National Arms Cal .32 Revolver grips
National Arms Cal .32 Revolver grips
The National Arms Company .32 Revolver — officially the Moore's Patent Pocket Revolver or National Revolver in .32 Teat-fire caliber — was a clever Civil War-era design from Brooklyn, New York
Inventor Daniel Moore, facing the Rollin White patent monopoly held by Smith & Wesson (which covered bored-through cylinders for metallic cartridges), partnered with David Williamson to create a workaround. They patented the unique .32 Teat-fire cartridge (U.S. Patent June 5, 1864, and May 17, 1865 variants), featuring a rounded base with a protruding "teat" containing the primer, struck centrally by the hammer
Production began under Moore's Patent Firearms Co. around 1863–1864, then shifted to National Arms Company circa 1865. The six-shot, single-action, front-loading pocket revolver used a brass frame (often engraved), 3–3.25-inch barrel, and loaded from the front — cartridges inserted teat-first through cylinder holes, avoiding rear rim issues
Popular with soldiers and civilians during and after the American Civil War for its reliability and concealability, about 30,000 units were made from 1864 to 1870 (some marked "Moore's Patent," others "National Arms Co. Brooklyn, N.Y.")
Financial pressures led to the company's sale to Colt's Manufacturing Company in 1870. Colt discontinued the revolver but continued the .41 rimfire derringer line acquired in the deal, helping enter the metallic-cartridge market. The innovative .32 Teat-fire revolver remains a collector's favorite for its patent-evasion ingenuity