I have three LeMats in to be converted right now. That revolver fascinates me. eCommerce Software by 3dcart. [4], top view showing the ramming rod parallel to the barrel and the lever of the pivoting striker, A close-up of the hammer on a LeMat Pinfire Revolver shows the pivoting striker that could be used to fire the pinfire cartridges in the revolving chambers or the secondary smoothbore barrel. Checkered walnut grips. In combat, the firepower from the pistol barrel plus a hefty dose of blue whistlers from the 20-ga. smoothbore 6.75 round barrel made the LeMat a fearsome weapon to face. [3], LeMat originally chambered his pistol for .40 (or .42) caliber revolver bullets, with a .60 (20 gauge) smoothbore barrel, and had a jointed ramrod (mounted on the right-hand side of the frame), which was used to load both barrels. Nothing about Title II designation came up. ATF references bore diameter many times with language such as "all guns", using no distinction between rifle and pistol. This nine-shot revolver with a 20GA single-shot barrel was a favorite among Confederate cavalry officers. Pasted as rich text. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_8_51/ai_n14694946/. Just leave that alone and make no attempt to convert it. Contents Word was they got BATF exemption, but it has never went into production. It is a place to teach, to learn, and to collaborate and interact. The basic idea is a revolver, in which the axle is a shotgun barrel, and you have a shotgun shell as well as 9 rounds of whatever ammunition you want. My Lemat is one of the finest revolvers produced. Taurus is an exception because they rifle the barrels of their Judge revolvers. Anyway, my point is (and I welcome anyone to correct me because I'm not professing to be the subject matter expert about this) that the caliber of the firearm has no bearing. The cavalry model has a spur triggerguard with cross pin type barrel selector and lever barrel release. Dr. Jean Francois Alexander LeMat (1821-1895) was a New Orleans innovator and kindred spirit. Later, during the American Civil War, a lighter .35-caliber pistol with a .55-caliber (28-gauge) smooth bore barrel was produced. The revolver is in Fine-Excellent condition, showing more signs of handling than actual use. The original revolver, constructed of blued steel with grips of checkered walnut, was not considered to be a very accurate weapon, although it was deadly at close range. The LeMat revolver, one of the coolest guns in Civil War collecting. cylinder and rifled 6.75" octagonal barrel with 1:30 twist. An accurate reproduction of the first model LeMat, this Cavalry version has a nine-shot, .44-cal. The content presented here is intended to inform, to educate, and even to entertain. Modern repro of a LeMat Revolver. Reference the photo below: I was able to have this done legally, due to the Savage Arms action being 'non-designated' from the factory. Please turn them all in to be destroyed.". Both are fired by a pivoting striker. Really? Made in Italy by Pietta. It is estimated that 2,900 were produced in Lige, Belgium, and Paris, France. downside instructions are less than fundamental. The Pietta company of Brescia, Italy has manufactured modern reproductions of the LeMat revolver since 1985. It was a pain in my bottom & I will never do . Copyright var date = new Date(); document.write(date.getFullYear()) [store_name]. Beauregard. First, it was clunky. Dixie Gun Works Beauregard, who was to become a general with the Confederacy. LeMat eventually made several variations including the Baby LeMat, in .32-caliber with a 4.5-inch barrel and a rifled, rather than smoothbore, center barrel. The revolver would be fine addition to any collection of Civil War handguns or Confederate collection and is certainly priced very . The mid-1800s were a time in American history that gave birth to a number of innovative firearm designs, and this truly unique, unusual sidearm was also known as the Grape Shot Revolver. Developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. Now, back to that non authoritative article. Would it be feasible to recreate this, perhaps in .357 mag/[.410/28/20 guage]? Display as a link instead, The purpose of this secondary barrel was said to aid in foraging for game. I've got to take Gary's tack here, what ruling? A 357 45 Colt/410 would be a bad ass pistol. If you havent seen the LeMat revolver before, you may think it looks quite odd. The LeMat Revolver is a weapon in the Revolvers class featured in Red Dead Redemption 2 and Red Dead Online, added to the game as part of the 1.09 May 2019 update on May 14, 2019.. 