Taurus dropped the .357 Magnum optics ready T.O.R.O. last year, and at this year’s SHOT Show they’ve followed up with a .327 Magnum version, the 327 Defender T.O.R.O..

The 327 T.O.R.O. is a stainless steel revolver with a black matte finish. It comes with a 2- or 3-inch barrel and recoil absorbing rubber grip; not that recoil should be bad with the .327. It has a front night sight with orange outline and fixed-rear sight and is optics ready. You pick up an extra round over the .357 Magnum and have a 6-round capacity. The revolver will shoot .327 Federal Magnum, .32 H&R Magnum and .32 S&W rounds, as well as the semi rimmed .32 ACP, although extraction may not be as positive with the semi-auto geared ACP load. Still, it’s neat that you can shoot those too. MSRP is $554.

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51 COMMENTS

  1. I want a 7.5″- barreled version of this revolver. Such a piece would make for an excellent “woods tramping” unit.

      • That’s a little off topic. Captain O might want the double action and significantly lower price of the Taurus.

        A longer barreled .327 would be a sweet woods tramping gun in either single or double action.

    • Keep in mind the 10mm platform used for that chart weighs nearly twice as much as the .327 that was used. They’re comparing an LCR vs a G20. They should have used the small 10mm Glock or an SP101 for a more accurate comparison. They probably used the Gold Dot 327 which is loaded pretty hot. There are more tame loads out there.

    • Yeah – I shoot .327 Fed Mag out of my 16 ounce, 1.87″ Ruger LCR.

      It’s loud and there’s a lot of flash but the recoil is less than +P 38 specials out of a J-Frame with massively superior ballistics.

      Have YOU ever shot one? Math is one thing, real life is something else.

    • Anyone who was actually shot a 327 is extremely rare, like finding a diamond just laying on the ground.

      The production level for guns in 327 is criminally low. One of my local gun stores has only had one Ruger 327, in her store in the last ten years.

  4. I like the 32 H&R even though it’s not really a *magnum*. I like the versatility of 327 magnum revolvers but all I can think of is the cost of ammunition and its limited availability. Since I already own several 32 H&R’s, I think I’ll pass on the new kid.

    • Saw that on Copper Jacket TV yesterday. Gavin Newsom and his buddies here say “hold my beer” and continue to present anti-2A tax legislation going the opposite way.

    • That argument was yesterday. Two of the panel appeared to be leaning in the direction of staying the case until a decision in Duncan (10+ capacity mags) or were favoring the State’s patent misuse of the Bruen standard, suggesting that the standard is not “commonly owned firearms used for lawful purposes,” but instead “commonly used for self-defense. One of the judges was also trying to limit the “commonality” test to the number of “assault weapons” in the State as opposed to nationwide. Comments on another forum suggested that she demonstrated an absolute lack of knowledge of firearms and the fact that by changing out specified features, an “assault weapon” can be converted into a legal semi-automatic rifle. (As an aside, “assault weapons” were required to be registered on a now closed government list, but legal semi-auto rifles were not.)

      Restated, either there will be a further delay due to a stay being imposed (Duncan has been pending decision for quite some time now) or a reversal of the trial court decision.

  8. I eventually want a 3 or 4″ 357. As echoed I rarely see 327 ammo let alone 357 or even 38. Good on Taurus🙄

    • I’ve seen 327 ammo once in 8 years. Same for 32HR ammo. Luckily that just came in. But 32 sw ammo is always available.

      And Paul Kersey did just fine with a 32 smith and weston revolver.

  9. I own revolvers chambered in .32 S&W Long and one in .32 H&R Magnum. The .327 Federal Magnum is accurate, and with a longer barrel, has enough power to tackle most small-game/varmint/pest control duties.

    Enough said.

  10. I’m not seeing the utility of an optic on a short-barreled revolver, or short gun of any kind. For longer barrels used for longer range shots under a controlled and prepared grip, sure. But short barrels are typically intended for concealed EDC, and DGUs in which a person is defending against an attacker are typically within “danger close” range, in which the defender would not have sufficient time to draw, aim with full arm extension, look through the optic to acquire his target, process the information in his mind to determine if/when to fire, and pull the trigger.

    Heck, much of the defensive training I’ve taken has involved assumptions of attackers from 3 yds distance all the way up to physical bodily contact. Skill test limits of 1.5 seconds or less.

    I really like the idea of a .327 or .357 Mag snub revolver, don’t get me wrong. Classic stuff. But adding an optic just looks out of place and a misapplication of money.

    • Optics makes you one of the cool guys, adding an opti grab even more so.
      A question, where do all these batteries come from?
      You can’t buy nothing no more that it don’t need a battery. Yesterday I tried to use my fork but the battery was dead, I just about starved to death until I glued it to my electric toothbrush.

