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Two Categories

Dr. LeMat’s revolvers have been grouped into two categories by collectors heretofore, mainly on whether the gun does, or does not have a spur to the trigger guard. (The alternate shape is a round or oval guard.) But the guard is a minor difference, since it is nonfunctional; that is, either guard could be fitted to any of

the several models or sub-types of LeMat handguns. The purpose of the spur to the guard was to permit the cavalryman to place his trigger finger there, as he rode at the charge with his pistol raised and cocked. Spur guards appear on all LeMat firearms, alternately with the round guard.

The inference is unmistakable: those with spur guards are the LeMats consigned to the Army authorities at Richmond. We have found no cavalry anecdotes of the use of the LeMat. This may be because the guns spent time in some Nassau Warehouse waiting to run the blockade. The round guards were for the Navy. Since the Marine was not astride a jouncing horse, with pistol cocked, there was no requirement for the spur guard.

Basic differences separate the LeMat handguns into two general classifications: those of the early production with fragile swivel loops fitted separately into the bottom of the butt frame, and half-round half-octagon barrels, and those with full octagon barrels and a heavy lanyard loop cast as a lump integral with the butt frame. In the early model, the loading lever is a compound type having two hinges, and works on the same lever principle as the Colt lever, though it is attached at the right side of the barrel. The later type of lever is attached to the left of the barrel, and works somewhat like the British loading levers, with the plunger sliding more or less in a straight line and with a cut in either the lever or the plunger to allow for the motion of the hand lever as it is swung through its arc. Both LeMat levers are held in place by the rammer head of the shotgun barrel loading rod. This rod, having its smaller end split to spring out and hold it inserted, is slid inside the main rammer from the front for carrying. In loading, it is easily pulled loose when the rammer is swung away from the barrel, and the shot bore is then charged like a common muzzle-loading shotgun.

LeMat seems to have been uncertain of the best method of fastening the barrel, which had to be removed for take-down in cleaning. Of course, all the LeMats had barrels which screwed around the central shotgun bore into place. But their vertical positioning was done by a catch of some sort at the front of the frame.

A LeMat No. 21 pictured by Albaugh has a large and easy lever, pivoted in the base of the barrel lug, and snapping into a frame front end cut to index. The lever is big enough to be easily snapped back by the thumb. The No. 21 revolver has the early characteristics: half-round barrel, first type complicated lever on right side, fragile lanyard loop boss inserted in butt frame. On the whole, LeMat seems to have made improvements in the strength of details of his guns and in the convenience of their manufacture. As a general rule, spur guard guns predominate through the early production; round guards in the Second Models. Between First and Second models there is a definite Transition series.

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