service during the U.S. Civil War. The original revolver, constructed of blued steel with grips of checkered walnut, was not considered to be a very accurate weapon, although it was deadly at close range. Civil War cavalrymen, particularly in the South, preferred to carry several pistols, as it was faster to draw another loaded weapon than to try to reload a cap and ball revolver in combat. After the introduction of cartridge-firing firearms, the LeMat system appeared in pinfire, but this version is exceedingly rare. A centerfire version in 12mm Perrin or 11mm Chamelot-Delvigne, with a 24 gauge shot barrel, was made in later years in Belgium. While having better sales than its pinfire relative, the centerfire LeMat also had no real commercial success due to the invention of the double-action system. With both weapons, loading was accomplished via a loading gate at the 4 o'clock position for the cylinder and by swinging the breech of the shot barrel up and left. Variants Black Powder Caplock – The first variant of the LeMat. Pinfire Cartridge – Second variant, can be recognised by cylinder. Centerfire Cartridge – The centerfire variant came with a distinctive grip. Carbine – A rare variant with extended barrels and a rifle-type stock totaling 20" in length. Baby LeMat – The rarest variant of the LeMat is a reduced size version with a 4 3/4" barrel, the revolver chambered in .32 caliber, and the shotgun chambered in .41 bore. Only 100 were produced. Modern reproductions The Pietta company of Brescia, Italy, has manufactured modern reproductions of the LeMat revolver since 1985. United States distributors include Navy Arms Company, Dixie Gunworks, and Cabela's. Canadian distributors include Marstar Canada, among others. See also Henrion, Dassy & Heuschen Revolver Pistola con caricato References Bibliography The Confederate LeMat Revolver, Doug Adams, Mowbray Publishing, 2005. External links Article from American Handgunner, July 2002, on the Navy Arms reproduction LeMat Revolver American Civil War weapons Combination guns Early revolvers Military revolvers Multiple-barrel firearms Revolvers of France Revolvers of the United Kingdom Revolvers of the United States Single-action revolvers Weapons of the Confederate States of America Guns of the American West Black-powder pistols