Flipping the lever up caused the movable striker to fall upon the primer set directly under the hammer, discharging the lower shotgun barrel. The LeMats that found their way through the U.S. Navy blockade were stamped with British proof marks from the Birmingham Proof House, leading to the misapprehension that the pistols were manufactured in the UK. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I've come across a lot of BS published by gun writers, that article is not a reference. So you would be stuck with a single action style weapon. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The original percussion handgun fired nine shots from a revolving cylinder and one grapeshot from a shotgun barrel underneath. The judge gets by with it because of that, and being rifled I believe. Checkered walnut grips. Perfect Member, Moderator Posts: 64,557 ******. The Le Mat shot barrel is fired by cocking the hammer and flipping down the hammer nose to strike the lower nipple for the barrel. Your email address will not be published. It fires 12 gauge I don't think adding .20 or .16 shot for a single gun is a good idea, . Developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. It's the paperwork and the wait. What sets it apart from other revolver designs is the 20-gauge, .645 diameter 5-7/8 smoothbore barrel, originally intended for firing buckshot. It is one of the five Rare Weapons of the game. The original LeMat revolver was a 9-shot cap & ball black powder revolver chambered in .42 caliber with a second single shot smooth bore barrel in .60 caliber (roughly the same as a modern 20 Gauge shotgun in dimension). With both weapons, loading was accomplished via a loading gate at the 4 o'clock position for the cylinder and by swinging the breech of the shot barrel up and left. They are built with state-of-the-art materials, so you can enjoy safe and reliable performance with modern ammunition. The LeMat has been recently featured in HBO's 'Westworld' and the popular video game 'Red Dead Online'. Grips are checkered two piece European walnut. Pistols. You will find the sale page for this carbine if you click here. 1861 Models; 1862 Models . The revolver is in Fine-Excellent condition, showing more signs of handling than actual use. He entered a partnership with P.G.T Beauregard (a major in the U.S. Army). Chamber one in .308 over 3" 12ga. It is a place to teach, to learn, and to collaborate and interact. Up to 2,400 LeMats were smuggled into the Confederacy to arm cavalry units. cylinder and rifled 6.75" octagonal barrel with 1:30 twist. No box but have original manual. I am by no means an expert here. By the start of the Civil War, repeating firearms were growing in popularity. Confederate gun runners were able to slip shipments of the gun through the Union naval blockade and it is estimated that about 2,500 made it into Confederate service. We offer a superior product . He also replicates the original */LM proof mark stamps on the barrel using a die that was copied from rubbings taken off an original LeMat. Reference the photo below: I was able to have this done legally, due to the Savage Arms action being 'non-designated' from the factory. A Francotte LeMat, Serial Number 16, in exceptional condition, sold for $46,000. A lesser-known designer, Jean Alexandre LeMata Frenchman living in New Orleanssought to create a revolver that diverted from the traditional and could be used as a multi-purpose firearm on the battlefield. I defer to superior knowledge citing cases and statutes. Additionally, the loading process with the utilization of a ramrod was not convenient, especially considering the development of rear loading cylinders around the same time. 36 caliber cap & ball black powder revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans, which featured a rather unusual secondary 16 gauge smoothbore barrel capable of firing buckshot, and saw service with the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861 - 1865. Current picture is file photo of the model and appearance. Modern reproduction of a LeMat cap and ball Revolver. I'd want at least a 3" .410 for more shot. Reloading on the fly really didnt work to well in a front stuffer, you fired your shots and were effectively out, unless you had a spare loaded cylinder. No shotguns with shorter than an 18" barrel and they also can't be less than 26" total or else you need a $200 tax stamp. There is an extraordinary collection of LeMats from the Clifford Young estate to be sold April 26, 2016, at Cowan's Auction in Cincinnati, and the remainder of his over 30 LeMats to be sold at a later sale. With the advent of easy-to-produce and more reliable repeaters, the military eventually caught on. Union City, TN 38261, Outside of the U.S.:1-731-885-0700 [3], In addition to General Beauregard and Colonel LeMat, LeMat's revolver was used by such famous Confederate officers as Major Generals Braxton Bragg, J. E. B. Stuart, Richard H. Anderson, and Captain Henry Wirz. . Word was they got BATF exemption, but it has never went into production. Unlike other wedge retained black powder revolvers, the Le Mat is . Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. [3], The Pietta company of Brescia, Italy, has manufactured modern reproductions of the LeMat revolver since 1985. Prior to the popularization of revolvers and other repeaters, citizens and the military alike often sought combination weapons. 