So it is impractical to use that angle and enforce it consistently. I would love to see one made that cammed the cylinder into the barrel like a Nagant. I think there's a reason none of these gimmicky guns last long on the market. Beauregard. Developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. Word was they got BATF exemption, but it has never went into production. [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. (A 2.5" .410 000 buckshot load only has 4 balls of shot. does anyone know how to take down the barrel and cylinder? Taurus is an exception because they rifle the barrels of their Judge revolvers. Total quantities believed to be less than 2,900 including production in Liege Belgium, Paris France & Birmingham England. So you would be stuck with a single action style weapon. Once it had, major manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson and Remington got into the revolver market. An accurate reproduction of the First Model LeMat, our Cavalry version has a nine-shot, .44-caliber cylinder and rifled 6-3/4 barrel. Someone should have told John Linebaugh. If Scott Kenny (this thread's OP) is fabricating a firearm "from scratch", i.e., not using pre-existing firearm component parts with serial numbers, then it's my understanding he can fabricate either a handgun or long gun in whatever caliber fancies him, as long as the characteristics of the firearm fall within the legal requirements designating either a handgun or long gun. ". I've come across a lot of BS published by gun writers, that article is not a reference. Come join the discussion about collections, gear, DIY projects, hobbies, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more! Often, when firearms try to take on multiple roles or features, accuracy and efficiency suffer. With these you could have a double barrel or even a drilling, but it's not a "revolver.". [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. Apparently, guy who has made way too many posts. Get the latest information about new products, special deals, news, top-rated items, promotions and more! Could offset the 410 barrel thus enabling it to be a DA/SA gun with swing out cylinder. I'll take you at your word. However, it is a part of a long lineage of weird looking repeating firearms that began centuries prior. smoothbore 6.75 round barrel made the LeMat a fearsome weapon to face. The way a swingout revolver works, be no place for a center barrel, thats where it latches. Talk about a 'Buntline Special'! Contact us to learn more about firearms that guarantee an awesome shooting experience. From the sight to the grips it is fine. I guess I need to mess around with some pieces of pipe, see if I can lay out a modern version mechanically. Offset? eCommerce Software by 3dcart. Once registered as such, the action's serial number is to forever remain so (such is my understanding anyway). Clear editor. This gun was built by a world class gunsmith (that would be me). It is a single-action revolver with a high capacity nine shot cylinder. Both are fired by a pivoting striker. . This iconic revolver was designed by southerner Dr. Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat of New Orleans. If you built a modern-day LeMat revolver that used a 20-gauge fixed cartridge in a barrel with a smooth bore, the result would be an AOW. A "shotgun" reciever which never had a stock, would be classified as a AOW. Taurus came out with a 28 ga. Judge awhile back. The LeMat Revolver is a revolver featured in Red Dead Redemption. You cannot paste images directly. 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. The loading lever is mounted on the left side. Berdan's Sharpshooters,' this green jacketed regiment of volunteers left a lasting legacy on small unit tactics and modern warfare. Then, you take the existing cap and ball cylinder, shave off the nipples, add a Kirst style ring to have the firing pin, and wahlah! For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The purpose of this secondary barrel was said to aid in foraging for game. Really? Beauregard, who was to become a general with the Confederacy. The LeMat Revolver Was a Civil War-Era Pistol That Doubled as a Shotgun The LeMat fires a .42-caliber bullet from a rifled barrel, and 20-gauge from a second barrel below By Ashley Hlebinsky | Published May 3, 2022 9:21 AM EDT Guns A head on look at the LeMat's double barrels. It will also shoot .32 S&W short, .32 Colt short, .32 Colt long & .32 ACP. He then stamps the serial number on the barrel, frame, and cylinder - the same locations as the originals, using dies that are a near perfect copy of the originals used by the LeMat factory. Roughly 2,900 were produced, developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. 5 yr. ago Yeah, with room for rimmed caridges, a big center chamber and two barrels that thing is going to weigh a ton. David has perfected his technique to provide a near perfect copy of the original LeMats imported to the Confederacy during the Civil War. Guy who finally figured out how to change his title. Canadian distributors include Marstar Canada, among others. LeMat Revolver Confederate LeMat Revolver Defarbing Sevice: $235.00 We are pleased to offer the first and only LeMat Defarbing service on the modern market place. I'd want at least a 3" .410 for more shot. Pasted as rich text. If either of those measurements was a bit lower, it would be an AOW. The cylinder is 9 shot .44 caliber. I mean, Taurus is selling "Circuit Judge" carbines, and the Lemat-style lets you use a bigger shotgun shell What makes the LeMatt so strong is that the shotgun barrel is the axle for the revolver cylinder. Invented in 1856 by Dr. J.A.F. