Le matt or Patterson Revolver

[Firebricker]

Watching T.V. avoiding heat led to an interesting question. If you could pick between a great deal on a historic revolver which would you choose Patterson or LeMatt ? Or to add one more in the mix throw in a Colt Walker.

It's just a hypothetical question out of curiosity but I would take the LeMatt hands down. This of course assuming money was not a concern. What would you guy's pick ?

[sharps4590]

If you mean originals, it would be the Walker.....maybe.....or the Paterson. Either of those before the LeMat.

Repro's. I dunno, probably the LeMat. I'd take a Paterson over the Walker because I've had a Walker.

[Firebricker]

Since it's a hypothetical question were talking originals. FB

[EDK]

I'd have to pick the LeMat because I don't think much of either of the COLTS except for their place in history. Too many horror stories on blowing up WALKERS; too pricey a collectible to shoot; don't know much about the others. Obviously, this means a replica since I value ALL TEN THUMBS. I'd play with it for awhile and leave it in the safe mostly; shoot it for "show and tell" with the step kids and grand kids on occasion.

There was a western series on TV 'way back when where the hero had a SAA set up like a LeMat...in the opening scene each week, he fanned six into a circle on a door and then blasted out the center with the shot barrel. Obviously special effects, but impressed the h*** out of the un-informed watchers. I'd love to have a VAQUERO set up like that with a 410 underneath...and straight rifling in the barrel like a CONTENDER choke tube on a 45/410.

:redneck::cbpour::2gunsfiring_v1:

[missionary5155]

Greetings
In repros I would get the Lemat just to have that big underbarrel for popping things in the bushes. Might not be practicle but how about a round ball coming out of that.
Mike in ILL.

[429421Cowboy]

I think a Walker would be pretty cool... "...effective on man or beast to 200 yards..."

[Blacksmith]

I've been a Le Matt fan for years. It was a nine shot cylinder with a 16 gage shotgun in the middle. The TV cowboy was Johnny Ringo "The fastest shot in the West" and his gun was an original Le Matt that had been modified.

[Stephen Cohen]

I've been a Le Matt fan for years. It was a nine shot cylinder with a 16 gage shotgun in the middle. The TV cowboy was Johnny Ringo "The fastest shot in the West" and his gun was an original Le Matt that had been modified.

I wish you had not told us that, Im cryng in my coffee,

[Wayne Smith]

The LeMat is a 20 ga shotgun barrel, at least in my Pietta repro. Only problem is that the holder for the loading lever isn't very effective and often falls, jamming the action. I tried to bend it and broke it, it is spring steel. E-mailed Pietta and Peitro Pietta returned my e-mail and explained that this is a known fault in the originals and they made theirs as close to the original as they could. Sent me a replacement and a spare free.

I haven't fired my type two Patterson Uberti yet - the one with a loading lever. The cutout for the ball in the frame is too small to let the ball under the lever so it is relatively useless. I have the external loading lever but haven't taken it to the range yet.

In the original I'll take the first model Patterson. It is just a beautiful piece of engineering and art.

[DSL1138]

I would definately go for the LeMat, because I don't like many old cap and ball revolvers, and of those I like, the LeMat is my favorite. Besides, who wouldn't want a revolver that could hold 9 rounds and a shotgun shell?

[Wayne Smith]

Not shell, muzzle loading shotgun barrel on the LeMat. All they had back then.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I have never been a big fan of blackpowder firearms, although I have shot them...just too much clean-up for me. The one blackpowder repro revolver I did own was given to a now former brother-in-law as a gift.

Still, given that cost was not an issue,I would probobaly go with the Walker, if for no other reason as an investment.

[gwpercle]

LeMat hands down. Does anyone remember the name of the short lived tv show
in which the main caracter carried a LeMat ? It was a westen, black and white show, maybe 1960's. I remember watching it and being enthralled by the revolver / shotgun combo. Had no idea that they really existed
( so much on tv isn't true ) and were developed by someone from Louisiana.
Dr. J. A. LeMat was from New Orleans if I remember correctly.

