22nd January 2012, 05:01 AM | #15 |
(deceased)
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: OKLAHOMA, USA
Posts: 3,138
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I DON'T PERSONALLY COLLECT FIREARMS BUT MY FAVORITE OF THE OLD REVOLVERS IS THE LE MAT REVOLVER. IT WAS INVENTED BY DR. LEMAT IN NEW ORLEANS IN 1856 AND WAS MADE IN FRANCE FOR THE CONFEDERATE ARMY DURING THE CIVIL WAR. LARGE SCALE MANUFACTURING WAS NOT AVAILABLE IN THE SOUTH AND NOT TOO MANY MADE IT THRU FROM FRANCE DUE TO THE UNION BLOCKADES.
THE ORIGINAL REVOLVERS WERE BLACK POWDER CAP AND BALL AND HAD A 9 SHOT CYLINDER IN 42 CAL WITH A SMOOTH BORE BARREL IN 16 GAUGE USED TO SHOOT BUCK SHOT. THIS FEATURE LED TO THE NAME GRAPESHOT REVOLVER, A SWITCH ON THE HAMMER ALLOWED ONE TO SWITCH FROM THE CYLINDER TO THE SHOTGUN BARREL AND BACK. IT WAS IN ITS ORIGINAL PRODUCTION FROM 1861 TO 1865 BUT OTHER PRODUCTION HAS OCCURED SINCE IN PIN FIRE AND CENTER FIRE MODELS IN DIFFERENT CALIBER. SEE THE PICTURES ONE SHOWING THE SWITCH LEVER IN THE DOWN POSITION TO FIRE THE SHOTGUN BARREL. I GREW UP WITH GUNS AND USED THEM A LOT SO THEY ARE KIND OF LIKE TOOLS TO ME AND I DO HAVE A TOOL BOX WITH WHAT I NEED FOR VARIOUS JOBS. I LIKE TO LOOK AT THE OLD GUNS BUT LUCKY FOR ME IT IS ONE OF THE FEW THINGS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESIST COLLECTING. THIS GUN IS FAIRLY RECENT BY ASIAN OR EUROPEAN STANDARDS BUT AMERICA IS STILL A YOUNGSTER. |
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