1.1M views 8 years ago Colonel LeMat is best known for his 9-shot muzzleloading .42 caliber revolver with its 20 gauge shot barrel acting as cylinder axis pin - several thousand of these. This weapon can be customized at any of the Gunsmiths. I can buy a replica LeMat for $800 or so. Outstanding high quality and solidly built revolver. A head on look at the LeMat's double barrels. The Lemat was a favorite sidearm of Confederate Generals Jeb Stuart and P.G.T. The cavalry model has a spur triggerguard with cross pin type barrel selector and lever barrel release. Once registered as such, the action's serial number is to forever remain so (such is my understanding anyway). The closest I can think of would be the Judge and it's copycats, but I don't know of one that has the two barrels like the LeMat. At the same time, we changed it to a break-action frame so that reloading is easy to do. David's LeMat work was recently featured in the Fall 2017 issue of. It was developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Jean Alexandre Le Mat, whose manufacturing effort was backed by P. G. T. Beauregard, who became a general in the Confederate States Army. Either ATF didn't care on that one and never bothered to pursue it, or it was designated a sporting cartridge. Could offset the 410 barrel thus enabling it to be a DA/SA gun with swing out cylinder. & Y. and Amoskeag), Remington 1858 New Model, .36 Navy and .44 Army, Colt Walker, 1st Model Dragoon & Whitneyville Hartford, Colt Baby Dragoon, Wells Fargo and Pocket Revolvers, M1859,1863 & 1874 Sharps Rifles and Carbines, Bags, Boxes, Lock Covers & Powder Storage. [3], LeMat hoped to market his adaptable revolver as a primary sidearm for dragoons and other mounted troops. The barrel is 7 1/2" long. 1858 Buffalo Bill Centennial Materials: Blue Steel Frame and B/S, Brass T/G Caliber: .44 Starting Price Find a Dealer LEARN MORE 1858 New Army Target Carbine I think 20 guage is the limit of what could be reasonably handled, and even that may be too much. The MP-442 Rex can just barely handle .357 Mag and since it was never in production we don't know what kind of product life it has. It is an expensively customized two barrelled weapon. Are all smoothbore barrels under 18" SBS, even if the receiver never had a buttstock? Accepted Payment Methods: Returns: 3 Days These are available in a limited quantity. Beauregard, who was to become a general with the Confederacy. Required fields are marked *. For the Red Dead Redemption variant, see LeMat Revolver. [2], Last edited on 20 February 2023, at 00:27, armed forces of the Confederate States of America, U.S. Patent 15,925 issued on 21 October 1856, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=LeMat_Revolver&oldid=1140415441, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 00:27. Located beneath the rifled revolver barrel is a single .20 gauge smoothbore barrel. It's the paperwork and the wait. I'd like to make a modern version that I don't have to front-load. LEMAT REVOLVER 44 CALIBER $ 899.00 Buy LEMAT REVOLVER 44 CALIBER .44 Caliber/.20GA Cavalry Model 6 3/4 Barrel The distinguishing characteristic of LeMat's revolver is that its 9-shot .44 cylinder revolves around a separate central barrel of larger caliber than the chambers in the cylinder proper. The idea of a repeating firearm dates to the first handgun, known as a hand cannon. For privacy reasons, do not use your full name or email address for nickname. The judge gets by with it because of that, and being rifled I believe. EMF Company Copyright 2009-2023 All rights reserved. Loading it takes some getting used to since the loading lever is on the side. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. It saw service with the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861-65. LeMat Revolver, USA 1855 Made of cast metal (zamak) Can be cocked and dry fired like the original Non-firing replica. United States distributors include Navy Arms Company, Dixie Gunworks, and Cabela's. 44 or . Roughly 2,900 were produced. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. absolutely great handgun beautiful piece of history. They're both biiiiiig 'hawglegs', but the carbine would be good to test the waters with. What sets it apart from other revolver designs is the 20-gauge, .643+ diameter 5-7/8 smoothbore barrel, originally intended for firing buckshot. I know they originally had problems with low qualitty steel which led to barrels busting, but we have higher quality materials now. The LeMat revolver was a .42 or .36 caliber cap ball black powder revolver invented by Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans, which featured an unusual secondary 20 gauge smoothbore barrel capable of firing buckshot. Original "COL. LEMAT" markings are present on the barrel. What was it, New England Firearms 'pardner' that was the break-action single-shot? 7 of the Worst Military Weapons Youve Probably Never Heard Of. The LeMat is a cap and ball revolver with a single-shot, smooth bore barrel of buckshot beneath the main barrel, allowing players to switch between revolver and shotgun ammunition at their leisure. Beauregard, a respected army officer, did ultimately switch sides to fight for the Confederacy. Both are fired by a pivoting striker. http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/2671/50bmghandgun21vr.jpg. ATF does a lot of their stuff through letters. The LeMat Revolver The introduction of multi-shot revolvers and rifles gave settlers and hunters a new and distinct advantage over the single shot belt pistols and long rifles of an earlier era. The revolver uses #11 caps. Mr. 