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pietta literature claims it takes a 454 ball but don't belive it. David's LeMat work was recently featured in the Fall 2017 issue of. I live in Boise, so there are a couple (small) firearms manufacturers in the area, and CCI is up in Lewiston. ATF references bore diameter many times with language such as "all guns", using no distinction between rifle and pistol. Obviously, the LeMat revolver was not as successful as the namesake would have hoped. My Lemat is one of the finest revolvers produced. These weapons had varying levels of success. All Rights Reserved. Original "COL. LEMAT" markings are present on the barrel. JavaScript is disabled. While powerful, it was better served in a close-quarter combat situation. Been thinking about how to overcome the size of the center shotgun barrel with a cylinder revolving around it. http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/the-taurus-raging-judge-28-gauge-revolver/. A search of ATF rulings turns up nothing in this regard. 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". Accurate details like the swivel lanyard ring and trigger-guard spur duplicate those found on originals. Could it be done? It saw service with the armed forces of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War of 1861-65 and the Army of the Government of National Defense during the . Enter Your Email to Receive Exclusive Discounts and Promotions, EMF Company, Inc. 1900 East Warner Ave. At least with rifle calibers. BATFE is willing to say that the rifling keeps them from being shotguns no matter what you load into the revolver. var theDate=new Date() General Beauregard's personal engraved LeMat, which he carried throughout the war, is preserved at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, VA. High quality gun quite accurate with a 451 ball over 18 grains FFFG but somewhat on the heavy side at 3 and a half pounds. 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. You are somewhat mistaken - if it has a smooth bore, it CANNOT be classified as a handgun or rifle. They were made in Paris, France, and Birmingham, England. The Le Mat revolver is considered the most awesome hand-held firing weapon ever produced. He also removes the scroll engraving from the cylinder; which is correct for a Confederate-imported LeMat. The Cabine would need a 16.5" rifled barrel, which would make for a ~19" smoothbore barrel. Besides, I think a 12gauge might be a little hard on the wrist, if you shot it as a pistol. The fearsome weapon fired nine . These rare revolvers were known to be a favorite of many high ranking Confederate officers. 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. These are available in a limited quantity. However, he was plagued by a common issue in the South, a lack of production capability. LeMat Revolver, original cap & ball model, used by Confederate States troops in the American Civil War 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. Not a lawyer. Copyright 2022 Federal Firearms All Rights Reserved. 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. Your email address will not be published. David begins the work by carefully removing all the modern markings from the cylinder, frame and both barrels. 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. This percussion revolver was designed by Dr. Jean Alexandre Francois LeMat, of New Orleans. 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. The gun has escaped cleaning and has a wonderful, untouched look and remains fairly crisp with clear markings. The LeMat Revolver was a .42 calibre revolver invented by Dr. Jean Alexandre of New Orleans. 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. Weaponry: Le Mat. The Le Mat revolver is considered the most awesome hand-held firing weapon ever produced. Now, back to that non authoritative article. LeMat of New Orleans and manufactured in Paris, France, and Birhamingham, England. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. 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 buyer will supply a signed copy of local dealer's . The distinguishing characteristic of LeMats revolver is that its 9-shot .44 cylinder revolves around a separate central barrel of larger caliber than the chambers in the cylinder proper. Chamber one in .308 over 3" 12ga. that addresses what you've just written. Confederate gun runners were able to slip shipments of the gun through the U.S. Navy blockade, and it is estimated that about 2,500 made it into Confederate service. As a result, LeMat sought manufacturing outside of the United States. This infamous revolver is must-have addition to any black powder collection! New for 2019, Early & Modern Firearms Company, Inc. is proud to introduce this new addition to our Great Western II (GWII) line of singl. 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. The way things look to me, the door is still open to use that angle if they wish, but they don't have the political backing, and that would really make most shotguns illegal. Developed in New Orleans in 1856 by Dr. Jean LeMat and backed by Pierre G.T. cylinder and rifled 6.75" octagonal barrel with 1:30 twist. I am by no means an expert here. Also, ATF measures handgun bore diameter differently than they measure rifle bore diameter - .50 BMG actually throws a .51 caliber bullet, which is okay for rifles, not for handguns (measuring land to land vs. groove to groove in the bore). With nine .44 caliber rounds on tap and a central bore which can fire buckshot, there isn't really a comparable modern firearm, though modern firearms would be faster to load. By the start of the Civil War, repeating firearms were growing in popularity. 