LeMat shotgun barrel firing (video)

[Jed Irons]

I finally got around to trying out my LeMat's shotgun barrel while shooing in the high desert in January, and as I have yet to see video of this anywhere on the internet, thought you guys might get a kick out of it.

 

As you can hear in the video, my powder load was too light and the shot bounced off the target. I didn't have loading data with me, so I erred on the side of caution.

 

 

Does anyone ever use this gun for the Frontier category?

[Virgil Ray Hality, SASS# 37355]

I ain't been around much, but that is the first time I have seen a LeMatt fired. I never seen one at a match.

[Steel-eye Steve SASS #40674]

I once used mine in a private, non-SASS, plainsman match where I could use it fully loaded. They aren't fast, but a lot of fun. My shot barrel load was 45 gr of ffg, fiber wad, then 3 OO buckshot and a very tightly patched .60ish ball. You knew when that went off!

[RHL]

Thanks for sharing the video.

The LeMat has become a favorite obsession of mine lately and someday I'll own one... cuz they are so cool!

[Cemetery]

How is the quality of the LeMat?

 

Do you need to spend $$ to get it to work?

 

Was thinking of getting one, but a few people told me that two of their best days of their lives entailed purchasing a LeMat, and then selling it at a loss.

[Jed Irons]

Mine works great. Bought it from Dixie back when they had a really good sale on the Army model ($550 or something like that). I've only taken it shooting two times so far, since it's a pain to disassemble and clean (at least compared to my Walker), but it's such a unique look that I love it. The hammer spring is really stiff and difficult to cock one-handed, getting to that final "click" usually takes the other hand. But all 9 chambers fired, plus the shot barrel, on the first try, so out of the 15+1 rounds I've put through it I've had no problems.

 

I still want to pick up a nice holster for it.

 

Steel-Eye Steve, I would have loved to see that load you described firing. Next time I'll bump it up to 45 grains.

[Jed Irons]

I edited together a short video of my brothers, uncle, and I shooting my LeMat up in Mammoth a few weeks ago. Since there is a dearth of LeMat videos on the web, figured you all might enjoy it. And this time it's all in HD! The last shot of the video features the shotgun barrel in action, this time with a higher charge and using target shot.

 

[Slowhand Bob, 24229]

A couple of questions. On the first video I notice that when you fire off the shotgun load, the hammer remained well back. Was that a hammer bounce back situation or is that where it normally rests for the shotgun position? Tell us about the loading lever, I see the note about it being loose so I assume it shouldn't bounce up like it does in the video? Great video and let us know how it does in a match sometimes. I just might have to inform the wife that I need a LeMat to use as a mold for making holsters!!!

[Jed Irons]

Bob, the hammer looks like it's back because the nipple that leads to the shotgun chamber is located under the hammer. When the hammer is touching off the 9 .44 chambers, it rests on those nipples and doesn't touch the shotgun nipple. To fire the shotgun chamber, you need to swivel the tip of the hammer downwards to strike that nipple, and then it rests in what looks like a half cock position. Some have said that because of this lighter strike it sometimes takes multiple tries to fire the shotgun, but it's worked every time for me on the first try so far.

 

As for the loading lever, it doesn't always hop up, but I think I hadn't secured it just right when firing many of those shots. There's a little notch on the side of the barrel it's supposed to rest in, and you have to seat it in there just right.

 

I'd love to try it in a match sometime, but the hammer spring is really stiff and usually requires two hands to make it hit that final lock. Style points galore, though, so I'm sure I'll try it eventually!