Getting back to 32s:
Smith and Wesson #2, Old Army Tip Up, with 32 Rimfire copper cased cartridges. This one shipped in 1863. Popular with Union officers during the Civil War. While not as powerful as the 44 caliber Cap & Ball revolvers of the day, it was much quicker to reload.
This photo illustrates how the Tip Up revolvers worked. Depressing a latch at the bottom of the frame allowed the barrel to rotate up. The cylinder was then removed. Spent cartridges were poked out with the rod under the barrel. Fresh cartridges were loaded into the cylinder, then the cylinder was popped back in place on the frame, and the barrel lowered down and latched in place, ready to fire. Although S&W experimented with a 44 caliber design, they decided the relatively weak frame of the Tip Ups was not strong enough for a 44 caliber version, so the 32 caliber Tip Ups were the largest of their type.
A couple of S&W #1 1/2 Tip Ups. The one at the bottom is the first version, the nickel plated one with the fluted cylinder is a later version. Still 32 Rimfire, but smaller than the #2, and only five shots. This model came out after the #1 and #2, and since the numbers 1 and 2 were already taken, this one was designated the # 1 1/2 because it was bigger than the #1 and smaller than the #2. The nickel plated one shipped in 1873, the blued one in 1865.
S&W 32 Single Action. Produced from 1878 - 1892. Five shot, chambered for the 32 S&W cartridge. This is the revolver that the 32 S&W was developed for. Some refer to the cartridge as 32 Short, or 32 S&W Short, but I prefer what S&W called it, simply 32 S&W. This revolver shipped in 1889.
S&W 32 Single Action with ammunition. Notice it is a Top Break as opposed to a Tip Up. The barrel rotates down for loading. This model is a little bit unusual because it had a rebounding hammer in an attempt to make it safe to carry fully loaded with cartridges in all five chambers.
S&W 32 Safety Hammerless Model. Often known as Lemonsqueezers because of the grip safety. These were very popular and were made in both 32 caliber and a larger version chambered for 38 S&W. This one shipped in 1905.
S&W 32 Double Action, 4th Model. Five shots. The best I can do on a ship date on this one is somewhere between 1883 and 1909.
S&W 32 Safety Hammerless Bicycle Revolver. A variation on the regular 32 Safety Hammerless with a two inch barrel for easy concealment to protect Daisy from ruffians while pedaling on a new-fangled bicycle. This one shipped in 1908.
Smith and Wesson 32 Hand Ejector, 1st Model, also known as the Model of 1896. The 32 S&W Long cartridge was developed for this model. This was the first revolver S&W made with a swing out cylinder. Colt had been producing a 32 caliber revolver with a swing out cylinder since 1899 and S&W needed to produce one too. This one shipped in 1899.
S&W was a little bit rushed getting this model to market, the mechanism was very different than any of their swing out cylinder revolvers that followed. This model reverted to the hammer and bolt design of the old Tip Ups. The bolt on this model was above the cylinder, rather than below it. The bolt pivoted on a pin set in the frame as seen in the above photo. A split spring under the bolt kept the bolt down, locking the cylinder in battery. As seen on the blued Model 1896 on the left in this photo, a rounded, wedge shaped cam on the top of the firing pin controlled the cylinder lock up. When the hammer was cocked, either single action or double action, the rounded portion of the cam rotated the bolt up, withdrawing it from the locking slots in the cylinder. When the hammer fell, the wedge shape at the front of the cam forced the split spring open without withdrawing the bolt from the cylinder. This was the only swing out cylinder revolver S&W made with this design. In 1903 the 32 Hand Ejector 2nd Model reverted to having the bolt under the cylinder.
A pair of S&W 32 Regulation Police revolvers, chambered for the 32 S&W Long cartridge. One shipped in 1924, the other in 1925.
There were several I frame Smiths that had the wood grips extended about 1/4" below the steel grip frame. The 32 Regulation Police was one of them.
Because the bottom of the grip was covered, the serial number of these revolvers was stamped onto the front of the grip frame.
S&W obtained a patent on this style of grips in 1917.
A Colt Pocket Positive 32 that shipped in 1917. This model was built on a smaller frame than the 38 caliber Police Positives.
Colt did not want mark this revolver for the S&W 32 Long cartridge, so they marked them for Colt's version; 32 Colt New Police. Identical to the 32 S&W Long except the bullet weighed two grains more, and the bullet had a flat nose.
A Colt Police Positive Special chambered for 32-20 at the top of this photo. It shipped in 1926. A Smith and Wesson 32-20 Hand Ejector at the bottom of the photo, that shipped in 1916.
Last, but not the least, a Smith and Wesson K-32 Masterpiece that shipped in 1954.