The LeMat Revolver: One of the most innovative revolvers
of the U.S. Civil War.
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By: Randy
Chamberlain
When people think of iconic 19th Century revolvers, the Colt Navy and Remington New Model Army often came to mind. Yet there is one pistol among these famous firearms that is so distinctive and unusual that it captures the attention of historians, collectors, and firearms enthusiasts alike: the LeMat Revolver.
In the 1850
New Orleans, a French physician and inventor, Jean Alexandre LeMat, designed a revolver
that was made to provide more firepower, particularly for cavalry and military
officers. At that time, mounted
cavalrymen often fought at short range, where a blast of buckshot could be
devastating. LeMat reasoned that a
soldier armed with a revolver and a shotgun in a single handgun would have a
significant advantage in a charge, skirmish, or self-defense situation.
LeMat put his
reasoning to design and created a single sidearm that combined two weapons in
one: A high-capacity revolver for multiple shots before reloading, as well as a
powerful shotgun. The result was a unique
design featuring a stacked dual-barrel configuration.
The upper
portion of the firearm consists of a nine-chamber cylinder, typically chambered
in .42 caliber but also available in .36. Running through the center of the cylinder was
a larger smoothbore barrel, usually 18 gauge, but ranged from 16 to 20 gauge. A pivoting striker on the hammer allowed the
shooter to select which barrel to fire. In the upper position, the hammer
struck the percussion caps on the revolver cylinder. In the lowered position,
it ignited the central shotgun barrel.
The design also featured a dual
ram rod that was originally placed on the right side of the gun, which would be
moved to the left side in later models. The main rod would pivot to align with
a chamber, where gun powder and a ball would be pushed into the cylinder and as
the ram rod level was pulled, the load would be packed into the chamber tightly. The end of the ram rod could be unthreaded
and removed to push a charge in to the shot gun barrel.
Under the cylinder, grooves were
cut around the larger barrel to collect the fowling from the gun between
cleanings. When it was time to clean,
the weapon came apart easily with a lever under the shot gun barrel. In later models, they replaced the lever with
a rod that pulls outward to open the weapon.
The spur on the trigger
originally sat high but was lowered to a more comfortable angle when the
design went further into production and a spur was also added to the trigger
guard for a second finger hold, which would later be removed on newer versions.
As political tensions built in
the U.S. near the Civil War, P.G.T Beauregard, who was related to LeMat by
marriage, helped promote the LeMat within the Confederate military circles,
leading to a deal with LaMat to provide 8000 revolvers to the Confederate Army
and another 3000 to the Confederate Navy, although the full order would never
be reached due to the blockade by the U.S. Navy. It’s estimated that around 2,500 made it into
the Confederate service. Unlike anything
else carried on the battlefields of the American Civil War, the LeMat’s innovative
design promised tremendous firepower, but it also came with significant
challenges that limited its widespread adoption.
Southern manufacturing
capabilities in the U.S. were limited which resulted in most LeMat revolvers
were produced overseas, primarily in France and England. The firearms were then
smuggled through the Union blockade and delivered to Confederate forces, although
only a relatively small number reached the South compared to more common
revolvers. Those who carried the LeMat
often appreciated their exceptional firepower. Confederate cavalry officers, in
particular, viewed the LeMat as a prestigious and formidable sidearm.
The LeMat was also heavier and
bulkier than competing revolvers. Reloading remained a slow process, as each
chamber had to be loaded individually with powder, projectile, and percussion
cap. The weapon's complex mechanism also required careful maintenance, and
production quality varied greatly depending on the manufacturer. Despite these limitations, the LeMat earned a
reputation as one of the most powerful and intimidating handguns of the Civil
War era.
As time passed, several versions
of the LeMat Revolver were produced throughout its history. Early models were percussion-cap firearms,
typical of mid-19th-century technology. Later versions were adapted for
metallic cartridges as firearms technology evolved after the Civil War. Manufacturers
also experimented with different calibers and barrel lengths, with the Baby
LeMat being the rarest version of the weapon, using a 4 ¾” barrel and .32
Caliber. While the original concept
remained the same, these variations reflected changing military requirements
and advancements in ammunition design.
Today, the LeMat Revolver
occupies a unique place in firearms history. Its unusual appearance, innovative
engineering, and connection to the American Civil War make it one of the most
sought-after collector firearms from the period. Original examples are highly prized and can
command substantial prices at auction. Reproductions have also become popular
among historical reenactors, collectors, and enthusiasts interested in
experiencing one of the most distinctive firearms ever designed.
The LeMat stands as a reminder of
an era when inventors experimented boldly with firearm technology, seeking
every possible advantage on the battlefield.
Few firearms are as instantly recognizable as the LeMat Revolver. By combining a nine-shot revolver with a
shotgun barrel, Jean Alexandre LeMat created a weapon that was decades ahead of
its time. More than 175 years after its introduction, it remains a symbol of
ingenuity, ambition, and the relentless pursuit of battlefield advantage.
As is typical on this blog, we write about guns that we own, have owned, have worked on or came into contact with, this one is no exception. Randy purchased his reproduction LeMat years ago and it kind of got lost in his collection, he dug it out for this article.
Credits:
YouTube.com: LeMat Grapeshot
Revolvers: Design Evolution, @Forgottenweapons.com, 3/2/2016
YouTube.com: The LeMat Revolver,
@Guns of the West, 6/1/2021
Wikipedia.com: LeMat Revolver,
6/7/2026