1860 Army and Sheriff. hrm that'd make for a roughly 16" barrel for the pistol cartridges Might be able to chamber the beast for .454 Casull, since you'd be talking about a cylinder at least 2.5" in diameter anyway. LeMat of New Orleans and manufactured in Paris, France, and Birhamingham, England. Back in the late '70's-early '80's there were a number of guns like these built on Smith N-frames but they were pricey then, let alone now. (A 2.5" .410 000 buckshot load only has 4 balls of shot. The original LeMat revolver was a 9-shot cap & ball black powder revolver chambered in .42 caliber with a second single shot smooth bore barrel in .60 caliber (roughly the same as a modern 20 Gauge shotgun in dimension). First off, forget the shotgun barrel. document.write(theDate.getFullYear()) It's possible you might be able to affix a buttstock as well, as short-barreled combo guns can also fall under the AOW definition - an ATF opinion letter would probably be helpful there. The loading lever is mounted on the left side. 42 or . Weaponry: Le Mat. There are a metric shit load of break top 12ga singles around, this is a do-able project! N/SSA approved. Display as a link instead, Uberti cartridge revolvers are true replicas of original historical designs. Beauregard, a respected army officer, did ultimately switch sides to fight for the Confederacy. During testing, the revolver fired 170,000 rounds of .357 magnum ammunition and was still in spec at the end of testing. What was it, New England Firearms 'pardner' that was the break-action single-shot? A single .20 gauge shotgun barrel under the .44 caliber barrel makes the Lemat a unique firearm. You won't regret this purchase. Located beneath the rifled revolver barrel is a single .20 gauge smoothbore barrel. Fewer production numbers may be unflattering at the time of an invention, but it makes the guns rare. They're both biiiiiig 'hawglegs', but the carbine would be good to test the waters with. and another in .223 over .410! The Manurhin MR73 probably holds the title of most durable revolver. Ste., 1-D, Santa Ana, CA 92705 | 800-430-1310 | 949-261-6611 | Fax 949-756-0133. I think you'd lose a lot of oomph with the cylinder gap, though. I live in Boise, so there are a couple (small) firearms manufacturers in the area, and CCI is up in Lewiston. http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/2671/50bmghandgun21vr.jpg. All of our LeMat defarbing is done in-house by Gunsmith David Stavlo. And it might be more than a 9-shot cylinder, since the cylinder would rotate around the shotgun barrel! Model: Reproduction LeMat Army Revolver. Total quantities believed to be less than 2,900 including production in Liege Belgium, Paris France & Birmingham England. Nothing about Title II designation came up. This worn finish gives the gun the look of a 150 year old original while allowing the gun's bore, chambers and mechanism to remain in new condition. If that is so, wonder why they let that R&D go to waste? The central barrel is smoothbore and can function as a short-barreled shotgun (hence the name "Grape Shot Revolver"), with the shooter selecting whether to fire from the cylinder or the smoothbore barrel by flipping a lever on the end of the hammer. An accurate reproduction of the first model LeMat, this Cavalry version has a nine-shot, .44 cal. The loading lever is mounted on the left side. A forum community dedicated to survivalists and enthusiasts. With todays metallurgy it is totally unnecessary for a revolver to have a gap. Scott Kenny, The "LeMat" was an American Civil War (1861-1865) revolver emerging from the resources-strapped Confederate States of America. You are somewhat mistaken - if it has a smooth bore, it CANNOT be classified as a handgun or rifle. In the end, the gun could not overcome flaws and was ill-timed as advanced technology would quickly soon surpass it. 20 gauge won't work unless it is 18" long or an AOW. The LeMat Revolver is a weapon featured in Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2. The process is finished with the antiquing of the grips. LeMat Revolver, USA 1855 Made of cast metal (zamak) Can be cocked and dry fired like the original Non-firing replica. LeMats only continue to attract the attention of collectors with basic models worth between $12,000 to $15,000; cased versions can fetch over $20,000. View Quote. It looks like present political tides are in our favor, and doubtless there would be strong public opposition. But it is not a . General Beauregard's personal engraved LeMat, which he carried throughout the war, is preserved at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA. Pietta literature claims it takes a 454 ball but don't belive it. This revolver features a Walker style grip, square brass trigger guard, steel backstrap, and oval notches on the cylinder. These saw use by CS Cavalry forces. 104, Oklahoma City, OK 73108, United States. The revolver would be fine addition to any collection of Civil War handguns or Confederate collection and is certainly priced very . Copyright 2022 Federal Firearms All Rights Reserved. Could offset the 410 barrel thus enabling it to be a DA/SA gun with swing out cylinder. LeMat Revolver, examining shooting taking it apart looking at how it works on the inside. The new rifling http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonal_rifling allowed the .50 gauge to drop thru the barrel bore, thus the reduction in bore size was done to get the pistol approved.