Development started in October 1942, due to a General Staff order for a successor to the 17-pdr gun.

During development, it was proposed that a 37 lb (17 kg) shot would give better performance, and this new design was trialled as the QF 37 pdr EX1 in June 1944.

At least one 32-pdr was developed as an anti-tank gun on a wheeled carriage and a single example using a novel form of muzzle brake was installed in a de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.

While flight trials did not take place until after the war had ended, the aircraft flew and the gun fired without problems.

A number of projectiles were developed or planned including: The "T" indicated the shot had a tracer element to allow tracking it in flight.