    • “I’m not seeing the utility of an optic on a short-barreled revolver, or short gun of any kind.”

      A few years back, I was diagnosed with eye cataracts. No big deal, got the surgery, and a pair of snazzy 3-distance focus lenses installed. Then I hit the range…

      I don’t know if it was an artifact of how those particular fancy lenses work, but iron sights on a .22lr were pretty much useless. Focusing on the target downrange meant the front sight disappeared into a blur, focusing on the front sight meant the target was a blur.

      My EDC is a 5-round revolver, so a sight like the one in the top pic is beginning to look like a real good idea now… 🙁

      • My eyesight at 4 months from 70 is miles better after cataract surgery. Had the “new” Johnson& Johnson lenses by chance. Except for a bit of glare at night it’s pretty good. I wear those yellow glasses when I drive. Pretty good shooting my newest pistol at the range. And my wife is more beautiful than ever🙄Good luck shooting Geoff!

        • Geoff:
          I too just got my eyes fixed in December. No tri-focals for me. I told them to just fix it so I can drive a car without glasses; I can put on a pair of drug-store cheaters for close work. And, right now, I’m looking at my computer monitor and it’s in focus from about two feet away. There are some things that should just not be over engineered.

  11. I think it should have been introduced with a 4 inch barrel… it’s not like you’re worried about svelte concealability with sticking a RDS on top of an already tall handgun design.
    Next, make a 6 inch with adjustable sights and a TORO mount installed in front of the rear sight or out on the barrel rib.

        • A bobbed hammer has been Taurus’ answer to a truly hammerless revolver for decades. My first CCW piece was a stainless steel Model 85CH (concealed hammer). Really just a bobbed, spurless hammer. Great revolver, accurate and durable. Still works fine after more than 5000 rounds.

      • “give me a hammer and I’m all over this thing.”

        For front pocket everyday carry, that doesn’t work for me, hammers potentially snagging on clothing while drawing is very real issue for me.

        I like what I see so far. 6 rounds beats the 5 in my Ruger LCR, and the optics plate means a sight I can actually use with my surgically-modified eyeballs…

        • Do you think you could still front pocket carry it with a red dot sight on it? That’s something I’ve wondered about as I also pocket carry and my Max-9 is cut for a red dot. I also love to pocket carry a J-frame or an LCP, but they aren’t cut for optics.

        • “Do you think you could still front pocket carry it with a red dot sight on it?”

          On the cargo pants that are my everyday wear these days, the pockets are *huge*.

          So large, I could easily slide a standard-sized CZ 75 in there and easily be able to extract it while at the wheel. The pockets are so deep, standing up, hands in my pockets, my fingertips *just* touches the bottom…

    • The Taurus 327 is also available, without the unnecessary optic, with a hammer and a 2″ or 3″ barrel for $440 msrp for stainless, $430 for matte black. And no, none of these are on the California Roster. Californians are limited to the Ruger SP 101 (which has a msrp that is more than double).

    • $229 will get you a basic Taurus G3C which is a pretty decent gun. I’d definitely take it over this revolver.

  15. Looking at the energy this makes out of a 3″ barrel, I’m surprised but it’s certainly compelling. Looks like hot 9mm at the high end and average 9mm at the low end. Certainly better than .38 SPL can do without a very over pressure round like the Treasury Loads. That extra round in the cylinder is compelling too.

  16. Because I couldn’t find the taurus and I couldn’t get the Ruger. I decided to get the Charter Arms “off duty hammerless”. A six shot 32HR magnum snubby revolver.

    And I’m very happy with it.

    • I bought an older Charter Arms Police Undercover in 32 H&R from GB several years ago. Arthritis, etc. has made me more recoil sensitive. This little CA 32 has become my favorite EDC. I wish I could afford a S&W 332 or 431PD, but they’re above my budget. Buffalo Bore ammunition makes my little CA 32 a viable close range, self defense choice. I know many will call it a mouse gun (Mighty Mouse?), but it’s what I can manage.

  17. It seems there’s a lot of folks that have not been watching the Sportsman Cable Channel, the last ten years or so. You would have seen champion shooter, Jerry Miculek win with his revolver that had an enormous optic on top of it.

    And all of the competitors had an optic on their revolvers.
    I’m glad finally, there’s a company that is producing a production revolver with an optic on top.

    If it’s good enough for the professionals that it’s good enough for me.

    Years ago I watched videos of a gunsmith. Installing an optic on a Heritage Rough Rider revolver. It was for his young daughter who had poor eyesight.

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