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. http://www.loaddata.com/members/search_detail.cfm?MetallicID=690&caliber=.50&caliberid=31&header=.50%20Caliber%20Reloading%20Data. Now, I get that a Taurus Judge avoids the AOW/SBS definition by having a rifled barrel. It left me amazed yet again. Other than that, "rifle" or "pistol" caliber isn't really relevant. I'd like to make a modern version that I don't have to front-load. Description: Here is something you will never see again as far as I am concerned. LeMat revolvers were set apart from the common Colt and Starr revolvers of the day (1860s) by a single .68" bore smoothbore barrel affixed to the bottom of the main barrel, loaded with a charge of shot. Working closely with manufactures, Taylor's firearms are crafted to our specifications using high-quality machining, and innovative designs; all part of Keeping The Legend Alive! An accurate reproduction of the first model LeMat, this Cavalry version has a nine-shot. 1860 Army and Sheriff. It was also expensive to produce, which is never ideal. absolutely great handgun beautiful piece of history. Once the action arrived to my FFL Dealer, I was required to register it either as a handgun or a long gun. The USAS 12 and streetsweeper were killed by name in the act, but they threatened that they could have killed them as weapons greater than .50 even if they had not been named. The LeMat revolver, one of the coolest guns in Civil War collecting. Being over .50 does not automatically mean it's a DD - that's up to the AG. The "LeMat" was an American Civil War (1861-1865) revolver emerging from the resources-strapped Confederate States of America. [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. At the same time, we changed it to a break-action frame so that reloading is easy to do. Hammer is color case hardened as is the trigger. But it is not a . I've got to take Gary's tack here, what ruling? I think it would be a cool range toy, as well as being a useful fighting gun. Model: Reproduction LeMat Army Revolver. Scott Kenny, I was thinking about how 12gauge shotguns are allowed to throw a .67 caliber slug, because they are labled as 12 gauge (and meet ANSI Specs for those shells), and not .67 caliber, even if they have rifled barrels. It was a pain in my bottom & I will never do . Dove tailed front sight and rear sight located on the hammer nose. Patented in 1856 by Jean Alexandre LeMat, a Frenchman living in New Orleans at that time, the revolver was a cap and ball muzzle-loader featuring a central smoothbore shotgun barrel, which also served as the axis for an enlarged revolver cylinder, typically .42-cal, that fired down a longer 6.75-inch parallel barrel. Invented in 1856 by Dr. J.A.F. The LeMat Revolver is a weapon featured in Red Dead Online and Red Dead Redemption 2. LeMat Revolver, examining shooting taking it apart looking at how it works on the inside. [3] While having better sales than its pinfire relative, the centerfire LeMat also had no real commercial success due to the invention of the double-action system. The bluing is then stripped from the gun and a beautiful patina is applied to the whole pistol. The Nagant does not have a cylinder gap. With the advent of easy-to-produce and more reliable repeaters, the military eventually caught on. 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. 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. Also very accurate at pistol distances. A single .20 gauge shotgun barrel under the .44 caliber barrel makes the Lemat a unique firearm. Beauregard, besides being LeMat's cousin, was one of the first U.S. Army officers to resign and join the Confederacy. The hammer was slightly too short to reliably fire it. Although I may be wrong, I believe what you've conveyed is incorrect. IMI used conventional rifling in their prototype pistols, but went with polygonal rifling in their production .50 Desert Eagles. In combat, the firepower from the pistol barrel plus a hefty dose of blue whistlers made the LeMat a fearsome weapon to face. Smoothbore pistols are specifically defined as AOWs. Made by Uberti. With todays metallurgy it is totally unnecessary for a revolver to have a gap. This new 10mm from FN is rugged, versatile, and effective. They are going to be converted on the Cooper system i.e a cylinder cap with 9 firing pins in .38 S&W with the shotgun barrel staying percussion. The loading lever is mounted on the left side. Uberti black powder revolvers are exact replicas of their famous predecessors, and are built to perform reliably and safely with modern black powder loads. Beforehand, I spoke to Odin's James Dennis, who knew the Outlaw guys would turn to engraving, so he went a different route. Many firearms that do not see immense success become a forgotten chapter in history. Up to 2,400 LeMats were smuggled into the Confederacy to arm cavalry units. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. Quality concerns prompted LeMat to consider production at the Birmingham Small Arms Company in Birmingham, England, but production was never mounted there.