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LOT 220
Attractive Engraved LeMat
Centerfire “Grape Shot”
Revolving Carbine - Serial
no. 276, 44/20 cal., 23 1/4 inch part octagon
and round bbl., bright finish, curly maple stock.
Manufactured c. the late 1860s to 1880s. Dr.
Jean Francois Alexander LeMat (1821-1895) is primarily
remembered for his unusual percussion and pinfire handguns
from the Civil War era that were used by some Confederates including General J.E.B. Stuart. However, after
the war, LeMat continued to design more advanced versions of his distinctive firearms and returned
to France in 1868 where he led an American volunteer legion during Franco-Prussian War, was a
negotiator during the French Insurrection in 1871, and developed early airships. Production totals
for the LeMat firearms are not known. However, given that production of the more well-known and
more often seen percussion revolvers numbered only in the low thousands, the centerfire carbines from the late 1860s to the 1880s production
totals were likely very low, possibly only a few hundred. There are very few surviving examples. Revolving rifles, carbines, and shotguns were
never very popular and were essentially obsolete when compared to repeating arms manufactured by Winchester and others in the same
period. Similar LeMat centerfire carbines are illustrated and described on pages 127 and 130 of “LeMat, The Man, The Gun” by Forgett and
Serpette. This example features period retailer applied elaborate scroll engraving and is marked “COLONEL LEMAT PATENT” on top of the barrel,
Belgian proof marks, “276” on the right side of the frame, and “30” on the trigger guard, loading gates, barrel, and ejector rod threaded into the
heel. The front barrel band includes a blade front sight and the front sling swivel, and the notch and folding leaf rear sight is fitted towards the
breech. A saddle ring is fitted on the left side of the trigger guard, and the rear sling swivel is mounted to the underside of the
highly figured curly maple stock which has a checkered wrist. The upper barrel is .44 caliber and rifled and the lower barrel is
20 gauge smoothbore. The carbine is accompanied by a high quality modern fitted Huey gun case with a set of tools.
CONDITION: Very good with crisp recut engraving, metal polished bright overall, isolated
oxidation, and generally minimal wear. The
replacement stock is very fine and has crisp
checkering, beautiful figure, and glossy varnish.
Mechanically fine. The case is excellent with
minimal storage wear.
Estimate: 20,000 - 35,000
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