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. I heard all they got was approval to import the sample at SHOT. This gun was built by a world class gunsmith (that would be me). 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. Beauregard, who was to become a general with the Confederacy. document.write(theDate.getFullYear()) At least with rifle calibers. I defer to superior knowledge citing cases and statutes. The LeMat was a private venture development begun in 1855 intended as a heavy weapon for mounted (cavalry) officers with design attributed to Dr. Jean Alexander Francois LeMat of New Orleans, Louisiana. It is expected to sell in the range USD$18,000 - $27,500. 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. Besides, I think a 12gauge might be a little hard on the wrist, if you shot it as a pistol. 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. I will post updates as I progress. Raven For the Red Dead Redemption 2 variant, see LeMat Revolver (RDR 2). The central barrel is smooth-bore and can function as a short-barreled .20 gauge shotgun (hence the name Grape Shot Revolver) with the shooter selecting whether to fire from the cylinder or the smooth-bore barrel by flipping a lever on the end of the hammer. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Looks this is not the 1st time this thought has come up in other places: You an attorney? The design of the LeMat Revolver is based on a real life LeMat Revolver.The in-game version of the weapon is manufactured by D.D. [1], Approximately 900 revolvers were shipped to the Confederate States Army and 600 to the Confederate States Navy through Bermuda to avoid the Southern Naval Blockade. Hammer is color case hardened as is the trigger. Unlike other wedge retained black powder revolvers, the Le Mat is . All of our LeMat defarbing is done in-house by Gunsmith David Stavlo. Certainly one of the most unique firearms to come out of that conflict was a heavy and powerful revolver developed by Dr. Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat of New Orleans with the assistance of. The mid-1800s were a time in American history that gave birth to a number of innovative firearm designs, and this truly unique, unusual sidearm was also known as the "Grape Shot Revolver." Accurate details like the swivel lanyard ring and trigger guard spur duplicate those found on originals. The black-Powder Revolver is a faithful reproduction of the original LeMat revolver, also known as the Grape Shot Revolver., The mid-1800s were a time in American history that gave birth to a number of innovative firearm designs, including this truly unique sidearm, also known as the Grape Shot Revolver. Roughly 2,900 were produced, developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. An accurate reproduction of the first model LeMat, this Cavalry version has a nine-shot. The AOW version would probably have a 8" barrel or so, with a ~5.5 to 6" rifled barrel for the pistol caliber. David begins the work by carefully removing all the modern markings from the cylinder, frame and both barrels. While powerful, it was better served in a close-quarter combat situation. Part revolver, part shotgun, the Le Mat was a favorite of several noteworthy Confederate officers during the Civil War. A single .20 gauge shotgun barrel under the .44 caliber barrel makes the Lemat a unique firearm. It was chambered in .42 and .63 (around 20-gauge) calibers and had a 6.75-inch barrel. I'll take you at your word. It is a single-action revolver with a high capacity nine shot cylinder. LeMat revolving carbine Just prior to the Civil War an inventor named Jean Francois Alexander LeMat invented a revolver known then as the grapeshot revolver. Also very accurate at pistol distances. Invented in 1856 by Dr. J.A.F. 20 gauge won't work unless it is 18" long or an AOW. 1 in 30" twist. Upload or insert images from URL. Unlike other wedge retained black powder revolvers, the Le Mat is easily taken apart by using the take down lever and unscrewing the whole barrel assembly. Beauregard. GIGN needed a durable revolver as their training involved firing 150 rounds of magnum ammo daily, some 40,000 rounds per year. [3], When war broke out, LeMat received Confederate contracts to produce 5,000 revolvers, and plans were laid to manufacture the gun abroad and then import them into the Confederacy, which lacked the necessary facilities to produce the weapon locally. I'm not all that impressed with the ballistics I've seen for .410 out of a Judge, but I imagine it is sufficient at bad breath range. The buyer will supply a signed copy of local dealer's . Nope. Rock Island Auction A centerfire version in 12mm Perrin or 11mm Chamelot-Delvigne, with a 24 gauge shot barrel, was made in later years in Belgium. The revolvers were manufactured in Paris in 1864 