I
t wasJuly 2, 2014.I wasstay-
ing at a bed andbreakfastin
Dundee, South Africa, and
it was the fi rst Internet ser-
vice I’d had in weeks. While
checking e-mails, I saw an
announcement that Ruger had part-
nered with Lipsey’s to offer the Single
Seven, a stainless, seven-shot version
of the Single Six chambered for the
.327 Federal Magnum.
I immediately sent off an e-mail to
my contact at Ruger asking for one. I
never expected that just a few years
later, I’d be working with Lipsey’s to
create my ideal version of that hand-
gun.
I’ve always had an affi nity for the
Rugers chambered for .32-calibercar g
I ever saw
sawit.In1986,justhomefrombasic
training, I was prowling around a
local sporting goods store andspied
a Single Six with a 4 5/8-inch barrel.
Because I’d just turned 21, it was the
fi rst handgun my parents did not have
to buy for me.
I was enamored with how I could
fi re .32 ACP, .32 Short, .32 Long and
.32 H&R Magnum ammunition out of
one revolver—without changing cyl-
inders. Those familiar with the Ruger
Single Six know that the interchange-
able cylinders for .22 LR and .22 Mag-
num were features that made it fa-
mous. But with this revolver, you had
the option of extra or reduced power
and needed only one cylinder.F
I’ve had
closeathandeversince.However,in
2007, Ifelljusta littlebitoutoflove
with that cartridge.
Late that year, Federal announced
the .327 Federal Magnum. It is es-
sentially a lengthened version of the
.32 H&R Magnum case but loaded to
45,000 psi, as opposed to 21,000 psi.
Yeah, that’s magnum performance for
sure: Out of a short-barreled Ruger SP
101, the .327 Federal Magnum can
push a 115-grain bullet to more than
1,300 fps. The SP 101 replaced my
beloved Single Six—well, at least un-
til Ruger brought out the GP 100 and
Blackhawk in .327 Federal Magnum.gundigest.com GunDigest the magazine AUGUST 2019 | 35
cartridges. I remember the first oneom basic FALLINGINLOVEAGAIN
a .32 H&R M num Ru r
owever, inLIPSEY’S SPECIAL SINGLE SEVEN:
32 YEARS TO A PERFECT .32
BY RICHARD MANN