Pinfire LeMat Grapeshot Revolver
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- čas přidán 18. 04. 2015
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Colonel Jean Alexandre LeMat was a native Frenchman who emigrated to the United States and in 1856 secured a patent for a "grapeshot revolver", which had both a 9-shot .42 caliber cylinder and a 20-gauge smoothbore barrel acting as the cylinder axis. A moveable striking surface on the hammer allowed the user to alternate between firing the rounds in the cylinder and the center shotgun barrel. Unable to find a manufacturer in the US, LeMat had them manufactured in Belgium. These revolvers achieved most of their current notoriety as a result of several thousand being used by the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War - and those guns were percussion ones. However, LeMat also made a smaller number of pinfire variants for sale in Europe (where pinfire cartridges were much more common than in the Americas). This LeMat revolver is one of the pinfire examples, which still has a 9-shot cylinder and retains the percussion mechanism for the center smoothbore barrel. It comes in its original case, with several tools including a mold to make an interested 3-part segmented slug.
It was to my great surprise (and delight) that I recently discovered the pinfire cartridge cases for this gun are still commercially produced! Somebody, somewhere, is still shooting these things :-)
This channel is so calm andnever has clickbait
Emo looking Chegg agreed
Podhum vdni
Dont know, hes pretty good at baiting me to click every video, so technically...
The sound of that action, is exquisite through headphones 👌
you need to do a video on early gun boxes that's a art form in its self.
As always, you educate and illuminate the history of gun with clarity and humor. Thanks for the efforts you make, we ought not lose sight of the past as it so often becomes 'new' again ;like the LeMat's multi-projectile rounds. I love the videos as they teach and tell the story of gun development across a rather interesting block of time.
Of the 3 types I like the aesthetics of this one most.
I personally like the first model black powder with the spur under the trigger but any lemat is a cool lemat in my opinion
I love this lemat because it can take cartridges and still almost kept the appearance of the previous one
This gun was way ahead of other revolvers of the time, 9 shots as opposed to the usual 6, and it could shoot buckshot out of the bottom. So technically 10 rounds in total. Not to mention they’re gorgeous guns
I guess they are extremely heavy and painful to shoot. Ian said everything is a tradeoff in gun design and I tend to agree
Brit here. I love the Lemat, I never understand how this design didn't take off.. it seems on paper to be hit so many bases for a good reliable revolver.
also a brit, and i was thinking just the same thing
Trouble is that it is actually a kind of finicky and delicate weapon in practice with a lot of quirks, such as the cylinders often failing to lock up properly.
This is the coolest revolver ever.
Very interesting piece of history, Ian, thank you for another great video!
Thank you Ian.
I would love to see a video about the history of pin-fires in general along with an explanation of why they did not seem to catch on in America ( if such a reason actually exists, considering how disinterested America was with it's military Firearms at the time)
Always wanted a Le Mat,nice gun.
Très intéressant et bien présenté.
Such a good video on what would be one of my dream guns.
This is one of your older videos but. Just want to say thank you for sharing yout vast knowledge
Just looked up the price of this particular one that he’s reviewing and when I saw the price it’s pretty incredible they allowed him to take it out and handle it but I’m glad they do
Great video as always man!
thanks for up loading ian
Mr. Ieyn! I thanks a lot!
Interesting piece. That three piece round for the shot barrel is pretty clever!
I first thought those angular projectiles were going to be like the square bullets that some versions of the puckle gun used.
Easily my favorite revolver
I like the Beatles...
How are the three projectiles bound for loading, what keeps them together for ramming down the barrel? I watch forgotten weapons most. The engineering of the forgotten weapons is fascinating. civilisation keeps learning from the past. Keep digging Ian. can't wait to see what else you can find.
I love this channel! one thing I really wish you would add is an estimated value!! is that possible?
Sam Haley Click the link to RIA's catalog page - those have the estimated values of each item.
Forgotten Weapons I saw that just after posting! my apologies. Love the channel, very informative.
