LEMAT REVOLVERS

JAKEJR

CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF ALL THE REPLICA LEMATS ARE MANUFACTURED BY THE SAME COMPANY?? HAVE ANY OF YA'LL HAD EXPERIENCE WITH THEM? I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE, BUT WANT TO KNOW IF ONE IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER. ANY OPINION WILL BE APPRECIATED. JAKEJR

Blckhrn

I've had my eye on one for a while. Can't answer your question but I suspect all them Italian BP gunmakers are in cahoots. I can't see more than one tooling up for something with such a limited appeal.

socks

Pretty sure Uberti makes it. Cabella's sells it. Check online.

CHGOTHNDER

+1 , just seen it in the Cabelas catalog this weekend.

PJ

bprevolver

All three models of the Lemat are made by Pietta.

Winston Bode

The only cap and ball revolver that I was a witness to chain firing was a Le Mat. I owned one for about a month and never shot it. I bought it cheap and sold it for a profit.

Bode

knightrider

If your plans involve using it for Cowboy Shooting you might want to step back and think. In CAS they only alow 5 shots from a hand gun (sometimes 6 but not offten). The LeMat holds nine, if I remember right, which is more than enough. However, now you have four empty chambers that will not be loaded and that adds extra weight to the gun and I am not even going into the shotgun barrel that is used as a pin. Really it is up to you, I have used BP guns in CAS and found it fun but a pain to clean.

Winston Bode

Hey,

Knightrider is only partially correct, the Le Mat is legal at local matches but would be a no-no at the larger annual or state matches. The one I was referring to was being shot at a CAS match. It chain fired the first shot and the chamber next to it and then it chain fired the shot after that and the chamber next to it. I stopped the shooting after that. I felt it was unsafe to me and the shooter.

The cowpoke shooting this revolver is unique and is always coming up with something different to shoot and cares not a whit about winning.


Bode

amsptcds

It's my understanding from an owner/shooter that they LeMat's that are currently made have good timing, but little else. They seem to have lots of internal problems.
Getting parts is a problem. They have to be ordered from Italy and can take a couple of months.

Here's a quote from another post:

"I've had and fired two of them. One from Navy Arms, the other bought a couple of years ago through Dixie- Both made by Pietta. The Lemat Replica is one gun that F Pietta seems motivated to get right.

The chamber/barrel relationships are right for accuracy and the chambers are in alignment with the barrel. Function is smooth and trouble free in the revolver model with cap fragment jams very unlikely to occur. The grip angle is a lot steeper than on colts, remingtons and most other revolvers we are used to and the revolver is heavy. It does hand steady on target though.
accuracy is very fine

The shot barrel is problematic and will usually not discharge without several hammer strikes or modification of the caps (thinned down at some personal risk). Even though the mainspring is stiff and cocking is a bit difficult, the short throw with the hammer nose rotated down for the shot barrel and the oblique angle it strikes make ignition unreliable. I think that 19th century fulminate caps might have been more sensitive and of softer material (copper rather than guilding metal.) and the early ones might have been more reliable.

The lock work parts are large and robust and largely unavailable except through two month + back order through VTI gunparts or Taylor &Co. It is impossible to get any reliable information or assistance from the Pietta Company.They have no customer service and are indifferent to customer satisfaction. The loading lever tends to fly up at each shot launching the shot barrel ram rod out of the loading lever and the flip down version of the barrel latch will begin to unseat and drop down after the gun has been used a few times. The fragile, loading lever retainer on the side of the barrel is subject to frequent breakage. The long curved spring that keeps the hammer nose erect for revolver firing is another part that occasionally breaks.

In order to remove the sideplate and internal parts, it is necessary to construct a split spanner screwdriver head to fit the side plate nut. For no good reason, Pietta uses a tremendous amount of torque installing the side plate and the hammer screw."


Hope its helpful.

redice

quote:Originally posted by Winston Bode
Hey,

Knightrider is only partially correct, the Le Mat is legal at local matches but would be a no-no at the larger annual or state matches. The one I was referring to was being shot at a CAS match. It chain fired the first shot and the chamber next to it and then it chain fired the shot after that and the chamber next to it. I stopped the shooting after that. I felt it was unsafe to me and the shooter.

The cowpoke shooting this revolver is unique and is always coming up with something different to shoot and cares not a whit about winning.


Bode


Should check to make sure or at least ask that the bp shooters are eather putting lube over there chambers or using a patch otherwise you can get chain fires.

Winston Bode

Hey,

I have personal knowledge that the shooter mentioned was using wonder wads between the powder and ball. I don't like them and generally will use a generous amount of lube over the mouth of the chamber to seal it up.

Bode