and many senior Confederate officers carried LeMat revolvers. So the LeMat was what a semi auto is to a revolver today, more ammo. Hammer is color case hardened as is the trigger. Trying to picture that. The LeMats minimal use during the Civil War was in the hands of the Confederacy. Dove tailed front sight and rear sight located on the hammer nose. The mid-1800s were a time in American history that gave birth to a number of innovative firearm designs, including this truly unique sidearm, also known as the Grape Shot Revolver. Roughly 2,900 were produced, developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. Overall I am quite pleased with it. This revolver features a Walker style grip, square brass trigger guard, steel backstrap, and oval notches on the cylinder. Stored in a silicone sock but has very LIGHT rust on some of the bluing. It saw service with the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 18611865 and the Army of the Government of National Defense during the Franco-Prussian War. Grips are checkered two piece European walnut. The Custom LeMat revolver is used by the Man in Black. Up to 2,400 LeMats were smuggled into the Confederacy to arm cavalry units. Myron S. Ryglewicz. IMI used conventional rifling in their prototype pistols, but went with polygonal rifling in their production .50 Desert Eagles. The LeMat Revolver was a .42 calibre revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexandre of New Orleans. In combat, the firepower from the pistol barrel plus a hefty dose of blue whistlers made the LeMat a fearsome weapon to face. And people love getting their hands on something many cannot acquire. The Civil War-era LeMat revolver is one of those rare oddity weapons that is so rare, collectors might consider a modern reproduction model for two reasons: Not only does it cost much less than an original antique-you can fire it too. The center pic is a LeMatt carbine. The judge gets by because it is labled as a pistol caliber and it has rifling. 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. Once I get the laptop fixed, time to write a letter to ATF, I guess. It saw service with the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861-65. This infamous revolver is must-have addition to any black powder collection! There are two problems, a swing out cylinder wouldn't have any place for the shotgun barrel and a top break revolver couldn't handle modern .410 shotshell pressures. The LeMat has been recently featured in HBO's 'Westworld' and the popular video game 'Red Dead Online'. And every so often the ATF says, "Oh, our bad, that's really a machine gun. Taylor's Firearms markets historical reproductions as well as guns designed for modern day shooters' needs in The New West. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Reloaders Networkfocuses on firearms, shooting sports, reloading, bullet casting, and the related gear and accessories. Beauregard, who was to become a general with the Confederacy. The issue with 20 gauge is that it's over 1/2 inch bore, so it's a DD unless you get the ATF to agree that it is a "sporting weapon". The Mossberg "Just in Case" is a Title 1 "firearm," not a "shotgun," because it does not possess a buttstock, and hence is not intended to be fired from the shoulder, but the barrel is 18" or greater and the OAL is 26" or greater so it is not a Title II firearm. Quality concerns prompted LeMat to consider production at the Birmingham Small Arms Company in Birmingham, England, but production was never mounted there. Beyond the realm of self-defense was a tradition of hunting that combined rifles and shotguns into one firearm. Overall length is 13.4" and weight is 4.1 pounds. Saiga-12.com Corporation This new 10mm from FN is rugged, versatile, and effective. I think it would be a cool range toy, as well as being a useful fighting gun. 1860 Army and Sheriff. LeMat of New Orleans and manufactured in Paris, France, and Birhamingham, England. Blue finish with case hardened frame and Blade front sights. so basically it would be illegal to make a cartridge version of the lemat? Dr. Theophilus Algernon "Doc" Tanner carried 2 different Lemat revolvers in the novels. Uberti cartridge revolvers are true replicas of original historical designs. Talk about a 'Buntline Special'! A "shotgun" reciever which never had a stock, would be classified as a AOW. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. He secured a U.S . | The Pietta LeMat Cavalry .44-Cal. It is slightly slower than some of the speed-demons on this list, like the Mauser, but a well-placed headshot will drop anything that stands in Arthur's way. 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). I would love to see one made that cammed the cylinder into the barrel like a Nagant. The LeMat Revolver is a weapon featured in Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2. A number of large bore weapons that in truth can only be considered rifles are legal under this basis alone without need for specific DD waivers.