TINCANBANDIT's Gunsmithing : Featured Gun: The LeMat revolver

The LeMat Revolver: One of the most innovative revolvers of the U.S. Civil War.

By: Randy Chamberlain

When people think of iconic 19^th 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.

About the author: Randy has been a decades long member of the NRA, the Civilian Marksmanship Program and Washington Arms Collectors (among others). He began collecting weapons in the 70's and has owned more than 500 firearms, including the subject gun above. He will continue to contribute his vast knowledge of surplus and collector weapons.