LeMat Revolving Carbine
LeMat · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1861
Also known as: LeMat Grape Shot Carbine
Overview
The LeMat Revolving Carbine was an extremely rare shoulder-stocked version of Jean Alexandre LeMat's nine-shot percussion revolver. It combined a nine-round .42-caliber revolving cylinder with an underslung single-shot smoothbore barrel (roughly 20 gauge) that doubled as the cylinder axis pin, giving the shooter a tenth 'grape shot' load. Examples were built in Europe for the Confederacy during the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Rotary |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .42 Cap and Ball · primary — also known as .42 caliber percussion, .42 ball
- 20 Gauge — also known as 20 bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating, Manual
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder, Single Shot Smoothbore Barrel
- Features: Nine Shot Revolving Cylinder, Underslung Shot Barrel, Selectable Central Smoothbore Barrel, Percussion Cap Ignition, Shoulder Stock
Service history
Operators
- Confederate States Army · adopted 1861
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 200 · Production years: 1861-1865
Carbine serial numbers run up to about 200; far rarer than the LeMat pistol, which was produced in excess of 4,000 units
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Jean Alexandre LeMat
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Surviving carbines show considerable variation in bore sizes: some examples used a .44 pinfire cylinder with a .56 rifled center barrel, while others paired a longer main barrel with a 20-gauge smoothbore center barrel. The .42 cap-and-ball cylinder with a 20-gauge shot barrel is recorded here as representative. Exact dimensions and weight are not consistently documented.
Background
The LeMat's underslung second barrel earned it the nickname the 'Grape Shot Revolver.' Confederate cavalry generals J.E.B. Stuart and P.G.T. Beauregard both carried LeMat pistols, and the carbine was an even scarcer prestige variant of the same design.