I had never thought too much about the 32 at all until not too long ago my wife noticed one in the case at the LGS and thought it was "cute" and looked "lonely and unloved" and more or less ordered me to buy it. I was filling out paperwork for something else at the time, so I just had them add it to pile. IIRC, I paid $350.00 for it.
It turned out to be a third model hand ejector from about 1920. An "I" frame that had been refinished, and is wearing stocks from a much more recent time period, it's sort of become one of my favorites, even though I don't shoot it a lot. Loaded with a cylinder full of dummy rounds, it has become my "fidget spinner" here at the desk. It's the gun I get out to just "fiddle with", working the action, dry firing, and just turning over in my hands and think about. It really is interesting. It looks almost like someone shrank a K-frame 38 down to "fun size" as the candy bars say. I suppose that's not too far from the truth really. There is evidence of pitting here and there, and the checkering on the hammer is worn smooth, like someone shot it a lot, or maybe just carried it in a pocket of a jacket or overalls until they had it refinished. It seems the refinish was a pretty job, although I know little about what good/bad refinish looks like really. The case hardening on the trigger and hammer still look pretty decent.
I suppose it is a "pre" Model 30? Not to start that debate over.
It did open me to the idea of carrying a 32, but I went with a Taurus 327 that would handle the magnum rounds. I figure at 100 years old this old girl has earned her retirement from serious social work although as my arthritus gets worse, I'm thinking it might be called back to duty if needed.
My wife was right. It is "cute."