Sam Haley _____Click on the rockisland link in the description, for this one it's $35,000 - $47,500
Hi Ian!
How long are your sessions over at RIA, where you film one weapon video after the other?
I've also seen a couple that take a shotshell for the center barrel via a hinged block.
this is the most attractive of the bunch
at 3:13 its literally gun asmr... i had my headphones on and i had a shiver running down the back of my neck
When that barrel was pointed at the camera, Whew!...Seriously intimidating.
Its why its so reliable ^¬^
Like for LeMat, my favorite revolvers!
Very regal
9-round cylinder with an under-barrel shotgun. Is this the high-capacity assault revolver CNN keeps talking about?
This kind of makes me want to buy one of the Uberti replicas... I wonder if there are replica bullet mold tools like this one available.
I'd love to see someone try and make a cartridge Le Mat just for fun.
Not sure what you'd do about the shotgun barrel though, might have to stay black powder if you still want that gauge.
Geremy Tibbles It existed! They were rare and the shotguns fired strange as hell short shots, but they were a thing. This channel has a video on a LeMat cartridge pistol and a rifle.
Unfortunate thing is, the centrefire leMatts are ugly as sin compared to the percussion and pinfire models.
*bang-----ptcooowng*
Your enemy; "haha you missed"
*switches to grapeshot*
*BOOM*
You; "try mocking me without a head!"
Hey ian can you do a video overview of the Lemat series and company
With the hammer set to fire the shotgun barrel, does it still rotate the cylinder?
Beautiful.
Dear Santa...
cool looking gun did they ever make a modern versition with rim or ceter fier ammo ???
somebody does currently market a repro (or did recently), one of the high end euro cowboy gun makers. unfortunately, i'm almost certain it was cap and ball. i don't think you could market it here with the percussion shotgun barrel and a modern fixed ammo cylinder (here being the usa). all cap and ball would be cool, as would pinfire and cap fire shotty, but i think NFA territory is entered with fixed modern ammo in the cylinder. either way, the percussion version was astronomically priced due to all the hand work such a monster needs to rise from the grave, lol. i would imagine alloy suitable for modern ammo could only drive the price in one direction. a 9 shot .40 s&w revolver (even if the shotty had to be for show only) that looks suitable for duty in a period vampire movie certainly has merit, and i imagine one could do a rifled .410 barrel as the blunderbuss, though it wouldn't quite be the same, now would it?
They need to build a modern cartridge firing LeMat in 357 magnum and .410 shot shell. It could have two triggers and the shotgun could be fired by a falling block breach. The breach would be opened by a redesigned trigger guard with a lever behind the trigger guard. Sounds like a lot of work to design and a not very practical defensive pistol but I would buy it on cool factor alone. I bet a German could do it !
Delete this comment before anyone takes your genius idea!
stenk000
I hear you ! I know it is completely impractical but all you would have to do is call it "tactical" and people would buy it. I would call it a "survival pistol " because small game could be harvested at close range. Hey, if Chiappa can sell an overpriced three barrel shotgun then I think people should buy a ridiculously overpriced survival pistol. It could even have a fluted barrel and about nine different rails on it to attach flashlights, lasers, flamethrowers, and a small thermonuclear device. In case you are shot and dying you can pull a "Predator' move and take out the entire jungle. I think a retail price of 2 billion sounds appropriate.
Well LeMat did make a centerfire version (Ian has made a video on it) And it was a little clunky but again that would be in 20 gauge and not 410. But a "tacticool" Modern LeMat would be cool like you said
Check out the Man in Black's weapon in Westworld TV series.
Pinfire here in Europe is also known as Système Lefaucheux, or just cartouches Lefaucheux .
I think that was one of "bore trough the cylinder" patent violations that Rollin White/Smith& Wesson are fighting for some royalties. The patent expired in 1870.
I found that one in my great grandmother house, what should I do?
Are the guns you review operable, or are they mostly just offered as non-op collectible antiques?