Name that T. V. show and who starred in it

Gary

[gandydancer]

I've been a Le Matt fan for years. It was a nine shot cylinder with a 16 gage shotgun in the middle. The TV cowboy was Johnny Ringo "The fastest shot in the West" and his gun was an original Le Matt that had been modified.
there you go. and I believe the actors name was don durand

[Wayne Smith]

Dr. LeMat practiced, I believe, in New Orleans. The revolvers were made in Philadelphia and France.

[Firebricker]

From what I read LeMatt tried to sell U.S Government before the war. They didn't want due to the bulk and weight. After the war started they realised big mistake then did everything they could to stop the C.S.A. from producing them. Now with slight bias I thought only the yankee gov would think a 9 shot revolver with a 20ga shotgun barrel was a bad idea LOL. There's nothing I can find saying Nathen Bedford Forrest carried one but a LeMatt revolver would definitely fit his fighting style. FB

[gnoahhh]

The LeMat was the favored sidearm of Gen. J.E.B. Stuart.

[KCSO]

Having shot alll three I will give some impressions of the guns...

The Patterson with the folding trigger, 5 shots or 4 if you carry with the hammer on and empty, and no loading lever is an improvment over a single shot but by no means a combat revolver even by the standards of the day. It was quickly improved and discontinued. In addition the folding trigger precludes a good trigger pull and the Patterson both original and reproduction has a 6-8 pound pull at best.

The Walker is a real handfull and until the advent of the 357 magnum was the most powerfull handgun made. The trigger is good but the gun still has several liabilities. The first is that it was made for horse use and is way to heavy for day to day carry. The second problem is that after only a little use the loading lever drops at the shot and has to be hiked up again at every shot. This was corrected in the later Dragoons with the positive catch. The sheer size of the Walker makes it hard for folks with smaller hands or weak hands from even using it.

The Le Matt is a nother rather bulky gun but the main problem here is the caliber, a 36 or a 40 is not a real stopper and the 40 caliber Le Matt is no better than a colt Navy in the power factor. The extra shots don't outweigh the handliing problems caused by the oversized cylinder and the grips, although not bad take some gettng use to. I have also found the LeMatt , in reproductions anyway, to be somewhat fragile.

All in all none of these guns would be a good choice for per 1865 combat. I think the Union army had the right stuff in the 1860 Army revolver and the 1858 Remington would be a close second with the Whitney revolver coming in a close 3rd. And if you expand to foriegn guns I would have to go with the Adams revolver, even with the liability of 5 shots.

[richhodg66]

Wow, interesting thread. I've been ntrigued by the Lemat ever since I read Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain where a Lemat figures rather prominently.

Thanks for the information on the Johnny Ringo show, I had never heard of it. The lead in is on Youtube.

[Cactus Farmer]

What about the Starr,both DA & SA. I have an origional DA and it is an awsome piece. A pair of these would be bad news in a gun fight. One in each hand and set for DA would fill the air with lead and a gob of smoke to hide behind. Mine holds more powder than 1860 Army,too.
It has the inspection marks on the grips so it was issued to some northern troop and I'd like to think liberated by a southern boy.

[bearcove]

Always wanted a LeMatt

[KCSO]

The Starr revolver I shot was a good working gun but had a somewhat clumsy feel for me. The double action Starr was suppose to be a bit fragile but they couldn't have been to bad to last from 1864 to 1995 and still be working. I also got to shoot a Savage Navy pistol once and it was a hoot to shoot but too ugly for words. My current percussion favorite of the hour is the Colt Dragoon. The big heavy gun is not fun to pack but solves the problems of the Walker.

I was luck in that a friend of my was a big time Civil War collector and we handled and shot most every percussion pistol carried by both sides and some that wern't, like the Rogers and Spencer that he got like new from Bannerman's before they closed.