Baby LeMat
LeMat · Pistol · Discontinued · 1864
Also known as: Baby LeMat, LeMat Baby, Paris Baby LeMat, Second Model Baby LeMat
Overview
The Baby LeMat is a compact nine-shot cap-and-ball percussion revolver, a scaled-down version of the famous LeMat 'Grape Shot' revolver designed by Dr. Jean Alexandre LeMat of New Orleans. Like its larger sibling, its cylinder revolves around a central single-shot smoothbore-or-rifled barrel that fires a load of buckshot, giving a tenth shot. The Baby reduces the cylinder to .32 caliber (from the standard .42) and the central barrel to .41 caliber (from .63), producing a lighter, more concealable handgun intended for the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War.
Specifications
| Overall Length | 230 mm (9.06") |
| Barrel Length | 121 mm (4.76") |
| Action Type | Single Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Single Action |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 9 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Revolving Cylinder |
| Muzzle Velocity | 200 m/s (656 fps) |
| Effective Range | 25 m (27 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .32 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) · primary — also known as .32 cal, .32 percussion, .32 ball, 8.1mm
- .41 Caliber Percussion (Cap and Ball) — also known as .41 cal, .41 central barrel, grape shot
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Revolving Cylinder, Single Shot Central Barrel
- Safety mechanisms: Hammer Selector
- Features: Percussion Cap Ignition, Nine Shot Revolving Cylinder, Central Grape Shot Barrel, Checkered Walnut Grips, Compact Concealed Carry Design
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Confederate States Navy · adopted 1864
Conflicts
- American Civil War (1861-1865)
Production
Estimated total produced: 100 · Production years: 1864-1865
About 2,000 ordered by the Confederacy; only roughly 100 manufactured and delivered before the contract was cancelled.
Origin
Country of origin: France
Designer: Jean Alexandre LeMat
Discontinued: 1865
Notes
Based on the LeMat Second Model design and built in Paris. The Confederacy ordered roughly 2,000 Baby LeMats in 1864, but only about 100 were actually produced and delivered before the contract collapsed, making genuine examples extremely rare. The central barrel was usually smoothbore, though rifled examples exist. Black powder and percussion cap only; specific factory weight and dimensions are not well documented.
Background
When the full-size LeMat's bulk proved impractical for naval officers, LeMat scaled the design down into the 'Baby,' chambering a .32-caliber cylinder around a .41 grape-shot barrel. Confederate financial collapse meant only about 100 were ever finished, leaving the Baby LeMat one of the rarest Civil War sidearms in existence.