+KlunkerRider RIA does mostly operable stuff, but i wouldn't recommend it for most of their stuff since they are all so old and unique you'd probably get either a break at worst or at best decrease the value severely
Yourantsally Thanks
A shame to see that they never really took of, a 9 shot revolver with a 10th shotgun round seems like it would be popular.
when was the pinfire cartridge of the LeMat revolver invented? Before the Civil War.
Para preguntarle:
Ese revolver tiene cañones de ánima lisa o ánima estriada?
Ánima estriada, el de escopeta es ánima lisa
@@Sasaroly muchas gracias por tu amable INFORMACIÓN.
Does anyone know where to find replica bullet molds like this?
does that special ammo have a name ?
Wonder how much it sold for
To be precise, the pinfireshells, which are using the LeFaucheux-ignition system, were not really used around europe, but more narrowed to the french and belgian region, as other nations didn't really adopt the system.
The Civilian markets of Europe had alot of pinfire shell shotgun in the 1800's. Though I take it you meant the military market?
Yes, I thought I mentioned that. Thank you for correcting! :)
Were these three parts encased in a shell?
Pieter Batenburg No, they were for the muzzle-loading central barrel.
if I was a gunslinger in the old west this would be my pistol
or at least a standard lemat
I want that gun ......
"By the Three Kennedys!"
5:12 winchester pdx 19th century style.
The caliber seems to big to be a pin fire the barrel for the pistol looks huge
So if the pinfire LeMat is about as pretty as the percussion one, why is the centrefire so damn ugly? They're both cartridge revolvers, the only thing I can think of that would really be an issue is the shotgun barrel. I know the centrefire model has a breechloading shotgun barrel as well, but does that necessitate the more vertical grip angle? And why does the cylinder look so different?
andymac4883 Because the centerfire one was made to accept a shotgun cartridge. Had to completely remake the gun and add in a breech in the back for the shotgun.
Ian why aren't you the weapons guy for Pawn Stars lol.
xXxBlackwaterXxX I was on a reality TV show once, and it made me feel dirty.
Why did it make you feel dirty?
Forgotten Weapons Which one?
O NOES Sons of Guns, season 5 episode 9.
Forgotten Weapons Sweet, I didn't know that.
What was that revolver competing with? It looks like a high priced toy for the very rich (back then).
I can't think of direct analogues to the LeMat. I believe the intent was for a high capacity service handgun, in a period where most held five or six rounds (and reloading was a bear.) However, size, expense, and mechanical complexity would make it less desirable.
Guns as impractical toys of wealth are truly a timeless thing. Big magnum pistols, howdah guns, vest pocket pistols, elephant guns, wheellocks, tactical rifles covered in rails and chambered for specialty rounds, shotguns with drum mags or chainsaw grips, that double barreled 1911, takedown precision rifles in fitted cases.
Most guns are about image and wants, not practicality.
I'm not talking about guns used for a profession (like competitive shooters) or for subsistence hunting or defense in destabilized zones; I mean the kind that gun enthusiasts buy. Like, how many Wildey pistols were bought because they were necessary, and how many were bought because they looked cool or shot an extremely powerful cartridge for a semi-auto?
They're like fast cars for people who never race, or fine chef's knives for people who barely cook.
+WorldsFattestRobot Yeah, think of the number of people who buy desert eagles.Who the hell has an actual use for one? besides "Its one of the most powerful semi automatic handguns commercially available!"
gel test..
Great gun, but not the most accurate repair. This ejector rod can't remove empty shells because the rod and the loading gate don't affect the same drum chamber :)
to bad there is no ammo to show here
Against home invasion circa 1865.
First
I handled a Le Mat replica once. The most awkward thing imaginable, a really poor pointer, and way too heavy. If I'd have been a Confederate cavalry officer, I'd have carried a Colt.
I handled a Matt LeBlanc once..:)
Assuming you could find, and afford, a Colt.
I have no love for confederacy, but I do like the look of this revolver.