know what she has tried and not liked, but small .38 revolvers (like the airweight J-frames) are a real pain to shoot for the inexperienced. Moving to a medium sized revolver could make a huge difference for her. Just a thought.
Richard
Why not a 32 HR mag? Less recoil than the 327 by a lot but still an 85 gr bullet of the same diameter…
I have the Charter Arms .327 Federal Magnum in 4″ and 2.2″ barrel. Both have minor extraction issues and less-than-smooth cylinder action— but they are relatively new so I’ll check back after a few hundred rounds. I’m using mostly .32 S&W long for carry and find the guns handle well and shoot comfortably, plus the .327 mag load indeed has a good amount of pop to it. .32 shorts are fun to shoot but hard to find (as is the .32 H&R mag) but the shorts foul the cylinders a bit.
I just purchased a Charter Arms Patriot on Saturday. I fired it for the first time yesterday and the first two rounds failed to fire even though the primer was punched. The next 18 did fine but the two failures were disconcerting. I don’t know if it was because the gun was tight being new or if the ammo was defective. It was factory Federal low velocity 85 gr ammo. I also noticed a slight expansion of the case but extraction wasn’t difficult. I had been looking for the S&W 632 carry comp but haven’t been able to find one so I settled for the Patriot.
My Patriot’s seem to be working better with more use—- however I had a Magtech 32 Long ammo shell recently split the casing after discharge. I have to wonder if it’s the ammo or the gun. I’m thinking ammo.
Thanks for the info on the magnum. @wyo Is it hard to find ammo and when you do is it super expensive? I would hate to buy a gun and then spend all my money on keeping it loaded. I’m seriously thinking about buying a gun, but I don’t want to be spending twice the amount of the gun on ammunition.
If any of you have had to interact with customer service at Charter, Ruger, or Taurus — can you please comment on how accessible, helpful and responsive they were (or were not)? Given any .327 handgun is still a fairly new production and “bugs” are possible, I’d like to buy from a manufacturer with good customer service. Thanks in advance!
Can I still find a 327 Patriot. I would like to have one from Carrie you know anyone who may have them in stock.
Frank Flores
Thank you
USN Vietnam Veteran
Hi Frank,
Charter Arms discontinued the Patriot. However, Ruger makes the SP101 in .327 Federal Magnum. I couldn’t find the 3″ carry version of the gun in stock anywhere. You’re best bet might be to talk to your local dealer and see if they can put one on order for you. I hope this helps!
-Richard