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LOT 1190
Rare Centerfire Belgian LeMat “Grapeshot” Combination Revolving
Carbine - Serial no. 344, 44/20 ga gauge, 23 1/4 inch part octagon and 25 1/4 inch
round bbl., bright finish, walnut stock. The centerfire LeMat carbines manufactured in
the late 1860s to 1880s are rare; production totals were likely very low, possibly only a
few hundred, and there are very few surviving examples. Cartridge loading revolving
rifles, carbines, and shotguns never achieved great popularity and were essentially obsolete when compared
to repeating arms manufactured by Winchester and others in the same period. This LeMat uses a central
smoothbore “grape shot” barrel positioned below the standard rifled barrel. Similar LeMat centerfire carbines
are illustrated and described in “LeMat: The Man, The Gun” by Forgett and Serpette where they are noted as
chambered for 12 mm cartridges and 15.2 mm shot shells (approximately .44 caliber and 20 gauge). There
is a central flip-up loading gate at the back for the lower shotgun barrel and another loading gate on the
lower right for the cylinder. The blade front sight is on the upper barrel band, and the two-leaf rear sight
has 100, 200, 300, and 400 yard notches, a small star above “TD” on the left side of the base, and a partly
visible circled “RD” on the right. There is also a notch rear sight on top of the recoil shield. The upper
barrel is marked “COLONEL LE MAT. PATENT” ahead of the two-leaf rear sight.
The lower right quarter of the barrel at the breech has a “crown/L” proof which
is marked on the front face of the cylinder along with a circled “E/LG” Liege proof.
Serial number “344” marked on the right of the frame and assembly number “52” on the
various components. The flat fronted trigger guard has a spur at the front to aid in holding
the carbine without placing a hand in front of the cylinder and has a swiveling lanyard ring on
the right side. Sling swivels located on the bottom of the front barrel band and
lower tang.
CONDITION: Very good with gray patina on the “in the white” iron surfaces
showing scattered dark colored freckling. Stock is also very good
as sanded and refinished, with a faded appearance, a
few light nicks and handling marks, and slightly
undersized at some of the edges. Mechanically
excellent. This is a desirable example of a rare
Belgian LeMat centerfire revolving carbine.
Provenance: The Charles
Marx Collection.
Estimate: 13,000 - 19,000
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