Description
The Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum is an eight shot 357 Magnum on a scandium alloy N-frame, built by the Performance Center with a tuned action, a five inch stainless barrel and a cylinder cut for moon clips. It is a competition and duty-oriented revolver in a way very few modern revolvers are, finished in Moss Cerakote.
Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum Eight Rounds and Moon Clips
Eight rounds in a 357 Magnum revolver is two more than the traditional six, and the difference matters in competition and in any scenario where reloading is inconvenient. The Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum fits them on an N-frame cylinder without making the gun impractically large.
The cylinder is cut for moon clips, which is the feature that makes this revolver genuinely competition ready. A moon clip holds all eight cartridges in a single unit, so a reload is one motion rather than eight, and empties eject as one piece rather than requiring you to pick out stuck cases. Three clips come in the box.
Moon clips are consumable. They bend, and a bent clip will bind the cylinder, so competitors buy them in quantity and check them regularly. That is a real ongoing cost and a real ongoing habit, and it is the price of the reload speed they buy you.
Frame, Barrel and Sights
The frame is scandium alloy rather than steel. Scandium-aluminum alloy is dramatically lighter than the steel an N-frame is normally milled from, which is what makes an eight shot 357 carryable rather than merely shootable. The five inch barrel is stainless steel with a Moss Cerakote finish over it, and the frame carries an E-210 Elite Series Moss Cerakote finish.
The action is Performance Center tuned, and the trigger has a stop fitted. On a double action revolver the trigger is everything, and a hand-tuned action is the single largest difference between a revolver that shoots well and one that merely functions. It is double action and single action, so you can stage a precise shot with the hammer cocked or run it entirely double action.
Sights are a gold bead front against a black blade adjustable rear. The gold bead provides good contrast against a black bullseye, which is exactly the target this revolver was designed for. Two equipment rails come in the box for mounting a light or an optic.
Shooting the Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum
The five inch barrel is the sweet spot for a 357 Magnum. It gives the cartridge enough distance to reach useful velocity without becoming a long, muzzle-heavy gun, and the sight radius is long enough for genuine precision. Combined with the tuned action, this is a revolver you can shoot well double action rather than needing to cock the hammer for every accurate shot.
Running it double action is the point. A tuned double action stroke is smooth and consistent enough that skilled shooters keep pace with semi-automatic competitors, and the single action option is there for a deliberate long shot rather than as the default. Learning to shoot double action well is the single most valuable revolver skill.
Moon clip reloads are worth practising deliberately. The motion is different from a speedloader and it is much faster once learned, but it rewards a consistent grip and a positive push. Buy more clips than you think you need and keep a loader tool for stripping empties out of them.
Setup and Maintenance
The included rails open up options a traditional revolver does not have. A light under the barrel makes this viable as a home defense gun, and an optic on top suits competition use. Neither is required, and many owners run the revolver exactly as it comes.
Cerakote is a hard-wearing finish, but it is a coating rather than a property of the metal, and it will eventually show wear at the high points and holster contact areas. That is cosmetic rather than functional and it happens to every coated gun eventually.
Keep an eye on your moon clips more than on the revolver itself. A clip that has been dropped or stepped on can be bent just enough to bind the cylinder, and that failure will feel like a problem with the gun. Sort and discard damaged clips as a routine rather than waiting for a malfunction.
Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum Specifications
- Manufacturer part number: 14449
- UPC: 022188901368
- Caliber: 357 Magnum
- Capacity: 8 rounds
- Barrel: 5 inches, stainless steel with Moss Cerakote finish
- Frame: scandium alloy with E-210 Elite Series Moss Cerakote finish
- Action: Performance Center tuned, double action and single action
- Trigger: Performance Center with trigger stop
- Sights: gold bead front, black blade adjustable rear
- Cylinder: cut for moon clips, three clips included
- Accessories: two equipment rails included
Why Buyers Choose the Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum
A scandium framed magnum is a trade. The weight saving is what makes the revolver practical to carry, and it also means full-power 357 Magnum recoils harder than it would from an all-steel gun of the same size. Many owners practise with 38 Special and shoot magnums sparingly, which is a sensible approach.
The ability to chamber 38 Special in a 357 Magnum revolver is one of the platform great advantages. Cheap, mild 38 Special for practice and full-power 357 when it matters, from the same gun, with no adjustment required.
Revolvers are mechanically simple but not maintenance free. Keep the cylinder face and forcing cone clean, since carbon build-up there can eventually bind the cylinder, and check that the ejector rod stays tight under recoil.
Who Should Buy It
The Smith Wesson 327 TRR8 357 Magnum suits competitive revolver shooters and serious enthusiasts: ICORE and USPSA revolver division competitors, anyone who wants eight rounds of 357 with a hand-tuned action, and shooters who want a light magnum they can actually carry.
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